[Merged] TIMEOUT - Non United

[zudomiriku]

From Argentina to the Vatican: Tevez the latest footballer to meet Pope Francis

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez and his family have been received by Argentine Pope Francis in the Vatican.

The pair both come from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and were there to discuss several issues, including the difficulties faced in the area they were brought up in.

Speaking on Twitter, Tevez said: 'Thank you Holy Father for welcoming my family. I’m proud that you’re Argentine, and above all that you’re so humble.'


Honour: Pope Francis receives Juventus striker Carlos Tevez at the Vatican


Sportsfan: Tevez is one of several Argentine athletes to have met the Pope this year


South America: Both men grew up in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina

Tevez is not the only footballer to have met Pope Francis since he became head of the Catholic church.

Lionel Messi was present when the Pope met several footballers, including Gianluigi Buffon, and Mario Balotelli was invited to the Vatican along with the Italian national team in August.

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro recently admitted to being devastated when he was robbed in Paris of a prize rosary given to him and blessed by Pope Francis.


Welcome: Mario Balotelli shakes hands with the Pope when the Italian national team were at the Vatican


Group photo: The whole Italian squad met the Pope last August


Private meeting: Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon met the Pope in May


Rome: Tennis player Juan Martin del Potro met the Pope in the same mon

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2503411/Carlos-Tevez-latest-footballer-meet-Pope-Francis.html?ico=sport^headlines

[zudomiriku]

Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar as You've Never Seen Them: As Catalan Caganers



"Caganers" are Catalan ornaments that depict the subject going to the bathroom. They're a Christmas tradition and—according to Wikipedia—are often used in nativity scenes.

"The figures symbolise fertilisation, hope and prosperity for the coming year," reads a report at expatica.com, which was reacting to one such ornament being made to depict Pope Francis.

Anyhow, there's a trend for making them of celebrities and footballers are not exempt—as you can see by the example of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi above.

Messi's Brazilian teammate Neymar is also "honoured."



They're in esteemed company. Here's U.S President Barack Obama:



We wonder if the men in question will be gifted their own Caganers this festive season.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1854259-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-as-youve-never-seen-them-as-catalan-caganers

[zudomiriku]

Didier Drogba Risks Fine over Nelson Mandela Tribute, Says He'd Do It Again



Didier Drogba used Friday's Galatasaray match to pay his own tribute to Nelson Mandela, but his T-shirt gesture is under investigation by the Turkish Football Federation.

Drogba, 35, lifted his Galatasaray shirt to reveal a "Thank You Madiba" message, while his teammate, former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, also made a similar tribute.

For the two African players, it was a natural way to pay their respects to one of recent history's most influential and unifying figures—however, it has landed them in trouble in Turkey.

As Turkish news source Hurriyet Daily News explains, the next step is for the pair to explain themselves before a committee:

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) justified the decision by arguing that the players wore the t-shirts in the match against Elazığspor without receiving permission beforehand. Both players displayed the t-shirts after the conclusion of the game, which the Lions won 2-0.

Drogba has responded by posting a picture montage on Instagram including a photo of his own meeting with the former South Africa president.

He adds that he would do it again:

I'd be very interested to see your comments on this...but I'm sorry if I had to I would do it again and again.Nor because of political beliefs but because this man inspired me,a country, a continent, the world!!!!! Thanks again Madiba

He may find that there is plenty of support for that point of view from the football community and the wider world.
After all, Drogba has previously appeared in Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, in no small part because of his charity work and role in Africa. Per the The Telegraph, some have even credited him has having helped stop his homeland, the Ivory Coast, from descending into civil war.

The world now awaits the Turkish Football Federation's final verdict on the tributes.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1881940-didier-drogba-risks-fine-over-nelson-mandela-tribute-says-hed-do-it-again

[zudomiriku]

Thomas Hitzlsperger Reveals He Is Gay After Retiring from Football



Tomas Hitzlsperger has revealed his homosexuality in an interview with German weekly newspaper Zeit, as reported by SunSport:

SunSport Now ✔
@SunSportNow
Former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger reveals he is gay. #avfc #whufc #efc

The news comes just three months after the 52-time Germany international called an end to his career, having enjoyed spells with Stuttgart, Aston Villa, Lazio, Wolfsburg, Everton and West Ham.

According to The Times' Gabriele Marcotti, Hitzlsperger goes down as the most high-profile ex-footballer to have come out as gay thus far:

Gabriele Marcotti ✔
@Marcotti
Hitzlsperger - 52 caps for Germany, played for Stuttgart, Lazio, Villa + others - prob highest profile ex-footballer to come out

Arsenal forward and compatriot Lukas Podolski was quick to hail Hitzlsperger for his decision to go public:

Lukas-Podolski.com ✔
@Podolski10
Brave and right decision. Respect, Thomas Hitzlsperger. His outing is a important sign in our time.

Podolski was just one of many to tweet positively in response to Hitzlsperger's news.

The reaction clearly surprised the retired midfielder, who now hopes his actions will encourage others to feel empowered:

Thomas Hitzlsperger
@ThomasHitzl
Hello everyone! All these messages about my news, I am overwhelmed from this and I can't say thank you enough times!

It represents an encouraging step forward for the sport, with Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers having previously announced his homosexuality back in February 2013.

However, Rogers told BBC Sport just last month that in the 10 months since, he hadn't been contacted by any players looking to follow his example.



Outside of the football sphere, Great Britain's Olympic medallist diving sensation Tom Daley recently spoke of his sexuality on record, announcing in December that he was in a relationship with another man, per the Daily Mail's John Drayton.

Marcus Christenson of The Guardian quotes Hitzlsperger, who hopes stereotypes can be changed over time:

It's been a long and difficult process [of becoming aware of being gay]. Only in the last few years have I realised that I preferred living together with a man.

In England, Italy and Germany being a homosexual is no big thing, at least not in the dressing room. I was never ashamed of being who I am but it was not always easy to sit on a table with 20 young men and listen to jokes about gays. You let them get on with it as long as the jokes are somewhat funny and not too insulting.

Being gay is topic that is "ignored" in football and not "a serious topic in the changing room." Fighting spirit, passion and winning mentality are intrinsically linked, that doesn't fit the cliché: "Gays are soft."

Hitzlsperger developed a reputation as one of Europe's most impressive central midfielders during the early to mid-2000s, having spent almost a dozen years in the Bayern Munich academy as a youth.

Although modern society has become far less adverse to homosexuality in recent years, the topic remains a subject of great controversy in certain parts of the sporting world.

That being said, big names such as Hitzlsperger coming to the fore will surely help others follow suit in what should be an acceptable aspect of the industry.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1915250-thomas-hitzlsperger-comes-out-as-gay-footballer-according-to-report

[zudomiriku]

Capello: Brazil is a football fantasy



Fabio Capello's mission has been clear ever since he took over the Russia reins in July 2012: to forge a side capable of challenging for glory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. Sealing a spot at Brazil 2014 was always earmarked as a crucial step in that process, but the veteran Italian coach will not be travelling to South America with limited aims. In particular, he is determined that he and his charges avoid the bitter sense of unfinished business that marred his maiden World Cup four years ago, when England suffered a heavy 4-1 loss to Germany in the Round of 16 after an underwhelming group stage.

Speaking to FIFA.com, Capello opened up on the subject of Russia's ambitions in Brazil, his tactical philosophy, his World Cup memories, goalline technology and his favourite Brazilian player of all time.

FIFA.com: What are your expectations of the World Cup in Brazil?
Fabio Capello: Before this, we hadn't qualified for a World Cup in 12 years. Brazil 2014 will help us gain experience of the real thing ahead of the following World Cup in Russia, so we'll go to Brazil with a lot of commitment and the desire to play a good tournament. But although our main objective will be for our players to amass a huge amount of experience, that won't stop us from being ambitious.

What are your goals and the biggest challenges you will need to overcome?
Our first goal will be to qualify from the group stage so that we can head into the knockout rounds with peace of mind. Naturally, our ambition is to go as far as possible, but knowing how tough it is to get out of the group phase, experiencing that will give our players a full understanding of that particular challenge. All the teams will have more or less the same problems, for example in terms of the climate and distances, but that mustn't become an excuse. The most important thing will be to arrive there with a winning mentality and the desire to come away with a lot of experience.

How were you able to pick your team up after the losses to Portugal and Northern Ireland during qualifying?
My message was clear and simple: I reminded the players that we were still top of the group and that we should continue approaching our last few games with the same will to win that we had at the start. It never looked certain we would qualify, especially in our [final] match against Azerbaijan, when we conceded a goal that turned out not to be costly. Overall, the standard of the teams was very high.

What was the secret to your attacking strength and defensive solidity, your team having scored 20 goals and conceded just five?
We tried to develop a certain mentality adapted to modern football. Nowadays, you have to stay compact and play short passes. We qualified because we found a good balance, with the team's desire to get forward not destabilising our defensive system.

What is your playing philosophy?
In my playing philosophy, the team has to be perfectly organised. But, within that system, you need to leave talented players the chance to express themselves freely. The system depends on the type of players you have at your disposal. If you have players who are very strong technically but less so in physical terms, like Spain, you can opt for a style based on ball possession and passing in triangles. But if you're in charge of a team like Belgium, where every player is over 6'1, it's possible to go for a more physical style of play. It's up to the coach to take into account all those parameters when defining the team's style. Personally, I've always played with several forwards but I've always had teams that were well organised in defence and ready to go on the attack.

Who are your key players?
I don't believe in key players but rather in 'key positions'. Teams are built like a tree. The trunk is a little bit like the central spine, with a good goalkeeper, a good centre-back, a good midfielder and a good striker. The team is built around that base. The captain has to be a leader, someone as important in the dressing room as he is on the pitch – and not just the player who tosses a coin at the start with the referee. If he's not a leader, he's not a captain.

What are your memories of South Africa 2010?
There's still one memory that I haven't managed to get rid of yet. I recall the meeting we had with all the coaches. I asked: "Why didn't you bring the assistant referees along as well?" I was told that that wasn't part of the plan. So I made the point that we'd worked hard for two years to get this far, and that a simple mistake – a ball going out or not, or a penalty given or not given – could lead to our elimination. And in the end, that's what happened. I've never been able to forget that meeting, which never resulted in any follow-up, because I'd predicted what would happen to us without knowing it.

Are you in favour of goalline technology?
Absolutely. Or even the use of an additional assistant referee who would reduce the risk of mistakes to ten or five per cent.

What do you expect the atmosphere to be like in Brazil for the World Cup?
Brazil is a fantasy world when it comes to football. Let's hope it will be like that – just fantasy and beautiful football.

How do you expect Russia to perform in Brazil, as you plan ahead for Russia 2018?
I've said that the important thing for us to gain experience. I'm not thinking about 2018 because for now I'm focused on Brazil. I want results in this World Cup and for my players to be focused and aggressive, while making progress on the mental front. I want them to get good results, starting at this World Cup.

Who is your favourite Brazilian player of all time?
I was lucky enough to come up against Pele with La Nazionale in a match where he was playing for an American team. Before that, I'd only seen him on television. During the game, I saw him do two things that really impressed me, and that's when I realised he was indeed the greatest player of all.

What is your earliest World Cup memory?
The Sweden 1958 final (Brazil beat Sweden 5-2), which I watched on a black-and-white television in a bar. I remember two things: the fantastic goal scored by Pele, who was just 17-and-a-half at the time, and the goal buried with total calm by Nils Liedholm, who was playing in Italy for AC Milan.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=2258201/index.html?cid=newsletter_en_20140109_newsid

[zudomiriku]

[troy andreas]

Originally Posted by zudomiriku

Keterlaluan kalau rating tv gak naik di bulan Maret, khususnya program olahraga.

[zudomiriku]

Hadiri Sidang Parlemen, Politisi Ini Kenakan Jersey Torino



Kecintaan seseorang terhadap tim kesayangannya kadang membuat mereka nekad melakukan hal gila dan di luar pikiran orang awam.

Hal ini pula yang terjadi kepada seorang politisi di Irlandia bernama Mick Wallace. Pria 58 tahun ini menghadiri sidang parlemen dengan mengenakan jersey klub idolanya, Torino lengkap dengan nama punggung Alessio Cerci.

Ya, meskipun orang Irlandia, rupanya Wallace sangat menggilai klub Serie A Italia tersebut. Bahkan, aksinya kali ini bukan yang pertama usai pada 2013 lalu ia melakukan hal yang sama.

Rupanya kecintaan Wallace terhadap Torino membuat ia membuka sebuah kebun anggur di Piedmonte, wilayah di mana kota Turin berada.

Selain dikenal sebagai tifosi Il Toro, Wallace juga lekat dengan julukan 'politisi pink' karena kerap kali menggunakan kemeja pink saat menghadiri sidang parlemen.

http://www.bola.net/bolatainment/hadiri-sidang-parlemen-politisi-ini-kenakan-jersey-torino-67a1e5.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[zudomiriku]

Lupa Bawa Jersey, Kiper Ini Beli Jersey Liverpool di Toko Olahraga

Sejak kapan Liverpool disponsori McDonalds?



Sejak kapan jersey Liverpool menggunakan sponsor makanan cepat saji, McDonalds? Pemandangan itu terjadi saat seorang kiper di Liga Primer Mesir lupa membawa jersey di sebuah pertandingan.

Dilansir offthepost, kiper Ghazl Mahalla, Mahdi Soliman, terpaksa harus membeli sebuah jersey kiper di sebuah toko dekat stadion pertandingan. Kejadian ini terjadi saat Ghazl Mahallad bertemu Al Ahly di Liga Primer Mesir.

Tanpa pikir panjang, kiper ini membeli jersey kiper Liverpool. Namun masalah lain muncul. Di jersey Liverpool tentu sponsornya bukan McDonalds. Seperti yang kita ketahui, Liverpool saat ini disponsori Standard Chartered.

Namun kiper ini tak kehilangan akal. Kiper berusia 29 tahun ini langsung mencari logo McDonalds dan menempelkannya pada jersey tersebut. Hal itu dilakukan untuk menghindari komplain dari sponsor tentunya.

Sayangnya, jersey yang biasa dikenakan kiper Simon Mignolet ini tak membawa hoki bagi Mahdi Soliman. Pada pertandingan itu, Ghazl Mahalla harus menyerah 0-1 dari Al Ahly.

http://bola.viva.co.id/news/read/480224-lupa-bawa-jersey--kiper-ini-beli-jersey-liverpool-di-toko-olahraga

[zudomiriku]

Ronaldo beats Messi AGAIN! Real star tops football rich list and leaves his rivals trailing with enormous wealth of £122m

He beat him to the Ballon d'Or and now Cristiano Ronaldo has pipped rival Lionel Messi in the financial stakes as well.

The Real Madrid megastar has an estimated wealth of £122million, according to the annual football Rich List compiled by Goal.com.

A lucrative new five-year contract worth £86.5m, signed with Real in September, means the Portuguese came in just ahead of Messi's worth of £120.5m.

Ronaldo enjoyed a sensational 2013, scoring all four goals in a two-legged play-off with Sweden to guide his country to the World Cup finals.

He has scored a phenomenal 42 goals in 33 matches for club and country this season as Real chase a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League.
In addition to his salary - which pays £14.3m a year - he has lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, Armani, Castrol Edge, Jacob & Co, Herbalife, Banco Espirito Santo and KFC.

In 2013, Ronaldo launched his own line of underwear and even opened his own museum.

Because only current professionals count in the list, last year's leader David Beckham drops out after announcing his retirement last May, allowing Ronaldo to claim top spot.

Messi had an up and down year by his standards - his salary of £12.3m was eclipsed by Ronaldo, he suffered a prolonged injury absence and he was forced to appear in court to testify over alleged tax fraud.

Wealth: Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo topped the annual Goal.com Football Rich List with an estimated wealth of £122million


Spitting image: Ronaldo poses to a waxwork of himself at the Madrid Wax Museum back in December


That's pants! Ronaldo launched his own CR7 line of underwear last year


Commercial interests: Messi poses with a pair of Adidas boots. His deal with the German sportswear supplier is worth £1.6million a year


Star of the screen: Messi filming an advert for soft drink Pepsi in London last year


Pension pot: Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o, 33, is worth around £70million


Pay rise: Wayne Rooney shot up the Rich List after signing a £300,000-a-week deal with Manchester United last month

But the 26-year-old, who has scored 22 goals in 24 matches for Barcelona this season, can expect parity with Ronaldo when his contract comes up for re-negotiation this year.

Messi's sponsorship deal with Adidas is worth £1.6million per year and he has his own range of sportswear.

He also fronts adverts for Turkish Airlines, EA Sports FIFA series, Samsung's Galaxy 11, Gillette and Gatorade.

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o is third on the list, with an estimated worth of £70m, largely acquired when he played in Russia for Anzhi Makhachkala.
The marquee signing of Suleyman Kerimov's club, Eto'o was paid a world record £16.5million a year.

He makes a quarter of this at Chelsea now, where he has scored nine goals so far in this campaign.

Eto'o is sponsored by Puma, Ford and fashion label John Richmond and has invested some of his cash in a collection of rare cars, including a Bugatti Veyron, two Aston Martins and a Maybach Xenatec.

THE TOP 10 IN FULL

1. Cristiano Ronaldo £122m
2. Lionel Messi £120.5m
3. Samuel Eto'o £70m
4. Wayne Rooney £69m
5. Kaka £67.5m
6. The Neymar family £66m
7. Ronaldinho £64m
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic £57m
9. Gianluigi Buffon £52m
10. Thierry Henry £47m

Wayne Rooney sprung up the list after signing the biggest contract deal in British football history last month, with Manchester United paying him £300,000 a week for the next five years.

It means the England striker will earn close to £78m before the age of 33, not to mention his lucrative endorsements by Nike and Samsung which push his total worth to £69m.

Kaka, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry round off the top 10.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2577272/Football-Rich-List-Real-Madrids-Cristiano-Ronaldo-beats-Barcelonas-Lionel-Messi-wealthiest-title.html