UEFA Team of the Year 2008: 1- Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF & Spain); 15- Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF & Spain); 6- John Terry (Chelsea FC & England); 5- Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona & Spain); 16- Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München & Germany); 7- Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC & Portugal); 8- Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona & Spain); 4- Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal FC & Spain); 22- Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München & France); 10- Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona); 9- Fernando Torres (Liverpool FC & Spain);
The Portuguese winger will apparently move to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
It seemed almost inevitable that the Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid rumours would resurface if the Portuguese winger won the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and it has taken only a few hours for tongues to start wagging.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague claimed this morning, via his website, that the Manchester United star's agent, Jorge Mendes, has come to an agreement with Madrid president Ramon Calderon meaning that Ronaldo will move in the summer.
Earlier reports had stated that a similar agreement had been set-up with Florentino Perez, which he would exploit in order to re-gain his presidency at the Bernabeu.
However, it is instead with Calderon that a deal has been struck, allowing the Portuguese international to tell a press conference before the FIFA ceremony: "My agent does not have an agreement with Florentino Pérez."
Now, Balague has spoken to Sky Sports News, giving "access to the details of the agreement, including the financial terms," as promised within his initial claim.
The agent explained: "Ramon Calderon, I understand, has got an agreement with the player. He is going to play €12 million to Cristiano Ronaldo, €8m to Jorge Mendes, the agent, and they've got €85m - which will go up to €105m - to pay Manchester United.
Villarreal confident over Cani fitness race:
Villarreal playmaker Cani should be back to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
Villarreal CF playmaker Cani has emerged as a fitness doubt ahead of the Spanish club's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg encounter with Arsenal FC next week.
Hope
The 27-year-old former Real Zaragoza (Spain) schemer has picked up a thigh strain in training, giving him a week to recover before Arsenal's visit to El Madrigal (Villareal Stadium) next Tuesday, 7 April. Despite the injury to his right leg, Cani, who has made 14 Liga appearances and five in the UEFA Champions League this season, is expected to be back in time to face the Gunners. Villarreal travel to north London to contest the second leg on 15 April 2009.
It will be one of the most important game of this season to Villarreal CF.
England U-17 complete three consecutive victories:
England manager John Peacock oversaw three victories.
England celebrated qualification for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals with victory against Elite round Group 7 hosts Hungary.
Third win
Victories against Portugal and Serbia had already secured England's place in Friday's finals draw in Leipzig, and goals early in the second half by Walcott (Arsenal player), cousin of 2005 U17 finalist Theo, and Benik Afobe. The finals run from 6-18 May in Germany.
Spain beats Turkey with a goal of Gerard Piqué:
Gerard Piqué goal (Spain)
Spain opened up a six-point lead at the top of FIFA World Cup qualifying Group 5 after Gerard Piqué's first international goal helped Spain team to a 1-0 win over Turkey at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (Real Madrid home) .
Piqué Goal: Turning the ball in after Xavi Hernández's 60th-minute free-kick had come back across goal via Sergio Ramos, FC Barcelona defender Piqué kept the UEFA EURO 2008™ winners well on track for a berth in South Africa next summer. Spain now possess a comfortable cushion over second-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Turkey seven points back in third ahead of Wednesday's return encounter in Istanbul.
Turkish chances: The contest itself was anything but straightforward, however, as Spain struggled to break down a resolute Turkey side who made the early running. After five minutes, Villarreal CF's Nihat Kahveci fired narrowly wide and, moments later, Semih Sentürk tested Iker Casillas's reflexes with a thumping drive. The hosts came into the game looking to extend their unbeaten run to 30 matches but had to wait until the brink of half-time for their first opening, Fernando Torres's shot from the edge of the area drawing a good save from Volkan Demirel.
Perfect record:
Tuncay Şanli went close for the visitors shortly after the restart, yet just as the Madrid crowd were becoming apprehensive, Piqué capped his second international appearance with the winner. David Silva, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos all had chances to add a more flattering aspect to the scoreline, but as it was, the hosts maintained their 100 per cent record and will be hoping for a similar outcome in midweek.
The ranking of the biggest clubs is a ranking spread monthly by the IFFHS and recognized by the FIFA. This ranking created in 1991, takes into account the results of all the clubs in the last 365 days. In the last day of the year the institution does the annual fastening spreading the ranking of the clubs what more points gained in the whole year.
The Ranking Mundial of the FIFA (officially Ranking Mundial FIFA/Coca-Cola), is a system that classifies 207 national teams of football associated to the organization. It is used from August of 1993.
The ranking of the important organism of the European football holds the classifications of clubs and countries. This Ranking show the Best National Leagues in Europe.
