Am 31. August ist die aktuelle Transferperiode beendet. In der Fußball-Bundesliga wurden bislang kräftig Transfers getätigt. Über 185.000.000 Euro gaben die Verantwortlichen der Vereine der 1. Bundesliga für Verstärkungen aus. Fast 51 Millionen Euro davon überwies der FC Bayern an andere Vereine.

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Inter are not the luckiest team in Veikkausliiga, it has to be said. After losing Patrick Bantamoi to a red card in Sunday's 2-0 defeat to HJK at Pallokenttä (HJK's usual Töölö home having it's new grass rested for the Euro 2009 championships in late August), their second goalkeeper David Moncalves was sent off in the 57th minute at Ratina today after bringing down Tampere United's Aleksei Kangaskolkka and preventing a goalscoring opportunity.

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Right back wasn't exactly a position many thought Liverpool needed to look at this summer. Certainly not if it meant spending £17 on it. Yet, as so very often happens, Rafael Benitez thought differently.
In reality, he's been looking for a player of Glen Johnson's abilities - an attack minded right back - for quite some time. Click to continue reading...

Well its not exactly what we had hoped for, but Rafinha did get to experience the MLS as we went to a recent game and saw the New Jersey Red Bulls play Real Salt Lake. It was a lot of fun and the level of play was quite good, but I am still convinced that Rafinha can play at the MLS level. He already has and hopefully someday he will again. Click to continue reading...

Actually, no Rafinha can't fly and he isn't levitating in this picture. He just has been very busy playing soccer locally and has just completed a free kick in this picture. Things are going very well for him. Besides his opportunity to train with the Newark Ironbound Express, he also has tryouts scheduled with the Long Island Rough Riders and Brooklyn Knights as well as some opportunities back in Brazil including the possibility of a tryout with Flamengo! Click to continue reading...

Well the saga continues... Rafinha tried out for the Harrisburg City Islanders, but as of now they haven't expressed an interest in signing him. He will now move on to the Newark Ironbound Express this coming weekend and possibly the New Jersey Rangers as well and hopefully one of them will be able to give Rafinha a chance to showcase his skills for the American public. Click to continue reading...

Rafinha is continuing his tryouts here in the United States and is hoping to be signed by one of the clubs. Last weekend he tried out for the Wilmington Hammerheads and this week he tried out for the Harrisburg City Islanders. Both clubs are USL Division 2 clubs and Rafinha feels that both went well. Click to continue reading...

I really felt that Rafinha had a very good weekend in Pittsburgh and could be called back to the team at any point, but as he wasn't offered a contract his saga will continue. He is scheduled to attend the tryout with the USL Division 2 Wilmington Hammerheads this coming weekend and also has some potential opportunities with some PDL clubs. Click to continue reading...

Well I just got back late last night with Rafinha from the trip to Pittsburgh for his tryout with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and I must say that it was an eye-opener on many different levels. First of all, I got to see Rafinha play live in a more competitive atmosphere and I was even more impressed then I thought I would be. Click to continue reading...

I would like to report here that the people that read this blog that I arrived on 02/17 in the United States and today I to thank some people who assisted me with coming to the U.S.
I could not start without making some thanking God for having given me the greatest of gifts: the gift of life. Click to continue reading...

The man, the myth, and the soon to be legend has arrived on our shores. Rafinha has finally arrived and I am very excited. I really hope that he can make it with one of the teams here in the United States. We have a few tryouts scheduled for him, including on this weekend with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL Division 2. Click to continue reading...

Just wanted to give an update on my ongoing story of Rafinha (video below), the Brazilian player that I am trying to help catch on with a team here in the U.S. Well there have been a few tryout offers from clubs in the USL Division 1 and 2, along with the USL PDL. There hasn't been any interest yet from any MLS clubs, which is fine. Click to continue reading...

Just wanted to leave a quick post on the continuing adventures of Rafinha as I try to help him with his dream of playing professional soccer here in the United States. I have gotten some positive responses, and it looks like he will be trying out for the Rochester Rhinos of USL Division 1 after he arrives in the United States. Click to continue reading...

Well its bitterly cold here in the Northeast of the United States and there is a coating of snow and ice on the ground so that allows for plenty of time indoors. With that time, I finished my mission to contact every club in MLS and most of the clubs in the USL. Rafinha's CV and You Tube video are now in the hands of every club that we targeted throughout the United States so I am really hoping that we will get some responses this week with interest in bringing him in for a tryout. Click to continue reading...

I haven't been posting too much lately on Pro Soccer Weekly because I have been hard at work helping my new friend Rafinha. Rafinha's name is Rafael Carpes, and he is a 24 year old soccer player from Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Rafinha has played for various clubs in Brazil including SC Internacional, Gremio, and Riograndense. Click to continue reading...

Shalke have fined their right back Rafinha $1,000,000. His crime? Going AWOL from club duty to represent Brazil at the Olympics. Rafinha is basically a victim of the CAS ruling that clubs didn't have to release under-23 players for Olympic duty. But still, one million dollars? That's a hefty sum even for a top flight footballer. Click to continue reading...

1. Assholes Anonymous Hi my name is Rafinha and I am an asshole. For a team that has some very likeable and fair-minded players in Neuer, Kuranyi and Westermann, there seems to be a need to offset it with a player like Rafinha. The sooner the fat Rafa from Liverpool buys little Rafa and takes his [. Click to continue reading...

Brasil win the bronze medal with a 3-nil victory over surprise finalists Belgium. Diego opened scoring in the 27th minute after darting past last man Tom de Mul and connecting with a cross from Rafinha to tuck the ball inside the far post. Lanky striker Jo added another two goals at the ... Click to continue reading...

The Olympics took center stage this week, not just on the world stage, but also in our blogs... Our Bremen blogger Brian looked at Diego's Olympic club vs country saga from all possible angles. (Werder Offside) Replace Diego with Rafinha and then our new Schalke blogger Jon basically did what Brian did. Click to continue reading...

The unseemly scuffle between Barcellona (along with Werder Bremen and Schalke 04) and the International Olympic Committee about whether to release or not their players for the Olympic tournament has finally reached a conclusion, even if a bizarre one.
Finally told that Leo Messi, Diego and Rafinha could return to their clubs, the same players still played in their country's opening game and appear set to stay till the very end. Click to continue reading...

Andrei Arshavin, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafinha and Lionel Messi (since freed by his captors), is a slave. Held against his will by his rich vodka-drinking owners and forced to do unthinkable things like play football for millions of dollars and take cheesy glamour photos in a photo booth at a St. Petersburg mall. Click to continue reading...

Video ansehen

Ohne das ganze Theater um die Abstellungspflicht von Spielern für das olympische Fußballturnier 2008 in Peking, hätte sich in Europa vermutlich kaum jemand dafür interessiert. So dürfte dem Turnier allerdings eine ganze Menge Aufmerksamkeit zukommen.

Werder Bremen und Schalke 04 hatten bereits eingelenkt und Diego sowie Rafinha dürften sich gefreut haben.

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So I hear the clubs won their appeal to get Messi, Diego and Rafinha back from the Olympics.
Which means all the teams could call their boys back.
Which means this soccer tournament could get really lame. I'm sure Benitez would love to force Babel back after the Gerrard injury.. Click to continue reading...

Barcelona do not need to release Lionel Messi for the 2008 Beijing Olympics football tournament, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Wednesday. Werder Bremen and Schalke have also won their appeal to prevent Diego and Rafinha from going to Beijing. Regardless of where you stand on the club v country debate, there are [. Click to continue reading...

Bundesliga Talk present their selection of this summer's best transfers in the Bundesliga - ironically written by a former Bundesliga Offside blogger, who joined Bundesliga Talk on a free transfer this summer. Damn you Bosman! (Bundesliga Talk) 101 Great Goals pick their favorite Bundesliga signings as well. Click to continue reading...

Barselona Messi'yi, W.Bremen Diego'yu, Schalke04 de Rafinha'yı Olimpiyat Oyunları'na göndermek istemiyordu. FİFA göndereceksiniz dese de 'oyunların FİFA takviminde yer almadığı' gerekçesi ile kulüpler yan çiziyordur. CAS kulüpleri haklı buldu, oyuncular oyunlarda yok. Her ne kadar kendileri de milli takımda görev yapmak isteseler de şimdi kulüplerinin hazırlık kamplarına katılacaklar. Click to continue reading...

Brazilian fullback Rafinha is once again being linked with a possible transfer to Premier League side Liverpool.
He has long been linked with a move to the Merseyside giants with Reds boss Rafa Benitez a confirmed admirer of the Schalke right back.
With Alvaro Arbeloa being linked with a move back to Spain following a mystery £6 million bid, money could well be available for the purchase of Rafinha. Click to continue reading...

The continuing reports of a potential return to Spain for one Liverpool full back has led to talk of a Rafa target re-igniting the transfer rumour mill. Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager! Schalke 04 rebel Rafinha is back on the agenda for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. The News of the . Click to continue reading...

The continuing reports of a potential return to Spain for one Liverpool full back has led to talk of a Rafa target re-igniting the transfer rumour mill. Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager! Schalke 04 rebel Rafinha is back on the agenda for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. The News of the . Click to continue reading...

Photo by ISIphotos.com

In the ongoing power struggle over whether or not U-23 star players will be allowed to play in the Beijing Olympics, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stated his position, sending out a letter to all member associations stating that the release of under-23s is obligatory, reports the Telegraph.

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Der Streit um die Abstellung von Bundesligaspielern zum olympischen Fußballturnier in Peking ist eskaliert. Nach Schalkes Rafinha hat sich auch Bremens Spielmacher Diego mehr oder weniger eigenmächtig aus der Vorbereitung verabschiedet und macht sich auf den Weg zur brasilianischen U23-Nationalmannschaft. Click to continue reading...

Ieri, 10 luglio 2008, è avvenuto il formale passaggio di proprietà tra i Silvestrini e Leonardo Covarelli, che può quindi definirsi a tutti gli effetti il nuovo patron del Perugia. L'ufficialità era attesa da giorni ed era legata alla trattativa per la cessione del Pisa (squadra che dovrebbe passare all'imprenditore romano Luca Pomponi). Click to continue reading...

Brazil have named a strong squad for their 08 Olympic campaign as they aim to win a title that has eluded them so far. Brazil's Olympic Football squad for Beijing 2008: Coach: Dunga, 44 Goalkeepers: Diego (23) (Almeira, Spain) Renan (23) (Internacional) Defenders: Alex Silva (23) (Sao Paulo) Breno (18) (Bayern Munich, Germany) Thiago Silva (23) (Fluminese) Ilsinho (22) (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine) Rafinha (22) (Schalke [. Click to continue reading...

Premier League trio Anderson, Lucas and Jo have all been named in Brazil's 18-man Olympic squad.
Brazil Olympic squad:
Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional); Breno (Bayern Munich), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Thiago Silva (Fluminense), Rafinha (Schalke 04), Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Anderson (Manchester United), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (Barcelona), Diego (Werder Bremen), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Thiago Neves (Fluminense); Alexandre Pato (Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid). Click to continue reading...

While I aspire to put up more numbers like the phenomenal Fernando Torres than less-than-consistent (but ever hard-working)Dirk Kuyt, I've got a few Liverpool odds and ends worth sorting through. In the newspaper business (and maybe even in Television, where I work, but I don't pay enough attention),they say "Don't bury the lead", so we'll start [. Click to continue reading...