Valence : Aimar sur le départ (03/04)
L´avenir du milieu de terrain argentin Pablo Aimar sous les couleurs de Valence s´est brusquement assombri. D´après le site tribalfootball, celui que l´on surnomme le clown ne serait plus en odeur de sainteté du côté de Mestalla. Valence s´est en effet dit ouvert à toutes propositions intéressantes pour son ancien prodige de 26 ans, qui tente encore de gagner une place en séléction en vue du Mondial 2006. L´entraîneur du club Quique Flores le considèrerait même comme un luxe au vue des finances actuelles du club. Luxe donc que Valence ne peut se permettre. Déjà approché cette saison par Liverpool et Manchester Utd, Aimar pourrait plier bagage dès l´été et nul doute que beaucoup de clubs chercheront malgré tout à s´attacher ses services ...

United sponsor talks off

Sponsorship talks between Manchester United and gaming company Mansion have been called off.

The betting and casino giant were considering backing The Red Devils as their main sponsor in a four-year deal which could have been worth close to £70 million, and would have been the biggest shirt deal in world football.

A number of major companies have been linked with United since it was announced earlier this season that their current sponsor deal with Vodafone would cease at the end of the current Premiership campaign.

Mansion, though, looked to be in prime position and it was widely reported in the British press that a deal would be announced in the next few weeks.

However, Mansion have confirmed that they are no longer in discussions with the Old Trafford outfit.

"We are very disappointed at the manner in which Manchester United have concluded these contract negotiations and are very surprised that the discussions were terminated at this late stage, in what we consider to be an unprofessional manner," said Mansion´s chief operating officer David Kinsman.

"We are not naive businessmen by any stretch of the imagination but this has left us flabbergasted.

"This might be the way Manchester United do business but it does not suit us.

"It was indicated to us that we had done a deal and I flew in from China for a meeting with Andy Anson to that effect.

"It was something of a surprise therefore to be told last night that United had been negotiating with someone else.

"During the negotiating process we had no idea this kind of double dealing was going on. Manchester United have not acted as we expected them to."

In an official statement, Mansion said: "We announce that discussions with Manchester United worth between £65-£70million over four years, have been terminated.

"Over the weekend, the club informed our negotiation team that throughout their discussions another company have been simultaneously agreeing a deal with the club.

"Mansion´s offer, to be satisfied entirely in cash, with substantial up-front payments, would have been a significant deal for Manchester United.

"In addition to the cash offer, the deal would have included a revenue share opportunity for the club in a co-branded online gaming product, potentially raising further revenue for both parties in international markets.

"Manchester United also wanted provisions in the deal to include the purchase of up to 20 percent of Mansion should an IPO of the company ever take place.

"We are now actively seeking another major sponsorship deal in the English Premier League.

"The company are currently reviewing a variety of opportunities to partner a club with an international fan base."

United reacted by insisting that their talks over sponsorship had never been ´exclusive´.

"We would understand why anybody would be disappointed at not securing the shirt sponsorship deal for Manchester United," said a Red Devils statement.

"We have not and do not enter into periods of exclusive negotiation and every party we have discussed the shirt sponsorship with are aware of that.

"All the parties were aware that several discussions were going on at the same time and our priority is to look for the most appropriate deal for Manchester United.

"It´s only the third time we have sold this property and clearly we want to get it right. We have been having discussions with Mansion, and we are sorry they feel that way and wish them every success in the future."

Middle East-based airlines Qatar Airways and Etihad of the United Arab Emirates have also been mentioned in connection with United over the past few months.

Pas de contrat avec Mansion finalement. Le contrat devait se négocier entre 65 et 70M£ sur 4 ans.

Man Utd sponsorship talks lapse

Talks have broken down between Manchester United and a Gibraltar-based online casino firm about the company becoming the club´s new shirt sponsor.

Mansion, a casino, sports betting and entertainment firm, confirmed that talks about a £70m deal had ended.

The club is looking for a new sponsor to replace Vodafone, whose £9m-a-year deal ends at the end of the season.

United said in November it was in discussions with a "number of world class" potential suitors.

´Significant deal´

Manchester United has not commented on Monday´s development.

In a statement, Mansion said that it had pulled out of talks because United had informed the firm it was also talking to another possible sponsor.

"We today announce that discussions with Manchester United worth between £65m and £70m over four years, have been terminated," it said.

"Mansion´s offer would have been a significant deal for Manchester United," it added.

According to Mansion, the two parties discussed a joint gaming venture which could have potentially helped to raise income for the club in overseas markets.

It also said that United wanted the option of buying a 20% stake in Mansion should the company ever float its business.

Rivalling Chelsea

Vodafone announced last November that it would end its four-year £36m sponsorship deal with the club in May.

The telecoms giant first started sponsoring United in 2000.

United are hoping to rival or even exceed Chelsea´s current £50m five-year deal with Samsung, the largest shirt sponsorship agreement in the English Premiership.

The deal is seen as crucial to the Glazer family, the club´s owners, as they seek to increase the club´s revenues and bolster the club´s squad.

United lost their crown as the world´s richest club last year when they were overtaken by Real Madrid.

finalement glazer a toujours rien de réussi de positif alors ...

33400

donc pas de mansion mais alors quel sera le sponsor de manchester l´année prochaine

aucun un maillot sans sponsor

ca aurait de la classe

c´est nul je le trouve beau moi le maillot avec vodafone^^si y a un nouveau spponsor jcrois ke jirai macheter le maillot avec un beau flocage ROONEY

Une société de poker en ligne conclut un accord de financement historique avec le Manchester united

Le casino en ligne et société de poker Mansion devrait signer un accord de sponsoring historique avec le géant du football, Manchester United. Mansion a battu Etihad Airways, le géant du mobile O2 et LG Electronics. Le coût de remplacement de Vodafone, l´ancien sponsors de l´équipe, coûtera à Mansion 60 millions de Livres Sterling (soit 104.3 millions de dollars) pour quatre années de financement. Les avocats du Manchester United devraient conclure ce deal dès la fin de la semaine. Le Deal Mansion/Manchester bat le record de Chelsea, qui avait obtenu un sponsorship de Samsung pour 50 m £.

Apparemment, Mansion aime le chiffre 60 millions. Il y a quelques mois, Mansion avait déjà battu un record avec MansionPoker.net Série Pokerdome, une emission de poker au grand prix en "winner takes all" de 60 million de dollars. On peut espérer que ce deal de Mansion avec le Manchester United connaîtra plus de succès que le Pokerdome, comme nous l´avions rapporté à Poker777, la commission des jeux du Nevada, qui affirme que le Pokerdome Pokerdome, l´arène révolutionnaire du poker actuellement construite pour la série, demande une "licence sans restrictions", qui risque de n´être jamais attribuée.

Source: Equipe de Poker777

A moins d´un retournement de situation c´est bien fini avec Mansion.

Apparemment un sponsor a quasiment signé, ce qui expliquerait que MU ait mis fin aux négociations avec Mansion...

Etihad ou Qatar Airways pour le Times, Nokia pour le Telegraph, mais ptet une surprise (style American Insurance Group, AIG).

Man Utd : Giggs - "Nous manquons de matchs" (04/04)
Le milieu offensif de Manchester United, Ryan Giggs, est lui aussi confiant quant à un probable retour de United sur Chelsea au sommet de la Premier League. "Tout ce que nous pouvons faire c’est nous concentrer sur notre travail et continuer à jouer de la façon dont nous le faisons. Le problème c’est que nous manquons de matchs", a déclaré le Gallois à MUTV. "Nous avons de gros matchs à venir mais c’est toujours ainsi à cette époque de la saison. Il y a toujours quelque chose en jeu, qui que vous jouiez, car vous affrontez des équipes qui se battent pour la survie ou pour les places européennes", a indiqué Giggs. Manchester jouera un premier grand test contre Arsenal, dimanche, pour le compte de la 33e journée.

Reserves against City

--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------

Piqué Relishing Final Furlong

Gerard Piqué views Tuesday night´s Manchester derby as the first of three consecutive cup finals for United´s Reserves.

The table-topping Reds currently lead Middlesbrough by five points and Aston Villa - who have two games in hand - by six points with three league games remaining.

United face City in their final home game before tricky trips to Liverpool and title rivals Villa in an intriguing climax to the campaign.

"We have just a few matches left and every match is like a final," Piqué told MUTV. "If we win all the games we will have won the league so it depends on us."

"We have three of the most difficult matches left, because it´s City at home but the last two games are away at Villa and Liverpool.

"We´ll have to fight to win the games, but we have the team to do it and to win the league."

Piqué will be partnered in central defence against City by Jonny Evans, who has returned to the starting line-up after recovering from a groin injury.

The Irish defender made a substitute cameo against West Brom last week, and impressed boss Rene Meulensteen sufficiently to merit his full recall for the Reds´ final home game of the season.

"I was very impressed with the way Jonny came back in the team," Rene told ManUtd.com after the game. "He was very composed and did exactly what I wanted."

Evans replaces Ryan Shawcross in the only change to the side that beat West Brom.

Luke Steele continues in goal with Evans, Piqué, Phil Marsh and Danny Rose in defence.

Darron Gibson and Ritchie Jones reprise their partnership in the centre of midfield, while Markus Neumayr and Jamie Mullan occupy the flanks.

Fraizer Campbell partners Giuseppe Rossi upfront as United chase the goals to edge them closer to retaining the FAPRL title.

United: Steele, Marsh, Rose, Piqué, J Evans, Gibson, R Jones, Neumayr, Campbell, Rossi, Mullan.
Substitutes: Gray, Zieler, Shawcross, Barnes, Lea

The Manchester derby is live and exclusive on MUTV from 6.15pm.

Report by Steve Bartram

Victoire 6-0 de la réserve, quadruplé de Campbell, un but de Neumayr et un de l´inévitable Rossi. Le titre approche

Milan AC : Shevchenko proche de G.Muller
mercredi 05 avril 2006 - 12 h 00

Grâce à son but inscrit contre Lyon mardi en quart de finale de la Ligue des Champions, Andrei Shevchenko s’est un peu plus rapproché du record de Gerd Muller. L’Ukrainien a déjà inscrit 56 buts toutes compétitions européennes confondues et n’est plus qu’à six buts de l’Allemand.

Le classement au mercredi 5 avril 2006
1- Gerd Muller (ALL)* 62 buts/69 matchs
2- Andrei Shevchenko (UKR) 56/94
2- Eusebio (POR)* 56/72
4- Raul (ESP) 53/109
5- Filippo Inzaghi (ITA) 52/80
6- Alfredo Di Stefano (ARG-ESP)* 50/58
7- Thierry Henry (FRA) 49/99
8- Carlos Santillana (ESP)* 47/87
8- RUUD VAN NISTELROOY (PBS) 47/62
10- Henrik Larsson (SUE) 46/66

ruud va tous les prendre l´année prochaine

les reserves ont detruit city ca fait plaisir

Quand tu vois le nombre de but, pour le nombre de match, c´t un monstre le mec quand meme.

Ferguson to watch Diarra and Mascherano?

--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------

United deal themselves strong hand twice over
By Oliver Kay
The Times

AT THE end of what could prove a significant 24 hours for the club, Manchester United were close to securing a British record sponsorship deal last night with American Investment Group (AIG), while Sir Alex Ferguson was in Milan after stepping up his interest in Mahamadou Diarra, the Lyons midfield player who could prove to be the “new Roy Keane”.

Along with Javier Mascherano, of Corinthians, Diarra has been identified by Ferguson as the leading candidate to fill the void left in the United midfield by Keane’s departure. The 24-year-old, who plays for Mali, has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and, more tentatively, Chelsea, but Ferguson hoped to steal a march on United’s rivals by watching Diarra play against AC Milan in last night’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg.

He will have been impressed with Diarra’s persistence in heading in the goal that, for almost an hour, looked like sending Lyons into the semi-finals. But Milan scored twice in the last three minutes to secure a 3-1 aggregate win.

It is unlikely to have escaped Ferguson’s notice that Diarra’s agent, Frédéric Guerra, was also in Milan to watch the match, but whether or not their paths crossed, the main object of the exercise was to find out if, as members of the United scouting team have suggested, the player seems to have what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford.

Guerra recently described Diarra as “the best defensive midfielder in Europe”. Unfortunately for United, he will not come cheap, having been valued in excess of £20 million by Lyons.

Ferguson also plans to take the opportunity to travel to Brazil to watch Mascherano play for Corinthians in the coming weeks, illustrating his commitment to finding the right man to fill Keane’s boots. Still two months short of his 22nd birthday, Mascherano would represent the less experienced of the two options, particularly in terms of European football, but Ferguson is enthused by the prospect of signing the young Argentinian, whom Chelsea have long believed they are in pole position to land after this summer’s World Cup finals.

Ptite rumeur sur Diarra, vu que Sir Alex était hier à Milan...

Manchester United aurait signé un contrat record pour un club britannique la nuit dernière avec le groupe américain d´investissement AIG. L´accord imminent entre United et AIG - qui semble avoir battu la concurrence de Mansion, les compagnies aériennes d´Etihad Airways et Qatar Airways, et LG Electronics - surpassera facilement le contrat record des Anglais de Chelsea avec Samsung qui s´élève à £10M par an (€.14M).

Même si le record du monde reste en Italie et plus précisement à Turin, la Juventus recevant €240 millions (environ £167.5 millions) sur dix ans avec Tamoil, l´affaire de United avec AIG est sûre d´être près de celle qu´ils avaient précédemment mise au point avec Mansion, la compagnie de casinos, qui a prétendu avoir un accord sur la base "£60 millions à £65 millions sur quatre ans" (86 à 93 millions d´euros).

Mais la compagnie Mansion reste fâchée avec United, l´accusant d´avoir cherché ailleurs durant les negociations, mais le club croit que AIG, le géant des assurances basé a New York, est une compagnie plus appropriée pour prendre le relais de Vodafone, qui a mis fin a son contrat de £9M (€.13M) par an en novembre.

Les dirigeants du club ont fait un communiqué lundi pour répondre aux commentaires furieux de Mansion, qui sont restés silencieux hier. Le directeur des relations publiques d´AIG Peter Tulupman, a cependant déclaré: "Nous ne commenterons pas des rumeurs et des spéculations", mais on s´attend à ce que l´affaire soit annoncée dans les prochains jours.

Gill calm over breakdown

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has explained the breakdown of the sponsorship negotiations with gaming company Mansion.

Mansion were in pole position to replace Vodafone as United´s shirt sponsors with some newspaper reports prematurely claiming the deal had already been done.

However, Mansion pulled the plug on the reported £70 million deal because The Red Devils were negotiating with another interested party.

Gill has made it clear that all bidders were aware there was no exclusivity agreement in the negotiations.

"At the end of the day, they chose to go public," Gill informed Sky Sports News.

"I think if you look at the facts behind what they said, we clearly didn´t agree to an exclusivity period.

"Every meeting I was at, or one of my team was at, we made it clear that was the case.

"We´re very comfortable that we dealt with it very appropriately and we believe we will be announcing a deal that is seen to be the best deal for the club.

"It´s important to know it´s only the third sponsors in the history of Manchester United so we´ve got to do the best deal for the club.

"Unfortunately, you can only sell it once, it´s not as if you have many shirts to sell from."

Keane testimonial to break record

Celtic star Roy Keane´s testimonial against Manchester United is expected to attract the biggest away support at a British game.

United originally offered Celtic 20,000 tickets for the 9 May match but have now allocated the entire North Stand at Old Trafford to the Scottish club.

The North Stand holds approximately 25,500 people and Celtic are likely to sell their entire allocation.

The match is expected to attract an overall crowd of more than 70,000.

Keane has pledged to give away 1,000 tickets to Manchester schoolchildren and local supporters´ clubs.