FC GRONINGEN – NEC

In Olanda le partite di Coppa sono molto sentite; vista la quota proviamo a giocare la vittoria del Groningen, anche se con il clima sia molto freddo la partita è aperta a tutte le combinazioni.

Pronostico: 1

Quota: 1,85

Risultato: 0-2

—

PARIS SAINT GERMAIN – GRENOBLE

La squadra parigina vorrà sicuramente ben figurare davanti ai propri tifosi prima della sosta natalizia; il Grenoble pare la vittima predestinata.

Pronostico: 1

Quota: 1,40

Risultato: 4-0

PSG keeper Apoula Edel, who has been given his time to shine since the injury to Greg Coupet, has been accused of lying about his name and age by his former trainer, Nicolas Philibert. Philibert claims that Edel is 27 rather than 23 and is named Ambroise Beyamena. He also claims that Edel owes him money that he will attempt to reclaim. Here is what he told France Bleu…

“In 2000 and 2001 I was the coach of Ambroise Beyamena, who was 19 years old.

This player has behaved very badly to me for four to five years. I visited him at his hotel before the Montpellier v Paris St Germain game. I told him I was not happy with his behavior and he laughed at me.

I told him: ‘Wait as I denounce the fact you have cheated with your age and your identity.’ He was 19 years old in 2000, he is 27 today.”

Saint-Etienne, who are in a tight relegation battle, attempted to complain to Ligue 1 about this issue prior to the match last weekend. Robin Leproux was quick to bite back at Philibert and the ASSE management…

“We have an administrative file on Edel which is absolutely clear about his sporting career and his two passports, Armenian and Cameroonian, his birth certificate and even copies of his parents’ identity papers.

We hold a clear and solid record. I have a feeling of disgust. We’re talking about a young player who has had a very hard journey.

Now he is succeeding, there are people who come out and make statements that amount to blackmail and extortion, and a vice-president of the league (St Etienne president Bernard Caiazzo) gives credit to those people. I am really disgusted.”

Take that Sainte. Just because we’ve got the best backup keeper in the league doesn’t mean you have to try to ruin his career.

• Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) full back Pavle Ninkov has caught the eye of several French clubs, according to L’Equipe. Both Nice and Toulouse are closely looking at the 24-year-old. Ninkov, who has been capped twice for the Serbia national team, has a contract with the Belgrade club through 2012, but depending on the offer could move this winter.

For Nice, who could be considered to have one of the poorer defenses in Ligue 1, Larrys Mabiala has failed to impress at right back since coming over from PSG at the end of last season. Ninkov would be a major boost to their inconsistent back line.

• Dynamo Kiev and Senegal national team defender Pape Diakhaté is intent on leaving his club and could return to Ligue 1.

Diakhaté wants to leave the Kiev immediately, admitting he no longer has the confidence of coach Valery Gazzayev. The 25-year-old player is said to desire a return to France, where he previously played with AS Nancy for six years (2001­-7). Diakhaté’s contract with the Ukrainian club is through June of 2011 but is determined to leave.

Nice, once again, is currently looking to change up their back line; Les Aiglons are showing the greatest interest in the defender.

• In other rumors: according to Globoesporte, Paris St.-Germain is believed to be courting Santos (Brazil) holding midfielder Rodrigo Souto. Les Parisiens have apparently offered Santos around € 4.5 million for his transfer and are willing to sign a four-year deal to the player.

The 26-year-old has played in Brazil for 10 years, and is ready to try his skills in Europe. He is considered an excellent ball handler in the midfield, and with his 6 ft. frame is very good in the air.

Rodrigo Souto (in white)

French club PSG are believed to have offered around €4.5 million for Santos’ defensive midfielder, Rodrigo Souto.

Since signing from Figueirense in 2006, the 26-year-old has played 170 games and scored 11 goals for the Vila Belmiro club.

Hugely underrated in Brazil, the player is one of the most effective in the country at winning the ball and making the quick smart pass. Souto is not a headline grabber and his playing style could best be described as quietly efficient. But for my money, Souto is one of the best midfielders currently operating in Brazil and I’ll be sorry to see him go if indeed he does make the move to France.

Le Paris Saint-Germain suivrait le milieu international danois Jakob Poulsen (26 ans, Aarhus), dont le contrat expire en juin 2012. Des clubs allemands (Hertha Berlin, Cologne) et anglais (Wigan, Hull City) seraient aussi sur le coup.

(Football365.fr)

Pfft, if this club has any self respect it should stop looking at players being eyed by some of the worst big league teams in Europe. This probably predicts something terrible, but I don’t want to think about it. Who is this guy anyway? I don’t even know what Aarhus is.

“According to a report in Le Parisien, Sidney Govou could be ready to swap Olympique Lyonnais forh Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires next summer.

Govou has found game-time increasingly hard to come by at Stade Gerland since Claude Puel took over as general manager of the club around 18 months ago. The offensive midfielder has been linked with a move away from the Rhone side regularly in the French media, with English Premier League clubs such as Portsmouth supposedly interested last summer.

However, the 30-year-old’s future may remain in France, specifically with les Parisiens, who are supposedly looking for a replacement for the out-of-form Ludovic Giuly. The former Barcelona man has not enjoyed a good season and was omitted entirely from Antoine Kombouare’s travelling part for the game against Girondins de Bordeaux last weekend.

Govou, who has been stripped of the captaincy at les Gones due to persistent misdemeanours, would relish the opportunity to become an indisputable starting player once again, and he would have that chance at the Parc des Princes.

With seven league titles under his belt, the Lyon-nurtured attacker is the only player in the current squad to have been with les Gones since they first became a dominant force in the French game during the early years of the present millennium. He has played 12 Ligue 1 games this season, starting ten and scoring two goals.”

(Goal.com)

A Lyon franchise player coming to a ninth place Ligue 1 side? Not happening, especially considering Sidney’s contract demands. The rumor isn’t worth the (virtual) paper it’s written on.

After suffering an injury to his ankle in last week’s match against Bordeaux, PSG doctors expected Mevlut Erding to be out for about three weeks.

But after an MRI was taken of his ankle, it seems like the injury is not as bad as initially expected and that they player has a good chance for suiting up for the club this weekend in their match against St. Etienne.

Both PSG and Les Vert haven’t been playing as well as many thought. Currently PSG sits in 9th place, while many expected the them to be challenging for a Europa League spot this season. St. Etienne is in 17th place, only three points out of the relegation zone.

According to L’Equipe, Erding said that it is possible that he will play Sunday, but that he also has to be very careful and cannot take any risks. Still, this is welcomed news for PSG as their striking force hasn’t look all that hot this year. The club were relying heavily on the services of Guillaume Hoarau this season, but he has either been injured or playing far from the form that we have seen from him in the past.

Or did they win 4-1? Who knows!

Right now, I am looking at the Ligue 1 website and, if you didn’t know it, Paris Saint Germain has defeated Auxerre by a score of 3-1.

Pedretti was the only scorer for Auxerre while Giuly, Erding and Luyindula scored for PSG.

And, despite reports, Ireneusz Jelen did play for Auxerre.

So, it looks like PSG is moving up the table and I congratulate them on their win.

The only problem is that this game hasn’t been played yet. I am looking at the Ligue 1 site, it is still an hour and a half until the two sides take on each other as Parc des Princes. Apparently, Ligue 1 is quite happy with a PSG win, even if the team doesn’t know it.

Again, congrats PSG.

It’s a cold and rainy holiday afternoon where I am, and while trolling through French football related information, I came upon three youtube videos I thought I’d share.

If you’re a sucker for goal videos…

That’s one excellent compilation of goals from last season. Also, take a look at one fans opinion of the best Ligue 1 goals ever (since the invention of youtube)…

And if you ever had doubts about the utter brilliance of Stephane Sessegnon…

…no longer. If nothing else, at least watch from 2:35 to 2:57.

London, Kero Pos – Bertandang ke markas Chelsea di Stamford Bridge, London, penyerang belia tanah air Syamsul Bahri kembali menjadi buah bibir dengan mengantarkan klub barunya West Ham United membukukan kemenangan pertama mereka untuk musim 2010-11. Gol semata wayang Bahri pada menit 52′ sekaligus menghentikan winning streak the Blues pada dua laga pembuka liga Premier sebelumnya.

Partai pekan ketiga liga Inggris tersebut merupakan pertandingan pertama Bahri diturunkan sebagai starter, setelah dilaporkan mengalami kesulitan dengan gaya permainan the Hammers, yang berbeda cukup drastis dengan klubnya sebelum ini, Paris Saint-Germain. “Permainan West Ham tidak bertumpu pada terobosan sayap seperti yang saya praktekkan bersama PSG musim lalu,” akunya seperti dilansir Kero Pos.

Laga yang dihelat pada Minggu waktu setempat ini berlangsung imbang antara kedua kubu, namun kemelut yang terjadi di depan gawang tuan rumah mampu dimaksimalkan Bahri untuk melesakkan bola dan mencetak gol pada babak kedua. Gol ini akhirnya menjadi satu-satunya gol, yang bertahan hingga peluit panjang ditiupkan wasit.

Kontroversi

Kedatangan Bahri ke Upton Park sendiri memunculkan banyak tanda tanya pada transfer window pra-musim edisi 2010. Pasalnya, penyerang usia 19 tahun ini baru saja mencuri perhatian dengan mengantarkan Paris Saint-Germain merengkuh gelar treble winners yang prestisius dengan memenangi Ligue 1, piala liga Perancis, dan Liga Champions sekaligus.

Sebelumnya naik daun dengan peran bagusnya menyukseskan Genoa — klub profesional pertamanya — menjuarai piala UEFA edisi terakhir, Bahri direkrut PSG pada window off-season 2009 untuk melapis duet Péguy Luyindula dan Guillaume Hoarau. Bahri justru sukses mendemosi senior-seniornya tersebut menjadi pelapisnya setelah sepertiga musim berjalan, dan berjasa mengangkat PSG dengan mencetak 40 gol dari total 39 pertandingan, berikut 27 penghargaan Man of the Match. Bahri juga dengan impresif berperan dalam semua gol yang diciptakan PSG dalam tiga partai krusial mereka di akhir musim — final piala liga, fixture penentu Ligue 1, dan final Liga Champions — baik melalui gol maupun assist. Di akhir musim Bahri meraih golden boot di semua kompetisi, kecuali Liga Champions di mana ia kalah satu gol dari bomber Chelsea Didier Drogba.

Bahri dalam interview FourFourTwo Oktober 2010.

Di tengah sukses besar yang diraihnya ketika belum kepala dua tersebut, Bahri secara mengejutkan mengumumkan kepindahannya ke West Ham pada awal musim ini. Padahal, klub London tersebut hanya menghuni papan tengah dan tidak mendapat tiket ke kompetisi Eropa manapun tahun ini.

“Saya menyukai tantangan dan sesuatu yang baru,” menurut Bahri. “Lebih menarik mencoba merintis dengan klub yang baru, ketimbang membantu satu klub kaya memenangkan hal yang sama tahun demi tahun.”

Kepindahan Bahri memicu kontroversi di Paris.

Debut dan Masa Depan

Bahri pertama kali diturunkan sebagai pemain pengganti kala West Ham dijamu West Bromwich Albion pada pekan kedua. Turun di babak kedua dan ketinggalan 0-3, Bahri sukses membukukan hat-trick pertamanya untuk menyelamatkan the Hammers dari kekalahan telak, dengan dua gol terakhir yang dicetak melalui injury time. Pasca laga piala liga melawan Wigan, Bahri langsung mengambil alih posisi lone striker inti dari Dean Ashton.

“Saya sangat bersemangat untuk mengantarkan West Ham menembus dominasi big four,” katanya. Pernyataan ini diprediksi akan semakin menaikkan namanya di komunitas pendukung West Ham, apalagi ia begitu dielu-elukan ketika dengan heroik menyelamatkan klub dari West Brom. Namun barangkali tidak bijak terlalu bergantung dengan Bahri, sebab ketika ditanya apakah akan loyal dengan klub barunya, ia mengaku tidak bisa berjanji.

Dengan kemenangan ini West Ham naik ke posisi enam klasemen sementara dengan lima poin dari tiga laga. Ini adalah kali keempat Bahri menundukkan the Blues, setelah bentrok tiga kali di Liga Champions edisi musim lalu. Pemain yang identik dengan nomor punggung 28 ini menargetkan bersaing mengalahkan rivalnya Drogba pada perebutan sepatu emas.

Sabtu esok tim asuhan Gianfranco Zola ini akan menjamu Hull City di Boleyn Ground.

El clásico francés entre el Olympique Marseille y el Paris Saint-Germain que debía jugarse hace varias fechas se disputó finalmente este fin de semana. El resultado final fue favorable para los marselleses 1-0 contra los parisinos. El gol de la victoria lo anotó el argentino Gabriel Heinze al minuto 25 de juego. Este juego había sido suspendido debido a que varios jugadores del PSG sufrían dela influenza humana, entre ellos Ludovic Giuly.

La derrota del Bordeaux en casa ante el Valenciennes por 0-1 aunado al empate del Lyon 1-1 en su visita al Grenoble, le permitió al sorprendente Auxerre treparse en la cima del fútbol galo. Coulibaly al 45’ y Ndinga al 88’ hiceron los goles con los que el Aucerre venció como local al AS Monaco.

RESULTADOS

Click on the thumbnails to see full size (Bấm vào hình nhỏ để xem hình lớn):

Les Verts or L'OM? The age-old question is finally answered!

The question has been asked for many years…”who is France’s most popular team?”

If you ask the average Ligue 1 fan, most would say their own team. If you ask others, the might say Marseille and St. Etienne. Some people have no clue whatsoever.

As a political consultant myself who deals primarily with numbers, and who has been getting into polling recently, I had to take a look at the poll conducted by Ifop, a French polling firm that usually looks into political polling. In July, they had conducted a poll for French newspaper Sud Ouest. And, if you follow Ligue 1, you might know about this poll already. And since I am a political consultant, this analysis of the poll might be long. Just a warning!

The poll was conducted on July 30th and 31st of 2009. Ifop interviewed 966 people, which should give the poll around a 3% margin or error.

The poll concluded that Marseille was the most popular team in France. 20% of respondents said that they supported L’OM, down 2% from 2004. The second most popular team is Paris St. Germain, with 11% support, the same as 2004.

Lyon followed with 11% as well, dropping six points from the 2007 poll, where they were at the height of their success.

And Bordeaux remained 4th, moving up only 3% from 2007 to finish at 10% this year. Les Girondins where the fastest moving club on the list, and are nipping at the toes of Lyon and PSG.

The the idea that St. Etienne is one of the most popular teams in France has been proved a myth by the Ifop polls conducted in the last five years. St. Etienne did finish 5th, but with only 4% of respondents saying they support Les Verts.

The teams that have fallen the most off as far as support are Monaco and Auxerre, who have gone from 5% in the past to only 1% in the latest poll. Maybe their recent form will help them move up yet again.

2% of respondents said they supported another team, down from 10% in 2004. 23% did not respond, down from 30% in 2004 as well.

So, all those numbers are nice and fine, but ‘who’ are the supporters of these teams.

Women respondents mostly support Marseille. 22% of women support L’OM, a 3% difference from men, who were only 19%. PSG were pretty even between male and female supporters. Lyon and Bordeaux, on the other hand, had a large discrepancy between male and female supporters. Both clubs scored much higher with male respondents with 6% gap for Lyon and a 9% gap for Bordeaux.

The youth also supports Marseille as well. Those who were 35 years old and younger supported Marseille, with 23% of the poll. The second highest team was Lyon, followed by PSG and Bordeaux. St. Etienne, on the other hand, only had 1% of the youth support, which might spell a shift in their support base. They don’t seem to be able to keep youths interested in the club, which might affect their future. Rennes had %5 while Lille had 4%, which might help their club in the future.

Another interesting fact was the geographical location of supporters. PSG only garnered 25% of support within Metropolitan Paris region. Marseille had the support of 14% of Parisians. 32% of Parisians didn’t have a favorite team or didn’t really follow football. This is the highest number of any region, which suggests that Paris is still a rugby-first city.

In the northeast section of the country, Marseille is still the top team with 22% of respondents. Lens gained 13% of northeastern support while Lille was only able to get 5%, which is highly disappointing.

In the northwest, an area that seems to be more of a Ligue 2 area than Ligue 1 now, Marseille was, again, the top team with 18% of respondents supporting Marseille. PSG and Bordeaux are not far behind though.

In the southwest, Bordeaux is the most dominant team with 34% of respondents supporting the club. 17% support L’OM while Toulouse is 3rd place with 9% of support in the southwest.

In the southeast, home of Marseille and Lyon, 30% of its residents support L’OM while 17% support Lyon. St. Etienne, which many have argued is the most popular team in France, was only able to get 12% of support in its own region.

And, because this is a poll, there has to be a political question involved. So, which party members support which team?

Supporters on the left, who support the Parti Socialist, Communist Party and a number of other socialist and communist parties, support Marseille with 22% of respondents. Bordeaux was second with 11% and Lyon third with 10%. Specifically, Marseille dominates in the Parti Socialist, France’s second largest political party, with 27% of PS support.

In the center, which includes Francois Bayrou’s Democratic Movement Party, Lyon was the team favored with 14% support. L’OM was at 13% while PSG had 9%, which is as much as their support on the left.

On the right, L’OM again leads the way with 20% of the votes. 16% of respondents support PSG while Lyon is at 13%. Supports of the UMP (Sarkozy and Chirac’s party) spread their support. Marseille hs 18% of UMP support, while PSG and Lyon were at 14%. Bordeaux was at 11%

Supporters of the Front National, lead by holocaust-denialist (if that is even a word…well, it is now) Jean-Marie Le Pen, support L’OM with 25% of support. PSG was second with 20% of support. Then the support drops with Lyon 3rd with 12%, and everyone else is in the single digits.

So, with all the numbers, what does this mean? I will use my ‘political expertises’ to figure it out.

First of all, France, like England, is a “Big Four” country. While the teams in Ligue 1 might be better from top to bottom compared to the EPL, the support base is very similar to England. No other teams in this poll show that they can really make an impact on the top four.

Second, if you are one of those teams with moderate support, it is easy to lose it. Monaco is a great example. While the poll doesn’t have data on support in the 1990s, one would have to assume that Monaco and St. Etienne had to be up there. But with Monaco at 1%, their fan base has all but disappeared.

Third. Of the top teams, only three of them are able to transend political lines. Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux seems to have a good distribution of support from every part of the political spectrum. Paris St-Germain, on the other hand, seems to have a lot more right-wing support, especially from the ultra-conservative FN.

Geographically, Marseille is the only team that is marketable nationwide. They are able to enjoy support in all regions of France. PSG and Bordeaux, on the other hand, seems to be regional teams, especially with the latter. Bordeaux’s support is mostly entirely in  the southwest.

Overall, it is easy. Marseille is the most popular team in France. They have support everywhere in the country. No matter the political party, L’OM has support. Basically, they are easily the most popular team. Even with Lyon’s seven championships in a row and Bordeaux winning last year, Marseille is still the team to beat.

And the misconception of St. Etienne being the most popular team in France is exactly that, a misconception. They are 5th, but way behind the top four.

Here is the polling data from ifop (in French);

http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/916-1-study_file.pdf

O artigo do HP falando sobre as relações dos times de futebol e de rugby no Brasil me motivou a fazer uma lista de equipes esportivas que possuem equipes de rugby (union ou league) e de futebol. São vários exemplos pelo mundo. Vamos a eles!

França

A França conta com alguns dos mais antigos exemplos de clubes esportivos que tem ou tiveram equipes nas três modalidades de futebol mais populares na Europa: rugby union, rugby league e futebol association, ou simplesmete futebol.

Racing Club de France

Rugby Union: Atualmente o Racing possui uma equipe profissional de rugby que disputa o Top 14, a primeira divisão francesa. O time profissional, chamado de Racing Métro 92, é fruto da fusão dos departamentos de rugby do Racing Club de France e do US Métro. O Racing venceu o Campeonato Francês de Rugby por 5 vezes: 1892, 1900, 1902, 1959, 1990.

Futebol: o Racing é um dos grandes clubes históricos do futebol parisiense. O time foi campeão francês em 1936, e da Copa da França por 5 oportunidades. Disputou por décadas a primeira divisão francesa, mas começou um longo período de decadência a partir da década de 1960, quando foi rebaixado à segunda divisão. O clube teve um momento de renascimento nos anos 80, mas logo voltou às divisões inferiores, aos sérios problemas financeiros e ao quase esquecimento. Hoje, o time de futebol do Racing disputa a CFA, a quarta divisão do futebol francês, amadora.

Stade Français Paris

Rugby Union: O Stade Français é um dos gigantes do rugby francês. Disputa atualmente o Top 14, já venceu o campeonato nacional por 13 vezes e alcançou 2 vice-campeonatos europeu. Após passar um jejum de 90 anos sem títulos, e de mais de 50 anos passados nas divisões inferiores do rugby nacional, a equipe de rugby do Stade Français foi comprada por Max Guazzini, poderoso empresário francês, que fundiu o departamento de rugby do clube ao departamento de rugby do Club Athlétique des Sports Généraux (CASG), e transformou o time parisiense em uma potência do rugby mundial na década de 90.

Futebol: O Stade Français é um dos grande clubes históricos do futebol parisiense que, juntamente com o Racing e com o Red Star, formavam a trinca futebolística da cidade até a década de 60 (o PSG ainda não havia sido fundado). A equipe jogou a primeira divisão  francesa por 15, até ser rebaixado à segunda divisão em 1967. Com o rebaixamento, o clube decidiu pôr fim ao profissionalismo de seu futebol. Desde então, o Stade conta apenas com equipes amadoras de futebol.

Bayonne (Aviron Bayonnais)

O Aviron Bayonnais, usualmente conhecido como Bayonne, é atualmente o único clube francês equipes profissionais tanto de rugby union como de futebol.

Rugby Union: é o esporte tradicionalmente mais forte do clube. O Bayonne tem 3 títulos do Campeonato Francês e 2 do Challenge Yves du Manoir. A equipe profissional atualmente disputa o Top 14.

Futebol: o time de futebol do Bayonne atualmente disputa a terceira divisão profissional da França, o Championnat National.

Stade Bordelais/Union Bordeaux

Rugby Union: o Stade Bordelais foi uma das grandes forças do rugby francês do início do século XX, e bastião do rugby union de Bordeaux, tendo sido campeão francês por 7 vezes. Até 2005, o Stade Bordelais possuía uma equipe profissional de rugby, tendo disputado a Pro D2. Em 2006, o clube decidiu fundir seu departamente profissional de rugby com o Bordeaux-Bégles, o outro clube profissional de rugby da cidade, que se encontrava na segunda divisão. A fusão dos dois departamentos deu origem ao Union Bordeaux, equipe profissional de rugby que disputa atualmente a Pro D2.

Futebol: O Stade Bordelais possui uma equipe amadora de futebol que atualmente disputa a CFA, a quarta divisão do futebol francês. Contudo, até a década de 1920, o time jogou as principais divisões do futebol nacional.

Paris Saint Germain

Futebol: Famoso clube de futebol de Paris. Principal time da cidade, atualmente disputa a Primeira Divisão e já foi campeão francês 2 vezes.

Rugby League: o PSG já possuiu uma equipe profissional de Rugby League (Rugby à XIII), que disputou a Super League, a principal divisão do Rugby League da Inglaterra, por dois anos (1996 e 1997). Devido aos maus resultados e ao público fraco, a equipe foi fechada em 1997.

Argentina

Diversos clubes esportivos argentinos possuem seções de futebol e de rugby, mas, devido à ideologia do amadorismo vigente nos clubes onde o rugby é forte, todos os casos de clubes que possuem seções de ambos os esportes são amadores em ambos. Desta forma, destaquei apenas um clube, por ter uma rica história de títulos nacionais nas duas modalidades. Trata-se do Alumni, que já foi trazido ao leitor do Blog do Rugby pelo Atlas do Rugby.

Alumni

Rugby Union: campeão argentino 1 vez e campeão de Buenos Aires (URBA) por 5 vezes, o Alumni é hoje um dos principais clubes de rugby da Argentina.

Futebol: Um dos grandes clubes históricos do futebol argentino, tendo sido um dos ícones do esporte no final do século XIX e início do XX. A equipe de futebol foi dissolvida em 1913, mas deixou um legado impressionante: 10 títulos argentinos e muitos adeptos que viriam a refundar o clube anos depois, mas já completamente alheio das grandescompetições nacionais, permanecendo no amadorismo, como meramente um clube social.

Inglaterra

Fulham

Futebol: clube de Londres que disputa atualmente a Premier League inglesa.

Rugby League: Em 1980, o Fulham anunciou a criação de um time profissional de rugby league. A equipe começou na primeira divisão inglesa, mas logo foi rebaixada. Em 1991, o time mudou de nome para London Crusaders, e passou a não ter mais vinculação ao Fulham.

Itália

S. S. Lazio

Futebol: Um dos grandes clubes da cidade de Roma, bicampeã italiana.

Rugby Union: A Lazio é uma verdadeira sociedade esportiva. O clube conta com 37 seções esportivas, sendo uma delas a do rugby. O time biancoblu disputa atualmente a segunda divisão do campeonato italiano, a Serie A. Junto com o Rugby Roma Olimpic e com a Capitolina, os três clubes romanos lançaram a candidatura do Praetoriani (Praetorians) Roma(e) para ser um dos times profissionais italianos na Magners League 2010-11.

Portugal

S. L. Benfica

Futebol: simplesmente o maior campeão do futebol português.

Rugby Union: o Benfica venceu o campeonato nacional por 7 vezes e a taça de Portugal 9 vezes, sendo um dos principais times do rugby português.

Os Belenenses

Futebol: um dos mais tradicionais clubes portugueses. Campeão nacional em 1 oportunidade, Os Belenenses estão na primeira divisão do campeonato português.

Rugby Union: 7 vezes campeão português e 3 vezes campeão da taça de Portugal, trata-se de um dos principais times da modalidade no país.

Académica de Coimbra

Futebol: um dos mais antigos e tradicionais clubes portugueses, atualmente disputa a primeira divisão do país.

Rugby Union: A Associação Académica de Coimbra é uma grande e antiga associação esportiva, que conta com as mais variadas modalidades. O time de rugby da associação disputa a primeira divisão do Campeonato Português de Rugby e já foi campeã 4 vezes do certame.

Espanha

Sevilla FC

Futebol: um dos dois grandes clubes da cidade de Sevilha, bicamepeão da Copa da UEFA.

Rugby Union: O Sevilha vem sendo um dos apoiadores da iniciativa de profissionalizar o rugby espanhol, tendo assumido o controle de uma das franquias da nova Liga Superibérica: o  Sevilla FC Andalucía, também chamado de Cartujanos de Andalucía.

FC Barcelona

Futebol: gigante do futebol espanhol e mundial.

Rugby Union: O time de rugby do Barça disputa atualmente a segunda divisão do Campeonato Espanhol, mas possui uma longa tradição no esporte. A seção de rugby foi criada em 1924, e desde então foi campeã nacional 15 vezes, um dos maiores vencedores do país.

Real Madrid

Futebol: um dos gigantes do futebol epsanhol e mundial.

Rugby Union: deviso à popularização do rugby na Espanha e ao fato de o Barcelona ter uma equipe na modalidade, o Real Madrid veio se interessante nos últimos tempos em montar um time de rugby. Um acordo com o CRC Madrid, clube de rugby da cidade, para incorporá-lo como a seção de rugby do Real Madrid já foi feito, mas ainda não foi posto em prática.

Romênia

Steaua Bucaresti

Futebol: maior campeão e maior clube da Romênia

Rugby Union: assim como no futebol, o Steaua é o principal expoente e maior campeão do rugby romeno, com 24 títulos.

Dinamo Bucaresti

Futebol: segundo maior campeão do futebol romeno.

Rugby Union: segundo maior campeão do rugby romeno, com 16 conquistas

Farul Constanta

Futebol: tradicional clube do futebol romeno, atualmente disputa a segunda divisão do país.

Rugby Union: um dos mais importanes times de rugby do país. Foi campeão nacional por 6 vezes, e entrou para a história do rugby europeu ao sediar a primeira partida da história da Heineken Cup, em 1995.

Univeristatea Cluj

Futebol: atualmente disputa a segunda divisão profissional do futebol romeno.

Rugby Union: disputa atualmente a primeira divisão do Campeonato Romeno de Rugby.

Rússia

Lokomotiv Moskva

Futebol: um dos cinco grande clubes de Moscou, já foi campeão russo por 2 vezes. Trata-se de uma importante sociedade esportiva, com seções de vários esportes.

Rugby League: o Lokomotiv possui uma das principais equipes de Rugby League da Rússia, tendo vencido o campeonato nacional 6 vezes.

Rugby Union: antes de possuir uma equipe de rugby league, o Lokomotiv tinha uma seção de rugby union que, inclusive, foi campeã russa 1 vez. Em 1991, após a visita do time de rugby league do Fulham, da Inglaterra, o Lokomotiv resolveu trocar de código, transformando sua equipe de rugby union em time de rugby league.

Geórgia

Dinamo Tbilisi

Futebol: principal clube do país, chegou a ser campeão soviético duas vezes.

Rugby Union: também um ex-campeão soviético. Trata-se do primeiro time de rugby union da Geórgia.

Lokomotive Tbilisi

Futebol: um dos principais times de futebol do país, disputa atualmente a primeira divisão nacional.

Rugby Union: um dos principais times de rugby do país.

Alemanha

Eintracht Frankfurt

Futebol: principal clube de futebol da cidade, disputa atualmente a divisão de elite do futebol alemão, a Bundesliga.

Rugby Union: o Eintracht Frankfurt é uma grande sociedade esportiva, que possui seções de muitos esportes. O time de rugby do clube existe desde 1923, e hoje disputa as divisões inferiores do rugby alemão.

St. Pauli

Futebol: famoso clube alternativo kult da cidade de Hamburgo. Disputa atualmente a segunda divisão do país, é mais conhecido pelos seus torcedores que pelo seu futebol.

Rugby Union: o St. Pauli é um grande clube esportivo, e possui seções de vários esportes. O time de rugby disputa a segunda divisão do Campeonato Alemão.

República Tcheca

Sparta Praga

Futebol: maior clube e maior campeão do futebol tcheco.

Rugby Union: o Sparta possui seções de vários esportes, sendo um deles o rugby. Possui um dos principais times do país.

Slavia Praga

Futebol: segundo maior time do futebol tcheco.

Rugby Union: disputa a primeira divisão do rugby tcheco, a Extraliga.

Chile

Universidad Católica

Futebol: um dos três grandes clubes do futebol chileno.

Rugby Union: maior campeão do rugby chileno, já venceu o Campeonato Central de Rugby 19 vezes.

El día de ayer el clásico del fútbol francés entre Olympique Marseille y el Paris Saint-Germain, fue suspendido porque tres jugadores parisinos están enfermos de influenza. El día de hoy el club Blackburn Rovers de Inglaterra, informó que al menos tres de sus jugadores y probablemente otros miembros del club tienen la influenza humana. La directiva no quiso dar a conocer los nombres de los jugadores enfermos. Aunque se cree por un comunicado anterior del club en su website donde informaron que dos de sus jugadores tenían un virus, que los posibles afectados serían David Dunn y Chris Samba. Dunn y Samba no fueron de la partida en el juego del fin de semana pasado ante Chelsea.

Ludovic Giuly es uno de los jugadores del PSG con AH1N1.

El clásico del fútbol francés que se disputaría el día de hoy entre el Olympique Marseille y el Paris Saint-Germain fue suspendido, debido a que tres jugadores de la escuadra parisina fueron diagnosticados con la Influenza AH1N1. Los jugadores que padecen el mal son Ludovic Giuly, Mamadou Sahko y Jérémy Clément. Al parecer el jugador Loris Arnaud y un miembro del cuerpo técnico, también presentan los síntomas del mal.
La noticia fue mal tomada en Marsella, donde los aficionados locales provocaron algunos actos vandálicos. La dirigencia del Olympique se quejó porque el juego se suspendió hoy (antes de disputarse) y no antes.

En el resto de la jornada destacan las caídas de Lyon y Montpellier. Estos resultados le permiten al Girondins alcanzar la cima del fútbol galo una vez más.

RESULTADOS

Vieria heading back to east London?

As was posted on here a few days ago with Franck Ribery, the transfer market talk is already starting up.

Update on the Ribery situation, Sky Sports reports that Robinho is no longer being target by Barcelona. That is according to the Spanish club itself.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes gave Barca a ‘hands off’ warning in regards to Robinho back in the summer. And Barca say that they have not worked with Man City on any offer for the Brazilian since that warning. And according to Sky Sports, Hughes insists that Man City still have no intention on moving the striker, even though Robinho said to the press recently that he would like to see a move to Barcelona.

 This gives more meat to the report that Franck Ribery is looking more toward a transfer to a Spanish club. Barcelona have already stated that they are interested in Ribery, trying to beat Real Madrid to the Frenchman.

In Bordeaux, the Marouane Chamakh talk is starting again. The striker’s contact with Bordeaux ends next summer, and club owner Nicolas de Tavernost stated that he would like for Chamakh to stay with the club for at least one more year. Still, while there is talk about Chamakh moving to a bigger club, there is no clue to what that bigger club might be just yet.

Still, a few months ago, Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc said that he had no intention of transferring Chamakh during the winter, especially if they are in a championship run. But, if he refuses to sign a contract, maybe it is the best for the team to let him go.

Stephane Sessegnon also said to Sky Sports that he has been approached by British clubs in the last year, but has decided to stay in France for a number of reasons.

“I decided to stay in PSG because I have a lot to learn before coming to a very big league and another big club in a country I can’t speak the language of,” said Sessegnon to Sky Sports.

Sky Sports also report that Sessegnon said that he is in to rush to move to any team and is happy at PSG. So, you can take Stephane Sessegnon off your possible transfers for 2009-2010.

Patrick Vieira, according to the Sunday Mirror, is being targeted by West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola. Vieria said earlier in the month that he was going to switch clubs, and that he has no intention of continuing playing for Inter Milan, where is has only played six times.

He also feels that he needs to be on a team where he will have a starting role, unlike at Inter where he is surplus, so he can make a case for being put back on the French National Team.

Therefore, Vieria won’t be in an Inter jersey, and West Ham are looking like the favorites as of now. But, according to ESPN, Paris St-Germain are also expected to make a move for the midfielder.

So, a recap…Sessegnonis staying in Ligue 1, we have no idea what is going on with Chamakh, and Ribery will not play in Germany next year. The question is where he will play. And Vieria will be moving, and England and France are the front-runners.

Emergenza influenza A nella Premier League. Dopo il Blackburn, anche il Bolton ha reso noto che cinque suoi giocatori e un membro dello staff sono stati contagiati dal virus H1N1, anche se quattro calciatori si sono già ripresi. L’annuncio è stato dato dall’allenatore del club, Gary Megson, alla vigilia della sfida di Carling Cup contro il Chelsea di Carlo Ancelotti. Per ora il Chelsea minimizza l’allarme per un possibile contagio dei suoi giocatori che sabato avevano affrontato proprio il Blackburn, squadra in cui sono già stati accertati cinque casi di calciatori contagiati. Al momento in Inghilterra nessuna gara è stata rinviata, a differenza di quanto accaduto in Francia per Marsiglia-Paris Saint Germain.

Nella seconda divisione del campionato spagnolo invece potrebbero essere addirittura 10 i calciatori cotnagiati. Il virus avrebbe colpito lo spogliatoio del Betis Siviglia: lo ha annunciato lo stesso club spagnolo con una nota diffusa sul suo sito internet. Nella nota, il medico sociale Tomas Calero sottolinea che “cinque calciatori, Carlos Garca, Sergio Garca, Arzu, Sunny e Nelson hanno manifestato i sintomi dell’influenza A e c’è il sospetto che altri cinque abbiano contratto il virus. I test sono stati effettuati oggi, e i risultati saranno disponibili tra 48 ore”. Calero ha aggiunto che “i sintomi indicano che si tratta di influenza suina, ma dobbiamo attendere i risultati”