Spurs need Champions League place, says Walker

Tottenham defender Kyle Walker has confessed the club should have finished third last season and secured a Champions League place.
The 22 year-old right-back was a mainstay in the Tottenham defence last season, earning rave reviews for his form which subsequently led to him clinching the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Despite finding themselves in the top three for the majority of the campaign, a dip in form ultimately cost Spurs Champions League football, something which Walker doesn’t look back on with any fondness.
“Of course we did well to come fourth but I was left with mixed feelings,” he told the Daily Mirror.
“We were 13 points clear of Arsenal at one stage and so we should’ve been third.
“I’ve got no complaints, nor with Chelsea taking our place because they won the Champions League. It’s the rules of the game. It’s life. You have to get on with it, deal with it – and put it right this year.”
It has already been a summer of major upheaval at Tottenham, with the club recently unveiling their new-look training ground, while appointing new boss Andre Villas-Boas.
Walker believes that all these positive changes mean the need for Champions League football is now even greater than before.
He continued: “The new training ground is amazing. It’s only going to make people want to go into training, stay behind and do that extra work. It’s all positive this season.
“We just have to build on those positives, show people what we can do and hopefully finish where we should be finishing.
“And that’s a Champions League position, 100 percent. That’s got to be the minimum requirement for Tottenham now.
“When I signed, that’s what the club was searching for. They got it and won’t settle for anything less now. I don’t settle for second best.”

Kagawa, Powell signings please Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes the club have done well to get both Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell to the club.
The club unveiled their two new signings as they look to begin their pre-season preparations ahead of the coming campaign, and Ferguson remained keen to say how closely both players had been followed before the club decided to make a move for them.
“First of all, they’re young and we’ve been scouting them both for quite a while now,” Ferguson told reporters.
“Shinji obviously has a higher profile than Nick because (Borussia) Dortmund have had such a fantastic time in the last two years and he came to prominence through that.
“Our scout in Germany was talking about him for a quite while, so we scouted him and decided he was the right type of player we needed at the club.”
The 23-year-old Japanese international midfielder enjoyed a successful two-year stay at Borussia Dortmund, winning the league title in both seasons at the club, and Ferguson remains excited by what the player promises.
He added: “Shinji plays in behind the striker. He’s very quick, has a good vision of the game and his goalscoring record over the last two or three years is very good for that position.
“It was good that he was with a successful team to help him adapt to European football.
“Now he is at that stage where he is a maturing player and over the next few years we will see that at United. It’s a good time for him to come to us.
“We shouldn’t be looking at one player changing the way we play, but he could make a difference.
“He can give us that bit extra in the final third of the field. If his goalscoring record continues he could be a very good player for us.”
Ferguson was also quick to dismiss any suggestion that Kagawa may struggle to adapt to his new surroundings in England, saying his new charge should have no trouble learning the language.
Alongside Kagawa, the club also presented 18 year-old former Crewe prodigy Nick Powell, who had a breakthrough year in League Two, finishing the league campaign with 14 goals, including a sensational volley in the play-off final.
Ferguson said the club had tracked Powell for some time, but decided to move for him shortly before the end of last season, saying he sees his future in a more reserved midfield role.
“We were watching Nick from when he first came into the Crewe team last November and did very well,” Ferguson said. “It got towards the tail-end of the season and we got more serious about him.”

Van der Vaart set for Tottenham stay

Tottenham attacker Rafael van der Vaart has dismissed speculation linking him with a move away from White Hart Lane.
With reports circling for some time that the Dutch international is seeking to move closer to his wife who works in Europe, both Schalke and Hamburg are thought to have been in the running for his signature.
However, with nothing concrete on the table, it looks as if he has been priced out of a move and is set to stay.
“It’s unbelievable how my name is speculated around Europe. I can only say these are only speculations. I will probably stay at Tottenham,” van der Vaart told Bild.
With former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas now at the helm, a number of first-team regulars futures are up in the air in what promises to be a summer of high turnover and transition at Tottenham.
After enjoying a fruitful three-year spell with Hamburg from 2005-08, the 29-year-old has refused to rule out a return to Germany in the future, though.
He continued: “Maybe it will happen anytime in the future.”
Van der Vaart moved to England in 2010 after being frozen out of the side at Real Madrid and has since gone on to score 24 league goals in 61 games under Harry Redknapp’s tenure.

Philippines eye AFF Cup success

Philippines team manager Dan Palami believes his side will not go into the 2012 AFF Cup as underdogs.
Palami says his team’s remarkable performance in 2010, which saw them go undefeated in the group stage on the way to a semi-final loss to Indonesia, has given them enough credit to ensure an automatic qualification into this edition’s final stage.
“We are not coming in as a surprise team anymore. We are coming in as one of the favourites,” Palami said.
Regarding their chances in a Group A that will also include Thailand and Vietnam in addition to the winner of the qualification round, Palami said his team would be ready, despite wishing that the draw had played out differently.
“If we want to win, we have to beat the strongest teams. That is the only way to go about it,” he said.
Philippines have been scheduled to face the host Thailand in their opening match on November 24 at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

Altintop set for Gala move

Hamit Altintop is on the brink of completing a transfer from Real Madrid to Galatasaray after arriving at the Turkish club’s training camp.
The 29-year-old midfielder has been tipped to leave Real since the end of last season after failing to make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu following a free transfer from Bayern Munich in May 2011.
The two clubs are yet to confirm the transfer, but Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim told the club’s TV on Thursday the player has joined up with his players for pre-season.
“Hamit is an important transfer,” Terim said.
“I would like to welcome him personally.
“We have got a player who will be useful for many years. All of our club will benefit.”
The Turkey international, who will start training with the rest of the squad on Friday, also commented on the move, saying: “I believe we have done everything properly. There are no more issues.”
“Tomorrow, I will start working to achieve our targets.”
Hamit began his professional career with Wattenscheid in 2000 and also spent four years at Schalke between 2003 and 2007 before joining Bayern.

UEFA to stick with extra officials

UEFA will continue to use additional assistant referees in the forthcoming season’s cup competitions, the governing body has announced.
The extra officials were initially tested in European Under-19 qualifying competitions in 2008 before being trialled in the 2009/10 Europa League group stages.
Subsequently, trials were then expanded to include the 2011/12 Champions League competition and Euro 2012.
The officials do not have the authority to make independent decisions, and are intended to act as an aid to the match referee in goal-line and penalty area incidents.
A statement on the UEFA website said: “This (decision) follows the International Football Association Board (IFAB)’s unanimous decision on 5 July 2012 to amend the Laws of the Game and allow the use of such extra officials, acknowledging the support they can provide in officiating matches, following the successful trials that were conducted in various competitions over the last few years.”
The decision comes despite the extra official failing to intervene when a legitimate goal was not awarded to Ukraine in their Euro 2012 group match against England last month.
That incident prompted FIFA and the IFAB to approve the introduction of goal-line technology, with the global governing body and UEFA seemingly at odds about which strategy to pursue.

Roma seal Lucca deal

Roma have announced that they have completed the signing of midfielder Jonatan Lucca from Internacional.
The 18-year-old Brazilian has signed a five-year contract with Roma after the two clubs agreed on a 700,000-euro deal.
Lucca, who has already joined up with the rest of the Roma squad at the club’s pre-season training camp in Switzerland, caught the eye of several European sides after impressing for Internacional’s youth team.
He moves to the Stadio Olimpico just days after his new team also completed the signing of another Brazilian, Corinthians defender Leandro Castan.
Roma finished in seventh position in Serie A last season, which saw the club replace Luis Enrique with Zdenek Zeman at the end of the campaign.

Beckham out to fell Timbers

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham says his side are confident ahead of Saturday’s game with Portland Timbers in the MLS.
Reigning MLS champions Galaxy have endured a mixed campaign to date.
They beat Chicago Fire 2-0 away from home in their last fixture, but had suffered successive defeats to Philadelphia Union and San Jose Earthquakes prior to that.
On Saturday they make the trip north to face Portland Timbers, and David Beckham is expecting a typically warm reception from the Oregon natives.
John Spencer, Timbers coach in their inaugural MLS campaign last season, was sacked this month, and replaced on an interim basis by former Portland player Gavin Wilkinson.
“It is always a tough place to go, there is a passionate crowd of 30,00 people (at Portland) and they are a passionate team,” Beckham said.
“We know it is going to be a tough game. Obviously John Spencer being fired from their team and a new manager coming in, sometimes that can be a good thing for a team.
“A team can come together and show a lot of unity. I wish John all the best because he is a good guy and a good manager, but with their team this could be a good thing for them and we shall see.”
Following the clash with the Timbers, Galaxy have another away fixture against Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps, and striker Robbie Keane knows the squad’s depth will be put to the test.
“The next three games we have coming up (are crucial),” Keane said.
“We have got three games on the road before coming back here (Los Angeles) to play Chivas.
“It is certainly a big couple of weeks for us so these are the games when you need the whole squad of players to pull together. There are going to be a lot players needed in the next few games so it is important everyone is ready for it.”

Beckham to be involved in London Games

David Beckham has revealed he will be involved in the London Olympics despite missing selection in the Great Britain football squad.
The 37-year-old midfielder – who plays his club football with the LA Galaxy in the United States – did a bulk of work in helping London win the rights to host the 2012 Games.
He was controversially left out of Stuart Pearce’s 18-man squad but the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player said he will have some role to play in the Olympics, despite being very disappointed with his non-selection.
“Getting the Olympics was one of the proudest moments (of my life), to be involved with the bid team,” Beckham said.
“It was an incredible moment and obviously all the talk of me possibly performing in the Olympics, it would have been a very proud moment for me.
“Everyone knows how proud I am to represent my country and to do it in my home town and on such a big stage would have been incredible so of course I am disappointed. Life goes on, I am healthy and my family are healthy and at the end of the day I will be there to support the GB team.
“We have got some incredible athletes in every event and it is going to be a proud moment to be there and to know I was part of bringing the Olympics to the East End of London, I am proud of that.
“I have been speaking to Seb Coe (Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games) and a few other people about what I am going to be doing and it is yet to be decided but I will be part of it in some way.
“It is not out there yet but we have talked about a few things.”
The 2012 London Olympics begin on June 27 and run until August 12.

Tore set for Hamburg exit

Turkey international Gokhan Tore is reportedly on the verge of leaving Bundesliga club Hamburg.
The 20-year-old forward was one of the three players who left Chelsea for Hamburg in the off season, making 22 Bundesliga appearances as the German club narrowly avoided relegation.
It is understood coach Thorsten Fink is unhappy with Tore’s attitude and is considering letting the starlet leave, with Maximilian Beister and Son Heung-Min ahead of him in the battle for a first-team berth.
Hamburg, who must raise funds if they are strengthen their squad, have set an asking price of five million euros for the player, with Chelsea entitled to 50 percent of the transfer fee.
Galatasaray are understood to be monitoring Tore’s situation, while a delegation from Russian club Rubin Kazan arrived in Hamburg earlier this week to engage in talks.

Arbeloa warns Spain of Benzema threat

Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa has heaped praise on France forward Karim Benzema ahead of their Euro 2012 quarter-final meeting in Donetsk.
Benzema is yet to get off the mark in the tournament but Arbeloa feels that for all of France’s attacking options, the former Lyon forward is the principal threat to Spain’s chances of progressing to the last four on Saturday.
“They are a really balanced team with a lot of talent up front,” Arbeloa told EFE.
“Logically, a lot of the attention is on Benzema, (Franck) Ribery and, with the form he’s in, (Samir) Nasri. They’re game-changers.
“But at the moment Benzema’s the king of the jungle.
“Karim is one of the best players in the world today and the people who are lucky enough to see him every day are even more aware that nobody has his intelligence for the game.”

Muntari out for six months

AC Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari will spend six months on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery, the club has confirmed.
The Ghana international has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and was forced to have surgery to correct the problem at the La Madonnina clinic in Milan on Tuesday.
A statement on the Serie A club’s website read: “Milan would like to announce that Sulley Muntari has undergone surgery for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
“The recovery time is around five to six months, excluding complications.”
Muntari put in several consistent displays after joining Milan on loan at the start of the year, and was reported to be set to sign a permanent deal.

Hummels eager for early opener

Germany centre-back Mats Hummels is hoping his side can grab an early goal in their Euro 2012 quarter-final against Greece.
Joachim Loew’s side were the only team to finish the Euro 2012 group stage with a perfect record, finishing top of Group B with three wins from three games, and now face Greece in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Hummels said his team were fully focused heading into the match.
“We don’t want to go out at the quarter-finals, especially not after such a strong showing in the group stages, so we are going into the game extremely motivated and ready,” he told dfb.de.
“We don’t want to make it an exciting and close game. We want to take the lead early.”
Hummels believes Fernando Santos’ side will defend deep and invite pressure, and that Germany cannot afford to be profligate in front of goal.
“That is at least how I expect them to play but we will see,” he said. “I would be surprised if they are the more active of the two sides.
“It depends on how you approach teams like this. We’re naturally going to have more of the possession and it is important to be clinical with the few chances we will create against a team that sits so deep.
“The difficult thing will be not to be caught on the counter-attack and we have to be careful on set-pieces as well.”
Though Loew’s side successfully navigated the ‘Group of Death’, Hummels believes there is still room for improvement.
“Results wise we are doing well but there are still things we can improve on from an individual perspective which we are hoping to see in our game against Greece,” the Borussia Dortmund defender said.

Gomes eyeing Spurs starting spot

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has vowed to fight for a starting berth at White Hart Lane.
The Brazilian was constantly left on the bench as Harry Redknapp favoured American Brad Friedel, but with the former Portsmouth manager no longer in charge of Tottenham, Gomes is prepared to battle for his place.
Former PSV Eindhoven shot-stopper Gomes had previously made it clear he wanted to move away from north London in search of first-team football.
“It was a very hard season, I was desperate to leave,” Gomes told Arena SporTV. “Now things have changed, as the manager left last week.”
He also spoke of his ambition to get back into the Brazil national squad, and intends to show selectors what he can offer on the pitch.
“I want to return to the national team but I have to play first,” Gomes said.
“Once I’m playing again, my focus will be on returning to the national team. I know how good it is to be there.
“Of course, they are rejuvenating the national team, but I’m only 31, which is a good age. I’ll do very well this season.”
The goalkeeper only managed four appearances last season, with none of those coming in the English Premier League.

Lille complete Martin signing

Lille have announced the signing of highly-rated attacker Marvin Martin from Sochaux.
The 24-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year contract with the 2011 Ligue 1 champions after the two clubs agreed on a reported deal worth 10 million euros.
Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe had revealed earlier in the month that an agreement had been reached between the clubs, but only now have Lille officially unveiled the player.
“I am very happy,” Martin told Lille’s official website. “I wanted to sign for Lille because they are an ambitious club I have been interested in for a long time.
“You can talk about a real choice here, and I hope from all my heart that everything will go well.”
Martin, who has 14 France caps to his name, has made two appearances at Euro 2012, both as a substitute

Kaka eyes ´dream´ MLS move

Real Madrid playmaker Kaka is dreaming of a move to MLS, according to his agent.
Diogo Kotscho, the Brazilian star’s representative, told the New York Post that his client wants to play in the United States in the near future.
“We don’t speak about (negotiations) even if it is a rumour (or not). What I can say to you right now is that Kaka has a dream to live in the US and play in MLS,” Kotscho said.
Injury-plagued seasons and competition from other star signings have pushed the former AC Milan sensation to the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu with speculation mounting he will move elsewhere.
Kaka, 30, has only appeared in 65 league games for Real Madrid since joining the La Liga champions in 2009.
While Kotscho said the 2002 World Cup winner is considering a move to America, he also made it clear that nothing is imminent.
“If it isn’t now, in the future probably he will join MLS,” Kotscho said.

Greece deserve quarter-final place, says Salpigidis

Greece forward Dimitris Salpigidis insists his side deserve to be in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 ahead of their showdown against Germany.
The 2004 European champions progressed from Group A at the expense of Russia, and Salpigidis is keen to extend his nation’s journey at Euro 2012 by beating Joachim Loew’s men.
“We are at the quarter-finals. The teams that have made it deserve to be here,” Salpigidis said during a press conference.
“I am glad that we made it this far. Obviously it’s going to be a tough game, but we’ll do anything for the victory.”
Giorgos Karagounis will be suspended for the match, and Salpigidis paid tribute to his veteran captain.
“Karagounis is a key player for us and it’s not good for Greece to lose his services,” he said.
“We will play for him on Friday. All the other players are ready to fill the void.”

Amaro throws support behind del Bosque

Spain remain the favourites to win Euro 2012 with Vicente del Bosque at the helm, according to Real Madrid legend Amancio Amaro.
The 61-year-old tactician has been questioned over his decision to exclude the likes of Fernando Torres and Fernando Llorente from his starting line-up in favour of an extra midfielder, but Amaro insists the decisions are all part of a bigger plan.
“Spain are a very strong team who remain favourites for the title. It may not be easy, but we have a team complete in every department,” Amaro told Goal.com.
“Naturally, every supporter is entitled to his own opinion on the line-up employed, but del Bosque said it clearly, the inclusion of an extra midfielder is to retain possession of the ball for as long as possible.
“Del Bosque is very mature, and knows that criticism when things don’t go our way is as normal as praise when circumstances do favour us. It’s only natural our opponents create chances. For now, we should be happy for qualification to the quarter-finals.”
Amaro was left with no doubt when naming who he thought was fundamental to Spain, and reserved special praise for Real Madrid duo Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos.
“I would always consider Casillas, Ramos, (Andres) Iniesta, (Sergio) Busquets, Xavi and (Xabi) Alonso essential in my team,” he said.
“Casillas is captain based on merit, and proved his worth when saving from Ivan Rakitic (in Spain’s 1-0 win over Croatia). Ramos was born to exceed 100 international caps and win many trophies in his career. His many virtues make him an undisputed player for Spain and Real Madrid.”
Spain, the reigning European champions, will continue their defence of the trophy when they take on France in the quarter-finals.

Navas dismisses criticism of Spain

Spain attacker Jesus Navas says his side are ignoring criticism regarding their performance in the 1-0 victory over Croatia.
Vicente del Bosque’s team had to wait until the final minutes for Navas’ match-winning strike and came close to going behind to Slaven Bilic’s men on several occasions.
However, the Sevilla forward says Spain are still well placed to succeed at Euro 2012 and has called for perspective.
“We are distancing ourselves from that criticism,” Navas told reporters. “We are only thinking about football, about going through and about what happens on the pitch.
“We are confident, we were first in the group. There is a lot of desire and confidence about going very far in the tournament.
“It is a key to remain calm for big matches and we are on the right path.”
The Spaniard went on to insist that he and the squad are high on confidence after safely navigating the group stage.
“I feel confident,” Navas said. “This is important. I am really eager to play and to keep enjoying.
“We are scoring, with or without a number nine, because we have a variety of players. We all feel very comfortable.”
The 26-year-old also gave his thoughts on his side’s opponents in the tournament’s quarter-finals, Laurent Blanc’s France.
“Every team can make things difficult for you,” Navas said. “We only have to think about ourselves.
“France will go out trying to win the match. Their defence is strong, just like their midfield. They have quick players to play on the counter and we will have to be very careful.”

Trabzonspor line up bid for Bolton´s Lee

Trabzonspor coach Senol Gunes has targeted Lee Chung-Yong from relegated Premier League side Bolton as a potential recruit.
The pair know each other well from Gunes’ time as manager of FC Seoul from 2007-09, where he handed Lee his debut with the club.
Lee joined Bolton from Seoul in 2009 in a deal worth 2.5 million euros and has one year left on his contract.
But the 23 year old midfielder endured a torrid 2011-12 season, breaking his leg in pre-season before appearing as a substitute in the final two games as Owen Coyle’s side suffered relegation on the final day of the Premier League.
Gunes, who steered Trabzonspor into the Champions League last season, has hinted he would love to bring Lee to Turkey.
“Lee Chung-Yong has always been like a son to me,” Gunes told reporters at Incheon Airport, after visiting the Yeosu World Expo to promote his native country.
“I will explore all the possibilities to sign him.
“I will contact him while I stay in Korea.”
Trabzonspor ended the Turkish Super Lig campaign in third place last season.