Jose could risk Ronaldo

Jose Mourinho has admitted he could take a chance on Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness against Tottenham if the player agrees to defy medical opinion.

The Real Madrid manager admitted on Friday that Ronaldo was likely to miss the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, along with Karim Benzema and Marcelo.

However, Mourinho's mind is not mind up quite yet and he will speak to Ronaldo about whether he wants to gamble.

"If he has a chance it's because he and his coach are taking a risk, because the information from the medical department is that he can't play, that he can only play in the game in Bilbao (next weekend)," Mourinho told reporters after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Sporting Gijon.

"But if the two of us and only the two of us decide that he's going to play then the risk is mine and his.

"Tomorrow I will talk with the injured players and decide if we will risk them."

The result against Gijon ended Mourinho's personal nine-year unbeaten record at home stretching back to his time with Porto.

It left Real five points adrift of Barca in the Primera Liga title race ahead of the Catalan side's game at Villarreal later on Saturday.

And Mourinho admitted it would now be extremely difficult to Real to make up the ground, with the season coming to an end next month.

"Mathematically the league is not over but if the gap goes to eight points it is practically impossible (to win the title)," he said.

"Luck is a part of football and our opponents had it all, while we didn't have any tonight."

Mourinho added: "We played without the team's most creative players. We lacked creativity. We had to try a different style, more direct with long balls in the air, and we had more opportunities.

"If I had wanted to draw the game 0-0 from the start I would have done so. But a draw was a bad result.

"Against Tottenham on Tuesday, it won't be. If we draw at home, it would not be a drama because we will have the return to play in London."

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Chelsea Owner’s Pursuit of Neymar Could Lead to Ancelotti Exit

Stamford Bridge owner wants to get involved in transfer matters again.

According to reports in South America, Chelsea’s representatives have been in contact with Santos over a summer deal for the 18-year-old Samba starlet.
However, the move is being driven by club owner Roman Abramovich and apparently without approval from Ancelotti – a situation that could leave the Italian out in the cold, and therefore out of a job, at the end of the year.
The former AC Milan coach, who won the double last season, has previously stated it would ‘not be a problem’ if he was let go by the Blues in the summer after what looks set to be a trophyless campaign.
But his move towards the Stamford Bridge exit could be accelerated by Abramovich’s meddling in the club’s transfer dealings, which has been highlighted as a problem before.
Neymar has already stated his desire to move to the Premier League this summer, saying Chelsea are ‘a great club’ and ‘it’s a dream of every player to play there’.
However, after being told of Neymar’s comments last month, Ancelotti said he was ‘not interested’.
‘It’s good for the club and the manager if players want to come here. He’s very young and a fantastic talent but at this moment we’re not interested,’ he said.

SOURCE: Metro

Meddling in transfer business was said to have been one of the big reasons for Jose Mourinho’s departure and was something that ‘Big Phil’ Scolari has stated was a factor during his brief stint at Stamford Bridge, so could owner Roman Abramovich be set to anger Carlo Ancelotti into leaving? Is that perhaps the Russian billionaire’s plan?

There are some who believe that Fernando Torres’s arrival at Chelsea was not sanctioned by Ancelotti either and that move has not exactly paid off either and one wonders if the pursuit of Neymar could be the final straw for the Italian who is strongly linked with a return to Roma this summer.

There is a great deal of speculation that this summer could see some real upheavals at the West London club with a number of the club’s old guard linked with Blues exits. The likes of Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka are all supposedly exit bound with Chelsea looking to the future, hence Abramovich’s reported interest in teenager Neymar.

The Brazilian international has been in phenomenal form for Santos and impressed whilst in action in London when he scored twice against Scotland in the friendly at the Emirates Stadium. Abramovich is apparently ready to splash the cash again having spent large sums to bring in Fernando Torres and David Luiz in January.

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Arsenal Could Turn to Fiorentina’s Artur Boruc to Resolve Keeping Crisis

Emirates boss interested in former Celtic hero.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Fiorentina keeper Artur Boruc as Arsene Wenger looks to bring in an experienced keeper to the Emirates Stadium. The Polish international arrived at the Serie A club last summer but is seen as the number two keeper behind Sebastien Frey and the former Celtic man is reportedly considering his options with a number of other Premier League sides said to be interested in the 31 year old.

After five successful years at Parkhead Boruc left for Italy hoping to be the starting Viola keeper but it has not proved that way and the Pole has only managed a run in the first team due to a knee injury suffered by Frey and with the Frenchman set to return speculation is rife that the eccentric keeper will leave Italy this summer.

Arsenal have had a number of issues with their crop of keepers this season, having started with Manuel Almunia as first choice custodian, Wenger was forced to drop the Spaniard after a succession of errors and Lukasz Fabianski was then drafted in and although much improved may not be seen as number one starter, especially after being forced out of the side with a long term injury.

Youngster Wojciech Szczesny was then thrown in at the deep end and although clearly a player with great promise the 20 year old also committed errors before he too was struck down injury. Wenger had attempted to sign Mark Schwarzer last summer and has been linked with moves for Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina but a move for Boruc may be a more realistic and cost effective addition.

Tottenham and Everton have also been linked with moves for the experienced Fiorentina man.

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Defender Heitinga Could Leave Everton In The Summer

According to the Daily Post, Everton defender John Heitinga is unhappy with his playing time and position at the club and could leave this summer. Heitinga said,

“I have certainly not come here to sit on the bench … Together with Phil Neville, I have more experience than all the others. I have played in four major national team tournaments and I have played the World Cup final.

“But I refuse to go and play in every position now. I don’t want to be right-back again. I told the manager that … I am still aiming for big success here in England. Well, I have played 65 games in the Premier League in two seasons. That is a start.

“I hope being out is a temporary thing. I will decide in the summer what I will do … It’s strange for me to sit on the bench at Everton. I will always claim that I am the best central defender at this club – definitely since the World Cup.

“I could understand it if the manager leaves me out of the team when I make big mistakes. But right now I can’t get over the last few weeks … The manager is not a big talker. Never has been. He does not explain his decisions. He just says everybody will get playing time.”

“I’m not worried about the future … My career is still going up. I can tell that by the massive clubs who came knocking on the door for me in the winter.”

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Artificial clouds could keep 2022 World Cup cool

Visitors to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be kept cool by artificial clouds, according to Qatari scientists.

A country that has already pledged to air condition stadiums in order to combat extreme heat in the summer months, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius, has now unveiled another innovative solution to the problem.

Scientists at Qatar University claim to have invented a synthetic cloud which could shield stadiums and training grounds from oppressive heat. It is reported each cloud could cost in the region of $500,000. The project will be developed in conjunction with Qatar Science and Technology Park.

Saud Abdul Ghani, head of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Qatar University, said: "Artificial cloud will move by remote control, made of 100% light carbonic materials, fuelled by four solar-powered engines and it will fly high to protect direct and indirect sun rays to control temperatures at the open playgrounds."

Qatar's surprise success in winning the right to host the tournament in 2022 was immediately followed by real concerns that extreme temperatures would create health problems for competitors and spectators alike.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter had suggested that the tournament could move to the winter, although football's governing body has since clarified this will not happen.

"Any potential move of the 2022 FIFA World Cup from a summer to a winter period would have to be initiated by the football association of Qatar and would have to be presented to the FIFA Executive Committee," FIFA said in a statement in January. "At this stage there are no concrete plans to change the international match calendar."

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Bale could be back in 10 days

Wales manager Gary Speed thinks that Gareth Bale's hamstring injury is unlikely to require more than 10 days of rehabilitation.

The Tottenham star will miss Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against England after the Football Association of Wales announced that he arrived for training at the start of the week at less than 100 per cent fitness.

After pulling out of a training session on Tuesday before having a scan on Wednesday, it was confirmed on Thursday, amid initial confusion as to the cause of the injury, that Bale would be unable to play this weekend.

The 21-year-old has therefore returned to Tottenham and his club will now aim to ensure their star asset is fit for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid on 5th April.

Bale had only played three matches for Spurs since returning from more than a month on the sidelines with a back problem, but Speed does not believe that there is reason for the North London club to panic over the latest setback.

Asked if he thought the player was injury-prone, Speed told a press conference broadcast live on Sky Sports News on Thursday: "I don't think he's very fragile, his playing record this season when he played the first 30 games and the way he plays, he is so explosive, there comes a time in a season when he is going to need a rest.

"I'm sure he will play next week, I'm sure it [the injury] is only a 10-day thing."

Despite Bale being highlighted as one of the key players in Wales' bid to beat England in Cardiff, Speed stressed that he is more interested in the long-term rather than the short-term benefits of risking the winger.

"The next three-and-a-half years are more important than the next three-and-a-half days," added the former Sheffield United boss, who has inherited a side without a point from three matches in Euro 2012 qualifying Group G.

"We want to be successful and the best way we can be successful is to get our players out on the pitch in the best shape they can be."

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