The New Vision, Tuesday, August 3, 2010 SPORT 47

IN BRIEF Cole is not for sale, Chelsea Money City worries SOCCER

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti described Chelsea and Man U defender Ashley Cole as “the best left-back in the LONDON Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool. world” on Sunday and He seems content that a team said the England interna- With less than two weeks until with the spine of John Terry, tional would not be leav- the start of the Frank Lampard and Didier ing the Premier League season, champions Chelsea and Drogba will continue to be com- champions. Cole, 29, has leading contenders Manchester petitive whoever plays alongside been linked in media United are preparing for a seri- them. reports with a reunion ous challenge from big-spending “We have the same aims as last with former Blues coach Manchester City. year,” Ancelotti said. “But last Jose Mourinho at Real While Chelsea manager Carlo year we went out of the Madrid. “Ashley Cole will Ancelotti and United boss Sir Champions League too early so not be sold at any price,” Alex Ferguson have been con- we have to do better.” Italian Ancelotti told tent to make only minor altera- United, hamstrung by the reporters after Chelsea tions to their squads, City chief club’s massive debts, have had to lost 2-1 to Bundesliga Roberto Mancini has been adopt the same conversative club acquiring new players with the approach in the transfer market. in a pre-season friendly. carefree relish of a lottery win- Ferguson has put his faith in ner let loose in Harrods. the likes of Mexico forward Mancini has spent over 80 mil- Javier Hernandez, 22, Italian lion pounds on four new players striker Federico Macheda, 18, as City’s billionaire Abu Dhabi- and former Fulham defender Donovan cost based owners continue to lavish Chris Smalling, 20, and he said: cash on the club in an attempt to “They give us the back-up we are buy their way to success. going to need. not ‘very good’ “There is purpose in the way Toure and Silva they play their football. It is not SOCCER Recruiting Yaya Toure from just talent. Barcelona, Valencia winger “You don’t play at this club Everton man- David Silva, Alexander Kolarov with just talent, you need some- ager David from Lazio and Hamburg defend- thing else and they have that Moyes admit- er Jerome Boateng is a quite a something else.” ted on statement of intent. Sunday that The spending is unlikely to end Arsenal after five years US star there as Mancini eyes a 25 mil- After five years without a tro- Landon Donovan would lion pounds move for Inter phy, Arsenal manager Arsene probably prove too Milan’s Mario Balotelli and a Wenger expects great things, expensive to bring back similiar offer for Aston Villa even though his plans could be for a second spell on loan James Milner. destablised by Cesc Fabregas’s at Goodison Park. City’s approach to squad-build- desire to join Barcelona. Donovan spent three ing will bring scorn from those “I am very confident we’ll do months with the Premier who prefer teams to develop better than last season,” Wenger League club at the begin- more organically, but past title said. “We finished third last year ning of the year and the Mancini will have United and Chelsea triumphs by Chelsea and Man City has added ammunition in and we hope we can improve on 28-year-old hinted looking over their backs starting Aug 14 Blackburn prove money can buy the likes of Toure (top) and that.” recently he would wel- success in the Premier League. Spanish World Cup winner Silva Tottenham will hope to build come a return. But the The prospect of City mounting on their impressive fourth place Merseysiders’ tight finan- a sustained bid to win their first finish by winning their cial circumstances look PREMIERSHIP league title since 1968 looks an equally massive spree to turn Champions League play-off to certain to doom any Opening fixtures 5pm unless stated increasingly realistic, with his club into champions. make the group stages and move. “We’d love to have Saturday, August 14 Ancelotti admitting Mancini’s Those days are gone now and maybe even aiming for a sur- Landon but he looks too Tottenham v Man City 2:45pm team could be a major threat. Ancelotti has had to cut his prise title challenge. expensive for us and we Aston Villa v West Ham “In theory Man City could be cloth accordingly, with few new At Anfield, new Liverpool boss just don’t have it,” Moyes Blackburn v Everton very difficult opponents. They faces arriving at Stamford Roy Hodgson has plenty of work told www.evertonfc.com. Bolton v Fulham have bought some fantastic play- Bridge since the Italian took to do to improve a team that fin- Sunderland v Birmingham ers,” Ancelotti said. charge last year. ished seventh last season - their Athletic v Blackpool “It’s difficult to build a team in worst effort for over a decade. Wolves v Stoke City one summer but Roberto Chelsea content Former Fulham boss Hodgson Chelsea v West Brom 7:30pm Mancini has the experience to Not that Chelsea need much will bring tactical nous and a Anderson in Sunday, August 15 do this, so it can be done.” improving after winning the cool head, but he could also do Liverpool v Arsenal 6pm double last season. with hearing that Spain striker Monday, August 16 Financial doping Although Michael Ballack, Joe is willing to close escape Man Utd v Newcastle 10pm City’s spending recalls the Cole and Juliano Belletti have stay. period when Chelsea owner all been released, Ancelotti has SOCCER Roman Abramovich engaged in brought in only Israel midfielder AFP

Manchester United mid- fielder Anderson was dragged out of a India’s Tendulkar set for record Test appearance burning car but escaped with only minor injuries after an early-morning COLOMBO cricket. He has scored 13,742 Tendulkar told reporters on crash in Portugal, local Leading test appearances runs in 168 Tests at an aver- Monday. media reported on India’s world batting record 168 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND) age of 56.08, with 48 centu- “Cricket is my passion. I Sunday. Witnesses quoted holder Sachin Tendulkar is 168 - Steve Waugh (AUS) ries and 55 half-centuries. think it is a gift from God by the Jornal de Noticias poised to become cricket’s 156 - Allan Border (AUS) In his 442 one-dayers, he that I have been able to live daily said the Brazilian most-capped Test player on 146 - Ricky Ponting (AUS) has accumulated 17,598 that passion for so many player had lost control of Tuesday, adding another 145 - Shane Warne (AUS) runs, including 46 centuries, years. It’s just fantastic.” his sports car in the early milestone to one of the 141 - Rahul Dravid (IND) including the first double- Asked to reveal the secret hours of Saturday on a sport’s most accomplished 140 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) hundred in the limited-overs behind such a long and suc- local road near Braga in careers. 134 - Mark Boucher (RSA) format against South Africa cessful career, Tendulkar northern Portugal. The Tendulkar will overtake earlier this year. said: “I have always pre- car hit a wall in a nearby former Australian captain Besides his record-shatter- pared well before every field and caught fire. Steve Waugh when he takes Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya’s ing batting feats, Tendulkar match and made sure I was “I thought he was dead. to the field for the third and record of 444 appearances. has also claimed 44 Test and on top of my game when I My brother dragged him final Test against Sri Lanka Tendulkar, who was 16 154 one-day wickets, bowl- went in. out of the car, and we put at the P. Sara Oval for his when he made his debut ing both seam and leg-spin. “Things may not always out the flames before the 169th match. against Pakistan in Karachi “It’s been a privilege to work in your favour during entire car burned down,” The 37-year-old has also in 1989, is the leading run- play for India for so long, a match. You will do well in one of the witnesses told played 442 one-day interna- scorer and century-maker because it was my dream to some games, but some may the paper. tionals, just two behind Sri in both Test and one-day represent the country,” not go your way.” A milestone for Tendulkar