Section:GDN PS PaGe:3 Edition Date:090122 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 21/1/2009 21:03 cYanmaGentaYellowblack

The Guardian | Thursday 22 January 2009 3 Football news and comment On the web Football Follow the day’s main stories as they unfold guardian.co.uk/football ≥ City must learn to live with Robinho’s whims

responded cheerfully: “I’ll worry about the national team, Robinho is following Scolari off a renewed attempt to capture The forward’s love of the me, you worry about the team.” a long established trend. These misde- Bad boy from B razil the player he expected to join Chelsea last high life is not uncommon Robinho has form in the partying meanours were indulged by his former summer. stakes. During his spell at Real Madrid employer. The week after that famous October 2007 The club’s manager said at the time of among Brazilian players, he famously had to apologise for missing apology, his performance on the pitch Robinho and Ronaldinho were both their failed bid that he did not blame Rob- writes Amy Lawrence his connection back from South America was captivating and all was forgiven. What dropped by their Spanish clubs when inho, but those around him. “There were after an international fi xture. “I’m sorry is unclear is whether such behaviour, missing fl ights back to Europe after problems with agents and outsiders,” for having been late,” he said at the time. already heavily criticised by City’s execu- a heavy night’s partying at Catwalk explained Scolari. “I won’t forget some If Manchester City were shocked to see “But I’m not apologising for the party. Par- tive chairman, Garry Cook, and which has in Rio, more than 24 hours following things that happened but it is not with Robinho walk out of the team hotel when ties are normal with Brazil after we’ve won resulted in a fi ne of two weeks’ wages, will a big win over Ecuador. Robinho Robinho, he is my friend.” he was supposed to be enjoying a break a match and that night we had won 5 –0.” help him to engineer the move away from lasted until about 5am and allegedly The reason that Scolari was so keen on with his team-mates, then they are more The 24-year-old lost credibility by waf- Eastlands that he is believed to want. asked a guard to source 40 condoms, his compatriot – Robinho was said to be naive than is reasonable for a club with fl ing that he thought Real’s next game was The polar attitudes of Robinho and something the player denies. “diff erent” to what Chelsea had, off ering such brassy ambitions. His apology was on the Sunday and not the Saturday and Kaka could not have been more emphati- a new dimension – ring truer today than last night accepted by Mark Hughes per- then had to deny a rumour that emerged cally presented than their choices this August 2008 a few months ago, when the transfer to haps because, with the exception of the from that shindig suggesting he had asked week: Kaka outlined his need to be at an Gives a press conference on the day Stamford Bridge was being talked up. virtuous Kaka, eccentric behaviour is sim- someone to fetch 40 condoms for general elite club by staying at Milan ; Robinho Real Madrid opened the defence of Scolari and Robinho have never actu- ply considered part of the game for most consumption that night. outlined his need to be an elite club by their La Liga title, demanding that he ally worked together, although the coach superstar Brazilian footballers. In showing a tend ency to fl y home to running out on Manchester City. It is not be allowed to join Chelsea. Got his obviously had one of his country’s most When Ronaldinho fi rst left his home- Brazil when necessary, or stay out far surprising he feels like he needed Kaka to move to England within days, though exciting teenagers on his radar when he land he was as famous for his moves in the longer than expected after representing join him in the north of England in order to Manchester City. Pele stirred the was in charge of the Selecao. Robinho was discotheques of Paris as on the pitch at the to validate the choice he made when he pot by claiming that Chelsea had 18 when Big Phil’s Brazil won the 2002 Parc des Princes. While Ronaldo’s liking signed at Eastlands in the fi rst place. had a lucky escape and that Robinho World Cup and had just started his pro- for the pleasures of the night famously The question City must contend with ‘needs very serious counselling’ fessional career with a handful of appear- went awry when he was caught with three What is unclear is whether is whether they can handle that being a ances for Santos and the heady endorse- transvestites he met at a Rio soir ée. reason for his sudden leave of absence or January 2009 ment of Pele behind him. An episode involving Romario captures such behaviour will help not. It is also something their paymasters Takes his leave from Manchester Incidentally, whatever did happen to the essence of why his countrymen strug- the striker engineer a move in Abu Dhabi must ponder at the end of a City’s training camp in Tenerife after all those Chelsea shirts with “Robinho ” gle to see why the demands of a profes- week that has given them a crash course being refused permission to return on them that were seen in the vicinity of sional career should suff ocate their social away from Eastlands in the idiosyncratic ways of football busi- to Brazil. Promises to be back in the the club shop at Stamford Bridge last sum- li ves. Once questioned by his then man- ness and the talented yet elusive men that country in time for their next game, mer? Scolari would not mind if in the not ager Claudio Ranieri about his presence on make it all happen. against Newcastle on Wednesday. too distant future, somebody had reason a Valencia dance fl oor at 4am, the striker Such stuff is not likely to put Luiz Felipe to dig them out.

Transfer targets Howw City have lowerlowereded their sights

Dream choice Ne Nextext bestb t Signed

Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buff on Shay Given A City delegation City have bid £3m, travelled to Turin to £5m then £6m for open talks for the the Newcastle United Italy goalkeeper, but keeper . The last off er is ? Juventus wanted still on the table, but Joe close to £100m and Kinnear is reluctant to City pulled out sell such a key player

Defender John Terry KoloKolo TTouréourré Joleon Lescott Wayne Bridge Mark Hughes is a big The IvoryIvvory CoCoastasta defedefenderender Everton asked City Hughes would still like admirer of the Chelsea fell outouut of favfavourvour at not to follow up their to sign an experienced captain and is believed ArsenalArsennal recerecently,ntly,n bubutt is initial interest in the centre-back but has to have made him his nown unlikelyu to leavleave.ve. centre-half who can also already fi lled one hole fi rst-choice target. “Apparently“Ap“ paarently he’s nott for play left-back . Everton this month at left-back Chelsea, unsurprisingly, sale,”s l ””G Garry CCook, k CCity’sit ’ also warned City off with the £12m transfer are unwilling to sell executivee chchairman,aia rman, sasaidid midfi elder Mikel Arteta of Bridge from Chelsea

Defensive Yaya Touré LassanaLa Diarra NigelNige de Jong The midfi elder, who wass OneOn of Hughes’s top CCityity hhave settled for the midfi elder the subject of a £24m targetsta before he movedved HamburgHamb midfi elder, a bid from City, made it to Real Madrid for formerforme Ajax reserve, to clear he would not leavee £20m£2 . City withdrew plugplug tthe gap in front of Barcelona during the theirth interest after beinging theirtheir back four at a cost season. A deal could be toldto the transfer wouldld ofo £1£15m. The deal was revived in the summer costco £6m in agents feeses completedcomp yesterday

Attacking Kaka DavidD Silvailva The world was shocked TheT Valenciaia plplaymaker,aymaaker, midfi elder when it emerged that togethert withith David City made a £91m bid Villa,V was thehee subsubjectjecct for the Milan and Brazil ofo a £100mm bbidid ffromrom ? maestro, who eventuallyy City.C Valenciaciaa demademandednded turned down the move £135m£ butt CCityity wowoulduld after much speculation notn raise theirheir off eerr

Striker David Villa ThierryT Henry Carlos Tevez Roque Santa Cruzuz CraigCrai Bellamy City pulled out of talks CityC initiated talks with Hughes was more City’s most recent off er TheThT e oonly striker City with Valencia because, aass BarcelonaB and Henry’s keen on a deal for the of £18m plus Tal Ben havehave managed to land one of the men involved agenta despite Hughes’ Argentine, but City Haim was turned downn soso ffarar has scored only told the Guardian, ‘they rreservations about the offi cials were concerned by Blackburn, whose fi ve ggoals this season. wanted us to bankroll formerf Arsenal striker. how fans would react manager, Sam Allardyce,yce, HeHe jojoined on Monday for their club for the next BBut Henry does not want to signing a Manchester wants a replacement a feefee of around £14m four seasons’ tot move in January United player lined up before sellingg fromfrom West Ham United

ager] Sam Allardyce, they were looking to Scolari tells Cudicini to forget about Spurs move Villa, Henry bring in another striker before they made a decision. There is an off er on the table, Sam Allardyce is working through his issues and Buff on on and I fully respect that. We’re not trying David Hytner are Henrique Hilario and the 18-year-old Mineiro, the holding midfi elder, arrived to create a situation he doesn’t want; we’re Rhys Taylor. Cudicini is expected to fea- on a free transfer . Jose Bosingwa was City’s miss list just managing our issues. We’ve made it ture against Ipswich Town in the FA Cup signed for £16.2m in May, but that was quite clear we’d like Santa Cruz and we’ll Luiz Felipe Scolari has told Carlo Cudicini fourth round at Stamford Bridge on Satur- before Scolari’s arrival. continue with those talks.” he remains a valued member of his Chel- day, which would be his fi fth appearance Scolari ’s squad has been further under- A successful conclusion to one of the sea squad and that he will not be sold in all competitions this season . mined by the long-term knee injuries ≤ Continued from page 1 longest transfer sagas of modern times during the transfer window, despite the Scolari has money to spend this month, suff ered by Joe Cole and Michael Essien. would certainly give City a lift in a week interest of Tottenham Hotspur. at least the £12m that he raised from the Cole’s injury, sustained at Southend ably be closer to £100m by the end of the when the negotiations to sign Kaka from Harry Redknapp was hopeful of con- sale of Wayne Bridge to Manchester City . United in the FA Cup replay last Wednes- transfer window on 2 February . Hughes Milan have collapsed, leading to a disil- cluding a deal for the 35-year-old. The The Brazilian has overseen the depar- day, has prompted a rethink on the club’s still wants a central defender and has also lusioned Robinho leaving their Spanish Tottenham manager has no confi dence in tures of a host of players – such as Khalid policy of not making any January sign- asked about Chelsea’s Alex , but with lit- mid-season training camp. the back-up goalkeeper César Sánchez and Boulahrouz, Claude Makelele, Shaun ings, yet while Scolari will be backed with tle success. City have also made three bids More serious for Hughes is the grow- not much more in Ben Alnwick, to whom Wright-Phillips and Andriy Shevchenko funds, it is more likely he will save them for the Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay ing feeling at City that Robinho has been he reluctantly handed a club debut in the – while he has made only one cash sign- for a more serious spending spree in the Given – £3m , then £5m and, fi nally, £6m , unsettled by the club’s inability to bring Carling Cup semi-fi nal, second leg against ing, that of the midfi elder Deco for £8m. summer and make do with a loan or swap which remains on the table – and have not in Kaka and that the former Real Madrid Burnley at Turf Moor. Heurelho Gomes, deal this month . given up hope of signing the striker Roque player would like to move to Chelsea to his fi rst choice, has a thigh injury. Carlo Cudicini is Scolari has talked up some of his young Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, even join Luiz Felipe Scolari, formerly his coach Cudicini, nine years at the club, is out of expected to play players, especially the attacker Miroslav though their last off er of £18m , with Tal with the Brazil national team. The London contract in the summer, but Scolari cannot for Chelsea this Stoch, but the player he covets is the Man- Ben Haim moving in the other direction, club had tried to sign him in the summer. countenance being without him for the Saturday, in the FA chester City forward Robinho, the one that has been turned down by the Ewood Park business end of the season. He is perhaps Cup fourth-round got away last summer. Robinho is keen to club. Sid Lowe on the blog mindful that Petr Cech, his regular starter, tie against Ipswich quit City and join up with Scolari, his fel- “It’s well documented we have put in Is another galactico era upon us? has suff ered from injuries in recent sea- at Stamford Bridge low Brazilian, but the chances of a deal more than one off er,” Cook said. “The last guardian.co.uk/sport/blog sons and that his only other options in goal this month are slim. I heard, which was from [Blackburn’s man-