Special One Returns for Another Love Affair

NNewew VVisionision SPORT Wednesday, June 5, 2013 47 TRANSFER NEWS Neymar at Barca to help Messi Japan book Brazil ticket SAIRAMA over Japanese goalkeeper BARCELONA best for many years,” he said. Eiji Kawashima, who At a later news conference, World Cup qualifier flapped and failed to Brilliant Brazil striker Neymar he told reporters jamming the Japan 1 Australia 1 clear. flew into Barcelona and signed press room he had struggled But the Japanese were a five-year contract amid great to fight back the tears when he not to be denied and they had walked out on to the pitch. Japan became the first fanfare on Monday before an- side to qualify for the poured forward with the nouncing his priority was to “It is a great day for me and equaliser inevitably com- my family,” he said. World Cup finals in Brazil Real Madrid are preparing a help his idol Lionel Messi re- when playmaker Keisuke ing via Honda, who only surprise transfer offer for main the world’s best player. “I have never been concerned arrived in Japan on Mon- about winning the Ballon d’Or Honda scored an injury- out-of-favour Manchester The 21-year-old, who is just time penalty to claim a day after helping CSKA United striker Wayne under five years younger than or being the best player in the Moscow to the Russian world. 1-1 draw with Australia Rooney if they miss out on Messi, will line up with the Ar- in a dramatic finale in Cup on Saturday. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez. The gentine in a fearsome Barca at- “The best player is already His cross was handled England star was once a tar- here and that’s Messi. And now Saitama on Tuesday. tack next season after the Span- The Blue Samurai dom- in the area by full back get of Madrid president ish champions beat arch-rivals I can see him from close up and Matt McKay in stop- Florentino Perez and its help him.” inated for most of the Real Madrid in the race to lure match but failed to con- page time and the bleach thought the 27-year-old him from Santos. Neymar was accompanied by would act as the perfect Neymar during presentation vert that pressure into blond attacker stepped After passing medical tests Barca vice president Josep Ma- up to leather the spot kick marquee signing for the dium that playing for the club goals and Australia wing- and penning a deal that ties ria Bartomeu and sporting di- straight down the middle Spanish giants. It’s already was a dream come true. er Tommy Oar looked known that Rooney has him to Barca until June 2018, rector Andoni Zubizarreta and past Mark Schwarzer to “Barca is more than a club to have made them pay made it clear he wants to Neymar told the almost 60,000 Bartomeu revealed that Barca send the crowd into rap- and a great team and I want to had paid $74 million to sign when his 81st minute leave United. fans who had turned up to wel- cross from the left looped tures. ‘Morecome him at the Nou mature’ Camp sta- contribute Special to Messi staying Onethe Neymar. returns for another love affair Barcelona striker David Villa insists he is relaxed about his future amid reported interest from Premier League trio Mour’s second Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool. The 31-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to England after finding playing time limited with the Spanish champions. Villa, part of Spain’s Confederations Cup squad, insists he is not thinking too much about home arrival his next move. LONDON We are to ready to marry again Chelsea, in the best moment of and to be happy and successful my career, my stability as a man- Jose Mourinho has again,” the Portuguese told Chel- ager, my stability as a person,” returned to Chelsea sea TV on Monday after the club Mourinho said. as a “more mature” announced that he had signed a “I arrive in the best moment manager, at the “best four-year contract. ready to give everything I have to moment” of his “I feel myself not just a Chelsea try and make the club happy. career and ready manager, it’s the first time in my “I’m the same nature but much to begin building career that I arrive at a club that more mature with a different Liverpool goalkeeper another Stamford I already love. approach to things. Much more Pepe Reina has reiterated Bridge empire. “I am happy and proud ready to establish myself in the that he will not be leaving “Now we are because when you return to a club and stay for a long time.” Anfield to join Barcelona back together place it’s for some reason, it’s not Mourinho, who first joined this summer. The 30-year- at a great because you had good results Chelsea in 2004 and ended their old had been linked with a in the past, not just because the 50-year wait for a top-flight title, return to Barcelona as a moment replacement for Victor for both. fans like you, it’s because you left said he would not live off past Valdes, who was expected something here. I left something successes at the club. to leave Camp Nou in the here,” he said. “They (the fans) know I’m not close-season. Valdes has Mourinho, who left Real Ma- coming here to sleep on the now made it clear he drid last weekend after three past and to be comfortable just intends to stay with the years in Spain, returns to because we have a great feeling Spanish champions for the a club where he won and a great relationship,” he said. last year of his contract. the 2005 and 2006 Premier League Ground zero titles, as well “I’m very demanding with my- an FA Cup and self. I want to start from ground two League zero. I want to work hard again, Cups between to build a different team from the 2004 and one I did in the past. I want to 2007. have that pressure on myself, like After falling it was the first time I was here... out with make people feel they have a Chelsea’s reason to be happy with me.” billionaire Rather than spend millions of Arsenal defender Bacary owner pounds on big-money transfers, Sagna has confirmed he is Roman Mourinho said his priority was in talks to extend his con- Abramovich, to “improve the team through tract, but has not ruled out a return to homeland Mourinho moved work” before considering any France. Sagna, 30, is enter- on to Inter Milan, potential signings. ing into the final season of where he won a sec- “If I don’t do that I’m not happy his current deal at the ond Champions League with myself. If after that we can Emirates Stadium, and so after a first with Porto, improve the team by buying a could become a free agent and then to Real. couple of players it would of this time next year. Big- “Knowing these different course be fantastic.” spending pair Paris St. football cultures, being in differ- Mourinho should not have any Germain and Monaco are ent countries, was important for trouble settling into the old rou- said to be monitoring the my evolution as a manager and tine, especially with “three, four, situation. as a coach,” he said. five players from the beginning Mourinho directs Chelsea team training during his first spell at Now he is back. of the winning Chelsea” still at Compiled by Julius Senyimba the club and (inset) lifts the FA Cup trophy after victory in 2007 “I think I arrive in my club, my the club from his first spell. .

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