Laugh your hearts out like I did!!! Click to continue reading...

When Tim Borowski went to bed last Friday, he may have dreamed about scoring two goals for Bayern against his old team Werder Bremen the following day. If so, his dream did indeed come true as he scored a second half brace at the Allianz Arena. As long as we finish the story there, we can all rest assured that occasionally people's dreams do become reality and learn the true meaning of the Oktoberfest. Click to continue reading...

According to this article on Sports Illustrated's website, Bayern Munich were interested at one point in signing Landon Donovan and may still sign him during the winter transfer period. The article describes how Bayern's manager Jurgen Klinsmann was interested in signing Landon, but the Board of Directors were concerned because of Landon's previous experiences in the Bundesliga. Click to continue reading...

First thing: Check out this beauty of an assist that Hatem ben Arfa pulled off for Marseille in Champions League last week.

Second thing: Hatem is out and Samir Nasri is in for France's game against Sweden on Wednesday.

What do you think is there intrigue here, or just one player coming and one going?

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Some interesting news from the French Football League as Paris St. Germain have signed both Claude Makelele and Ludovic Giuly for next season. On the surface these seem like good signings, but I think it might be about time that Paris St. Germain start to develop a more long term plan for success. They have the potential to be one of the biggest clubs in Europe by playing in Paris with virtually no competition in terms of other big clubs to draw fans away from them (unlike London or Moscow for example). Click to continue reading...

The Blues have been making fools of themselves all summer in the transfer market, missing out on their three top targets (Kaka, Ribery and Torres), while signing a player (Deco) who is on the wrong side of 30 and unlikely to get any better than he was at Barcelona. However, ... Click to continue reading...

Euros are over. Moving forward. (Again. It's hard to forget something like that, isn't it?) But let's take a look at how the transfer season is going.

First, Samir Nasri is a Gunner at last! We all knew it was going to happen, right? And then it didn't. And didn't. And didn't.

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I was starting to get a bit worried about Lionel Messi. He's young, ridiculously talented and living in Barcelona, but doesn't seem to have got the memo about the importance of having a piece of busty arm candy. Things appear to be on the up for him though as he is now reportedly dating fellow Argentine, Luciana Salazar, who was his country's alleged mascot at the 2006 World Cup. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal have signed 21-year-old French attacking midfielder Samir Nasri.

Now that Nasri's signed, and taken over the number 8 jersey, recently vacated by Lassana Diarra, Arsenal supporters want to know good he is.

Here's some video of Nasri playing.



Samir Nasri only played briefly for France at Euro 2008. Click to continue reading...

Poor old Chelsea, nobody seems to want to play for them. Kaka is staying put at Milan, Torres likewise at Liverpool and Ribery doesn't want to leave Munich in a hurry. Time to scribble out the top names on the list and work on the secondary targets, which appear to include Robinho. The Times reports that [. Click to continue reading...

World Soccer news
For week of June 26th

The Germans defend Luca Toni: It's the Italians' fault!

Luca Toni spent the whole European Championship without netting a goal, but his German fans know that it was down to the Italian negative tactics.
"What did the Italians do to Toni? Click to continue reading...

It was a frustrating Euro 2008 for France Supporters, but France did score a goal against Holland. That goal is a consolation given the events of the 2002 World Cup in which France also managed only a single point from the group phase, and didn't score a single goal. The Henry Click to continue reading...

It was a frustrating Euro 2008 for France Supporters, but France did score a goal against Holland. That goal is a consolation given the events of the 2002 World Cup in which France also managed only a single point from the group phase, and didn't score a single goal.



The Henry goal came from a great cross by Sagnol, albeit on the wrong end of a 4-1 rout. Click to continue reading...

Enough of that. Having no real transfer news to report - other than the confirmation that Lehmann is exiting - I can move on. There was good news and bad news for Gunners at Euro, as the French were knocked out at the hands of Italy. William Gallas went the full 90 in central defense, although hardly did anything worth mentioning.

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Fratelli fortunati d'Italia

Noi abbiamo vinto e l'Olanda ci ha risparmiato i biscotti.

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Azzurri - Les Blues! Do or die! The World Cup finalists on the edge of elimination.

France: Coupet, Clerc, Gallas, Abidal, Evra, Govou, Toulalan,
Makelele, Ribery, Benzema, Henry.
Subs: Mandanda, Frey,
Boumsong, Vieira, Malouda, Anelka, Nasri, Thuram, Squillaci,
Gomis, Sagnol, Diarra. Click to continue reading...

It appears that the hunter is about to become the hunted. Chelsea might be throwing their weight around in the transfer market, making cheeky enquiries about the likes of Franck Ribery and Fernando Torres, only to be amazingly rebuffed by the clubs in question. However, it appears that the Blues squad may now be shorn [. Click to continue reading...

Our long-running series on player development in the USA continues with the unlikely story of Jorge Flores. He is the 18-year-old Mexican-American who won Univision's "American Idol"-like tryout "Sueño MLS."

As The New York Times writes, Flores "was the most valuable player for his team at Anaheim High and played for a club team in nearby Santa Ana. Click to continue reading...

Romania, France and Italy are in a three-way battle for second in Group C, while Holland can enjoy the show.

France vs. Italy
The venue: Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: It's the fourth big meeting between these countries in less than two years, following the '06 World Cup Final and two Euro qualifiers. Click to continue reading...

Romania, France and Italy are in a three-way battle for second in Group C, while Holland can enjoy the show.

France vs. Italy
The venue: Letzigrund Stadion, Zurich, Switzerland
The broadcast: ESPN, 2:45 pm ET
The storyline: It's the fourth big meeting between these countries in less than two years, following the '06 World Cup Final and two Euro qualifiers. Click to continue reading...

You can wave a bucketload of cash in a player's face, but they're not always guaranteed to take the money and run as far as Chelsea are concerned. It is thought that the Blues' top three targets this summer included Fernando Torres and Franck Ribery, although both have amazingly decided to stay with their clubs [. Click to continue reading...

France international winger Franck Ribery has shunned the advances of moneybags Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, in favour of staying with Bayern Munich. The French star said that he was having a spiffing time at Germany's best club: "I signed a four-year contract when I arrived at Bayern a year ago and there is a good [. Click to continue reading...

France Raymond Domenech's squad on paper is definitely Euro final material & the frogs will want to get one over the Italians after The World Cup Final (nut)-cracker. France posses a fantastic team with plenty of depth. They conceded just 5 in qualifying and would probably be at better odds for the trophy if it weren't for the group of death draw. Click to continue reading...

Here are your predictions for Euro 2008. The winners, dark horses, flops and top players of the tournament according to our readers and listeners. European Championship 2008 Winner Dark Horse Flop Best Player Damian Germany Croatia France Modric Damon Spain Russia Portugal Torres Noi Italy Switzerland Spain Ronaldo Sean111 Spain Czech Rep Ronaldo Torres Siobhan Italy Croatia Germany Ronaldo George Germany Croatia Spain Torres Fergus Spain - France Torres Tim Germany Turkey Holland Torres Ben France Russia Italy Benzema Hans France Croatia Austria Ribery Kucho Spain Poland Italy Casillas Ed Spain Greece France Torres Paul M Croatia France Germany Podolski Javier Portugal Italy Spain Ronaldo Maria Portugal Romania Spain Ronaldo Franz Germany Greece Spain Ballack Pim France Holland Portugal Benzema Akis Portugal Romania France Ronaldo Yukawa Holland - - - Pablo Czech R Italy France Toni Adrian Germany Croatia Spain Klose Hugh Germany Holland Italy Podolski Click to continue reading...

(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

There's an article over on Foot Mercato that lists current form for the potential France players. Curious to see what you think about individual players. Agree? Disagree?

The Barometer

Rising: Franck Ribéry, Patrice Evra, Gaël Clichy, Grégory Coupet, Thierry Henry, Philippe Méxès, Rio Antonio Mavuba, Mathieu Flamini, Patrick Vieira, Sebastien Frey;

Stable: William Gallas, Eric Abidal, Bakary Sagna, Claude Makélélé, Alou Diarra, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Mathieu Bodmer, Mickaël Landreau, Nicolas Anelka, Willy Sagnol, Jimmy Briand, Samir Nasri, Anthony Réveillère, Lassana Diarra, Lilian Thuram, Steve Mandanda, Florent Malouda, Hatem Ben Arfa;

Falling: Djibril Cissé, Louis Saha, Jerome Rothen, Julien Escudé, François Clerc, David Trézéguet, Rowed Ulrich.

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(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

SO, I'm here in France – enjoying a self-imposed writers retreat, and loading up on French football writing. I came across this provocative interview in the April issue of the glossy magazine, So Foot. It's with Abdel Raouf Dafri, the scriptwriter for La Commune, a new series broadcast on Canal +. Click to continue reading...

England was handed defeat in Paris last night by their neighbours across the channel. The only goal scored was from the penalty spot after England keeper James took down Anelka. Ribery stepped up to convert and sent James the wrong way. England never really seemed to trouble France as they delivered some very solid defending and [. Click to continue reading...

(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

"Ja Herr Toni. Ich hab's auch gehört. Das war Abseits!" - Minuten später - "Jaja, Toni, ich hab's gehört! Das war aufgestützt. Das Tor zählt nicht. Da hilft auch kein ungläubiges Lachen." Etwas später hat es sich dann aber ausgeTonit ein klares Frustfoul führt zur Gelb-Roten Karte des Italieners (Hast du das gehört? Click to continue reading...

Just a quick post to show a youtube clip of Ribery's excellent ball control which helped Bayern demolish Werder Bremen 4-0. Left the defender swinging in the air.



Bookmarkz Click to continue reading...

Just a quick post to show a youtube clip of Ribery's excellent ball control which helped Bayern demolish Werder Bremen 4-0. Left the defender swinging in the air.



Bookmarkz Click to continue reading...