David Gill dismisses any debt concerns for United

David Gill is adamant Manchester United are in good shape even though they had a plan to refinance their massive debts earlier this year.

Experts acting on behalf of the Glazer family looked into the possibility of restructuring borrowings which are believed to be in the region of £660million, in order to reduce an eye-bulging annual interest payment of £62million.

The move was thwarted when the cost of borrowing rose, forcing United to stick with their present financial structures.

However, Gill was keen to point out that the move was instigated purely because of advantageous conditions in the debt market at that time rather than any urgent need for financial flexibility.

Opponents of the Glazer regime have consistently attacked the Americans for landing United in so much debt and have repeated challenged the owners to outline exactly how they intend to make the payments.

However, United are currently enjoying a huge uplift in revenue, due partly to the club’s renewed on-field success under Sir Alex Ferguson but also because of increased sponsorship, including a four-year shirt deal with banking giant AIG worth £56.5million.

In addition, a new TV deal comes into force this season, which saw a 67% increase on domestic rights alone.

Little wonder therefore that Gill is so bullish about United’s current position.

“There is no issue whatsoever,” he argued.

“The financial structure we have in place at the moment is a long-term structure.

“Given where the debt market was two or three months ago, we looked at the opportunity of improving those financial structures to get the costs down a bit more.

“There was some turbulence in the debt market which meant the refinancing has not gone through. But I stress, it was an opportunity as opposed to having a requirement to do it.

“The club is in good shape financially this year and 2007 will see significant increases in revenue and profits.”

URA – I’m not so sure this is the total truth or just some kind of smoke screen to put organisations like M.U.S.T off the scent but lets face it United have had real big debts, just hope the financial managements speculations are correct and no problems ensue from this.

The last thing we need is money problems.

Monday meeting for FIFA on Tevez saga

Representatives of FIFA and the Football Association will meet on Monday to discuss the Carlos Tevez transfer affair.

And Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Manchester United are eventually given the green light to sign the Argentine as he has revealed he has no back-up plan.

Ferguson’s efforts to lure Tevez to Old Trafford have ground to a halt amid a deluge of legal arguments over who owns the player’s registration.

The Argentina striker’s advisor Kia Joorabchian last week accused West Ham of saying one thing in private and another in public in their stance on the Tevez ownership issue, something the Upton Park club strenously deny.

With the Premier League sticking to their position that West Ham own the player after they tore up the third-party agreement with Joorabchian which landed them in so much trouble, the Tevez camp have now asked for FIFA to step in and settle the matter.

And Andreas Herren, a spokesman for the world governing body, has revealed: “A meeting will take place on Monday.

“My understanding is that it will be with members of the FA, not the Premier League. It could be that someone from the Premier League comes along as well.

“My understanding is that a senior lawyer from the FA will come to Zurich to meet our senior legal people.”

United remain totally convinced FIFA will eventually rule in Joorabchian’s favour, an outcome which would cause the Premier League huge embarrassment.

However, the Old Trafford club also know there is a chance the verdict would go the other way, effectively blocking their bid to sign Tevez before the August 31 transfer deadline.

Such a decision would leave Ferguson having to decide whether to keep Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi or enter the transfer market again.

The Red Devils chief said last week he had already seen a bid for an un-named forward rejected earlier in the summer. And he currently does not have an alternative should the Tevez move break down.

“I am confident Carlos Tevez will sign and I am happy to wait until clearance comes along,” he said.

“If it become obvious the situation wasn’t going to turn our way we would have to reconsider our plans. But I have nothing as a fall-back position at this moment in time.”

There has been a suggestion from FIFA that, as yet, no paperwork has been received from any source with regard to the Tevez affair.

With the time factor so important given United would have to wait until January to sign Tevez should a deal not be pushed through by the end of next month, that is something of a surprise, especially as club lawyer Maurice Watkins remained in Manchester rather than embarking on the club’s Far East tour.

However, chief executive David Gill moved quickly to calm fears nothing was being done.

“It is a complicated matter being worked on by all the parties involved and we hope for a positive resolution in the course of the next few weeks,” he said.

“We are in discussions with the FA and FIFA on the matter. It is moving to the appropriate body.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson confirmed China international Dong Fangzhou would link up with the United squad on Sunday following his country’s surprise elimination from the Asia Cup.

Although Dong will not play in United’s remaining two games on tour, Ferguson feels the experience of being around senior first-team players for the next seven days is bound to help the youngster’s development.

“Dong is a good, young player and we have big hopes for him,” said the Scot.

“He will join us on Sunday but he won’t play because he has been committed to China for the last three weeks and he needs some rest.”

Owen Hargreaves may miss Monday’s match against FC Shenzhen too as the England international is still troubled by a knee injury.

Had the current round of matches been competitive, rather than friendlies, the former Bayern Munich midfielder would almost certainly have played.

But, with the Premier League champions due to begin the defence of their title against Reading on August 12, Ferguson is refusing to take any chances.

“We have not decided whether Owen Hargreaves will play in the next two games,” he said. “It depends on how his injury comes along.

“We will be careful and patient with him and he won’t be risked. We want to make sure when he does play, he is fit.”

Hargreaves’ fellow new arrival Nani will play some part though, a fitting introduction to life at United given Macau was a Portuguese colony until 1999.

Fergie delighted with Korean Hysteria

Manchester United bid the fondest of farewells to Seoul on Friday, with Sir Alex Ferguson promising: “We’ll be back.”

Even in the football-crazy Far East, the reception United have received on their first visit to South Korea has gone way beyond the norm.

Mobbed by thousands on their arrival at Incheon airport on Wednesday, the Red Devils’ team hotel has been a constant source of attraction for fans eager to get a glimpse of their heroes.

Every sponsorship, charity and community event has attracted hordes of official and uninvited guests, while 60,000 tickets for tonight’s 4-0 defeat of local K-League outfit FC Seoul were sold within six hours.

For a club often derided for boastful comments about the size of their fanbase, it was clear-cut proof that an insatiable appetite for United does exist in Korea. And Ferguson confirmed it will not be too long before the Old Trafford outfit return.

“This is Manchester United’s first visit to Korea – and I am sure we will be coming back,” he said.

“The reception we have received here has been absolutely excellent. Everything about the trip has been first class.

“I used to think when we went to Thailand it was almost impossible because we had thousands inside and outside the hotel all night. We have experienced the same thing here.

“It doesn’t surprise me. It is just one of these phenomenons we can create in certain parts of the world.”

It is a phenomenon that has no chance of abating as long as Park Ji-sung remains a United player. Yet it is not just South Korea’s highest-profile star the capacity crowd got excited about.

On the evidence of the reaction every time their pictures were plastered over big screens at either end of the stadium, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs are also held in great affection, while the departure of the team bus an hour after the final whistle was greeted with the kind of noise which used to be reserved for Beatles concerts.

The reaction may present United’s commercial team with a problem given the club had earmarked the United States as a destination for their next major, non-tournament-year tour.

While chasing the American dollar has its attractions, even with David Beckham now based in Los Angeles, it is difficult to see how any football club can make as deep an impact on the US sports psyche as United have on the affluent Asian market.

“We consider ourselves a major global brand,” said Ferguson.

“The club is prepared to travel anywhere to promote its image and the game.

“Even North Korea would not be a problem for us, should the right conditions apply.

“I understand from a survey that was carried out recently that we have an enormous number of fans in Vietnam, so maybe that is somewhere that we might look to visit in the future.

“It just seems like the whole of the Far East has a lot of respect and affection for our club and we have to serve that as best we can.”

Maybe the reception United were afforded in Seoul was just the kind of thing the Asian Football Confederation were afraid of when they prevented Ferguson and his team visiting Malaysia for the final leg of the tour.

Instead, the Red Devils will head to Guangzhou in China, hoping to provide the local supporters with as much pleasure as they gave their hosts this evening.

Both Ronaldo, who has started the pre-season campaign in superb form, and Rooney were on the scoresheet inside the first 20 minutes, as was Chris Eagles.

After spending 18 months on loan at first Watford, then Sheffield Wednesday and finally NEC Nijmegen, before returning to Old Trafford for the second half of last season, Eagles is trying to convince Ferguson he has a long-term future at the club.

The stifling heat and 75% humidity did catch up with United after half-time but Patrice Evra, who impressed on the left-hand side of midfield as Ronaldo was pushed into a more attacking role alongside Rooney, still managed to net a well-taken fourth.

British Government & FA to press FIFA

The British government and the Football Association will unite to press Fifa to investigate the question of third party ownership of players.
Carlos Tevez’s proposed transfer from West Ham to Manchester United has brought the matter under the spotlight.

BBC Sport has learned the Government fears the integrity of the game could be damaged by the practice.

A Whitehall source said: “We don’t want third-party ownership in British football, we want it dealt with.”

The Department of Media, Culture and Science has called for a probe at “the highest international level.”

Fifa is to set up a dispute resolution chamber in the coming weeks to determine whether Tevez is owned by West Ham, or his advisor Kia Joorabchian.

The Premier League has also insisted that any deal to transfer the Argentine from West Ham to Manchester United is conducted between the two clubs.

Manchester United have already asked Fifa to intervene in the protracted dispute between the Old Trafford club and West Ham.

West Ham refused Tevez permission to take a medical when he arrived in Manchester to undergo one on Tuesday and the Hammers have asserted their rights over the Argentine.

The Hammers were fined a record £5m but controversially avoided a points deduction when the Premier League found them guilty of irregularities over his registration.

Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premiership, have mounted a long but fruitless campaign to be reinstated in the top flight.

Goals from the game Urawa v Man United

Here are the goals from yesterdays game in Japan, the matched ended 2-2 draw.

United turn to FIFA to settle Tevez dispute

West Ham and Manchester United today called on FIFA to break the deadlock over the £20million transfer of Carlos Tevez.

Just hours before the Argentina striker was due to undergo a medical ahead of a move, both clubs announced the matter had been referred to the game’s world governing body.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill said FIFA’s resolution chamber could be expected to hear the case within two weeks and predicted Tevez would complete the move.

The champions are increasingly confident that the deal will be judged legally sound because of the similarities with the transfer which took Javier Mascherano from West Ham to Liverpool last term.

United have monitored the legal aspects of that move in fine detail and are sure that a transfer cannot be blocked by either West Ham or the Premier League.

However, FIFA reiterated today they would only be able to intervene if the proposed deal is considered an international transfer. The sticking point iswhether the transfer is between two Premier League clubs or whether the involvement of Tevez’s supposed owner Kia Joorabchian, the Iranian-born businessman, makes it an international move.

A FIFA spokesman said: “If a complaint is submitted our legal department will see whether we are the competent authority to deal with the matter.”

Meanwhile Tevez, who flew in from Venezuela yesterday, was holed up in a Manchester hotel after West Ham refused permission for him to have his medical.

Rather than being kept in limbo Tevez, who needs rest after playing in the Copa America, is now expected to go on a short holiday.

Gill admitted there was a chance the deal may not be done before the transfer window closes on 31 August. He said: “We are not sure whether we will have him signed in time for the new season.”

West Ham concede they are unlikely to convince Tevez to stay, even though they offered him improved terms — ironically making the offer via Joorabchian.

Chairman Eggert Magnusson feels the club are in a strong position because they have the full backing of the Premier League. Insiders are also confident they have the upper hand because Joorabchian has not followed through with his threat of legal action after West Ham tore up their third-party agreement on 27 April.

United are convinced they can complete a twoyear loan deal for Tevez which would lead to a permanent £20m deal.

West Ham insist they still hold Tevez’s registration but Joorabchian maintains his company, MSI, owns the player’s economic rights and has agreed terms with United.

New Hammers signing Julien Faubert could miss much of the season after sustaining a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon in a 1-0 defeat to Sigma Olomouc last night.

Urawa Red Diamonds 2-2 Man United

 

Manchester United’s Far East tour opened in disappointing fashion as J-League champions and Sydney FC foes Urawa Red Diamonds held their Premier League counterparts to a 2-2 draw.
Second-half strikes from Darren Fletcher and Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have saved Edwin van der Sar’s blushes after the veteran goalkeeper inexplicably gifted Hideki Uchidate a 25th-minute opener. But former Feyenoord midfielder Shinji Ono finished off a superb solo effort near the end to earn Reds a draw, no mean feat considering three of their key men are currently aiding Japan’s Asian Cup bid.

Despite the late setback, it was a useful workout for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, who were without minor injury victims Owen Hargreaves and Nani, although Van der Sar probably did not enjoy himself too much.

There certainly seemed no apparent reason for Uchidate’s speculative effort to find the net, other than the United goalkeeper completely misreading it as he moved towards his right-hand post, only for the ball to curl inside him.

A fumbled parry in the second half, by which time United had seized the initiative, offered a reminder of the uncharacteristic blunders Van der Sar made at the end of last term.

Although Ferguson is hardly likely to stress out too much at such an early stage of United’s preparations for the defence of their Premier League crown, Van der Sar needs to be in top form ahead of the season opener against Reading on August 12 given Ben Foster is out until March following knee surgery.

After easing themselves into the contest, United increased their tempo immediately after Urawa grabbed their shock opener.

Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney might have levelled before the break but it took only two minutes of the second period for the visitors to level.

For all his industry and gameness, Fletcher would appear to have more to be worried about from Hargreaves’ arrival than most.

Yet, preferred to Alan Smith, whose own future is also in doubt, the Scot kept his head in fine style to belt home the leveller after Michael Carrick had supplied a neat cut-back.

Up to that point, Ronaldo had been a sporadic spark, raising the greatest enthusiasm from a near-capacity, yet strangely muted, 58,716 crowd, with his array of tricks.

He clearly has not lost his eye for goal though and after 23 strikes last term, cut off the left wing then let fly with a thunderous shot which flicked off Satoshi Horinouchi before nestling in the bottom corner.

Rooney wasted another excellent opportunity to open his account after Ronaldo played him in and the England forward was made to pay immediately as Ono slalomed his way into the United box before finishing superbly to earn the Japanese outfit a share of the spoils.

Urawa Red Diamonds v Man United

Fergie will send out strong team:

Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to pay the J-League the respect it deserves by fielding his strongest possible side in Manchester United’s Far East tour opener against Urawa Red Diamonds.

United were visitors to Urawa’s spectacular Saitama home only two years ago, yet Ferguson feels the J-League has improved since that time.

As champions, Urawa offer the Red Devils probably their toughest test of their four-match trip. And Ferguson is ready to meet it head on.

“It is possible Nani won’t play and we have a slight doubt over Owen Hargreaves but other than that I have my strongest squad available and I will field a strong team,” outlined the United boss.

“We had a particularly hard game against Urawa two years ago and I am expecting exactly the same this time. I see quite a lot of Japanese football on TV.

“The quality has improved tremendously and hopefully, we can handle it.”

Ferguson’s team selection is awaited eagerly, particularly in attack, where he must decide whether to hand Alan Smith a starting slot alongside Wayne Rooney or push tour captain Ryan Giggs into a more offensive position.

Should the Red Devils chief opt for the latter choice, it would surely provide Smith with the clearest indication yet his days at Old Trafford are numbered, particularly as Carlos Tevez is expected in Manchester over the next few days for a medical.

Only 43 games from equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time club appearance record, Giggs’ own future has been called into question following the summer purchases of Nani and Anderson, who is not in the tour party due to his Copa America commitments with Brazil.

However, the Welshman has seen off many similar challenges to his place in the past. And, as a veteran of all nine previous United Premier League title-winning campaigns, he can only see positives from the present situation.

“The Premiership gets tougher every year and Manchester United cannot afford to stand still,” he said.

“Whether the manager signed anyone or not, the challenge is still there.

“You have to perform to your best, otherwise you won’t play. That goes for everyone. We are all hopeful of being in the team but the only way to achieve that is by doing well.

“It is great for the team to have so many attacking options.

“The players we have signed in forward positions particularly are young and can make a contribution now and in the future.

“Last year, we showed what a great attacking team we were and now we have these additional options, hopefully we can improve even more.”

Cristiano and Bipasha Basu?

 

I’m pretty sure the pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo partying in Lisbon with Bollywood siren Bipasha Basu are pretty normal, just people who are partying and not some whirlwind romance going on.

Bipasha Basu, is a Bollywood actress and supermodel. She is the winner of the Ford Supermodel of the World competition and now works in mainstream Bollywood films. She is continually listed as one of Asia’s sexiest women, along with fellow stars Mallika Sherawat and Aishwarya Rai.

She is currently dating John Abraham and their relationship seems pretty solid so i doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is more than a friend.

Chelsea has new sponsors.