JULY 15 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS, NOTES AND RUMORS

LUKAS PODOLSKI HAS PROVEN HE HAS THE STONES

JULY 15 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS, NOTES AND RUMORS

CHELSEA’S AFRICAN PAIR READY FOR PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN

Chelsea’s African duo Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel are set to return to Stamford Bridge after long injuries that kept both out of the World Cup.

Nigeria’s Mikel and Ghana’s Essien both had time during the World Cup to return to fitness and now look set to join the club for Chelsea’s opening Premier League fixture August 14.

“There should be no problem whatsoever,” Chelsea assistant Ray Wilkins told soccernet. “Mikel is slightly in advance of Michael Essien but they are both working very well indeed.

“They have been working double sessions for the last week and we will get them really firing before the season starts.”

AC MILAN IN FOR PODOLSKI, BUT ONLY IF…

AC Milan will splash to cash to but German striker Lukas Podolski, but only if they can first find a buyer for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, preferably to a Premier League club.

The 1 FC Koln striker has come back into vogue after a successful run in the World Cup, and Milan have sized up the 25-year-old who is a more versatile player than Huntelaar, being able to play as a more conventional forward. Nothing however will move the Rossoneri to approach unless they have cah in hand for Huntelaar.

“Podolski will arrive only if one condition is met and that is the transfer of Huntelaar to the (English) Premier League, which would then open a few paths from a financial standpoint.” Milan Vice-president Adriano Galliani told Sky Sport 24.

BAYERN LOOKING FOR VAN DER WIEL

Bayern Munich have approached Dutch side Ajax regarding Gregory van der Wiel.

JULY 9 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

JULY 9 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

GOLDEN BALL FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The greatest players of the 2010 World Cup are all up for the prestigious Golden Ball Award. The title goes to the most valuable player of the tournament.

Finalists Spain lead all teams with three different nominees, Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Xavi head the list, all three play their club football at Barcelona.

Spain’s rivals in the final, the Netherlands contibute Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to the ten-man shortlist.

Tournament semi-finalists Germany contribute two to the list in Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Oezil and Diego Forlan is the lone representative from Uruguay.

OVER THERE… UPDATES ON NORTH AMERICAN PLAYERS IN EUROPE

OVER THERE… UPDATES ON NORTH AMERICAN PLAYERS IN EUROPE

BOB BRADLEY LINKED WITH VACANT FULHAM POST

US national Team Manager Bob Bradley is on a short list of candidates to take over the Fulham manager position vacated by recently named Liverpool manager, Roy Hodgson.

Bradley, who is in discussions with US Soccer regarding his future, is in contention with Swede Sven Goran Eriksson and Croatian Slaven Bilic.

Glenn Hoddle, Mark Hughes, Tony Mowbray, Alan Curbishley and Gianfranco Zola, according to reports out of England, have all been eliminated from contention.

For his part Bradley is focused on his post-World Cup discussions with US Soccer.

“I think we’re in the midst of all of that,” Bradley told the Washington Post about the discussions. “Whenever there has been a four-year effort on both sides there is a little time that’s needed to look at things, to talk to some different people, to assess options and I’ve had some different conversations, one with Sunil Gulati and one with [U.S. soccer secretary general] Dan Flynn, so I think we’re moving through that period and we’ll see where it gets everybody.”

GOOCH WON’T BE MOVED FROM MILAN

US International Oguchi Onyewu is staying at AC Milan, no matter what.

JULY 8 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

JULY 8 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

OZIL NOT GOING ANYWHERE, SAYS BREMAN

Interest in Werder Breman’s midfield maestro Mesut Ozil is at a fever-pitch across Europe. A situation that can only get more sensational with Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs claiming that no one in the World Cup has performed better than the German International, but Allofs was not putting his prize talent, who has a year left on his contract at Breman, in the shop window.

“Transfer income is one of our main income sources,” Allofs told German paper Bild. “But we also have to think about our sporting goals. We have the Champions League preliminaries coming up and we need a good team to be successful in Europe,”

“Mesut’s current contract runs until 2011 and we’re keen to extend his stay at the club. However, we’re not planning to cash in on him if he refuses to ink a new deal. We could decide to keep him until his contract expires.

“We’d rather not see him leave on a free transfer next year, but it’s definitely an option. Mesut is going nowhere for now.”

That is not stopping the giants of European football from making the attempt to snatch the 21-year-old. Ozil is being saught by Inter

JUNE 26-SHORT CORNERS:SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images

JUNE 26 – SHORT CORNERS-INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

BALLACK RETURNS TO LEVERKUSEN

Michael Ballack has returned to his former club, Bayer Leverkusen, on a two-year contract.

The German International is returning to his old Bundesliga side, with whom he reached the Champions League final in 2002.

“With my transfer to Bayer Leverkusen a circle is complete. I had a beautiful and successful time here, on which I like to look back on a lot,” Ballack told the club’s website. “That was a factor in my decision.”

“But above all the good sporting potential of this young and attractive team were persuasive.

“I am especially looking forward to the great fans, who naturally have been key in my decision to return to Bayer.”

Rudi Völller, Bayer sporting director, is excited to see what a player of Ballack’s experience can bring to such a young side.

“With Michael Ballack our team is getting an enormous boost in quality,” he said. “Especially our many young players will benefit from his abilities and his experience.

“We did everything to convince Michael. That his preference was for Bayer despite our limited financial possibilities in comparison to the competition, shows his emotional attachment to the club.”

ALLEGRI TAKES HELM AT MILAN

AC Milan confirmed Massimiliano Allegri as their new manager replacing Leonardo who quit after just one season in charge at the San Siro.

Allegri, who has signed a two-year contract with Milan, comes from a Cagliari club he had great success with, but was released after a disagreement with the club in April.

SHORT CORNERS – JUNE 10 : INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

SHORT CORNERS – JUNE 10 : INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS

GLAZER DEBT CRISIS DEEPENS

The Glazer family, owners of Manchester United have fallen in to debt to the tune of $1.6 Billion, according to the BBC. This figure is $570 million more than was previously been reported.

According to the BBC report, the Glazers, who took over United in a $1.4 Billion leveraged buyout, have mortgaged their shopping mall empire in the United States to come up with the $570 million. This is in addition to the $1 Billion in debt tied to United and the $95 million the family owe in debts tied to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Glazers have repeatedly said the will not sell the club which has a value of $1.8 Billion according to Forbes magazine, making United the most valuable football club in the world.

TICKET SALES TARGET 98 PERCENT FOR WORLD CUP

Organizers of the 2010 World Cup have released figures that indicate that ticket sales have passed 97% of the

SHORT CORNERS: Soccer News and Notes From Around the World

SHORT CORNERS: SOCCER NEWS AND NOTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

INTER MILAN: CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE

Inter Milan won the 2010 Champions League Final in Madrid on Saturday calmly and confidently, emulating their manager Jose Mourinho, by beating Bayern Munich 2-0 and thus claiming their first European title in 45 years.

The win over Munich was powered by Diego Milito who scored both goals for Inter in the 35^th and 70^th minute. “Il Principe” Milito’s composure, confidence and skill personified Inter’s play and he walked away with a deserved Man of the Match award.

Though Bayern had chances, they never looked like challenging after Milito’s first strike and Inter Milan were happy to pack the back and keep ten men behind the ball at all times.