Le weekend after the week before – and you expect a load of transfer speculation on AW’s targets and post-mortems on the Champions League.
The only major name of the early editions is from the Daily Mail which suggests Tomas Rosicky’s move to Atletico Madrid may be hijacked by Arsenal.
Rosicky had agreed a £7 million move from Borussia Dortmund, but Atletico now fear they may lose the player to Arsenal.
The Mail says Wenger is a long-time admirer of the attacking midfielder and has had the player watched all season and is ready to make a move and Rosicky, 25, would choose Arsenal above Atletico.
Yesterday’s Guardian was more interesting in that it posits a move for Fernando Torres at £30m (£10m more than Tottenham bid in the Winter window). Failing that it says it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Samuel Eto’o could arrive (doubtful, that one).
It says Robin van Persie could be moved on to make way for big summer signings.
The press say Cole is off – a done thing, like Henry was. But doubts are emerging in certain sections.
Cole is quoted as saying: “They [Arsenal] can hit the heights. They’ve got a great young squad. Everyone’s together, and if we improve as a team, hopefully we can be back here again winning it.” Interesting that he changes from they to we – either genuine indecision or forgetting the PR line?
Amy Lawrence writes in the Observer – Pires and Cole are now expected to follow Henry’s lead [and stay].
The Independent says Arsenal are prepared to make Cole the second highest wage earner after Henry. It points out that suitors are unwilling to pay £16m (get-out clause) for the left back, but that a good World Cup may persuade them to bid. Wenger, it says wants to pre-empt that by signing him up now.
The value of Cole, and Campbell (who is also targetted as a doubt) are the noises UEFA are making.
Lars-Christer Olsson, Uefa chief executive, in an open piece in the Observer praises Arsenal’s policy of developing young players and attacks Chelsea’s policy of debt funding, buying big and keeping stars on the bench.
On Tuesday Jose Luis Arnaut, the senior Portuguese politician who has headed a high level footbal inquiry initiated by Sports minister Richard Caborn, will present its findings first to Tony Blair in London and then to Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, in Brussels.
“Chelsea have just signed Michael Ballack on £130,000 a week, even though they lost £140m last year and £87.8m the year before. Fans don’t understand how that is possible. Such deficit financing is very bad for football. What happens if the benefactor who is providing all this money decides to walk away? The club would be bankrupt within seconds.
“When Michael Schumacher was winning all the time, Formula One changed the rules and now it’s more of a level playing field. Every team had to abide by the new rules and the sport became more competitive, more attractive.
“We hope the Arnaut review will lead to a situation where we, as European football’s governing body, can ensure, without fear of legal challenge, that a certain number of players in any squad are homegrown. We are introducing such a policy at the start of next season.
“We want clubs to produce more players, and curb this buying hysteria. Arsenal are a good example in this respect. Although those players can be from anywhere in the world, we think the result will eventually be greater recruitment of players eligible to play for that country’s national team.”
“In Uefa’s view salary caps, which work in the United States, are illegal in Europe, but the EU sports ministers are not so sure. The review will include proposals on how to redistribute football’s wealth more widely.”
Champions League postscripts
Guardian and S. Telegraph point out how unsavoury Arsenal’s post-match protests were. Patrick Barclay says it was Barca’s skill that lead to Lehmann’s sending off. The same as Del Horno in Chelsea’s case.
David Lacey compares Arsenal’s reaction to that of the 1952 Cup Final, when they accepted a controversial Newcastle goal, with grace.
Patrick Collins in the S. Telegraph points out the lack of violence and aggro between the two sets of supporters.
I discussed this on the train on the way back from Paris. One Gooner said there was a completely different type of supporter from those in Copenhagen. He put it down to the fact that tickets were largely given to season ticket holders.
In the train there was one lone Barcelona fan, in a corner. Instead of taunts, he was asked: ” How do you think Spain will get on in the World Cup this year?” He said they have a chance and went on to discuss the merits of Spanish football.