Rafael Benitez believes that Liverpool must buy relatively unknown players, train them, and sell them to make a profit and eventually reduce the club's mountain of debt.
The Merseysiders are said to be £245 million in the red, and the Kop boss has already threatened to resign if any stars go on sale during January. Click to continue reading...

Hmmm. At the start of the season this was supposed to be the blockbuster that Gold Coast would steal from the Roar. But with only 5,400 watching and quite a few of those in Sydney colours you would have to say Gold Coast have a long, long way to go build a fan base.
Shame really as this game was won by Jason Culina who was at his best. Click to continue reading...

With the arrival of the weekend, football fans across the world are returning to following their respective teams in another series of cracking fixtures. However, excitement is going to reach a whole different level next weekend, when the much awaited FIFA 10 releases in Australia (October 1) and Europe (October 2).

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The summer's Blockbuster trade involved Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel. Eto'o swapping clubs and Inter also received a boat load of cash. The first Champions League clash between the two clubs failed to give a decisive edge as to which team gained the most from this transaction. While Inter made a handsome profit, Barca was able to offload an unhappy camper and replaced him with a stocky and talented forward, albeit one who has often failed to deliver on the big occasion. Click to continue reading...

Zakumi awaits
We have a month before world cup qualifying concludes its final group stages, so I thought it would be fun for the next few weeks to look at each continental zone that is still in play.
November will have playoffs in Europe for their four remaining spots, the CONCACAF/CONMEBOL showdown (which can be either a dullard like Costa Rica- Venezuela, or a blockbuster like Argentina-USA – stay tuned), and the world-stopping Bahrain-New Zealand tilt. Click to continue reading...

So far, there don't appear to be any blockbuster deals in the offing as the end of the summer transfer window draws to a close.

However, that could very well change in the hours that clubs have left to make moves. But while there might be a lack of big names on the move, there are still plenty of deals happening right now, and we've not only got those covered in this evening's roundup, but also in our updated summer transfer lists.

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Alberto Aquilani's transfer to Liverpool from Roma was completed with the

Injury-prone?

minimum of fuss, which is highly unusual for a transfer involving Liverpool considering the unsuccessful Gareth Barry saga of last summer, and this year's Xabi Alonso blockbuster. The Italian has signed a five year deal, and the thing that will worry the Anfield faithful is that in his last five seasons at Roma, he has started a miserly 60 Serie A games.

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by Usman Azad, Football Perth Editor
FIRSTLY apologies for the lateness of this post. FP was up all night watching the Champions League clash between Arsenal and Celtic.
Happy to report though, that my time wasn't wasted and, thanks to two pieces of luck, Arsenal got the result they needed. Click to continue reading...

First blood to Chelsea, in what promises to be a great rivalry this season, as they clinched the first silverware on offer this season by winning the Community Shield at Wembley today.
After a pulsating game, where United took the lead from a blockbuster Nani shot, Chelsea equalised in the second half through Carvahlo and took the lead through a controversial Lampard goal. Click to continue reading...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o have traded clubs in a blockbuster exchange between Barcelona and Inter. Carlo Garganese looks back at the Top 10 crazy Inter swap deals...
Inter got this clown. Milan got Pirlo... Click to continue reading...

Blockbuster trades have become rare in sports. They're especially rare in European football, where a team is more likely to sell a top player and put the transfer fee towards a future acquisition. That's what makes the recently completed Barcelona-Inter Milan swap of Samuel Eto'o for Zlatan Ibrahimovic so intriguing. Click to continue reading...

AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO

FC Barcelona this evening completed a blockbuster move bringing Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the Nou Camp in exchange for Samuel Eto'o plus 40 million euros and Alexander Hleb who will be with Inter on a one year loan.

More details to come

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If there's one team that can stop the Kashima Antlers juggernaut from steam-rolling to a third successive J. League title, it's Kawasaki Frontale.
The Kanagawa side geared up for an epic showdown with Kashima on Sunday by beating Gamba Osaka 1-0 at Todoroki Stadium in a rescheduled Round 10 fixture overnight. Click to continue reading...

FFA have said they will be back..but when?
Before the World Cup? I doubt it.
Indonesia (h) Asian Cup
Oman (h) Asian Cup
Holland (h) expected in October.
Blockbuster in Melbourne for Socceroos send-off.
Away games v Ireland (Aug) Kuwait, Oman.
And probably three other games before the World Cup, so maybe one more at home. Click to continue reading...

They Think It's All Over... analyses Kaka's blockbuster move to Madrid and thinks about what it means for the future of the spanish club and the player himself. Click to continue reading...

Kaka finally completed his blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid last night for a fee of around €65 million.
Carlo Garganese picks the Brazilian's Top 5 moments during six superb years at Milan... Click to continue reading...

Japan warmed up for their World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan in Tashkent on June 6 with two crushing Kirin Cup victories to win the three-team tournament in front of their home fans.
Japan thrashed Chile 4-0 on May 27 in front of 43,531 fans at a sold-out Nagai Stadium in Osaka, with Shimizu S-Pulse front man Shinji Okazaki helping himself to a brace. Click to continue reading...

Great story spot over at Dirty Tackle. Turns out Bayern Munich and Italian national team defender Massimo Oddo lives a life more dramatic than mine.
Some dirty cops apparently blackmailed Oddo with compromising photos with a woman-friend.
When the player agreed to a pay-off, we entered the climax of this blockbuster movie. Click to continue reading...

Kick-off: Tuesday, 28 February 2009, 20:45 CET –Camp Nou, Barcelona

Barcelona's Quest for Glory
This is a huge two week period for Barcelona. While all the focus in England has been on Manchester United's pursuit of the quintuple, in Spain the talk has been all about Barcelona's quest for a history-making treble voyage.

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Lots to get to today, including a story that could very well represent the biggest change to English Football since the Taylor report recommended abolishing terraces in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster. Unfortunately, I can't devote any space to the story that a group of MPs have decided on their own that three of the top four teams are engaged in 'financial doping' and that English teams should adopt the 6+5 rule, irregardless of the fact that it's illegal and immoral.

Click to continue reading...

It's time to put the Chelsea game behind us, because tomorrow night Arsenal travel to Anfield and have to play a very tough Liverpool squad in the Premier League. Liverpool is just one point off the title (though EVERYONE keeps reminding me that United have a game in hand) and will be looking for three points.

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Look out C.Ron and Wooney, there might just be another cool kid on the block... a cool kid who unbelievably announced his arrival to the world last night! And what's more unbelievable is that this kid is just that, a 17 year old who is already rubbing shoulders with some of the big boys in the league! Click to continue reading...

The last time I was back home in the States last July, I was dumbstruck at seeing a promotional poster for the Mexican national soccer team hanging on the wall of a McDonald's in Gallup, New Mexico. It then gave me a flashback to watching a 1994 USA-Chile friendly in Albuquerque and being disgusted at how many fans were cheering against our own national team but I digress. Click to continue reading...

I've never been prouder to be a Netflix customer. Why? This is why. And fair warning, Benedict Blockbuster Arnold--don't bother trying this one with Honduras when the Hex dials them up as our opposition. I saw my Honduran neighbors putting little red envelopes in their mailbox just a couple of days ago, so clearly you've already lost them. Click to continue reading...

I've never been prouder to be a Netflix customer. Why? This is why. And fair warning, Benedict Blockbuster Arnold--don't bother trying this one with Honduras when the Hex dials them up as our opposition. I saw my Honduran neighbors putting little red envelopes in their mailbox just a couple of days ago, so clearly you've already lost them. Click to continue reading...

Something to read while you count your fingers... (via Liverpool Offside) Ouch. That's all. Just ouch. (Dirty Tackle) Blockbuster hates US Soccer: Official (AP) Robbie Keane a little too happy to be back at Spurs (The Spoiler) No Totti, no party (HABs Offside) Can you name the owner of this childhood hairdo? Click to continue reading...