Former Barcelona attacker Geovanni (28) signed yesterday a two-year deal with English Premier League club Hull City. The Brazilian player arrives on a free transfer since he was released from Manchester City earlier this week.
In an interview with the club's official website, Hull City manager Phil Brown said that he was delighted with the transfer: "The first time I watched Geovanni play was when he was at Barcelona in a game against Liverpool at Anfield. I've only just spoken to him about that particular match, which also featured the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Rivaldo and Luis Enrique. And to have someone from that fixture now playing for Hull City is a testament to just how far we've come as a club. I think it's a tremendous coup for the football club to have him on board."
Arriving from Brazilian club Cruzeiro, Geovanni joined Barcelona in the summer of 2001 in a deal worth 18 million euro. After one and a half year, he was loaned out to Portuguese club Benfica in the January transfer window of the 2002-2003 season. In the summer of 2003, Giovani was permanently transferred to Benfica.
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Ex-Barça: Fernando Navarro
Ex-Barça: Ruud Hesp
Ex-Barça: Fabio Rochemback
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Ex-Barça: Geovanni to Hull City
Negotiations on Hernanes in last stage
Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has made on Tuesday a second offer for São Paulo attacking midfielder and Brazilian international Hernanes (23), who has a buyout clause of 25 million euro°.
A new bid of 15 million euro° would now be on the table. São Paulo would not have accepted the offer although it's expected that -with the player possibly pressuring his club- an agreement could in the end be found for a lower fee, but including several variables. The paper claims that the negotiations are now in the final stage and that a deal could be closed next week.
Asked about the new proposal, São Paulo football vice president Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva nevertheless denied any formal offer in an interview with Brazilian sports paper Lance: "We did not talk with Barcelona officials, so we don't know anything. We did not receive any offer for Hernanes or any other player of our squad."
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Youth: Adria Carmona
Spanish football site Join Futbol claims that English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur is closely following and preparing an offer for Juvenil B left wing attacker and Spanish youth international Adrià Carmona (16), who presented the new away shirt two weeks ago (read more here).
If Barcelona would not be willing to let the player go, Tottenham could even propose a loan deal giving Carmona, who was part of the Spanish team that won the European championship U-17 in May, the chance to gain experience in another league.
If -like it is believed- Carmona stays in Barcelona next seaon, the player is expected to be promoted to the Barcelona B team of Luis Enrique.
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Youth: Jonathan dos Santos
The 2008-2009 shirts
Tottenham was looking for Valdes agent
Where was Arshavin all those years?
Interesting article from British newspaper The Guardian about why it did take the west european clubs so long to discover the 27 year old Andrei Arshavin:
How the impish Arshavin became Russia's danger man
Two Dutch coaches have helped the previously immature Andrei Arshavin gain the international recognition his talent deserves
Luke Harding in Moscow - guardian.co.uk - Wednesday June 25, 2008
It has been one of the great enigmas of Euro 2008. Why has a forward of the quality of Andrei Arshavin, Russia's exquisitely gifted playmaker, not previously attracted international recognition?
Victory for Russia on Thursday night against Spain would be likely to confirm 27-year-old Arshavin as the player of the tournament. This would follow his pivotal role in Russia's 3-1 demolition of Holland during the quarter-finals and their 2-0 mobbing of Sweden.
In fact, Russian sports journalists identified Arshavin as a world-class player a long time ago - in 2004. But several factors conspired to prevent Arshavin from reaching his current inspirational greatness, they suggest. These include Russia's failure to progress at major tournaments.
A more profound obstacle has been Arshavin's immaturity or - as one observer put it - his propensity to behave "like a spoiled kid". "We started to talk about Arshavin when he was 23. He was playing for Zenit St Petersburg. It was already clear he was very talented," Anton Lisin, a journalist with Sovietsky Sport told the Guardian.
"He was driven. He was highly skilful. Technically he was a very good player. He could see the pitch. And he was an outstanding passer of the ball." The problem, according to Lisin, was Arshavin's erratic temperament. Born in St Petersburg, Russia's gritty second city, Arshavin grew up in a working-class Soviet family. His father was a gifted amateur footballer, but never quite made it professionally.
Aged seven, Andrei enrolled in St Petersburg's 'Smena' football academy. Contemporaries remember him as a slight, rosy-cheeked boy - with a preternatural ability to read and pass the ball. "Arshavin was always quite small. He didn't stand out. But as soon as he received the ball he was a totally different person," Sergei Gordeev, who coached Arshavin from the age of 11, said. "He was very good at draughts. Unusually for a footballer he had strong mathematical abilities."
He had also, improbably, managed to attend a technology and design institute in St Petersburg devoted to sewing. Here, he designed a range of sportswear. He later boasted that he enrolled on the sewing course because he was the only boy in a group of 20 attractive young women.
In 1999 Arshavin began playing in the reserves of Zenit, his local team, making his first-team debut in 2000 in an Intertoto Cup tie away to Bradford City. Zenit won 3-0.
At Zenit, Arshavin was among a nucleus of young, outstanding players who included Vladimir Bystrov and Alexander Kerzhakov. The three formed an exclusive circle. Arshavin was known as 'Shava', an affectionate nickname meaning little dog. "They were enfants terribles and rather stand-offish," Lisin said. "Nobody else could get close to them."
Tensions with Zenit's coach Vlastimil Petrzela saw Bystrov depart Zenit for FC Spartak. Kerzhakov pushed off to FC Dynamo. Arshavin, meanwhile, was passed over for Russia's national squad, and didn't take part in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Russia failed to qualify for Euro 2004, again depriving Arshavin of a chance to shine on the international stage.
Contemporaries suggest that Arshavin's self-confidence - at times bordering on arrogance - did him few favours. Critics accused him of laziness and lack of match fitness. They suggested he failed to help his defenders, often jogging back languidly from his opponent's goal.
In 2006 Dick Advocaat, Zenit's Dutch trainer, famously benched Arshavin and two other Zenit players after they went clubbing the night before a crucial game with FC Spartak. Arshavin's exile did not last long: he was swiftly recalled from the B-team.
But Arshavin reacted badly to the snub. "He basically behaved like a big child. He was disappointed by Advocaat's decision. His football suffered. He didn't have a good 2006 or early 2007," Lisin said. "Advocaat even remarked: 'I don't know what happened to Arshavin.'"
Others recall that Arshavin would behave disdainfully towards journalists. While other players would give interviews in the post-match 'mix zone', Arshavin would saunter past, munching an apple.
Ultimately, however, it was Advocaat and Guus Hiddink who proved the key to unlocking Arshavin's late-blossoming talent. Realising that Soviet-style coaching methods were not getting results, Russia's Roman Abramovich-backed football association sent for Dutch managers - in much the same way that Peter the Great sent for Dutch shipbuilders in the 17th century in an attempt to transform Russia into a great naval power.
The Dutch coaches injected a new seriousness and professionalism into Zenit - since 2006 backed by Russia's state gas juggernaut Gazprom. Gradually, Hiddink revolutionised Russia's national side. In 2007 Arshavin became Zenit captain. His late-discovered maturity may also have something to do with his personal happiness. He married his girlfriend Yulia in 2003, and now has two small children, Artyom, two-and-a-half, and Alina, two months.
There have been occasional flickers of Arshavin's former sulkiness. During Russia's Euro 2008 qualifier against Andorra, Arshavin got himself sent off for a reckless foul during a moment when it seemed England would qualify at Russia's expense. The red card meant he missed Russia's first two Euro 2008 matches - the 4-1 drubbing by Spain and 1-0 victory over Greece.
Latterly Arshavin has shone. He led Zenit to victory in the Uefa Cup final against Rangers and was crucial to Russia's 2-1 victory over England last October during the Euro 2008 qualifiers. In Austria and Switzerland, Hiddink has handled Arshavin to perfection, hinting before the tournament that Arshavin - now a national icon in Russia - might not play a part.
After the debacle against Spain, Hiddink opened up Russia's training session to the public. Angry Russian fans heckled the squad. The trick worked. He also roused the Russian team an hour earlier than scheduled for its encounter with Greece.
Today Zenit confirmed that Arshavin will almost certainly leave the club following Euro 2008. "If Arshavin feels he needs to bring on his career in one of the top footballing countries we will not stand in his way," Alexei Blinov, Zenit's spokesman, told the Guardian.
Arshavin has made it clear his preferred destination is Barcelona and La Liga. He is a passionate Barcelona supporter. Friends recall how as a teenager he would spend hours playing Football Manager on the computer – he would start by managing a fourth-division English club, but would inevitably finish as manager of Barca.
"As a boy his dream was to play for Barcelona. He worshipped Barcelona," Gordeev, his former coach, said. But with no offer from Barcelona so far, there is still a strong possibility that Arshavin could play in the Premier League. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all reportedly interested in him.
And yet despite his superlative Euro 2008 run, there are still question marks over Arshavin's temperament. This may persuade top European clubs to modulate their offers for him - which are said to be in the region of €10-20m. As Lisin says: "During this tournament Arshavin has been like Cinderella. But nobody quite knows whether, when the clock strikes midnight, he will stay a princess or turn back into a pumpkin."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/25/russia.euro2008
Luke Harding in Moscow - guardian.co.uk - Wednesday June 25, 2008
It has been one of the great enigmas of Euro 2008. Why has a forward of the quality of Andrei Arshavin, Russia's exquisitely gifted playmaker, not previously attracted international recognition?
Victory for Russia on Thursday night against Spain would be likely to confirm 27-year-old Arshavin as the player of the tournament. This would follow his pivotal role in Russia's 3-1 demolition of Holland during the quarter-finals and their 2-0 mobbing of Sweden.
In fact, Russian sports journalists identified Arshavin as a world-class player a long time ago - in 2004. But several factors conspired to prevent Arshavin from reaching his current inspirational greatness, they suggest. These include Russia's failure to progress at major tournaments.
A more profound obstacle has been Arshavin's immaturity or - as one observer put it - his propensity to behave "like a spoiled kid". "We started to talk about Arshavin when he was 23. He was playing for Zenit St Petersburg. It was already clear he was very talented," Anton Lisin, a journalist with Sovietsky Sport told the Guardian.
"He was driven. He was highly skilful. Technically he was a very good player. He could see the pitch. And he was an outstanding passer of the ball." The problem, according to Lisin, was Arshavin's erratic temperament. Born in St Petersburg, Russia's gritty second city, Arshavin grew up in a working-class Soviet family. His father was a gifted amateur footballer, but never quite made it professionally.
Aged seven, Andrei enrolled in St Petersburg's 'Smena' football academy. Contemporaries remember him as a slight, rosy-cheeked boy - with a preternatural ability to read and pass the ball. "Arshavin was always quite small. He didn't stand out. But as soon as he received the ball he was a totally different person," Sergei Gordeev, who coached Arshavin from the age of 11, said. "He was very good at draughts. Unusually for a footballer he had strong mathematical abilities."
He had also, improbably, managed to attend a technology and design institute in St Petersburg devoted to sewing. Here, he designed a range of sportswear. He later boasted that he enrolled on the sewing course because he was the only boy in a group of 20 attractive young women.
In 1999 Arshavin began playing in the reserves of Zenit, his local team, making his first-team debut in 2000 in an Intertoto Cup tie away to Bradford City. Zenit won 3-0.
At Zenit, Arshavin was among a nucleus of young, outstanding players who included Vladimir Bystrov and Alexander Kerzhakov. The three formed an exclusive circle. Arshavin was known as 'Shava', an affectionate nickname meaning little dog. "They were enfants terribles and rather stand-offish," Lisin said. "Nobody else could get close to them."
Tensions with Zenit's coach Vlastimil Petrzela saw Bystrov depart Zenit for FC Spartak. Kerzhakov pushed off to FC Dynamo. Arshavin, meanwhile, was passed over for Russia's national squad, and didn't take part in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Russia failed to qualify for Euro 2004, again depriving Arshavin of a chance to shine on the international stage.
Contemporaries suggest that Arshavin's self-confidence - at times bordering on arrogance - did him few favours. Critics accused him of laziness and lack of match fitness. They suggested he failed to help his defenders, often jogging back languidly from his opponent's goal.
In 2006 Dick Advocaat, Zenit's Dutch trainer, famously benched Arshavin and two other Zenit players after they went clubbing the night before a crucial game with FC Spartak. Arshavin's exile did not last long: he was swiftly recalled from the B-team.
But Arshavin reacted badly to the snub. "He basically behaved like a big child. He was disappointed by Advocaat's decision. His football suffered. He didn't have a good 2006 or early 2007," Lisin said. "Advocaat even remarked: 'I don't know what happened to Arshavin.'"
Others recall that Arshavin would behave disdainfully towards journalists. While other players would give interviews in the post-match 'mix zone', Arshavin would saunter past, munching an apple.
Ultimately, however, it was Advocaat and Guus Hiddink who proved the key to unlocking Arshavin's late-blossoming talent. Realising that Soviet-style coaching methods were not getting results, Russia's Roman Abramovich-backed football association sent for Dutch managers - in much the same way that Peter the Great sent for Dutch shipbuilders in the 17th century in an attempt to transform Russia into a great naval power.
The Dutch coaches injected a new seriousness and professionalism into Zenit - since 2006 backed by Russia's state gas juggernaut Gazprom. Gradually, Hiddink revolutionised Russia's national side. In 2007 Arshavin became Zenit captain. His late-discovered maturity may also have something to do with his personal happiness. He married his girlfriend Yulia in 2003, and now has two small children, Artyom, two-and-a-half, and Alina, two months.
There have been occasional flickers of Arshavin's former sulkiness. During Russia's Euro 2008 qualifier against Andorra, Arshavin got himself sent off for a reckless foul during a moment when it seemed England would qualify at Russia's expense. The red card meant he missed Russia's first two Euro 2008 matches - the 4-1 drubbing by Spain and 1-0 victory over Greece.
Latterly Arshavin has shone. He led Zenit to victory in the Uefa Cup final against Rangers and was crucial to Russia's 2-1 victory over England last October during the Euro 2008 qualifiers. In Austria and Switzerland, Hiddink has handled Arshavin to perfection, hinting before the tournament that Arshavin - now a national icon in Russia - might not play a part.
After the debacle against Spain, Hiddink opened up Russia's training session to the public. Angry Russian fans heckled the squad. The trick worked. He also roused the Russian team an hour earlier than scheduled for its encounter with Greece.
Today Zenit confirmed that Arshavin will almost certainly leave the club following Euro 2008. "If Arshavin feels he needs to bring on his career in one of the top footballing countries we will not stand in his way," Alexei Blinov, Zenit's spokesman, told the Guardian.
Arshavin has made it clear his preferred destination is Barcelona and La Liga. He is a passionate Barcelona supporter. Friends recall how as a teenager he would spend hours playing Football Manager on the computer – he would start by managing a fourth-division English club, but would inevitably finish as manager of Barca.
"As a boy his dream was to play for Barcelona. He worshipped Barcelona," Gordeev, his former coach, said. But with no offer from Barcelona so far, there is still a strong possibility that Arshavin could play in the Premier League. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all reportedly interested in him.
And yet despite his superlative Euro 2008 run, there are still question marks over Arshavin's temperament. This may persuade top European clubs to modulate their offers for him - which are said to be in the region of €10-20m. As Lisin says: "During this tournament Arshavin has been like Cinderella. But nobody quite knows whether, when the clock strikes midnight, he will stay a princess or turn back into a pumpkin."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/25/russia.euro2008
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Ezquerro still considering Olympiacos offer
Catalan sports paper Sport claims that former Barcelona left winger Santiago Ezquerro (31) is still considering the offer he received from Greek champions Olympiacos (read more here).
Despite a lack of interest by other clubs and the fact that new Olympiacos manager Ernesto Valverde has promised Ezquerro more playing time, the salary cut from the 2 million euro a year that he earned with Barcelona over the last seasons to the 600 000 euro a year that Olympiacos is offering the player could be an obstacle for the move.
The contract of Ezquerro at Barcelona expired at the end of last month and with Barcelona not having offered the Spanish wing attacker a renewal (read more here), the player is now free to negotiate with other clubs.
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