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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Lyon reveal Benzema clause

Lyon striker Karim Benzema has a buy-out clause of US$147 million, club president Jean-Michel Aulas revealed.

The France international agreed a new contract at the end of last season with the reigning seven-time Ligue 1 champions, tying him to the club until the summer of 2013.

The 21-year-old is one of Europe's most sought-after youngsters but anyone wishing to sign him will have to break the world record for a transfer fee. Aulas, at a Lyon board meeting, said: "We made him sign a contract until 2013, with an exit clause of 100m euros."

He added: "His working contract does not include this clause, which would be illegal. It is a question of a contract 'sous seing prive'.

"The aim is to win the Champions League with Karim Benzema. It is a strong project, like the construction of a new stadium."

In French law, a contract which is 'sous seing prive' is one agreed in private by the parties involved.

Benzema was the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 20 goals, and he already tops the charts this season having found the net five times in six games.

by espnstar.com

Ballack back on title trail

Michael Ballack is determined to put his summer misery behind him and focus on winning silverware for Chelsea.

The 31-year-old midfielder lost in the Champions League final with his club last May then finished second in Euro 2008 with Germany, adding another chapter to his near-misses after losing three finals in a week when playing for Bayer Leverkusen, who were dubbed 'Neverkusen'.

Ballack is recovering from an ankle injury and could feature at Portsmouth tomorrow in the third round of the Carling Cup as Chelsea go in search of glory on all four fronts this season.

"I didn't just think about Moscow in the summer, I lost another final as well," Ballack said.

"You always think about football, I think about it all the time. If you lose two finals in four weeks, of course I'm going to think back.

"It's also good that you have a new season, new targets and a big motivation this season. We have a big squad and lots of competition so that is good in football."

The clash at Fratton Park will be a test of Luiz Felipe Scolari's promise to challenge for all four trophies, especially after a draining encounter against Manchester United at the weekend.

"The challenge for Chelsea is to win all the competitions in which we participate. Manchester United is one more game," said the Brazilian.

The Chelsea boss could rest his big players but also has injury problems - Deco and Ricardo Carvalho were injured before and during the United clash, respectively.

Deco will be out for at least a fortnight with a thigh strain, while Carvalho is on the sidelines for up to a month, joining Michael Essien on the treatment table.

Striker Didier Drogba is also struggling for match fitness after his knee injury, meaning Scolari could be short on numbers if he wants to rotate.

His squad list currently comprises 25 players after letting the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Tal Ben-Haim, Steve Sidwell, Claude Makelele, Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro leave in the summer.

Although Ballack is easing back to full tilt, he is pleased just to be playing - this time last year he was recovering from ankle surgery.

"Nothing has changed for me, I always wanted to win something," he said. "I had a big injury last season and had to come back in the middle of the season. For me, I enjoyed playing after this difficult period and I'm happy that I can play from the start."

If Drogba plays, he is anticipating a tussle with former Chelsea midfielder Lassana Diarra, who is now at Portsmouth after leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal last summer.

"When I was in Le Mans he came there and I knew him, so it has been a long, long time. He was 13 or 14 I think," said Drogba.

"When (former boss Jose) Mourinho wanted to sign him he told me and asked me about him. I said good things about him, and he thought he had found the next Makelele.

"For me, Lassana could be the next Makelele, but he also has more to his game and he likes to go forward as well.

"He just wanted to play more on the pitch and get games, which is understandable. Even though he is young he wants to play against the big players, go one against one and show himself, to work and to improve.

"To do that he knows he has to play against the best, so it's good for him that he is desperate to improve."

by espnstar.com

Owen saddened by Keegan exit

Newcastle captain Michael Owen admits he and his team-mates were devastated to see manager Kevin Keegan leave the club.

The 28-year-old's strike at West Ham on Saturday was too little to prevent the crisis-torn Magpies from slipping to a third successive defeat, the last two in the wake of Keegan's departure.

Caretaker boss Chris Hughton now faces the task of raising the players for Wednesday night's Carling Cup third-round clash with Tottenham, and Owen admits the manager's loss has had a lasting effect. He said: "We all liked Kevin Keegan and we were sad to see him go."

He added: "We are all feeling it at the moment - but we have got to snap out of the doom and gloom and try and get some confidence and results, and at the minute, not picking up the results is hurting the players.

"We are as much in the dark as the fans as to the next move and it does not make it any easier as Kevin Keegan was very popular with the players and the fans."

Remarkably, Owen has played under four permanent managers since arriving at St James' Park in August 2005 - Graeme Souness, who bought him, Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce and Keegan - and has quickly become accustomed to the turmoil which regularly engulfs the club.

He admitted: "You almost become immune to these happenings in football nowadays and I have seen plenty in my time.

"I had three managers in the space of a few months at Real Madrid.

"It's unfortunate but that's the way it goes. But players are paid to play and we have got to go out there and perform."

by espnstar.com

Blades claim victory in Tevez case

A FA arbitration hearing has ruled in favour of Sheffield United in their claim from West Ham over the Carlos Tevez affair.

The South Yorkshire club were relegated in a dramatic end to the 2006/07 season, when a Tevez-inspired Hammers beat Manchester United on the final day of the season to clinch top-flight safety at the Blades' expense.

The Premier League fined the Hammers a record US$10 million for fielding Tevez and Javier Mascherano when they were ineligible to play under league rules regarding third-party ownership.

United initially wanted to have their Premier League place reinstated and appealed that the monetary fine was insufficient.

Having failed in that regard they then turned their attentions to achieving a financial settlement.

And the club have issued a statement on their official website claiming success in that case, although the exact nature of the compensation is as yet unclear.

Newspaper reports suggest the Blades could be looking for a figure of around US$56 million, while chairman Kevin McCabe is on record as saying that relegation cost United at least US$93 million in lost revenues.

McCabe said: "I can confirm that both clubs have been notified of the ruling.

"The arbitration panel has awarded in our favour.

"The matter is still legally in process so I do not wish to comment any further until we have completed that process."

Intriguingly, the club statement also raises the question of a further intervention by the Premier League.

It read: "The Blades began their legal fight for reinstatement some 16 months which also included an arbitration hearing against the Premier League. This award could now pose a question as to what the Premier League will do."

A West Ham spokesperson told BBC Radio 4: "We need to digest the full findings of the arbitration panel and will consult our lawyers on the next steps we might take before making any further comment."

Tevez and Mascherano are both long gone from Upton Park, earning lucrative moves to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, while Kia Joorabchian, whose MSI company were judged to have partially-owned the Argentinian pair, is now a transfer consultant with the Hammers.

He had originally taken legal action against the east London club, claiming he was owed US$13 million, but the parties agreed an out-of-court settlement earlier this year.

For their part, West Ham are now considering whether or not to appeal against this latest ruling through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although that decision may hinge on the level of compensation that is fixed when the arbitration panel meets again to determine a figure.

Like Sheffield United, West Ham signalled their intent to withdraw from the debate while they consult legal representatives, adding: "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

by espnstar.com

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