Federer advances to fourth round at US Open

NEW YORK (AFP) - Four-time defending champion Roger Federer won his 30th consecutive US Open match, defeating Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 Sunday to reach the fourth round of the year's last Grand Slam event.

The Swiss superstar remains two Grand Slam singles crowns shy of Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 as he tries to become the first player since Bill Tilden in 1924 to win five US titles in a row.
Federer's win streak at Flushing Meadows since losing to David Nalbandian in the round of 16 in 2003 does not include a fourth-round walkover in 2004. He has not fallen short of the fourth round at a Slam since the 2004 French Open.
Second seed Federer was bumped from the world number one ranking by Spain's Rafael Nadal two weeks ago after the Spaniard had beaten Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year.
Never in tennis history have players met in the finals of three consecutive Slams in the same year.
Stepanek was denied his first trip to the US Open's fourth round, falling to 2-10 in the third round at Slams even though he had beaten Federer in their most recent prior meeting in the Rome quarter-finals.
Federer will next face the winner of a later match between Russia's Igor Andreev and Spanish 13th seed Fernando Verdasco.
Russian fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who lost to Federer in the US Open semi-finals each of the past two years, also reached the round of 16 by defeating 27th-ranked compatriot Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Davydenko next faces Luxembourg qualifier Gilles Muller, who outlasted Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (3/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.
Since winning his 14th career title in June at Warsaw, Davydenko had lost four of six matches before the Open. But he has found top form again and could face the Federer express again in this year's quarter-finals.
"I'm not top fit but I need to do everything to be top fit, fight every point," Davydenko said. "I'm really happy to win three rounds in three sets. I hope I will be fit and feeling good for the fourth round."
Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic, who lost to Federer in the 2007 US Open final, meets Croatia's Marin Cilic in a night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where US eighth seed Andy Roddick and Italy's Andreas Steppi also meet later.

by Jim Slater

http://news.yahoo.com

Jankovic battles into last eight

Jelena Jankovic came from a set down to see off Caroline Wozniacki and bag a place in the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The Serbian made a stuttering start and lost the first set 6-3 but powered back to take the next two sets 6-2 6-1.
Jankovic appeared a bit sluggish early on, but was still able to secure a place in the last eight at the year's final grand slam for the third straight year.
The 23-year-old will play either Sybille Bammer or Marion Bartoli in the quarter-finals.
Jankovic also recorded her second three-set win in two career meetings with the 18-year-old Wozniacki, beating her in the second round at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Wozniacki was coming off a title at New Haven last week.

Monday 1st September 2008

by www.espnstar.com/tennis

Benitez mocked at Villa Park

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez suffered a torrent of abuse and saw his side play to a goalless draw at Villa Park.
Aston Villa fans taunted the Reds boss with chants of 'There's only one Gareth Barry' after the collapse of the England midfielder's move to Liverpool, and some of the crowd aimed personal insults at the Reds manager.
Benitez was met with a crescendo of abuse from Villa fans when he made his way to the dug-out before shaking hands with home manager Martin O'Neill, with whom he became embroiled in a war of words over Barry.
But the game itself was mostly disappointing, with both sides cancelling each other out and for long periods adopting a safety-first approach until an exciting finale.
Liverpool needed to win to go top but they could not find their way through a home rearguard in which captain Martin Laursen was a rock-solid performer.
Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker had one of his best games for Villa on the right flank, before switching to full-back in the closing stages to accommodate US$24 million new recruit James Milner.
The encouraging factor for Villa was that they looked a match for Liverpool, an established member of the Premier League's 'big four', in a season where they are expected to challenge to break into the elite group of teams.
But Villa also found it difficult to create decent opportunities, with Javier Mascherano impressing in the Liverpool midfielder after his return from Olympic action with Argentina.
The first incident of note saw Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel booked after 13 minutes for hauling back John Carew on the left flank.
Liverpool suffered a setback after 27 minutes when striker Fernando Torres pulled up sharply when chasing an innocuous-looking pass and was immediately taken off.
It led to Benitez giving a debut to striker David Ngog who was signed from Paris St Germain earlier in the summer.
Then, after 35 minutes, Carew squandered the first clear-cut chance.
Barry's fine pass played in Ashley Young who had beaten the offside trap and he laid the ball back invitingly into the path of Carew, only eight yards out from goal.
But the Norwegian international opted to place his low shot rather than go for power and Reina was able to block his attempt.
Liverpool threatened for the first time when a deep cross from Andrea Dossena was only headed by Nicky Shorey into the path of Dirk Kuyt but his side's midweek Champions League goal hero shot into the sidenetting.
Then a superb reverse pass from Robbie Keane opened up the Villa defence for Ngog and his left-footed curler was only inches too high.
The visitors stepped up their game in the second half and Keane teed up a shot for Xabi Alonso which was deflected over Brad Friedel's bar by Shorey.
Then Friedel did well to tip over, at full stretch, a superb cross on the run from Dossena.
Villa enjoyed pressure of their own and Curtis Davies made good ground to get on the end of Young's free-kick but summed up the game by heading the ball away from the Liverpool goal.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon came with the introduction of Milner in place of Luke Young whose right-back berth was filled by Reo-Coker.
Dossena was booked a minute later for throwing the ball away after disputing a throw-in awarded to Villa.
Benitez brought on Fabio Aurelio for Kuyt after 70 minutes, and Petrov was just off target with a dipping volley.
Benitez then appealed in vain for a penalty after Reo-Coker's tackle on Keane who shot wide when under pressure from the Villa midfielder.

Monday 1st September 2008

by www.espnstar.com/football

Serie A Sunday Review

Last season's runners-up Roma were held to a draw while AC Milan were dealt a shock home defeat at the San Siro.
Champions Inter began their quest for a fourth straight Scudetto with a 1-1 draw at Sampdoria on Saturday and would probably have expected to lose ground to both Roma and Milan on the first round of fixtures.
But Roma could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to 10-man Napoli while Milan's miserable form at the San Siro continued with a 2-1 loss to Bologna.
Not even Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko were able to reverse a trend of bad results at home which effectively condemned Milan to finishing only fifth last season.
Marco di Vaio put Bologna ahead in the 18th minute and, although Massimo Ambrosini got the Rossoneri back on level terms at the break, a wonder-goal from Francesco Valiani sealed the win for Bologna 10 minutes from time.
Roma, meanwhile, went ahead in the 29th minute through Alberto Aquilani as they dominated the first half against Napoli.
But it was a different story in the second period with Marek Hamsik netting a deserved equaliser in the 55th minute - shortly after Fabiano Santacroce was sent off for the visitors.
Roma's Eternal City rivals Lazio enjoyed a much more productive first afternoon, coming from behind to record a thumping 4-1 win at Cagliari.
Joaquin Larrivey put the hosts in the ascendancy but they were reduced to 10 men just after the hour mark when Diego Lopez was given his marching orders.
And Delio Rossi's men took full advantage of their numerical superiority with a brace from new signing Mauro Zarate (one penalty) and further strikes from substitute Pasquale Foggia and Goran Pandev.
The emphatic triumph sees Lazio take the early lead at the Serie A summit on goals scored from Torino - 3-0 winners at home to newly-promoted Lecce.
Alessandro Rosina's penalty in the 29th minute gave the hosts the ideal start, before Paolo Zanetti added a second four minutes later and debutant Rolando Bianchi headed home the third to complete the rout 16 minutes from time.
Other teams to enjoy winning starts on Sunday were Atalanta, Catania and Chievo.
Simone Padoin's 15th-minute goal was enough for Atalanta to register a 1-0 victory over Siena, who were not helped by the dismissal of Massimo Maccarone with four minutes remaining.
Walter Zenga's Catania edged past Genoa 1-0 thanks to a Giuseppe Mascara strike just after the hour.
Chievo made a triumphant return to the top flight with a late 2-1 home win over Reggina.
Having spent just one season in the second division, the Gialloblu made a fine start to the new campaign and came back from a goal down through Michele Marcolini's penalty in the 76th minute and Vincenzo Italiano's strike two minutes from time.
Bernard Corradi had briefly put the visitors ahead with a 72nd-minute spot-kick but Reggina could not find an equaliser despite Chievo new boy Antonio Langella's dismissal late on.
Sunday's action concludes with the evening kick-off between Fiorentina and Juventus.
In Saturday's Serie A curtain-raiser, Antonio di Natale scored twice as Udinese posted a convincing 3-1 victory over Palermo.
The Italy international put the home side in control with two first-half strikes and, although Palermo threatened a comeback when Mark Bresciano scored, highly-rated Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler settled the contest shortly after.

Monday 1st September 2008

by www.espnstar.com/football

Milan continue to flounder

AC Milan's miserable form continued as they made a losing start to the season on Sunday, going down 2-1 to Bologna.
Not even Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko were able to reverse a trend of bad results at home which effectively condemned Milan to finishing only fifth last season.
Marco Di Vaio put Bologna ahead in the 18th minute, but Massimo Ambrosini ensured the Rossoneri went in at the break on terms.
However, a wonder-goal from Francesco Valiani sealed the win for Bologna 10 minutes from time and put Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti under pressure after just one game.
Ancelotti named Ronaldinho in his starting XI with fellow debutant Mathieu Flamini making his first appearance at the San Siro.
For many of the Bologna team, it was also a first taste of Serie A football following their promotion from Serie B last season, but they did not run and hide as they took the game to their hosts from the outset.
Adailton had the first chance for Daniele Arrigoni's side, but his angled shot was saved easily by Christian Abbiati, Milan's new first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Zeljko Kalac and Dida.
Ronaldinho was the centre of attention and he did not disappoint either, showing glimpses of what made him World Footballer of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
He sent one shot wide of Francesco Antonioli's goal before heading over when Filippo Inzaghi seemed better placed from Clarence Seedorf's cross.
Bologna were forced onto the back foot , but when they managed to break, they went ahead thanks to Di Vaio in the 18th minute
The former Genoa striker provided the finishing touch to an excellent team move, volleying the ball low and unstoppably past Abbiati to silence the San Siro.
Ronaldinho continued to cause a threat to the Bologna defence, but nobody was able to add a finish to his intelligent build-up play, until Ambrosini obliged in the 41st minute with a header from close range bringing Milan level.
Shevchenko made his second Milan debut at the start of the second half, replacing Marek Jankulovski as Milan went with a more adventurous, attacking formation.
Ronaldinho almost set his new strike-partner up for a second goal early in the second half, but Shevchenko was unable to reach the ball at the far post.
Ancelotti introduced Alexandre Pato into the game with 20 minutes left as he went for the win, but it was Bologna who began to look the more dangerous.
However, nobody could have expected the goal which won this game for Bologna.
Valiani exchanged passes with Di Vaio before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
It was a goal fit to win any game, and it was enough to decide this one in favour of the Serie A newcomers against one of the main title favourites.
After being put on probation after a lacklustre pre-season campaign, Ancelotti will now be fearing for his job after just 90 minutes of the season.

Monday 1st September 2008
by www.espnstar.com/football

Barclays Premier League Sunday LIVE!

Latest Scores Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham(FT) Sunderland 0-3 Man City(FT) Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool

Halftime:

Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool
The score is 0-0 at Villa Park as Rafael Benitez resorted to negative tactics, playing nine men behind the ball, with Fernando Torres plowing alone upfront.
To make things even worse, Torres looked like he tweaked a hamstring during the half, and had to be replaced by David Ngog in the 30th minute.
A boring 0-0 at halftime, with everyone hoping for a better showing by both teams in the second half.

Fulltime:

Sunderland 0-3 Manchester City(FT)
Manchester City crushed Sunderland 3-0 at the Stadium of Light, with Shaun Wright-Phillips capping off his return to the Sky Blues with an emphatic brace.
Manchester City drew first blood when Danny Collins failed to make a decent clearance from a cross and Stephen Ireland pounced on the rebound to place the ball far away from a diving Craig ‘Flash' Gordon.
Wright-Phillips doubled City's advantage in the 50th minute by slotting in a Jo cross that went across Gordon goalmouth.
The former Chelsea winger secured three points for the Citizens by beating the offside trap to receive the ball from Michael Ball and poke it past a bewildered Gordon.
Wright-Phillips was substituted in the 85th minute, with a standing ovation waiting for the City returnee.

Chelsea 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur(FT)

Tottenham managed to hold out for a draw at Stamford Bridge, with Darren Bent cancelling out Belletti's opening goal.
Chelsea drew first blood when Deco put in a low curler from a corner, which Darren Bent failed to clear, only for the Brazilian fullback to run into the ball and put it past compatriot Heurelho Gomes.
Bent made up for his mistake at the stroke of halftime by latching on to a stray ball, the result of a Frank Lampard and Luka Modric clash, to slot the ball past a looming Petr Cech.
After halftime, Chelsea dominated the match but failed to make a breakthrough, all credit going to Gomes who played a great game overall.
Click here for espnstar.com's LIVESCORE coverage of tonight's matches!

Monday 1st September 2008

by www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league

Robinho determined to join Chelsea

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Robinho said Sunday that his "head was at Chelsea" and that he was determined to leave the Spanish club despite efforts of team bosses to keep him.

"I've already told the president (Ramon Calderon), and coach (Bernd Schuster), management and (the media): my head is there (at Chelsea), I want to play over there," the 24-year-old said.
"Until now I've never had a problem in the locker room (at Real)," he added.
Robinho, who joined Real in 2005, attacked the Spanish champions for their attitude to him during the summer when his father and agent had been trying to negotiate a new contract for him.
"The club showed little interest in keeping me," said Robinho of Real, who focused their efforts on their failed bid to sign Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
"The problem is that (Real Madrid) did not manage to recruit.
"Schuster isn't my father, he's my coach. He can't make me do anything."
Real also recently failed in their bid to sign two Spanish internationals Santi Cazorla from Villarreal and David Villa from Valencia.
"I want to leave, nothing more," he added.
Chelsea's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been keen to tie up a 27 million pounds (33.7 million euros) swoop for Robinho before the transfer window shuts at midnight on Monday.
But Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon insisted Saturday they would not be letting the striker go.
"He's going to stay here, I'm saying that," Calderon told the daily ABC, adding that the Brazilian was "a good boy, badly advised" by his entourage.



by http://news.yahoo.com
Sun Aug 31

Spurs sign Russia striker Pavlyuchenko

LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham reached an agreement to sign Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow.

Pavlyuchenko arrived in England on Friday for a medical and negotiations over personal terms and the deal was sealed on Saturday.
"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Spartak Moscow for the transfer of Roman Pavlyuchenko to the Club," a statement on Tottenham's website confirmed.
The fee paid by Tottenham has not been disclosed but it is understood to be around 14 million pounds (17 million euros) and the move could pave the way for Dimitar Berbatov to leave Spurs for Manchester United.
Pavlyuchenko will not feature when Spurs take on Chelsea on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Real Zaragoza president Agapito Iglesias is reported to be in London to discuss the possible transfer of Diego Milito and Sergio Garcia from the Spanish club to Spurs.

by http://news.yahoo.com

Sun Aug 31, 6:00 AM

Nadal breezes while Nishikori leads US Open upset parade

NEW YORK (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal of Spain rolled into the fourth round of the US Open while Japanese teen Kei Nishikori pulled off the biggest upset on a Saturday of shockers that saw three top men ousted.

Wimbledon and French Open champion Nadal raised his game when challenged, winning his final 11 games to answer a fightback and defeat 71st-ranked Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3, 6-0, for his 41st triumph in 42 starts.
"I have started playing better," Nadal said. "Today I served very well. I have more confidence and I hope to continue to improve my tennis. I know I have to keep improving my tennis if I want to win."
Nishikori stunned Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5 to become the first Japanese man into the fourth round of a US Open.
"I'm very proud of that," said Nishikori, who at 18 is the youngest man in the US Open round of 16 since Marat Safin in 1998.
"I still can't believe it. I felt happy and more positive. That's why I felt I could fight through."
Ferrer was joined on the seeded scrap heap by Argentine number seven David Nalbandian, who lost to France's Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and US ninth seed James Blake, who fell to compatriot Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Ferrer denied Nishikori on a match point in the ninth game and broke back, then saved another match point in the 10th game before Nishikori blasted back-to-back forehand winners to end it after three hours and 32 minutes.
"Nishikori played really well," Ferrer said. "I'm not surprised. I'm sure he will be a very good player."
The only Japanese man to go deeper in a Grand Slam event was Shuzo Matsuoka, who reached the 1995 Wimbledon quarter-finals.
"I don't think about it like I'm making history," Nishikori said. "I'm just very proud."
Next up for the Asian sensation is Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro, who stretched his win streak to 22 matches by outlasting France's Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 over three hours and 47 minutes.
British sixth seed Andy Murray barely avoided the victims list, rallying to defeat Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-3 after three hours and 52 minutes and book a date with Swiss 10th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
"He was playing unbelievable," Murray said. "I really didn't get any rhythm. I just kept fighting. This is why you put in all the work. Hopefully I can keep it going."
On the women's side, seventh seed Venus Williams and fourth-seeded sister Serena cruised in third-round matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium, moving them one step closer to a quarter-final showdown at the year's last Grand Slam event.
But the men stole the show. Olympic champion Nadal was down a break in the second set until blasting a running forehand winner past Troicki to level at 3-3 and he never lost another game.
"That gave me a lot of confidence that I could win," Nadal said. "He was playing well in that moment but after that I started playing better and he made some mistakes."
Nadal can match his best US Open showing by winning his next match over Sam Querrey, the 55th-ranked American who ousted Croatian 14th seed Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2. Nadal won their only prior meeting in 2006.
"I've gotten a lot better since then. He has too," Querrey said. "I can go out there and rip away. I have nothing to lose."
Nadal, whose only loss since May was to Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic in a Cincinnati semi-final, could join Roger Federer, Rod Laver and Pete Sampras as the only men to win three Slams in a row in the Open era.
Seven-time Slam champion Venus Williams advanced by beating Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-1 in 56 minutes. Next up is Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Williams in 2006 at Luxembourg in their only prior meeting.
"I'm looking forward to evening the score," Williams said.
Eight-time Slam champion Serena Williams beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-2, 6-1 and will next face French wild card entrant Severine Bremond, who outlasted Italy's Tathiana Garbin 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
"I'm definitely not at my best, but I hope to get there," Serena Williams said.
Russian sixth seed Dinara Safina beat Swiss teen Timea Bacsinszky 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 and will next face German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, the first woman qualifier since Anna Kournikova in 1996 to reach the US Open's fourth round.
Sunday's top matches find defending champion Federer playing Czech Radek Stepanek, fellow second seed Jelena Jankovic facing Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki and Australian Open champion Djokovic meeting Croatia's Marin Cilic.

by Jim Slater

Sun Aug 31, 12:57 AM

http://news.yahoo.com

NEW YORK - Jets running back Jesse Chatman was suspended without pay by the NFL on Saturday for the team's first four regular-season games for violating the league's steroids and related-substances policy.

Chatman, who signed with the Jets as a free agent in March, is eligible to rejoin the team Sept. 29, a day after New York's game against Arizona.
"It's always disappointing, but it's a program that the league has set up and something that I understand and Jesse understands the consequences of," coach Eric Mangini said. "Jesse has had a very good training camp and really punctuated it with his game against the Eagles. He's disappointed and so am I, but I look forward to him being able to come back and contribute."
Chatman's agent, Brett Tessler, said in a statement that the running back "never tested positive for a steroid or any other performance-enhancing drug."
"Near the end of last season, the league claimed he had a diuretic in his system that they said could also be used as a masking agent," Tessler said. "After Jesse spent great time and money defending his innocence, the league made its final ruling and now he has no choice but to look ahead to Week 5."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league would have no further comment regarding the suspension.
Chatman had 180 total yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Jets in their 27-20 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday night. He ran 29 times for 93 yards and caught six passes for 87 yards, and led the team with 164 yards rushing in the preseason.
"I respect the program the league has in place and it's very clear that if there's a violation, there are consequences," Mangini said. "My experience with Jesse since he's been a New York Jet has been extremely positive. I think he's done everything we've asked him to do."
With Chatman sitting out four games, the only running backs on the team's roster after cutdowns Saturday were starter Thomas Jones and backup Leon Washington, along with fullback Tony Richardson. Mangini wouldn't say whether the team will look into bringing in another tailback during Chatman's absence.
"We'll gauge it week in and week out," he said. "Tony Richardson has run the ball in the past and (wide receiver) Brad Smith can be used back there as well, so we'll definitely have alternatives in place."
Mangini said Chatman will have a job waiting for him when he finishes serving the suspension.
"Had this not gone through, he would be on the 53-man roster," Mangini said. "In terms of evaluating him as a player and a contributor, I think he earned that spot from that perspective."
Out of football in 2006, Chatman ran for a career-high 515 yards and a touchdown for Miami last season. He became the Dolphins' starting running back after Ronnie Brown was sidelined for the season by a knee injury in Week 7.
The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Chatman spent his first three NFL seasons with San Diego from 2002-04, but was released by the Chargers in July 2005. He signed with the Dolphins before that season, but was traded to New Orleans after being inactive for the first five games. Chatman was then inactive for three games with the Saints before they also released him.
After sitting out a year and losing 60 pounds, Chatman was again signed by the Dolphins and revived his NFL career.

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer

Sat Aug 30, 8:32 PM

http://news.yahoo.com

Robinho to hold press conference

Robinho is to hold a press conference in Madrid today as time runs out for Chelsea to sign the Brazilian striker.
The Blues have been tracking Robinho for much of the summer and it appeared earlier this week that a move would go ahead.
The saga took another twist as Real declared their intention to keep Robinho, but the player himself is now set to make an announcement about his future.
It is expected that he will again outline his desire to move to Stamford Bridge.
Schuster hope Real boss Bernd Schuster remains hopeful that Robinho will stay at the Bernabeu, despite leaving the 24-year-old out of his squad for Sunday's league opener at Deportivo La Coruna.
Schuster said: "I want him to stay. I've always said so and I stand by what I say. He is important for us."
Schuster insisted the decision to leave Robinho out of his travelling party was down to him, even though last Saturday he included the Brazilian in his squad for the Supercopa second leg against Valencia - a move that came just 24 hours after the player had declared he wanted to join Chelsea.
Robinho was ultimately left on the bench against Valencia, but Schuster this weekend opted to omit him completely.
"It's been my decision. The club has never given their opinion, they've always left it to me to make the decision," said Schuster.
"You need to know in what condition a player will arrive and there's been a lot of pressure on him and he isn't in the optimum condition to play. He's got too many concerns going on in his head.
"We realised this during the Spanish Supercopa. We wanted to win the title, so we decided it was better to use players who at that time were more focused.
"Until the matter is resolved definitely he will not be in perfect condition to play."

Sunday 31st August 2008

by www.espnstar.com/football

Ramos fears gap is widening

Juande Ramos fears Tottenham and Chelsea are moving in "different directions" but has backed his club's structure.
When Spurs defeated their London rivals in the Carling Cup in February there were hopes of closing the gap with the heavyweights of the Premier League - but there have been contrasting summers in both camps.
"Chelsea have the ability to sign absolutely top-echelon stars from anywhere around the world, pick the cream of the crop, to try and win every trophy. We are kind of in a different league to that," said Ramos. "Maybe it's a case of two clubs moving in slightly different directions."
Ramos has nevertheless been pleased with the improvement in the quality of his squad after letting seven first-team players leave, which has offers an assessment of the players brought to the club by sporting director Damien Comolli.
The likes of Younes Kaboul and Kevin-Prince Boateng struggling last season brought Comolli's influence in the spotlight, and Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov's situation has put pressure on the Frenchman to use his scouting network to find suitable replacements.
Comolli finds players for Ramos - such as Roman Pavlyuchenko, who is understood to have agreed a long-term deal - and a consensus is made over transfers along with chairman Daniel Levy.
Ramos, speaking of his work with Comolli, said: "We have an excellent relationship, the contact is daily.
"It was the same story at Sevilla. "We had a sporting director, a director of football if you like, who was responsible for transfers and signings.
"Tottenham is a similar situation."

Sunday 31st August 2008

by www.espnstar.com/football