Soccer Capsules: Tutu: 2010 World Cup chance for unity
Comments 0BERLIN — Archbishop Desmond Tutu believes the 2010 World Cup is a good chance to demonstrate the gains South Africa has made since the end of apartheid.
Tutu has long championed increased rights for minorities and the importance of friendship across ethnic boundaries.
"This thing is as important as Obama getting into the White House," he told reporters Friday at the South African Embassy in the German capital. "For people of color everywhere, it would lift them."
The anti-apartheid stalwart was a thorn in the side of the white government, helping to bring about the end of apartheid in 1994 when Nelson Mandela became the country's first black president.
The 77-year-old Tutu coined the phrase "rainbow nation" to describe South Africa's mix of races, cultures and languages.
Tutu said the World Cup — like the just-completed Confederations Cup — will give South Africans the opportunity to take pride in the steps their country has taken in terms of social progress.
"That would be the greatest thing — helping our people come together, seeing all of our people with a new pride," he said.
The 1984 Nobel Peace Prize laureate recalled the excitement that enveloped the country in 1995 when it hosted the Rugby World Cup, ultimately winning the tournament with a 15-12 upset of New Zealand.
"It did more for our country's reconciliation than all my sermons for a year," he said, adding that sports go a long way in promoting both racial and cultural unity.
"If human beings of all these different colors can come together ... then there is hope for the world," he said.
As to fears South Africa has fallen behind in building the infrastructure for the World Cup, Tutu said skepticism about its ability would be proven wrong.
"You know what? We've been free for only 15 years!" he said. "Give us a chance!"
MLS
Chivas USA acquires Saragosa in trade with FC Dallas
CARSON, Calif. — Chivas USA has acquired midfielder Marcelo Saragosa from FC Dallas in exchange for forward Atiba Harris.
The deal was announced Friday.
Saragosa joined Sao Paulo FC at age 13 and played nine years with the Brazilian powerhouse. He joined Major League Soccer in 2004 with the Los Angeles Galaxy, playing 2½ years with them before being traded to FC Dallas. He has two goals and six assists in 94 career MLS games.
Harris was acquired by Chivas USA before the 2008 season in a trade with Real Salt Lake. He played 1½ seasons, with five goals and seven assists for Chivas USA.
Revolution’s Reis says Beckham drama distracting
LOWELL, Mass. — New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis says David Beckham’s return to the Los Angeles Galaxy and his inevitable return to AC Milan are distracting from other interesting stories in Major League Soccer.
Attending an event for an immigrant soccer tournament in Lowell on Thursday, Reis said that Beckham may sell plenty of celebrity magazines, but that all MLS teams have players from around the world who have compelling personal stories.
"There (are) plenty of other pieces and other stories that are out there," said the Atlanta-born Reis, who played college soccer at UCLA and was originally drafted by the Galaxy in 1998.
Beckham returned Thursday in the Galaxy’s 3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls. He has publicly feuded with Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan and drawn fire from U.S. soccer fans for not taking the MLS seriously.
A new book on Beckham also claims the 34-year-old midfielder found travel accommodations in MLS "shocking."
Beckham joined the Galaxy in July 2007 under a $32.5 million, five-year deal following four seasons at Real Madrid.
Slowed by ankle and knee injuries, he played just eight matches for the Galaxy that year with one goal. While healthier last year — he played 25 matches — Los Angeles again missed the playoffs.
DC United rookie M Barklage out for season
WASHINGTON — D.C. United rookie midfielder Brandon Barklage is done for the season after having reconstructive knee surgery.
Barklage is being put on the season-ending injury list, allowing for a roster replacement.
He injured his anterior cruciate ligament during United’s 2-1 victory over Harrisburg in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals last week.
Barklage’s rehabilitation is expected to take about six months.
"Brandon was enjoying a great start to his career and we expect great things from him in the future," United general manager Dave Kasper said Friday. "His injury was an unfortunate event, but we look forward to a full recovery and seeing Brandon ready for preseason next year."
New Chelsea coach debuts against Sounders FC
SEATTLE — If Steve Zakuani and the Seattle Sounders FC get embarrassed on Saturday when they face English Premier League power Chelsea FC in an exhibition, the London native already knows his first move post-match.
"If we do bad I’m going to turn my phone off for the next 24 hours after," Zakuani said.
The Sounders get the MLS’ first shot against some of the top powers from Europe when they host Chelsea on Saturday. The exhibition match begins a stretch of games in America for some of the top clubs from Italy, England and Spain as the European squads prepare for the beginning of their seasons later in the summer.
The match will be the debut of new Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti after his move in the offseason from AC Milan, becoming the third coach at Stamford Bridge in the past year.
"In this work the pressure is normal. I am happy to be at Chelsea," Ancelotti said Friday, a day after the Blues arrived in Seattle. "I like the work of the players, they’ve started the season very well and they work with very good mental attitude. Tomorrow is the first game of the season, we want to start well, so it is an important game. We want to win and play well."
Ancelotti is in the beginning stages of getting to know his new team and understanding the pressures in London of getting back on top of the Premier League. Chelsea will also play Inter Milan, AC Milan and Club America as part of its preseason tour preparing for its Aug. 15 season opener against Hull.
Thrown in during this early season tour is the saga of captain John Terry, who continues to be pursued by Manchester City despite Chelsea’s rejections of a transfer. Before practicing at Qwest Field late Friday, Ancelotti essentially guaranteed that Terry will remain the Blues captain.
"I am sure he will remain in Chelsea," Ancelotti said. "I am sure, 100 percent. He has a contract for three years more and this is the situation now."
Terry’s teammates say his saga is not a distraction.
"He doesn’t pay attention to that," striker Salomon Kalou said. "Maybe if he was paying attention to that it might disturb a little bit of the team, but you can tell he is not disturbed by this situation."
Meanwhile, the match is a welcome break from the monotony of the MLS season for the Sounders, which happens to land during a hectic stretch.
After beating Western Conference-leading Houston last weekend, Seattle plays Chelsea, then hosts Houston next Tuesday in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. Following their match with the Dynamo, it’s back to MLS play with games July 25 against Chicago, Aug. 2 at San Jose and then another major exhibition Aug. 5 when FC Barcelona comes to town.
If a couple of international matches had to be thrown into the schedule, these are the type Seattle coach Sigi Schmid welcomes.
"The ones we’re playing are the kind of international matches that perks everybody up," Schmid said. "If you’re playing international match where you’re going to play some ‘X’ team from El Salvador that’s probably not going to perk you up too much — no offense to the El Salvadorians — but you know playing a Chelsea, playing a Barcelona gets everybody pumped up."
For Seattle’s two stars with major European experience — midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and goalkeeper Kasey Keller — facing Chelsea is old hat. From Ljungberg’s time with Arsenal and West Ham, and Keller’s seasons with a number of European squads, the duo have seen the Blues more times than they can, or want, to remember.
"Freddie and I have played against Chelsea many times — too many times — but for the (young) guys it’s a great opportunity for the guys to put themselves against some of the best, well-paid players in the world and it’s always nice to judge yourself," Keller said.
Zakuani grew up with the Blues as one of his foes. Raised in London, he entered Arsenal’s youth program and faced Chelsea four or five times a year for much of his childhood. He even holds a memory few can match at age 21: Zakuani has scored a goal at Stamford Bridge.
"It’s going to be a fun day, especially for those of us that one day want to go to Europe," Zakuani said. "It’s a measure for us."
-- Tim Booth
Elsewhere
United scraps Indonesia match after hotel blasts
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Manchester United canceled a planned visit to Indonesia after Friday's bomb attack on the hotel where the team was due to stay in Jakarta.
The Premier League champions were booked to stay Saturday and Sunday nights at the Ritz-Carlton, one of the two hotels hit by suicide bombers. The blasts at the Ritz and the adjacent J.W. Marriott killed eight and wounded at least 50 more.
United informed the Indonesian Football Association that it would not play the friendly against the Indonesian All-Stars scheduled for Monday.
The team arrived earlier Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — the first stop of what was supposed to be a four-nation preseason tour that also includes South Korea and China.
Man United manager Alex Ferguson lamented the cancelation.
"We got the news as we landed and it is very disappointing," he said. "I have never been to Indonesia before and I know the Indonesian FA have worked very hard on this.
"It is terrible news but we have taken what I believe to be the right decision in terms of safeguarding our players."
United chief executive David Gill indicated the team might extend its stay in Malaysia but would consult England's Football Association before announcing a decision.
"We have to consider the safety of the players and the staff and everyone else in the team, because they are of paramount importance," Gill said.
The club said it was "deeply disappointed at not being able to visit Indonesia" and said "our thoughts go to those affected by the blasts."
The bombings, which came two minutes apart, ended a four-year lull in terror attacks in the world's most populous Muslim nation. At least eight Americans were among the wounded, although State Department spokesman Robert Wood said none of the injuries were life-threatening.
The blasts at the high-rise hotels, located in an upscale business district in Jakarta, blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.
Security is tight at five-star hotels in Indonesia. Guests typically walk through metal detectors and vehicles are inspected, but many visitors say searches are often cursory.
The attackers evaded hotel security, smuggling explosives into the Marriott and assembling the bombs in a room on the 18th floor, where an undetonated device was found. The bombers had stayed at the hotel for two days and set off the blasts in restaurants at both hotels.
"They had been using the room as their 'command post' since July 15, and today they were supposed to check out," police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said.
Security video footage captured the moment of the explosion in the Marriott. The brief, grainy images show a man wearing a cap and pulling a bag on wheels walking across the lobby toward the restaurant, followed by a flash and smoke filling the air.
Authorities did not immediately name a suspect, but suspicion fell on the Jemaah Islamiyah or its allies. The al-Qaida-linked network is blamed for past attacks in Indonesia, including a 2003 bombing at the Marriott in which 12 people died.
President Barack Obama condemned the "outrageous attacks," as did the European Union.
"We will continue to partner with Indonesia to eliminate the threat from these violent extremists, and we will be unwavering in supporting a future of security and opportunity for the Indonesian people," Obama said.
Ferguson expects Rooney to carry Man United attack
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Alex Ferguson expects Wayne Rooney to shoulder much of the responsibility for Manchester United's front line this year following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez to Manchester City.
The Premier League champion's manager believes Rooney will play a pivotal role despite signing Michael Owen from Newcastle, Antonio Valencia from Wigan and Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux to bolster its attacking options.
"The expectation on Rooney is always high," Ferguson told a news conference in Malaysia. "It is a natural situation as it is the standard which he has set for himself."
The Red Devils unexpectedly boosted their attacking options further Friday by agreeing to sign Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf from Norwegian club Molde — despite Ferguson saying at the start of the week that his business in the transfer window was over.
Terms have been agreed and Diouf will have a medical in Manchester next week, although United wants him to stay at Molde on loan before joining the squad in January.
Ferguson said he had been keeping on eye on Diouf for two years.
"We weren't intending on signing anyone else after last week — we feel we have a full squad," Ferguson said. "But the situation accelerated to a point where other clubs started to make bids, so we had to decide whether we acted or didn't act. We decided to act and he'll be the last person we sign."
United begins its preseason Asian tour on Saturday with a friendly against a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur. A second planned stop in Indonesia was scrapped after Friday's deadly bomb attacks at two Jakarta luxury hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton where the team had been scheduled to stay.
Ferguson brushed off suggestions that United will lack bite for the new season because of Ronaldo's absence, saying the presence of other forwards such as Dimitar Berbatov and promising youngster Federico Macheda will compensate for the loss.
"We have a squad ... with outstanding football and it is how we use them which is important," Ferguson said.
He was also confident that a few injured players will be back in action by September.
"(Nemanja) Vidic is nursing an ankle injury and it will take him some time although the situation with Owen (Hargreaves) is showing positive signs," Ferguson said.
Champions League draw: Shakhtar to play Timisoara
NYON, Switzerland — Shakhtar Donetsk was drawn to play FC Timisoara in the Champions League third qualifying round on Friday.
Shakhtar, the UEFA Cup champion from Ukraine, will play the Romanian side at home in the first leg.
In other ties, Celtic will face Dinamo Moscow and Sporting Lisbon meets FC Twente of the Netherlands.
Belgian side Anderlecht plays Sivasspor of Turkey, and Sparta Prague faces Panathinaikos of Greece.
The 15 ties drawn Friday will be played July 28-29 and Aug. 4-5.
Winners advance to next month's playoff round — which includes seeded teams Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina, Lyon and Stuttgart — to decide which will reach the 32-team group phase of the world's most lucrative club competition.
Organizer UEFA has introduced a new qualifying format this season to keep national champions separate from teams which finished runner-up, third or fourth in Europe's stronger leagues last season.
Shakhtar is the headline attraction in the "best-placed path" series of matches. It finished second in Ukraine despite winning the last UEFA Cup in May before the tournament was rebranded as the Europa League.
Its next opponent, Timisoara, clinched a place in the Champions League only after winning a ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a points deduction imposed by FIFA and the Romanian league.
Scottish league runner-up Celtic strengthened its squad Friday by signing Cameroon midfielder Landry N'Guemo on a season-long loan from French club Nancy.
Anderlecht finished second in Belgium after losing a playoff tie against Standard Liege, and will face Turkish runner-up Sivasspor playing in its first Champions League.
The 10 ties drawn Friday in the "champions path" included only three teams which entered the competition at the third qualifying round stage. The remaining teams are involved in second-round matches which conclude next week.
Olympiakos, which has won the Greek title in 12 of the past 13 seasons, was drawn away against either Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia or Zrinjski of Bosnia-Herzogovina.
Swiss champion FC Zurich is at home to WIT of Georgia or Slovenia's Maribor; Czech title holder Slavia Prague is away to Finland's Turku or Sheriff of Moldova.
Reigning champions FC Barcelona are among 22 clubs — including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Romanian newcomers FC Unirea — which have earned direct entry to the group phase.
They will be joined by five "champions path" teams and five from the "best-placed path" series in a draw held Aug. 27 in Monaco.
Europa League: Roma handed Belarus or Belgium trip
NYON, Switzerland c— Italy's AS Roma will travel to Belarus or Belgium to progress in the inaugural Europa League after the draw for the third qualifying round was made Friday.
Roma, the highest-ranked team among the 110 involved, was drawn away to Naftan Novopolotsk or Gent, who complete their two-leg tie in the second qualifying round next week.
Three former European champions featured in a competition which replaces the UEFA Cup as the continent's second-tier club event behind the Champions League.
Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, European Cup winner in 1988, was drawn at home in the first leg against Cherno More of Bulgaria or Moldova's Iskra-Stali.
Hamburger SV, the 1983 European champion from Germany, will travel for the first match to FK Suduva of Lithuania or Denmark's Randers.
Steaua Bucharest, the 1986 European Cup winner from Romania, must advance against Hungary's Ujpest next week to play Motherwell of Scotland or Albania's Flamurtari in the third qualifying round.
Fulham, which finished seventh in the English Premier League last season, was drawn away to face Vetra of Lithuania or Finland's HJK Helsinki.
The two-leg ties are played on July 30 and Aug. 6, with winners advancing to a playoff round when a further 41 teams enter.
That stage will include losing teams from the Champions League third qualifying round, plus domestic cup winners and other teams from Europe's strongest football nations.
A complicated tournament format will see 48 teams play in 12 four-team groups between September and December before a knockout stage begins next February featuring additional teams from the Champions League group stage.
The final is scheduled to be played in Hamburg on May 12.
Barcelona has initial agreement for Ibrahimovic
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona reached an initial agreement with Inter Milan to sign striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday in a deal that could also send striker Samuel Eto'o and midfielder Aleksandr Hleb to the Italian champions.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said "there is an agreement in principle with Inter Milan." On Thursday, Spanish news reports said a €40 million ($56 million) deal for the Sweden striker had been completed.
The Catalan club, however, said it was still negotiating with Inter with the deal dependent on Ibrahimovic and Eto'o, so other options — such as Valencia striker David Villa — had not been discarded.
"Ibrahimovic's signing depends on the player himself, on Samuel Eto'o and all the parties involved," said Laporta, who added that he had been personally discussing the matter with Eto'o. "David Villa as an option is not finished. We haven't discarded any possibilities."
Inter president Massimo Moratti said that the impromptu meeting with Laporta and Barcelona sporting director Txiki Beguiristain on Thursday was originally intended to tie up left back Maxwell's €4.5 million ($6.4 million) transfer to Barcelona and complete Hleb's move, which is expected to be a season-long loan deal.
Beguiristain hoped to complete any transfer by July 27 as the club looks for its first marquee signing since it became the first Spanish club to win the treble last season.
The 27-year-old Ibrahimovic, who led Serie A with 25 goals last season, guided Inter to three straight Serie A league titles since a €12 million ($17 million) move from Juventus in 2006. The former Ajax player has scored 21 goals in 58 appearances for Sweden.
"We're trying to manage the best options possible. The Ibrahimovic option is still open," Beguiristain said. "Inter could be a good club for Eto'o."
Eto'o had already rejected a lucrative offer from Manchester City. The Cameroon striker instead opted to stay and let his contract run out so he could leave without a transfer fee at the end of next season despite Barcelona offering a two-year extension to his current deal.
Barcelona agreed to extend the 28-year-old Eto'o's vacation time as it sought a replacement. Villa was linked with a potential move but Barcelona is unwilling to meet Valencia's €50 million ($71 million) asking price for the Spain striker.
Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan is also thought to be a Barcelona target.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola originally wanted to sell the volatile Eto'o last year after saying the three-time African footballer of the year would not factor into the club's plans.
But Eto'o — who won three league championships, two European Cups and one Copa del Rey title in five seasons at Barcelona — won Guardiola over with 34 goals in 50 appearances last season, including the winner in the Champions League final against Manchester United. That victory allowed Barcelona to become only the fifth European team to win the treble.
Hleb played a minor role in Barcelona's success last season, often coming on as a substitute to make 34 appearances in his first season after a transfer from Arsenal.
Brazilian left back Maxwell arrives at Barcelona
BARCELONA, Spain — Maxwell completed a €4.5 million ($6.4 million) move to Barcelona from Inter Milan on Friday after passing his medical examination.
The 27-year-old Brazilian left back arrived from Inter Milan's preseason tour of the United States to be presented at Barcelona's Miniestadi — a smaller stadium located next to the Camp Nou — after signing his contract, which is reportedly a five-year deal.
"Excuse me that I don't speak the language," Maxwell said after being introduced in Catalan. "But I'm happy to arrive at the best club in Europe."
Maxwell is likely to be the first of two Inter players to join Barcelona. The Spanish champions are also negotiating with Inter to sign striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a deal worth a reported €40 million ($56 million).
Maxwell, who began his career at Cruzeiro before joining Ajax in 2001, scored one goal in 33 appearances for Inter last season, his third at the Italian club.
Maxwell helped Ajax to two league titles in four full seasons — with another lost to a knee injury — and was named best player in the Dutch league in 2004.
Barcelona's medical staff said Maxwell's knee was in fine condition.
"It was a long examination," doctor Ricard Pruna said. "Basically, we looked at the right knee that was operated on some years ago and everything in the knee is correct."
West Ham cleared by inquiry into Tevez move
LONDON — A fresh inquiry into the contentious contract that brought Carlos Tevez to England three years ago has cleared West Ham of further wrongdoing.
The latest investigation focused on changes made to the Argentina forward's contract that enabled him to play in the last three matches of the 2006-07 season. His goals helped West Ham stay in the top flight at the expense of Sheffield United.
West Ham has already been fined 5.5 million pounds (then $11 million) in April 2007 by a disciplinary commission for breaking rules on third-party ownership of players in the transfers of Tevez and Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano.
Last September, an independent panel found that Tevez was not eligible to play in the matches, ruling that Sheffield United was entitled to compensation from West Ham because Tevez's goals condemned them to relegation. A figure between 10 million and 15 million pounds ($14 million and $21 million) was agreed by the clubs in March.
The latest inquiry, conducted by the Premier League and the Football Association, considered elements of that verdict by Hugh Griffiths, focusing on how Tevez's contract was revised in April 2007.
"The inquiry has concluded that, on the basis of the evidence available to them, there is no prima facie case that West Ham United and/or its officials did commit any further breaches of Premier League or FA rules immediately after the independent disciplinary commission's decision," the FA and Premier League said Friday in a statement.
Tevez — now with Manchester City — and Mascherano — now with Liverpool — moved to West Ham in August 2006 from Brazilian side Corinthians on free transfers.
When they joined, their contracts were owned by British-based company Media Sports Investment and another third party — a fact hidden by the Hammers from the league.
Tevez, who joined Manchester United in the offseason following West Ham's survival, moved to City on Tuesday after his two-year loan deal at Old Trafford expired.
That drew a line under the contract dispute that has lingered since Tevez moved to the Premier League in 2006.
Manchester City assumed complete registration rights to the player from the group that previously owned his economic rights.
-- Rob Harris
Bayern warns Madrid of FIFA complaint over Ribery
MADRID — Bayern Munich will report Real Madrid to FIFA if the Spanish team continues to pursue of Franck Ribery, the Bundesliga club said Friday.
Madrid and Barcelona have been in pursuit of the France winger, but persistent comments by Zinedine Zidane — who is working as a special adviser to Madrid president Florentino Perez — seemed to irk the Germans.
"Everybody is speaking about Ribery's transfer. Above all, Zidane says 'blah, blah, blah ...' It seems a lack of respect to us," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness told sports daily AS on Friday. "I want to be clear. We will report them to FIFA if things continue this way. This is not the way to do things."
Hoeness said that Bayern hadn't taken the case to FIFA because of good relations with Perez and director general Jorge Valdano. Ribery has so far refused to speak on the matter.
"We never wanted to listen to Madrid because, to us, Ribery has never been for sale," Hoeness said. "I've never been worried. Not me, not anyone else. Since the start there's never been a Ribery theme."
Hoeness said the situation would not lead Bayern to re-negotiate Ribery's contract, which is due to expire in 2011.
"Madrid's way of acting is incredible," Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said. "But everyone remembers how the last presidency of Florentino Perez ended."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson previously complained — unsuccessfully — to FIFA over Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was eventually signed by Perez as part of the Spanish powerhouse's €214 million ($302 million) spending spree this offseason.
Ferguson leaves Rangers to join Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, England — Barry Ferguson joined Birmingham from Rangers Friday after an acrimonious end to his second spell with the Scottish champions.
Ferguson's time at Rangers soured last season when he was stripped of the captaincy following a breach of discipline while on international duty with Scotland.
Ferguson was filmed making obscene gestures during Scotland's match against Iceland days after being dropped for a late-night drinking session. He was subsequently banned from representing Scotland again.
The 31-year-old Ferguson signed a three-year contract to return to the Premier League for the first time since an injury-plagued stint at Blackburn between 2003 and 2005.
Ferguson will be reunited with Alex McLeish, who managed him at Rangers and Scotland.
"I think Barry can play on for a good few years yet," McLeish said. "He's a guy that always turned up for work. By that I mean that his appearances over the years have always been fantastic.
"Barry has got the culture of the true-grit Brit, who will go through brick walls to play football. He has a winning mentality, and that is proven by all the winners' medals he has won.
Coach: Villa staying at Valencia
VALENCIA, Spain — David Villa will be staying at Valencia, coach Unai Emery said Friday.
The Spain striker had been a Real Madrid and Barcelona transfer target, but Valencia's high price tag — €50 million ($71 million) — saw the two Spanish powerhouses look elsewhere. Madrid signed Lyon forward Karim Benzema and Barcelona is on the verge of acquiring Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"The reality is that Villa is staying," Emery said. "Valencia wanted to have David Villa in its team despite its known economic hardships. It's important that the club puts stock in the sporting side."
Villa, who scored three goals for Spain at the Confederations Cup despite constant reports over his future, turned down a move to Chelsea to stay in Spain.
Emery said it was normal for Villa to ponder a move, and that he was sure that the 27-year-old Spaniard would return to preseason training with the same motivation as always despite seeing potential moves fall through.
"Villa never said he wanted to leave," Emery said a day after reports emerged that the Spain striker was willing to take a salary cut to move to Barcelona.
Fellow Spain internationals David Silva and Juanma Mata have also been reported Madrid and Barcelona targets, but new president Manuel Llorente has preferred not to sell any of his stars despite the club being up to €600 million ($845 million) in debt and with construction work on a new stadium having halted since the club cannot afford to pay the costs.
Valencia's players played without pay for a month early in the year before the club finally came through.
"I think they are players that have always been happy at Valencia and I hope, I'm convinced, that they will return to the group easily, and will do so with the complete professionalism they have always shown," Emery said.
Valladolid signs Manucho from Man United
VALLADOLID, Spain — Valladolid signed striker Manucho from Manchester United on Friday.
Manucho agreed to a five-year contract with the club, which finished 16th in the 20-team Spanish league last season.
Valladolid did not disclose the cost of the transfer.
The 26-year-old Angola forward joined the Premier League champions during the 2007-08 season and subsequently played on-loan at Greek side Panathinaikos and then English club Hull City last season, where he scored two goals in 13 games.
Manucho made three appearances for Manchester United.
Chelsea manager sounds confident Terry staying
SEATTLE — New Chelsea FC manager Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t believe he needs to be looking for a new captain. He says he’s 100 percent sure that defender John Terry will remain at Stamford Bridge.
That was the word from Ancelotti on Friday as Chelsea prepared to start a four-match tour of the United States. Chelsea plays the Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday.
The pursuit of Terry by Manchester City has been big news in England and the debate on Terry’s future made its way to America. But with Terry the first player on the field for Chelsea’s evening practice, it appears he’s staying put.
"He shall remain the captain of Chelsea," Ancelotti said.
Del Piero to stay with Juventus until 2011
TURIN, Italy — Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero has extended his contract with the Serie A club until 2011.
The striker's contract was due to run out in 2010, but a statement Friday on the club's Web site said that Del Piero had signed for an extra year.
"I am proud to have been with Juventus for all these years and I still want to write important pages of (its) history," Del Piero said.
The 34-year-old striker has been with Juventus since the 1993-94 season.
Everton rejects Man City's bid for Lescott
LIVERPOOL, England — Everton has rejected a bid from Manchester City for England defender Joleon Lescott.
Everton manager David Moyes says none of his squad will be sold this offseason, despite City offering about 15 million pounds ($24.4 million) for Lescott.
City wants to pair Lescott with Chelsea captain John Terry in defense.
City's wealthy owner has already spent more than 50 million pounds on Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry.
Rosicky named in Arsenal squad for friendly
LONDON — Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky was named in the squad to face Barnet on Saturday in a preseason friendly.
The 28-year-old Czech international has not played since limping off with a hamstring tendon injury after nine minutes of an FA Cup match against Newcastle on Jan. 26, 2008. He also has been hampered by a knee injury.
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