Valencia boss Unai Emery insists there will be no lack of respect from his side when they face Schalke in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Tuesday’s match will see former Real Madrid players Raul, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Christoph Metzelder return to Spain to face Valencia at the Mestalla, and Emery is well aware of their capabilities.
“I see lots of evenly matched teams – lots of even ties. We have a 50-50 tie against Schalke, we believe in our potential and respect our opponents,” Emery said.
“We consider that winning this tie will be a case of having two excellent matches.”
“They have former Madrid players in Raul, Metzelder and Huntelaar. That says it all about the team’s quality.”
“Raul and Huntelaar are scoring for them. The difference that they make inspires fear. Raul makes this game bigger, but Metzelder and Huntelaar are also great players.”
“They are a strong team. They are having a great season in the Champions League. In the league, they haven’t found consistency, but we expect Schalke to be strong. We will be as well prepared as possible.”
Valencia are unbeaten in nine matches in La Liga and lost just once during the group stage of the Champions League, but striker Roberto Soldado said they could not afford to get ahead of themselves.
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“The team hasn’t lost in nine games, and that means that we can see that we are doing a good job, but we want to avoid over confidence,” Soldado said.
“The team is doing well, and this is shown in the results. The same in the Champions League. Playing like that is the way to get a good result.”
Everton defender Leighton Baines has admitted that he was shocked and disappointed to be left out of England's World Cup squad.
The 25-year-old former Wigan Athletic left-back was in Fabio Capello's initial 30-man squad before being one of the seven players omitted from the group that eventually travelled to South Africa.
Capello opted to take Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock rather than Baines who played poorly in the warm-up match against Mexico and was then quoted as saying he was worried about being homesick if selected for the tournament.
However, Baines told the Liverpool Daily Echo:"I must admit it was a massive disappointment and something of a surprise even though, like most of the lads in the squad, I knew full well that I wasn't guaranteed a place.
"I was feeling low because I knew I hadn't played my best against Mexico and I spoke to a reporter I know about how the game had gone.
"At the end of the conversation I was asked if I was missing the family while we were away, and I said I was but that it's all part and parcel of being a footballer. I'm not embarrassed to admit that being away from the family is difficult at times but I'm not the only player who feels that.
"It's natural when you've got a young family and you're away from home for long spells so I was shocked when I read some of the reports that later surfaced.
"I'd never mentioned the word 'homesick' once. I felt that my comments had been misconstrued and I came across as a bit of a moaner, which is not like me at all.
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"I was as desperate to make the plane as every other member of the squad and my family was 100 per cent behind me, so I was bitterly disappointed when Mr Capello told me that I wouldn't be going.
"It was a football reason though and had nothing to do with anything written in the newspapers. I respected his decision and wished him and the lads all the best for the tournament."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Arsenal go into the North London derby on the back of two wins as the Gunners look to get their season back on track. It is the first time in a long while that they go into the game as underdogs that could actually work in the favour.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include the Wengerball; looking to rectify Walcott mistakes, while RVP is lost in translation.
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week
Will Wenger rectify his Walcott mistakes?
The Top TEN North London derbies of recent memory
Will Arsenal star ever win over his critics?
Why change could set Arsenal back even further
Lost in translation at Arsenal?
The Wengerball
Something of a dying art in English football?
Wenger and Fergie still keen despite Brazilian’s new deal
Arsene Wenger closing in on £7m Spaniard
Barca set to join Arsenal in £10m pursuit?
Best of WEB
Sir Alex Speaks, Bring Back 3pm on a Saturday…. – Highbury House
So finally, we have an end game from Wenger, well sort of… – Le Grove
Life begins at 22? – Online Gooner
Platitudes From Stan As Arsène Prepares His Troops For Sunday – A Cultured Left Foot
Why we need to hold on to RVP – a modern great – Gunnersphere
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Click on Roger Johnson’s misses below to unveil our current Premier League Wag XI
Lille midfielder Eden Hazard has put end to any speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal, and admits that he would favour a move to La Liga rather than the Premiership.
Manager Arsene Wenger has previously revealed his admiration for the 20-year-old, who has enjoyed a thrilling season with French outfit Lille so far this season.
The Belgian playmaker has been evaluated around the £20million, and has been a long term interest of top English clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal.
However, Hazard put the rumours linking him to England and Germany to bed.
“I appreciate England a lot, Germany as well, but my characteristics correspond more to Spanish football,” said the Belgian youngster, according to TheSun.
“Furthermore, this country corresponds to my temperament, the heat and the beautiful stadiums.”
The youngster joined Lille back in 2005 and progressed into the first team by 2007. He has made close to 100 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals.
Hazard also emerged through the Belgian youth levels and has represented his country at U-17 and U-19 levels before making his senior debut at just 17 back in 2008.
Former French and Real Madrid star praised Hazard for his talent, claiming that he is the next big thing.
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“Eden is technically gifted and very fast. He will be a major star in the future. I would take him to Real Madrid with my eyes closed,” said Zidane to Marca last year.
Celtic have confirmed the appointment of caretaker Neil Lennon as their new full-time manager.
Lennon, a former Hoops midfielder, had been in temporary charge of first-team affairs at Parkhead following Tony Mowbray's sacking in March.
He had won all eight of his Scottish Premier League games at the helm as Rangers were crowned champions, but presided over an embarrassing Scottish Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of First Division Ross County.
"Celtic is my home. I've spent the last 10 years of my working life here and I look forward to bringing back the success our great club deserves," declared Lennon, who will be assisted by former team-mates Johan Mjallby, Alan Thompson and Garry Parker.
"Whether as player, captain or manager, I'm a Celtic supporter first and foremost and no-one will work harder to put a winning team on the park."
Lennon, now 38, won five titles during seven seasons as a player with the club and chairman John Reid believes he is the right man to bring success back to Celtic Park.
"The appointment of a manager is not a decision which any Celtic board can take lightly. Whilst some may have been calling for a quicker decision, we wanted the right decision," he told the club's official website.
"We have been thorough and professional and have made, I am very confident, a decision which will be proved to be a winning one.
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"Not so long ago Celtic supporters were enjoying dominance in domestic football and real progress in Europe.
"I know we can regain this position and I assure our supporters that the Celtic board will be giving Neil our full backing to ensure that he can achieve this."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There’s no running away from corruption in football, as much as we try to ignore it. Sepp Blatter has, unfortunately, greatly accentuated his inability to hold down the role as a credible president of FIFA through accusations of bribery. His incompetence when it comes to matters on the football pitch is evident, yet the leading football governing body has consistently been thrown into drawn out sagas of corruption under his watch.
Mohamed Bin Hammam seemed like an interesting successor to Sepp Blatter when he ran for Presidency last year. At the very least, it would be an alternative to what we’ve become accustomed to. Polices were falling by the wayside because they really didn’t matter. The football world has become disillusioned with the current state and morals inside the headquarters of world football, and those who are responsible seem to hold untouchable positions.
Those positions of seemingly enormous power came to a head once more last year, with Bin Hammam accused of bribery in order pay his way into the FIFA presidential seat—subsequently leading to a lifetime ban from all football activities.
From one view, it’s a disappointing ending—allowing Blatter to remain president with no opposition. But at the same time, it is an indication of what a terrible state FIFA is in at the moment.
There can be little doubt that those brown envelopes, thick with promises from one to another, were present during the World Cup voting that took place two years ago. We are fed the story of taking football around the world and helping less fortunate countries to further their development. The darker and more realistic side is that the dollar now commands where football is played and who runs the show.
Sepp Blatter has unquestionably been in power for too long. FIFA need to look at re-addressing the length of time a candidate can remain in power, limiting it to just four years. It won’t be difficult to talk about the good of the game and the positives it can bring by introducing a new candidate regularly. But the corruption that is now common place has forced real football issues to the backseat.
And who exactly is voting during these elections? FIFA’s presidents are elected internally—highlighting another huge problem with the practices inside football’s leading governing body. The votes need to be collected from each football association, instead of Blatter’s mates in the office at the end of the corridor. Football—real football—has become a mask for the get-rich-quick activities that are taking place.
As of this year, Bin Hammam has seen his ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, they haven’t discredited him from wrongdoing and clearing his now tarnished reputation.
There’s an argument that questions the real effect ordinary fans have on the corruption that takes place in FIFA. The problem is, football can be forced into the 21st century where it belongs, with technology and an assurance of the safe running of clubs, and all the issues of corruption would instantly be forgotten. It’s disappointing but it’s true. As consumers of a product, we’re unhappy with the running of the game we’re seeing now. There’s nothing organic—as strange as that word may be in the modern game—and the pitchforks have been sharpened well before the most recent Bin Hammam saga came to light.
Even more so, there’s hardly anything “organic” about the way football is run on a smaller scale. Club owners are dealing with debt which has resulted from their own wrongdoing, and isn’t the promise of huge and unwarranted wages to players just another way of bribing footballers away from their current club?
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There are problems in FIFA, and the issues of corruption and it’s regularity is greatly disheartening to those who want to see a little more sense in the game. Unfortunately, however, FIFA represents an extension of what we’re seeing closer to home.
As is the case with Jack Warner, where is the sense in one accusing another of immoral and illegal activity when the accuser is just as likely to be exposed for wrongdoing.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that countryman Cesc Fabregas helped him settle at new club Arsenal, and has stated that he is at the Emirates to win trophies.
Arteta was signed by Arsene Wenger on transfer deadline day in a £10 million deal from Everton, and has been earmarked as filling the gap left by Fabregas, who left London to join Barcelona.
Despite this, the new man has been helped by his predecessor.
“I talked to him the day after I signed the contract. He advised me on two or three things and he was really nice to me,” Arteta revealed.
“He told me about the areas to live, about the team, about the club, how good they are, about the people at the club. It was really good.”
Arteta has slotted into The Gunners midfield in the absence of injured duo Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, and is looking for a successful season.
“When you play for a club like Arsenal, you’re going to have some pressure. You need to handle it, try your best. Every club that I’ve been at, there has been pressure but I think pressure is something positive. That means that people are expecting something from you. I don’t mind. I am happy with the players here, that they can make us good and to play some good football.
“The challenge here is to win trophies. At Everton, I didn’t have the chance to do that. Hopefully we are going to have it here and we can make it,” he concluded.
Arsenal were unlucky not to claim a victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the Champions League but still escaped Signal Iduna Park with a 1-1 draw, and will now take on Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday.
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Blackpool boss Ian Holloway faces a goalkeeping crisis after Paul Rachubka injured his knee in training and could be out for up to six months.
With Matt Gilks, the club’s first-choice stopper, still six weeks away from returning to action due to a knee problem of his own, Holloway will have to rely on Ghanaian Richard Kingson for Saturday’s game with Aston Villa.
Kingson had started 11 games in Gilks’ absence but was dropped for last weekend’s 5-3 defeat to Everton after suffering from head and knee injuries himself – and Holloway admits he will try and sign a keeper on an emergency loan.
“Paul Rachubka has gone and injured himself again, which leaves us with only one fit goalie,” said Holloway.
“He’s come through all that over the last five or six months, he’s got himself fully fit, and then an injury in training and he’s gone. And he might be out for another five or six months.”
“We are going to have to try (to sign another goalkeeper). Richard won’t mind me saying this – he is probably more patched up than anybody I’ve got in my squad.”
“He is a wonderful lad, but he was injured last week when he split his head open, and he had a bad knee the week before that. So I think we can easily prove that we are a little bit short and hopefully common sense will prevail.”
“We reported it straight away and I’m sure we can prove we need another one in – it’s just who, and from where.”
Holloway admits he is still unsure whether his side are good enough to avoid relegation. A fine start to the season saw Blackpool ease clear of the bottom three but a run of five successive defeats has left them just two points above 18th-placed Wigan.
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“Are we strong enough? No-one knew at the start of the season, and we still don’t know now because a win this week and a win next week and we could be way up the league,” he said.
“Last season, some teams at this level went down with 30 points, and one more win, whether that keeps us safe or not, puts us on 31 points.”
Fabio Capello has slammed the English FA, stating that he resigned because he could not stand their interference.
The Italian trainer stepped down from his role as national selector after John Terry was stripped of the Three Lions captaincy.
Capello has recently been announced as the new manager of Russia, and used his first press conference as the eastern European country’s boss to slate his former employers.
“I was really angry with the FA interference in my work. I could not bear it,” Sky Sports document Capello as saying.
“I resigned and wanted to retire completely but the desire to win a place in the World Cup finals with a national side remained.
“It made me change my mind and accept the RFU proposal. It is my main goal and I want to make it happen,” he confessed.
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’s proposed return to Liverpool has taken a step closer after Manchester City agreed to let him leave for nothing according to The Mirror.
The Welsh international has emerged as a target for Kenny Dalglish but the Anfield boss is not prepared to pay a fee
Much travelled Bellamy is on £95,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium and City have agreed to cover the remaining 10 months of his contract to get him off the wage bill.
Roberto Mancini has made it clear he doesn’t want the 32-year-old and he is now set to return to Liverpool four years after leaving due to a falling out with Rafa Benitez.
Wales boss Gary Speed has welcomed the move stating Bellamy is a ‘top player’
Speed said: “It’s only natural Craig is going to be linked with top clubs because he is a top player.”.
“Liverpool are a fantastic club and if that’s true and it comes off, that would be great. Hopefully by the end of the transfer window things will be sorted out.”
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The Reds could face competition from Tottenham and QPR for Bellamy’s signature although it’s understood he wants to move back to Merseyside.
He’s already rejected offers from former clubs Celtic and Cardiff to pave the way for an Anfield return.