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Fabio Capello has confirmed David Beckham is 'in contention' to earn his 100th England cap against France this month and insists the former captain can be confident of achieving the landmark.

Beckham missed the recent friendly at home to Switzerland due to a lack of match fitness but hopes to play his first England game under new manager Capello when they travel to Paris on March 26.

 And Capello, speaking to England fans yesterday, admitted the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder can be confident of playing at the Stade de France.

 'Yes,' he said. 'Los Angeles Galaxy play in Dallas on March 14 and (assistant manager) Franco Baldini or I will go to see him and assess his fitness.

 'He is in contention for France. We will check on him in Dallas and then we will decide whether he will be fit for that squad. He will get his 100th cap if he is fit and in form.

 'I know Beckham very well from Real Madrid and I hope David will play the 100th game and get that cap.

 'I understand from reading his last interview that at this moment his fitness isn't good and I will phone him because I want to know exactly what he thinks about his fitness.'

Tags: Beckham Capello

David Beckham set up one goal as Los Angeles Galaxy eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Shanghai-Hong Kong United in Shanghai today.

The England midfielder was substituted with 20 minutes remaining after taking a knock to his right thigh, although the injury is not serious.

Carlos Ruiz scored all three goals, opening the scoring in the first half and then adding two more late on.

Beckham, cheered on by more than 10,000 fans at the Shanghai Outdoor stadium whenever he touched the ball, took a long pass in full flight before connecting with Ruiz, who lunged forward for the headed goal.

It was Ruiz who was the star of the match though, finding the net twice more as he first tapped home Sean Franklin's right cross in the 79th minute, and then in the 84th broke through the middle alone for the easy score.

'It's always nice to win the game but I think we played really well, we played some good football and scored some good goals,' Beckham said after the game. '(Ruiz) got three goals which we're really happy with.'

The mixed Shanghai-Hong Kong side looked dangerous throughout the game as striker Wang Jiayu repeatedly burst through the middle, but they were foiled time and again by a stingy Galaxy defence.

Beckham, who played 70 minutes of the exhibition match in Shanghai, arrived in China's financial hub as part of the Galaxy's three-city Asian tour amid questions about his fitness.

Galaxy, who begin their regular season in the United States at the end of March, will wrap up their Asian tour in Hong Kong with a match on March 9. They lost their first match to K-League side FC Seoul in South Korea.

soccernet

Tags: Galaxy China

 

English Premier League leaders, Arsenal posted a 54 per cent rise in first half profits on Friday while rival Premier League club Chelsea posted an annual loss of £74.8million.

 

Arsenal said pre-tax profit rose to £20 million in the six months to 30 November from £12.6 million a year ago. Total turnover dropped, however, to £97 million from £100.8 million a year ago as revenues from property deals fell by nearly 70 per cent.

Chelsea, currently third in Premier League, reduced its losses by seven per cent as revenues increased 25 per cent to £190.5 million. The rise was attributed to ticket and shirt sales, big money sponsorship deals and winning the FA Cup and League Cup last season.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said: "Our long-term target of operating profit break even by 2009-10 remains ambitious but we are determined to meet it or get as close as we can”.

Since buying the club in 2003, Chelsea say Abramovich has invested nearly £580 million.

www.worldsoccerconnection.net

Tags: Arsenal Chelsea

Sports and money open a new chapter: Women are competing "more" equally against men for The Highest-Paid Athletes Under 30.

From Forbes:

Watch out guys. When it comes to making the top money in sports, the latest generational shift has women closing the gap in a big way.

Sure, only five of the 20 highest-paid athletes on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list are female. But none of them have reached their 30th birthday, a sign that the next generation is catching up. Indeed, women now account for half the under-30 list of highest-paid athletes between June 2006 and June 2007.

In Pictures: The 10 Highest-Paid Athletes Under 30

Top-earning golfer Michelle Wie made more than any man on the pro tour outside of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. Tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams out-earned all men not named Roger Federer.

The trend makes sense. With more grammar school and high school girls playing sports than ever before, companies like Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ) have a greater need for lady pros to hawk their female-oriented lines.

"Girls' level of participation is much greater than it was 20 years ago," says Andy Appleby, CEO of General Sports, an industry consultant.

Not that female endorsement opportunities are limited to athletic wear and such. Williams pitches McDonald's (nyse: MCD - news - people ) and Estée Lauder. And when race car driver Danicka Patrick made history as the first female to hold a lead at the Indy 500, the phenomenon made her an instant celebrity, a groundbreaker with mass appeal. Bingo--along came Hostess and Mr. Clean with big endorsement deals.

When it comes to team sports, women still lag. Women's professional soccer and baseball came and went. The WNBA, while it's lasted more than a decade thanks to a subsidy from the NBA, hasn't caught on with the public as owners hoped. That's why there's no female answer to David Beckham, LeBron James or Alex Rodriguez. At least not yet.

"The development of [women's] team sports is still in the embryonic stage, at a time when there are so many choices for sports fans," Appleby says.

It really doesn't matter though. When it comes to cashing in, it's tough to beat individual sports like golf, tennis, auto racing and boxing--for men or women. The right mix of performance, looks and personality is unbeatable for marketers (think Tiger Woods).

Pro teams, playing in leagues that impose minimum salaries and salary caps (all except baseball, where a luxury tax system offers a quasi-cap), spread the dough around a little bit more evenly, even as the stars make more. That's probably why only two of the highest-paid athletes under 30, James and Kobe Bryant, come from team sports.

NBA Commissioner David Stern asserts that the WNBA is pretty much where women's tennis was a generation ago, meaning that bigger and better times lie ahead. That may be wishful thinking. But if it works out, the basketball version of Wie or Sharapova could be coming soon to an arena near you.

www.worldsoccerconnection.net

Tags: The Highest-Paid Athletes Under 30

 

Manchester United climbed two places to second in the latest Football Money League from business advisory firm Deloitte, which ranks the 20 biggest football clubs in the world based on revenue, but Real Madrid remains the world’s largest revenue generating club, completing a hat-trick of first place finishes.

 

Analysis in the Football Money League is based on the latest financial information for the 2006/07 season and Manchester United is joined in the top five by fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea climbed two places to fourth whilst Arsenal was the biggest climber in the 2007 Money League, rising four places to fifth this year. Primera Liga club Barcelona dropped one place from second to third.

Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “This is the first time that any country has had three clubs in the top five of the Money League. Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium has transformed their revenues whilst Chelsea’s revenue increase sees them return to the top five.”

Real Madrid and Manchester United became the first football clubs to generate more than €300 million in a season. Real enjoyed an impressive 20 per cent increase to take their total revenue to €351 million (£236 million), whilst Manchester United’s revenue grew even more quickly to reach €315 million (£212 million). Jones added: “With the new Premier League television deals now online for the 2007/08 season, Manchester United have the opportunity to significantly close the gap on Real and a successful Champions League run may even see them challenge again for the number one position.”

Football remains a growth sport, especially at the highest level. The top 20 clubs’ collective revenues grew by 11 per cent to €3.7 billion (£2.5 billion) in 2006/07, the highest rate of growth since 2002/03. The top 20 clubs now generate more than three times the combined revenues of the clubs in the first Money League in 1996/97.

The global top 20 is entirely populated by European clubs. Six English clubs feature in this year’s Money League, along with four clubs from each of Germany and Italy, three Spanish clubs, two French clubs and one from Scotland. Post World Cup there are more German clubs in the Money League than ever before.

Alan Switzer, Director in the Sports Business Group, says: “The performance of German clubs particularly catches the eye, with enhanced revenues being generated from new and improved stadia. The stadium is a club’s biggest asset and the majority of the Money League clubs are looking to complete stadium developments in the short and medium term.”

Whilst the number of English clubs in this season’s Money League dropped from eight to six, next year the number could significantly increase. Paul Rawnsley, Director in the Sports Business Group said: “Clubs such as Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and West Ham United are already just outside the top 20 and with the revenue uplift from the new broadcast deals now benefiting the clubs, we expect to see the bottom half of next year’s Money League dominated by English teams.”

1 Real Madrid 351.0
2 Manchester United 315.2
3 FC Barcelona 290.1
4 Chelsea 283.0
5 Arsenal 263.9
6 AC Milan 227.2
7 Bayern Munich 223.3
8 Liverpool 198.9
9 Internazionale 195.0
10 AS Roma 157.6
11 Tottenham Hotspur 153.1
12 Juventus 145.2
13 Olympique Lyonnais 140.6
14 Newcastle United 129.4
15 Hamburg SV 120.4
16 Schalke 04 114.3
17 Celtic 111.8
18 Valencia 107.6
19 Marseille 99.0
20 Werder Bremen 97.3

Source: Deloitte Football Money League 2008

www.worldsoccerconnection.net

Tags: Football Money League Manchester United Real Madrid

LONDON -

When U.S. investors George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over England's Liverpool soccer team last year, they knew they were inheriting a squad with some of the game's most gifted players in the home town of the Beatles and a brand name nearly as world-famous as that of Manchester United. What they didn’t count on, however, is the hostility of its diehard fans, who might be willing to pay them to get lost.

When U.S. investors George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over England's Liverpool soccer team last year, they knew they were inheriting a squad with some of the game's most gifted players in the home town of the Beatles and a brand name nearly as world-famous as that of Manchester United. What they didn’t count on, however, is the hostility of its diehard fans, who might be willing to pay them to get lost.

A group called Share Liverpool FC launched plans for a £500 million ($994.9 million) plan to buy the team from Gillett and Hicks and build a new stadium, on Thursday. The specific details have not yet been revealed but it is understood that 100,000 supporters will be asked to invest £5,000 ($9,949) a piece. One possible flaw: the price is not far higher than the £470 million ($925 million) the American tycoons are thought to have paid.

So far, there has been no official comment from Liverpool Football Club regarding the plans. A spokesman for the team told Forbes.com that Share Liverpool had not yet made an approach.

Hostility to the club's new owners, which has been brewing since last year, reached new heights this month after they signed a £350 million ($696.6 million) re-inancing plan that will encumber the team with £30 million ($59.7 million) in debt. Fans fear that ultimately the price for repaying the debt will be borne by them, pointing to Manchester United, owned by American billionaire Malcolm Glazer, which has seen a 50.0% rise in season ticket prices.

The Liverpool supporters' plan is the brain child of Rogan Taylor, a lecturer at the Football Industry Group at Liverpool University. "The time is right to offer a different solution to the rising concerns that football fans have about the patterns of ownership developing at our major football clubs," he told the BBC on Thursday.

Unlike the case on the Continent, where many of the top teams including Real Madrid and Barcelona are owned by fans, only 12 English clubs and one in Scotland follow that pattern of ownership. (See: " Another Russian Tycoon May Be Seeking Kicks In U.K.")

Many of England's leading teams have been snapped up by foreign billionaires, eager to get their hands on the cash cows, as advertising revenues have soared, not to mention the prestige and international media headlines that ownership brings. Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich controversially took over Premier - or top - league team Chelsea, while Russian steel billionaire Alisher Usmanov, and Denver sports billionaire E. Stanley Kroenke have build up stakes in Arsenal. Last summer Manchester City was taken over by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

While the cash injection has helped clubs rise from virtual obscurity to, in Manchester City's case, fourth position in the Premier League by bringing in top players, they have massively inflated salaries and transfer costs for players, leaving the clubs with huge levels of debt that could jeopardize their futures.

Though shared ownership isn't a miracle cure it can offer something very positive if done the right way, says Kevin Rye, a spokesman for Supporters Direct, which has been advising Share Liverpool FC on its plans. "Fans can deliver consistency. If you ask fans what the most important thing is they will say, yes, we do want it to do well in the short-term, but we don’t want to gamble everything away on a one-season wonder."

Shared ownership also ensures that all the profits of the team are reinvested in it, said Duncan Drasdo, spokesman for the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which has set up the Phoenix Fund to wrest control of the club from Glazer. The trust's approach is less dramatic - it has opted for a more gradual build up, and is currently in talks to secure the backing of some investment banks. He welcomed the move by supporters of the club's arch rivals. "It will certaintly trigger fierce rivalry among fans. Manchester United supporters certaintly won't want Liverpool to steal a march on them."

A group called Share Liverpool FC launched plans for a £500 million ($994.9 million) plan to buy the team from Gillett and Hicks and build a new stadium, on Thursday. The specific details have not yet been revealed but it is understood that 100,000 supporters will be asked to invest £5,000 ($9,949) a piece. One possible flaw: the price is not far higher than the £470 million ($925 million) the American tycoons are thought to have paid.

So far, there has been no official comment from Liverpool Football Club regarding the plans. A spokesman for the team told Forbes.com that Share Liverpool had not yet made an approach.

Hostility to the club's new owners, which has been brewing since last year, reached new heights this month after they signed a £350 million ($696.6 million) re-inancing plan that will encumber the team with £30 million ($59.7 million) in debt. Fans fear that ultimately the price for repaying the debt will be borne by them, pointing to Manchester United, owned by American billionaire Malcolm Glazer, which has seen a 50.0% rise in season ticket prices.

The Liverpool supporters' plan is the brain child of Rogan Taylor, a lecturer at the Football Industry Group at Liverpool University. "The time is right to offer a different solution to the rising concerns that football fans have about the patterns of ownership developing at our major football clubs," he told the BBC on Thursday.

Unlike the case on the Continent, where many of the top teams including Real Madrid and Barcelona are owned by fans, only 12 English clubs and one in Scotland follow that pattern of ownership. (See: " Another Russian Tycoon May Be Seeking Kicks In U.K.")

Many of England's leading teams have been snapped up by foreign billionaires, eager to get their hands on the cash cows, as advertising revenues have soared, not to mention the prestige and international media headlines that ownership brings. Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich controversially took over Premier - or top - league team Chelsea, while Russian steel billionaire Alisher Usmanov, and Denver sports billionaire E. Stanley Kroenke have build up stakes in Arsenal. Last summer Manchester City was taken over by ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

While the cash injection has helped clubs rise from virtual obscurity to, in Manchester City's case, fourth position in the Premier League by bringing in top players, they have massively inflated salaries and transfer costs for players, leaving the clubs with huge levels of debt that could jeopardize their futures.

Though shared ownership isn't a miracle cure it can offer something very positive if done the right way, says Kevin Rye, a spokesman for Supporters Direct, which has been advising Share Liverpool FC on its plans. "Fans can deliver consistency. If you ask fans what the most important thing is they will say, yes, we do want it to do well in the short-term, but we don’t want to gamble everything away on a one-season wonder."

Shared ownership also ensures that all the profits of the team are reinvested in it, said Duncan Drasdo, spokesman for the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which has set up the Phoenix Fund to wrest control of the club from Glazer. The trust's approach is less dramatic - it has opted for a more gradual build up, and is currently in talks to secure the backing of some investment banks. He welcomed the move by supporters of the club's arch rivals. "It will certaintly trigger fierce rivalry among fans. Manchester United supporters certaintly won't want Liverpool to steal a march on them."

source: http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/04/liverpool-soccer-fans-face-cx_vr_0131autofacescan01.html?partner=faces_newsletter

www.worldsoccerconnection.net

 

Tags: Fans Liverpool Soccer George Gillett Tom Hicks Malcolm Glazer

Tags: David Beckhamunicef Goodwill Ambassador Sierra Leonesoccer

[EURO 2008 SCHEDULE] There's no getting away from each other.

World Cup 2006 finalists Italy and France were drawn in the same group for the 2008 European Champions finals -- and their coaches saw it coming.

The Azzurri and Bleus will face the Netherlands and Romania in Group C, forming the most difficult of the four groups for next year's finals drawn Sunday at ceremonies in Lucerne.

Italy and France -- and the Netherlands and Romania -- both also met in Euro '08 qualifying.

"We didn't have an easy qualification group and we haven't been lucky here either," said Italy coach Roberto Donadoni. "I had a gut feeling on the way here it would turn out like this."

France coach Raymond Domenech, who had been highly critical of the seedings before the draw, repeated his dissatisfaction, calling then "madness."

For France, the draw is reminiscent of the Euro 2000 draw in which it was placed with the Netherlands, 1998 World Cup quarter finalist Denmark and the Czech Republic, second at Euro 1996. The Bleus managed to overcome that draw to win their group and eventually win the tournament.

Co-hosts Austria and Switzerland will both be underdogs in their groups.

Switzerland will face the Czech Republic, Portugal and Turkey in Group A, while Austria will meet Croatia, Germany and Poland in Group D.

Defending champion Greece will face Spain, Russia and Sweden in Group C. In 2004, Greece also faced Spain and Russia in group play in Portugal.

EURO 2008 SCHEDULE:
Group A
June 7 in Basel
Switzerland vs. Czech Republic
June 7 in Geneva
Portugal vs. Turkey
June 11 in Basel
Switzerland vs. Turkey
June 11 in Geneva
Czech Republic vs. Portugal
June 15 in Basel
Switzerland vs. Portugal
June 15 in Geneva
Turkey vs. Czech Republic

Group B
June 8 in Vienna
Austria vs. Croatia
June 8 in Klagenfurt
Germany vs. Poland
June 12 in Klagenfurt
Croatia vs. Germany
June 12 in Vienna
Austria vs. Poland
June 16 in Klagenfurt
Poland vs. Croatia
June 16 Vienna
Austria vs. Germany

Group C
June 9 in Zurich
Romania vs. France
June 9 in Berne
Netherlands vs. Italy
June 13 in Zurich
Italy vs. Romania
June 13 in Berne
Netherlands vs. France
June 17 in Zurich
France vs. Italy
June 17 in Berne
Netherlands vs. Romania

Group D
June 10 in Innsbruck
Greece vs. Sweden
June 10 in Salzburg
Spain vs. Russia
June 14 in Innsbruck
Greece vs. Russia
June 14 in Salzburg
Sweden vs. Spain
June 18 in Salzburg
Greece vs. Spain
June 18 in Innsbruck
Russia vs. Sweden

Quarterfinals
June in 19 Basel
1. Winner Group A vs. Runner-up Group B
June 20 Vienna
2. Winner Group B vs. Runner-up Group A
June 21 Basel
3. Winner Group C vs. Runner-up Group D
June 22 Vienna
4. Winner Group D vs. Runner-up Group C

Semifinals
June 25 Basel
1. Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2
June 26 Vienna
2. Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4

Final
June 29 in Vienna
Winner SF 1 vs. Winner SF 2

www.worldsoccerconnection.net

Tags: Euro 2008

Goal.com
According to Goal.com, Juan Sebastian Veron is on the cusp of sealing a move to D.C. United. Coach Tom Soehn and Technical Director Dave Kasper are reportedly in Buenos Aires right now, finalizing the deal. The Argentine playmaker has been linked with a move to the MLS club for months now, although Veron initially rebuffed United's advances, preferring instead to stay with Estudiantes de la Plata, the club he currently plays for in Argentina.

The well-traveled Veron has played for many of the world's top clubs, including Serie A's Lazio, Parma and Inter Milan, as well as Manchester United and Chelsea of the English Premier League. The 32-year-old Veron has won the Italian league twice, with Lazio in 2000 and Inter in 2006, and the EPL once, with Man United in 2003. He also won the Argentine Apertura tournament with Estudiantes in 2006.

Veron's departure would be a double blow for Estudiantes, Goal.com says, as Coach Diego Simeone indicated that he too would head elsewhere -- probably River Plate -- if Veron decided to leave. Simeone, himself a former Lazio and Inter Milan player, in the past has expressed his displeasure with the club's apparent lack of ambition and financial support

Tags: D.C.United Veron Deal Imminent

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