Soccer News...

2007-06-20

Reyes set to join Atletico Madrid

MADRID: Jose Antonio Reyes is all set to sign for Atletico Madrid, according to the online version of Marca on Monday evening.

Real Madrid have decided not to extend his loan period from Arsenal, despite the winger scoring two decisive goals in Sunday’s league-clinching 3-1 defeat of Mallorca.

Reyes went from Arsenal to Real in July 2006 in exchange for Julio Baptista, who has not settled in London and would like another chance in Madrid.

Barca to undergo major overhaul

MADRID: The Barcelona squad will undergo a major overhaul in the close season after the players failed to show the required levels of commitment and professionalism, club president Joan Laporta said.

“This season we played with fire and got burned,” Laporta was quoted as saying in the Spanish media on Monday. “The time for analysis has now come and I have to admit that we have all made mistakes.

“We need to carry out a thorough renewal of the squad in terms of professionalism, commitment and enthusiasm.”

Strong favourites to win a third successive league title at the halfway point in the season, Barca let the opportunity slip from their grasp and surrendered the championship to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

They suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Getafe in the semi-finals of the King’s Cup and also failed to live up to expectation in the Champions League when they went out against Liverpool in the first knockout round.

Shearer expects Owen to stay with the Magpies

LONDON: Newcastle legend Alan Shearer said on Monday he is convinced Michael Owen has no choice but to stay with the Magpies next season because no club will run the risk of buying a player who has spent nearly two seasons struggling with injuries.

The 27-year-old England international is yet to reveal his plans amid suggestions he could leave Tyneside under a release clause in his contract.

However, former England team-mate Shearer, who played a key role in persuading the then Real Madrid frontman to make his £17mil switch to Newcastle, believes he will remain at the club.

“To be honest, I don’t think anyone would be prepared to pay £10mil or £11mil for him until they have seen him play for five or six months,” said Shearer.

Real coach hints at quitting, Schuster eyes job

MILAN: Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has said he may quit coaching if he leaves the new Spanish champions.

Real won their first title in four years on Sunday after a 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca helped them pip Barcelona on the final day of the season.

Despite Capello delivering the title in his first season back, his future remains uncertain with club president Ramon Calderon offering only lukewarm support.

“The best squads already have coaches, which means I could even quit with two years’ pay,” Capello told Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview yesterday.

“It is like tossing a coin into the air,” he said when asked about the chances of staying at Real.

“I only know that I would like to stay to win the Champions League. I have already booked a plane ticket to return on July 19, because we start training on the 20th.”

Since February, when Real looked to have blown their chances of winning a trophy, the club have hinted that the Italian would leave.

Media have linked Bernd Schuster with the job and on Monday the Getafe coach confirmed his interest.

Capello, who won the league in his first spell at the Bernabeu a decade ago, said winning this title had been the most difficult job in a distinguished career.

“From the first day I have felt like a salmon forced to swim against the current,” he said, before appealing to Calderon.

“I need to talk to him. I know he brought me here to win and we have won and it seems to me I have done my duty.”

Capello said he could never coach Barcelona because that would betray Real, but he may be tempted to coach a good national side.

The 61-year-old, who said Roberto Donadoni was doing a fine job with Italy, has expressed an interest in coaching England in the past.

Meanwhile, Calderon said that Germany international Christoph Metzelder and three other players have been lined up for next season.

“We’ve been working on new signings for the last three months. Metzelder is signed up and there are three more who are almost done,” Calderon told sports daily AS yesterday.

Metzelder, whose contract with Borussia Dortmund finished at the end of the season, has been linked with a move to Real in the media for some time, though the club have yet to officially confirm the deal.

AC Milan’s Kaka has been a target for Calderon since he promised to sign the playmaker in his election campaign last June. But the Serie A side have consistently said the player is not for sale. “We all know that Kaka will have to force his exit from Milan ... and I continue to believe that he will try,” Calderon added

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