Red Bulls Make Henry Signing Official [The New York Times]

Posted on July 15th, 2010 by admin

Thierry Henry is to depart FC Barcelona as widely expected, after signing to the Red Bulls in the United States.

“This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life,” Henry said in the Red Bulls’ release. “It is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls. I am fully aware of the team’s history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship. Knowing Red Bull’s significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed.”

Henry was responsible for the unpunished handball that allowed France to go through to the World Cup in South Africa instead of Ireland, although the French national squad performed poorly in all respects.

Read “Red Bulls Make Henry Signing Official” at The New York Times

Tags: Thierry Henry

Guardiola signs for another year [FCBarcelona.cat]

Posted on July 15th, 2010 by admin

Pep Guardiola has finally signed an extension to his contract that will see him remaining as Barça coach until at least 2011. The FCB website notes:

“Josep Guardiola officially secured his future at FC Barcelona on Wednesday when he signed for another season as coach of the first team along with assistant Tito Vilanova.”

Read “Guardiola signs for another year” at FCBarcelona.cat

Tags: Pep Guardiola

Rosell: “We’ve reached a verbal agreement with Pep” [FC Barcelona website]

Posted on July 7th, 2010 by admin

New club president Sandro Rosell has announced via the FC Barcelona website that the club has come to a verbal agreement to extend his contract by two years with the option for a third.

“We’ve reached a verbal agreement and now the vice-president for sport and Pep’s lawyer are sorting out the final details”.

Read ‘Rosell: “We’ve reached a verbal agreement with Pep”‘ on the FC Barcelona website

Tags: Pep Guadiola, Sandro Rosell

Noble Spanish Are Also Masters of Game’s Dark Arts [The New York Times]

Posted on July 2nd, 2010 by admin

An article in The New York Times argues that the Spanish selection has two sides to it; a good side, typified by Xavi and David Villa, while Joan Capdevila and Fernando Torres represent the dark side in getting members of the opposite team sent off unfairly.

Comparing today’s Spanish squad with the 2002 Brazilian team the article says:

“Like Spain, that team had players who were happy to seek free kicks at the slightest sign of interference, as Rivaldo infamously did in a group game against Turkey. Maybe Spain has surmised that to win a World Cup, you need a full array of the footballing arts, including some of its dark ones; the truth is hidden somewhere behind Vicente del Bosque’s Great Barrier Reef of a moustache, and it isn’t emerging anytime soon. What we can reliably say is that the Spanish, with their careful manipulation of both ball and referee, are in the World Cup quarterfinals.”

Read “Noble Spanish Are Also Masters of Game’s Dark Arts” at The New York Times

Tags: David Villa, Fernando Torres, Joan Capdevila, Spain, World Cup, Xavi