Saturday Afternoon At Sports Planet: 4 July 2009

The default line ups were:

• Blacks: Nick, Ace, Ron, Steve F, Desmond
• Whites: Imran, Azmi, Neil M, Andrew T, Weeliam

Eye-Catcher: 4 July 2009

Sports stories and quotes that catch the eye, and other fun stuff off the internet.

The top players want to play in Spain:

• Kaka, Christiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema moving to Real Madrid, with Franck Ribery wanting to join them there, despite interest from English clubs.  Ribery is quoted as saying “It will be Real or nothing”.  Real are also expected to sign Xabi Alonso from Liverpool.
• Barcelona are being linked with Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and are reported to have made an approach.  They are also after Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano.

Michael Owen modelling United's new kit

Despite top players leaving or being lured from England, none seem keen to move England.  The leading English clubs have instead been buying players from other English clubs:

• Manchester United have signed Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic, and Michael Owen, who had been released by Newcastle United.
• Liverpool have signed Glen Johnson from Portsmouth.
• Chelsea have signed Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough and Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City.
• Arsenal haven’t signed anyone yet.

Even Manchester City, with lots of money to spend, have only brought in Gareth Barry from Aston Villa and Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, although they continue to pursue other top names, including Chelsea’s John Terry and Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o.

No matter what the reasons given by the players themselves for wanting to move to Spain instead of staying or moving to England, “the pound’s fall in value against the euro” must be a factor.

But money can’t buy success, can it?

Predictably, Paul Ince returns to Milton Keynes Dons as manager.   Kenny Dalglish returns to a senior role at Liverpool’s club academy.

European football resumed on Thursday with the qualifying round of the Europa League (the re-formatted UEFA Cup):

• FC Tbilisi v B36 Torshavn 2-0
• Dinaburg v Nomme Kalju 2-1
• Simurg v Bnei Yehuda 0-1
• Banants v Siroki Brijeg 0-2
• FC Lahti v Dinamo Tirana 4-1
• Valletta v Keflavik 3-0
• Sutjeska v MTZ-RIPO 1-1
• Zimbru Chisinau v Okzhetpes Kokshetau 1-2
• Dinamo Minsk v Renova 2-1
• Trans Narva v Rudar Velenje 0-3
• Szombathelyi Haladas v Irtysh Pavlodar 1-0
• Anorthosis Famagusta v UN 97 Kaerjeng 5-0
• NK Slaven Koprivnica v Birkirkara 1-0
• FC Spartak Trnava v Inter 2-1
• Randers FC v Linfield 4-0
• CS Grevenmacher v FK Vetra 0-2
• Sligo v Vllaznia Shkoder 1-2
• NSI Runavik v Rosenborg 0-3
• Buducnost Podgorica v Polonia Warsaw 0-2
• Lisburn Distillery v FC Zestafoni 1-5
• Helsingborg v Mika Ashtarak 3-1
• Fram Reykjavik v T.N.S. 2-1
• Motherwell v Llanelli 0-1

Not many familiar names there.