Here are Paul Ayorinde’s pick of football transfer rumours and done deals making the rounds at this moment.
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Imoh Ezekiel
Done Deals:
– Torino has signed Serbian goalkeeper Vlada Avramov following his relaease from Cagliari.
– Dundee United have announced the signing of striker Mario Bilate on a 2 year contract.
– Juventus have completed the signing of 21 year old striker Alvaro Morata on a 5 year contract.
– Fc Porto have announced the season-long loan signing of Casmerio from Real Madrid.
– Inter Milan have announced the season-long loan signing of Rubin Kazan Midfielder Yann M’Vila
– Imoh Ezekiel has joined Qatari club Al-Arabi on a 3 year deal.
– Roma have secured the services of 20 year old Argentine forward Leandro Paredes on a season long loan.
Today’s Reports and rumours:
– Roberto Martinez has made it clear he would like Romelu Lukaku to return to Goodison Park, Everton are also understood to have also enquired about Chelsea winger Christian Atsu .
– According to reports, Frank Lampard is set to sign for MLS side New York City.
– Arsene Wenger is planning to bring in more new players to Arsenal but admit Captain Thomas Vermaleen may leave.
– Borussia Monchengladbach are considering an offer for Marseille’s forward Jordan Ayew.
– According to reports, Manchester United and Barcelona are fighting out to sign Ajax left-back Daley Blind.
– Chelsea are set to loan out new signing Mario pasalic to Elche
– Bayern Munich are in Pole Position to sign Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado for a fee around €40million
– Tottenham are looking to seal a deal for Roma striker Mattia Destro. The Italian Striker is valued at £13.5million
– Tottenham are preparing to open talks with Jan Vertonghen over a new contract.
– Former Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will decide next week whether he will rejoin his old club as a player/coach, with the Ivorian claiming he’s weighing up three offers.
– Inter Milan are willing to meet the wage demands of Dani Osvaldo and hope that Southampton will loan him out for a second season.
– Brighton have submitted a bid of £1million for Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale.
– Crystal Palace will submit a second bid for Cardiff captain Mark Hudson.
– QPR are looking at the possibility of signing Tim Cahill from New York Red Bulls.
– Report: Arturo Vidal has put up his house in Turin for Sale.
Football Tit Bits:
– CBF has announced that the new coach of the Brazil national team will be presented on Tuesday.
– Alejandro Sabella has yet to make a decision on whether he will extend his stay as coach of Argentina.
– Former Lorient Manager Christian Gourcuff has been appointed as the new coach of Algeria.
Leading representatives of the Olympic Movement met in Lausanne today, with the Olympic Agenda 2020 process central to their discussions. Sports leaders heard updates on the proposals that have so far been generated on Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, which is scheduled for further consideration and final approval at the Extraordinary IOC Session in December.
The Olympic Summit was convened by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. It forms part of the on-going dialogue and consultation on the main topics of interest and concern to the Olympic Movement. It brings together the IOC Vice-Presidents and Presidents of the major stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. *(See list of attendees at the end of this press release.)
The Summit welcomed the inclusive and transparent process that has also received contributions from civil society and the general public and enhanced good governance at the IOC. Under the direction of the IOC, Olympic Agenda 2020 has addressed three major themes: sustainability, credibility and youth. The Summit fully supported the direction of the reforms. Detailed discussions have taken place on a range of key issues including cost management of the Games, protecting the clean athletes, good governance and youth strategy. Click here for the 14 sub-themes.
In particular the Summit supported:
– A new strategy for the bidding procedure. This includes giving more flexibility to bid cities, with emphasis on the sustainability of the Olympic Games. Candidate Cities should focus on what legacies the Olympic Games can bring to the area and its citizens from the very beginning of the bid procedure, and in particular how the Games fit best into the social, environmental and long-term development plan of a host region. The need for Olympic Movement stakeholders to remain flexible and open to reasonable adaptation to this concept was also agreed.
– Changes to the procedure for the composition of the Olympic programme. The goal is to present proposals for a more flexible approach by adopting an event-based rather than a sport-based approach to the composition of the programme, while retaining the limit on the number of athletes participating.
– The establishment of an Olympic TV channel. Participants supported an Olympic TV channel, recognising the potential to greatly increase the presence of sports and the promotion of the Olympic values year round and worldwide. The IOC will contact all the relevant stakeholders in the coming months to further develop the concept.
Further consultations on Olympic Agenda 2020 are scheduled for September, when today’s contributions, along with the discussions of the Working Groups in June, will be presented to the IOC commissions. The refined proposals will then be discussed again at an Executive Board (EB) meeting in October, before being presented for discussion by the entire IOC membership and final approval at the Extraordinary IOC Session in Monaco, on 8 and 9 December 2014.
The Olympic Summit participants acknowledged the benefits for the entire Olympic Movement from the growing collaboration enjoyed at the highest level between the IOC and the United Nations following the signing of a historic memorandum of understanding between the two organisations earlier this year.
The participants were looking with confidence in the future of the Olympic Movement with regard to long-term financial stability following a number of agreements finalised this year: The recently signed broadcast and TOP sponsor agreements not only guarantee the long-term financial stability of the IOC and the Olympic Movement but also exhibit the trust that corporations have in the IOC. Earlier this year, the IOC completed a long-term deal until 2032 with US broadcaster NBC Universal and another with the Japanese consortium for the Japan broadcasting rights, in addition to signing Bridgestone as a new TOP partner and extending the TOP partnership with Panasonic.
Updates were also given on the subjects addressed at the previous Olympic Summits, and progress reports on three key issues were provided. These included the fight against doping; the sports calendar; autonomy and good governance; and the fight against match-fixing and related corruption.
1) Protecting the clean athletes
A report was given on the additional fund of USD 20 million set aside by the IOC in the fight to protect clean athletes, which is to be shared equally between the fight against doping and combating match-fixing and related corruption.
The President of ASOIF presented the latest developments in the Olympic Movement’s efforts in the fight against match-fixing. These include closer cooperation with governments and betting operators to better coordinate efforts in the field of education, monitoring and the harmonisation of legislation.
The IOC has introduced the IBIS monitoring system and put it at the service of the stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. An update was also given on cooperation with Interpol, including the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two organisations.
The participants heard a report from the WADA President on the current position of WADA on how to ensure the permanent protection of clean athletes in cooperation with all stakeholders of the Olympic Movement. He also reported on WADA’s efforts to convince governments to match the additional IOC fund.
2) The sports calendar
The participants agreed on the creation of a Sports Calendar online database for the coordination of the scheduling of sports competitions at a global level, agreeing to a project to compile a comprehensive universal spring calendar of current events in order to find the best options for planning sports competitions at a global level, in particular when proposals for new events arise.
3) Autonomy and good governance
The participants noted with satisfaction the good results already achieved by the Working Group on Good Governance established at the last summit meeting, and encouraged the IOC to continue its good work.
A proposal was also discussed to implement an intelligence system to monitor conflicts, for the benefit of the Olympic Movement.
Finally, the participants agreed on the process of creating ad-hoc taskforces to resolve specific conflicts.
*LIST OF PARTICIPANTS:
Thomas BACH, IOC President
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad AL-SABAH, ANOC President
Claudia BOKEL, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission
John D. COATES, AC, IOC Vice-President
Bruno GRANDI, FIG President
Patrick HICKEY, IOC EB Member
Gian-Franco KASPER, AIOWF President
Peng LIU, Chinese Olympic Committee President
Julio César MAGLIONE, FINA President
Lawrence PROBST III, United States Olympic Committee President
Craig REEDIE, IOC Vice-President
Francesco RICCI BITTI, ASOIF President
Marius VIZER, SportAccord President
Ching-Kuo WU, IOC EB Member
Alexander ZHUKOV, Russian Olympic Committee President
Racing at the 2014 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in Tavira, Portugal came to a thrilling conclusion as the medals across the eight events were decided.
For the first time in their history the Spanish team have won the ISAF Youth Worlds Nations Trophy after a controlling display. Across the eight fleets Spanish sailors picked up three gold medals and a silver. Three of the teams finished in the top ten ensuring they were the most consistent nation out of the 67 competing in Tavira. France and Israel follow the Spanish team in the on the leader board.
A beautiful westerly breeze came through early in the afternoon allowing three RS:X Boys and Girls races, two 29er races with a single race in the remaining fleets.
Racing commenced at 12:00 local time in a breeze that slowly built to 10-13 knots as the day progressed.
RS:X
Russia’s Stefaniya Elfutina overthrew China’s Shi Hongmei on the final day to claim a hard fought gold medal.
It all boiled down to the final race and a nervy Elfutina was unsure whether or not she had won ashore as she explained her day, “The first race was not good, in fact it was really bad, I was fifth but the next one was better and I was second. Before the last race I was second and had three points to first place and I was nervous a little bit because everybody is strong and I said okay, do what you can, and I was first and she [Hongmei] was fifth or sixth.
“It’s amazing but for now we should wait for the results because I’m afraid. When I see the results that Russia’s first then yes, that’s okay to celebrate.”
When the results were published a scream of joy from Elfutina echoed across the boat park and beyond. She added, “I feel happy. It’s all such a good feeling and I don’t believe it yet. It’s like a dream and it’s my second World Championship win and I love it.
“This is one more step to my dream of being at the Olympics and being in the adult world.
“I want to say thanks to all of the girls and organization because it was a really good competition. We’ve had a great championship.”
The Chinese sailor came away with silver and Italy’s Marta Maggetti remained in bronze medal position after a 2-3-4 scoreline.
Overnight RS:X Boys leader Yael Paz (ISR) held on to take gold after a nervy finish. With three races sailed Mattia Camboni (ITA) reduced Paz’s four point lead to one in Race 10 with a bullet. One place separated them in Race 11 with two points the difference going into the final showdown.
The mathematics had been done before Race 12 and Camboni needed to put two places between him and Paz. As Camboni stormed through to take the final race bullet he quickly turned to view the action behind him and was left downhearted when the Israeli crossed in second to seal gold.
For Paz it was jubilation, “It’s a great feeling and it was a really tough race and really tight at the end but I’m so glad I won.
“It was really tricky racing with strong competition. I won by one point in the end so it was really tight. It was really hard and before every start I had to think about what I had to. It was massive pressure but in the end I managed to deal with it and I feel great and can’t wait to talk to everyone back home.”
Camboni took six race wins across the 12 race series but ultimately it was Paz’s consistency that handed him gold with the Italian settling for silver.
Poland’s Radoslaw Furmanski picked up bronze.
Isaf Youth Worlds_Day 5_Races- photo credit ISAF Media Library
420
Japan’s Ibuki Koizumi and Kotaro Matsuo and Singapore’s Yia Jia Loh and Jonathan Yeo were tied on 38 points apiece heading into the single 420 Boys race.
The Singaporeans were relaxed on the race course and took matters into their own hands as they had a great start which they were able to transition into a good lead. As they crossed the finish line in first it was Singaporean gold, their third throughout the history of the ISAF Youth Worlds.
“I am the happiest person in the world right now,” beamed Yeo. “We had tears of joy and I am just speechless. I will be feeling on top of the world at the closing ceremony. I am just really grateful for everyone who has helped me and my partner. My coach has phoned my parents and everyone back home, I think when I speak to them I will be speechless again.”
The Japanese pair finished 12th in the final race to drop to bronze medal position as a third from Malaysia’s Mohammad Faizal Norizan and Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz promoted them up to silver.
Gold and silver were decided on the penultimate day with Spain’s Silvia Mas and Marta Davila holding an unassailable lead atop of the pack with Israel’s Yahel Wallach and Stav Brokman unable to be dislodged in second.
Anything was possible in the fleet with places third to seventh capable of winning gold. In the end Poland’s Ewa Romaniuk and Katarzyna Goralska took the bull by the horns and took the final race victory and with it, a bronze medal.
SL16
France’s Louis Flament and Charles Dorange had dominated the SL16 fleet with consistent racing across the week and sealed gold with their seventh race victory on the final day.
The vibrant youngsters have been sailing together since they were seven years old and ten years on from their first outing together they are celebrating an ISAF Youth Worlds gold medal.
“This is an accomplishment of a lot of work together,” said Dorange. “We are always progressing in sailing and always doing our best and this is our accomplishment and we are very happy to have this reward.”
Historically the French team have been strong in the multihulls at the ISAF Youth Worlds and the pair have thanks to an inspirational racer, “When we saw Billy Besson [Nacra 17 and Formula 18 World Champion] racing the SL16 we wanted to be like him because he is a World Champion. We always wanted to be like him so we are happy that we are a world champion, like him.”
Jordi and Ruben Booth walk away with silver whilst Brazil’s Kim Vidal and Antonio Lopes finish third overall. Vidal ages out of the ISAF Youth Worlds having taken one gold and two bronze medals from four events he’s competed at.
Isaf Youth Worlds_ISR_420- photo credit ISAF Media Library
29er
Having lost the 29er lead they had held all week on the penultimate day France’s Brice Yrieix and Loic Fischer Guillou hit back on the final day to take gold.
The pair trailed America’s Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs by one point overnight but were able to level the scores up after the first race of the day. With both teams on 47 points it was a winner takes all bout. The French maintained their composure and came through in sixth whilst the Americans finished 13th sparking French celebrations on the water.
“There was a lot of pressure before the last race because we were in second,” said Yrieix, “but now I am very happy because we are World Champions and our next goal is the 29er World Championship.”
A smiley Fischer Guillou added, “I feel great, this is the result we wanted.”
It was a deserved victory for the French pair who have been consistent performers on the race course throughout the 13 race series.
The Americans take away silver whilst Markus Somerville and Isaac Mchardie (NZL) walk away in bronze.
Laser Radial
In a three way shoot out for Laser Radial Boys honours Joel Rodriguez (ESP) came out on top following a fourth place. Seafra Guilfoyle (IRL) put the pressure on the Spaniard with a final race bullet but a fourth was enough for Rodriguez as he took gold by four points.
“It was close at the end but I am really happy,” said Rodriguez. “I started the championship really bad and yesterday I managed to get in the lead and today I was able to win. It was very close.”
The Irish racer climbed up to second overall following his bullet whilst Singapore’s Ryan Lo fell to third, discarding his 19th in the last race.
Martina Reino (ESP) made it double Spanish Laser Radial gold as she stylishly took the hnours with a final race bullet. Across the nine race series the Spanish sailor has amassed four race wins and finishes 11 points ahead of Haddon Hughes (USA) and Monika Mikkola (FIN).
After racing Reino said, “I had a very good start and then the race was easy. I sailed very well to finish first and it was just perfect. I have no words to describe it because winning a world championship is a dream. It’s crazy, I am very happy.”
Hughes and Mikkola ended up tied on 50 points but the American takes silver having picked up one more race win than the Finnish sailor.
Focus now turns to the closing ceremony which will take place outside of Tavira’s Town Hall at 20:30 local time.
Isaf Youth Worlds_Day 7-01 photo credit ISAF Media Library
ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah addresses the ANOC Executive Council alongside IOC President Thomas Bach and ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg
Following today’s 64th ANOC Executive Council meeting, ANOC has announced the prizes to be awarded at the inaugural ANOC Gala Awards Dinner, recognising the achievements of the NOCs and their athletes around the world.
The awards were approved by the ANOC Executive Council during a meeting attended by IOC President Thomas Bach in the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne.
President Bach delivered a speech updating the ANOC Executive Council on the latest developments on Olympic Agenda 2020 before reports from each of the nine ANOC Commissions and Working Groups were given.
ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said:
“This has been a highly productive and successful ANOC Executive Council meeting. The ANOC Gala Awards Dinner is a concept that we have been discussing for a while and as chair of the ANOC Events Working Group, it is a project I am particularly passionate about.
The NOCs and their athletes are at the very core of the Olympic Movement but their hard work and dedication is not always recognised.
The ANOC Gala Awards Dinner will be a celebration of all NOCs and a chance to give them the recognition they deserve.”
The awards will be decided by a carefully selected committee. The approved awards categories are:
· Best athletes from London 2012 (male individual, female individual, male team and female team)
· Best athletes from Sochi 2014 (male individual, female individual, male team and female team)
· Coach of the year
· Most successful NOC in 2012 and 2014
· Best breakthrough NOC
· ANOC Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award
President Bach updated the ANOC Executive Council on a range of topics, including Olympic Agenda 2020 and new commercial and broadcast deals.
He said:
“Olympic Agenda 2020 is making progress. There is a broad consensus for change among all the stakeholders, including the NOCs, the IFs and IOC members.
All the stakeholders have understood that we need to make some major changes to address new challenges. We have to adapt, and it is always better to lead the change ourselves.”
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah added:
“We were honoured that President Bach attended the meeting and gave us an update on Olympic Agenda 2020.
We are united behind Olympic Agenda 2020 and fully support President Bach’s commitment to making the process as collaborative as possible.
Through our nine Commissions and Working Groups we are undergoing a similar process of reform and I was delighted to hear during the ANOC Executive Council meeting that they are all making excellent progress ahead of November’s General Assembly.”
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