Se afișează postările cu eticheta focus. Afișați toate postările
Se afișează postările cu eticheta focus. Afișați toate postările

duminică, 5 decembrie 2010

Keane keeps focus on the league

 Roy Keane maintains Ipswich must treat their Carling Cup semi-final date with Arsenal as a "bonus" and get back up the npower Championship table.

Town have slumped to 17th following a dire run of form which resulted in a 4-1 mauling in the East Anglia derby at Norwich last weekend. However, despite being short on numbers through injuries and on-loan players being ineligible, Keane's men battled their way past West Brom at Portman Road on Wednesday night via a second-half penalty from Grant Leadbitter


"Getting into semi-final is a real bonus but that is all it is, a bonus," the former Manchester United midfielder said. "In terms of the draw it is the hardest we could have got, but it will be great for the players. The league, though, is our bread and butter and we need to get up that table."


Carling Cup Stats

View the original article here

luni, 29 noiembrie 2010

Event design launch sharpens Wembley focus

The event design and final branding for the 2011 UEFA Champions League final were unveiled at a ceremony at Wembley Stadium today which marked the latest exciting step on the road to this season's showpiece match in London.

Representatives from UEFA, The Football Association (FA) and the Greater London Authority were present as the logo was unveiled at Wembley's Great Hall by final ambassador Gary Lineker, who was relishing the prospect of welcoming the world's "biggest club match".

Returning to the 'Home of Football' for the first time in the UEFA Champions League era, the final on 28 May 2011 will crown a week-long festival in England's capital celebrating the biggest date in the UEFA club calendar.

Speaking at the launch, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti said: "Hosting the UEFA Champions League final should be a prestigious moment, but at the same time it is important that the special occasion of the final reflects something of the heritage of the country it is being played in – hence the final identity."

The event design uses the UEFA Champions League Trophy as the central element of a heraldic crest that represents London's heritage, but its contemporary styling also reflects the city's international reputation for creativity. The trophy is flanked by two lions – an emblem found on statues, ironwork and paintings across the capital – which symbolise the two teams who will battle it out to be champions of Europe.

Former England striker Lineker, who scored 25 goals at Wembley for club and country during his career, said the 'Lions of London' design "does the trick", adding: "It's fabulous the final has returned to one of the great stadiums in world football. The Champions League is a great tournament, it's must-watch football – the biggest stars play in it and the final is biggest match in the world."

The FA's general secretary Alex Horne said: "We're delighted to be hosting the final next year, it's a hugely exciting time for Wembley Stadium. Footall matches don't get much bigger and better than the UEFA Champions League final. This stadium was built to host great events like this – it's a huge moment for us and we're working to make sure it will be a truly memorable occasion."

Wembley will be staging European football's biggest club game for a record sixth time. However, the venue is barely recognisable from its last continental showpiece: the 1992 European Champion Clubs' Cup final.

With the famed twin towers having made way for an iconic arch, the new Wembley reopened in 2007 and boasts a 90,000 all-seated capacity, making it an ideal setting for one of the world's premier sporting occasions. The traditional host of the FA Cup final and England national team matches, it is staging the 56th edition of the European Champion Clubs' Cup final.


View the original article here

joi, 25 noiembrie 2010

Clean slate gives Casillas's Madrid new focus

When you play for Real Madrid CF, the past can sometimes be a millstone around the neck. So it is that, as Iker Casillas reflects on the nine-time winners' failure since 2004 to get past the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the word "trauma" crops up in his conversation.

The goalkeeper, whose team visit AFC Ajax on Tuesday having already booked progress from UEFA Champions League Group G, told UEFA.com: "It has stuck in our heads like a little trauma, but this has happened to the players – me more than anyone – who have been here a few years. I've experienced and suffered this situation but the new, young players have their own experiences with previous clubs, so it's not necessarily something the squad as a whole think about. It's more the club which has suffered this setback in the last six years."

Casillas's view that former woes need not worry Madrid's 2010/11 vintage is lent weight by their results under José Mourinho, with three wins and a draw ensuring a knockout berth, the 29-year-old believes Mourinho has freshened things up at the Santiago Bernabéu. "The arrival of Mourinho also meant the arrival of new players – young players with a lot of talent, who want to do things right, have a lot of hope and are very committed. It's like a renewal."

The new guard includes German internationals Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil, who, Casillas predicts, will become "top players in the world". He added: "Mesut and Sami are serious boys who have tried to integrate as quickly as possible. It's not easy for them as they speak a different language and it's difficult to learn a new one, but the team have supported them as much as possible to help them settle. The team are acting like a family, laughing a lot and taking care of each other, particularly the younger lads."

If the new-look Madrid have to meet the "highest demands", Spanish international Casillas reckons they are "on the right path", saying: "We have the right combination to become a great team. But you only get the continuity, the maturity and the experience you need by playing games."

A FIFA World Cup winner with Spain in July, Casillas overtook Oliver Kahn as the goalkeeper with the most UEFA Champions League appearances after his 104th outing against AC Milan on Matchday 3. He was still at school when first involved in Madrid's squad for a game and just 18 when he debuted in the competition in a 3-3 draw at Olympiacos FC in September 1999, replacing the injured Bodo Illgner.

Ending that campaign with a clean sheet in the final win over Valencia CF provided his "nicest memory". He recalls: "I had just turned 19 and to play in such a massive final after having to step in for the No1 keeper was amazing." The goal now is to help Madrid's new generation experience something similar.


View the original article here