Mario Balotelli 'promises Real Madrid players can sleep with his girlfriend if they win Champions League clash'

29 Apr 2013 19:42

He reportedly said Real Madrid’s team could sleep with Belgian model Fanny Neguesha if they beat Borussia Dortmund         

There could be trouble ahead: Mario and Fanny

Claudio Villa

Football bad boy Mario Balotelli might not be popular with girlfriend Fanny Neguesha today.
He reportedly said Real Madrid’s team could sleep with the Belgian model if they win their Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
The former Manchester City striker is apparently so confident Dortmund will qualify after winning the first leg 4-1..
In the Spanish newspapers AS and Marca, the Italy forward was quoted as saying: ‘If Real Madrid come back in Champions League, I’ll let my girlfriend sleep with them!’
Dortmund ran Real off the park a week ago in Germany with Manchester United and Bayern Munich target Lewandowski getting all four goals.
They face each other again at the Bernabéu stadium tomorrow night Balotelli, 22, has previously spoken about his blossoming relationship with Neguesha.
In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair, the striker said his girlfriend was the ‘first woman I feel comfortable with’.
Balotelli has credited WAG Fanny Neguesha with his impressive start to his AC Milan career.
And the 22-year-old model has made her mark with a new tattoo displaying her love for the Italian striker.
Neguesha had a message engraved on her inner arm at the famed Spektrum Tattoo in Milan.

Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mario-balotelli-says-real-madrid-1860443#ixzz2Rvk7jVSF

Emenike injured again as he makes return against Anzhi Makhachkala

Emenike injured again as he makes return against Anzhi Makhachkala

By Babajide Alaka

Apr 29, 2013 2:51:00 PM

The Nigerian striker returned to action on Sunday but was injured and could be out for a lengthy spell

Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike came off the bench on Sunday and helped Spartak Moscow beat Anzhi Makhachkala 2-0 but the Nigerian top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations is reportedly injured and could be out for another lengthy period.
This is coming after a two-month layoff due to a muscular injury he suffered at the last Nations Cup in the semi-final match against Mali.
He replaced Artem Dzyuba in the 54th minute and was brought down for the penalty that gave Spartak their second goal.
Emenike had raced towards a long ball but was brought down by Vladimir Gabulov, Anzhi goalkeeper who was sent off for the foul.
Team mate and midfielder, Dmitri Kombarov said as good as the win was, it had been sullied with the injury to their Nigerian striker.
"As far as it is serious, we will find out [Monday] or the day after, I do not know exactly when it will be examined,” Kombarov told the clubs official site.
Though speculations are rife that Emenike may need another operation on a suspected knee ligament injury that will take between two and three months for a full recovery.
If the injury is confirmed, Emenike will miss the two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia and also the Fifa Confederations Cup in June. ---------------------- goal.com

Champions League: Mourinho wants more aggressive Madrid

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 09:16

Madrid: Jose Mourinho has called on his side to be more ruthless when they face Borussia Dortmund in the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.

Madrid need an incredible comeback after four goals from Robert Lewandowski helped the Germans romp to a 4-1 victory in the first-leg last week and Mourinho believes his side have to perform with the type of aggression they did in the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

"The team was naive. We played against a player that scored four goals and wasn`t fouled in the whole game, whilst Cristiano (Ronaldo) was fouled five times and the game had barely begun. It was like we were playing a friendly.

"Mentally and physically we need to be stronger. At the Calderon on Saturday I saw a team that knew how to suffer and defend. A team that was compact, united, aggressive and worked towards an objective."

However, Mourinho insisted that the outcome of the second-leg would not have an effect on his future at the club.

"My future won`t depend on that. At practically all clubs, not just Madrid, the success is thanks to the players and the failure is that of the manager.

"We have 90 minutes to play and we are 4-1 down. What I am concerned with is analysing what happened in Dortmund and what we have to do tomorrow (Tuesday).

"The game in Dortmund was so bad that I am not concerned about them, I am concerned about what we have to do better. No player is hiding, we are all in the same boat and all of them want to play, which gives me confidence and hope for the game. In football everything is possible."

Mourinho confirmed that Ronaldo trained on Monday morning and will play despite continuing to feel the aftereffects of a thigh injury picked up in the first-leg last Wednesday.

Alvaro Arbeloa and Marcelo remain Real`s only two absentees through injury, but the return of Michael Essien means that he could line up at right-back with Sergio Ramos moving into central defence after the torrid time Lewandowski gave Pepe last week.

And Ramos said he will play in whatever position is best for the side, although he feels more comfortable at centre-back.

"In the past few years I have played as a centre-back, it gives me more control of the game. Due to the circumstances I had to play at full-back and it wasn`t a problem.

"I have won the European Championships and the World Cup playing there. The manager will look at what is best for the team to decide where I should play."

Ramos had criticised Madrid`s attitude in the wake of the match last week and he echoed Mourinho`s sentiments that they need to be more aggressive on home soil.

"The other day when I spoke of attitude I meant our intensity, aggression and rhythm of our game wasn`t as it should have been. If we have greater intensity and rhythm it will be less of a problem but it is still a very negative result to overturn and will be very difficult.

"We can`t take away the credit from Dortmund, they played a great game and deserved to win but the other day we didn`t win personal duels that we normally do." ----------------- ZEENEWS.com

Manchester United contacts Cristiano Ronaldo`s agent: Reports

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 12:48

London: Hitting back at French giants Paris Saint Germain after it joined the race for Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Premier League winners Manchester United have reportedly contacted Ronaldo`s agent in a bid to cancel out a potential move of the player to the French capital.

The French Ligue 1 leaders have contacted Real Madrid with a `substantial offer` for the former Old Trafford idol, The Sun reports.

Panicked by PSG`s move, a United source said that the club is not happy as PSG has made their move with a substantial offer, although adding that they will not give up and thus have already informed Ronaldo`s agent of their intent.

According to the report, the French side, backed by big money from Qatar , are understood to have offered Real 80 million pounds for the star, and will also top any wage offer by United, who would however, make him joint top earner at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney on 250,000 pounds-a week.

However, the report said that United may have a supporter in the form of sports giant Nike, Ronaldo`s main sponsors, who will offer the player further incentives to move back to United.

Stating that Ronaldo`s decision will not come down purely to cash, the report mentioned that the player`s preferred destination will be Old Trafford, adding that he has refused to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu and would be willing to let his remaining two years run and leave Real for nothing.

United, who sold Ronaldo to Real for 80 million pounds in 2009, are willing to offer 65 million plus a player, probably Nani, if they get the green light from Ronaldo`s agent that the player wants a move, the report added. ----------------------- ZEENEWS.com

Klopp envisages 'historic' night of football

Klopp envisages 'historic' night of football

By Chris Kvesa

Apr 29, 2013 6:28:00 PM

The BVB boss believes Tuesday's game will be remembered for years to come - regardless of which team emerges victorious

Jurgen Klopp is envisaging an "historic" night of football when his Borussia Dortmund side face Real Madrid in the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final.

Die Schwarzgelben ran out 4-1 winners in the first-leg last Wednesday, making them strong favourites at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the BVB boss is expecting a special evening.

"We know what can happen in football, either way, something historic will happen," the 45-year-old told reporters at the pre-match press conference.

"If we go through, it will be historic, if Madrid turn the tie, it will be historic as well.

"My players cannot fail tomorrow, they can only give their best, there's no doubt about this. We have to show that BVB will do everything in their power to reach the final.

"We don't have the feeling of already being in the final. But we have built us a solid foundation, which we didn't expect. We're not in the final yet, but we're fighting for it."

Madrid and Dortmund kick off at 20.45CET on Tuesday, April 30 at the Santiago Bernabeu. ----------------------- goal.com

Nigeria Football Federation top echelon accused of acting unilaterally

Nigeria Football Federation top echelon accused of acting unilaterally

By Babajide Alaka

Apr 29, 2013 2:15:00 PM

Some board members of the football ruling body have said that they get to see the actions of the board in the newspapers

The Aminu Maigari-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been accused of not carrying along their board members as they take decisions on football and especially on the Super Eagles.
Lately, the body has been downsizing with Sylvanus Okpala, Robinson Okosun and Ben Alaiya - the assistant coach, psychologist and media officer for the national team respectively, were relieved of their jobs.
“I didn’t attend any meeting wherein such issues were raised,” Leye Adepoju, a member of the NFF Board told Premium Times.
“The simple truth is that we didn’t meet on it. I don’t know what they are doing.
“When they were about to employ the coaches and back room staff of the national team, it was brought to us the executive.
“Now that they want to downsize they should also inform the executive. I only read it in the papers. How they come about (the decision to downsize), I don’t know.
“There was never a meeting that was held to say that it may be necessary to downsize.
“If there’s a process that led to downsizing then everybody should be made aware of it.
“If a meeting was held maybe we would have found other alternatives. It’s difficult for a person who doesn’t know how they came about the decision to comment on it,” Adepoju added.
The move to downsize has been disapproved by many and the NFF is currently at loggerheads with club owners on the issue of the League Management Committee headed by Nduka Irabor. ------------- goal.com

Evra says Van Persie made right decision to quit Arsenal

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 12:37

London: Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has said that star striker Robin van Persie was right to leave Arsenal, adding that it has been proved by his club`s Premier League title triumph.

The Dutchman, who infuriated Arsenal fans by quitting their team to join rivals United in a 24 million-pound transfer last year, played a key role in United regaining the English title with his goals.

Winning the title more than justifies Van Persie`s decision to quit a club which has gone eight years without a trophy, Evra said in an interview.

Evra further said that he cannot understand why he has been subjected to abuse from Arsenal`s fans, adding that they have forgotten the Dutch player`s contributions for Arsenal.

Although Van Persie was subjected to abuse from Arsenal supporters on his first return to the Emirates Stadium for Sunday`s 1-1 draw with the Gunners, he showed respect for Arsenal by opting not to celebrate his penalty equalizer despite the hostile reception.  ------------------ ZEENEWS.com

Tevez fears being `out-priced` by City for `dream move` to Argentina

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 12:41 

London: Manchester City star Carlos Tevez has said that he feared that a dream return to Argentine club Boca Juniors may be impossible as he expected that City will demand well in excess of 20 million pounds if they decide to sell him this summer.

Although the Argentine striker has made no secret of the fact that he would like to return to Boca before he retires, however, he said that a move to another European club would be more likely as it is difficult for any Argentine club to pay his market value.

Stating that it is his dream to return to Boca and play there until he retires, Tevez said that it is possible that he will return to Boca when he is 33, adding that he expected City to demand more from other clubs if they sell him this season seeing that AC Milan had offered 20 million Euros to City when he was not performing well.

Meanwhile, Pablo Zabaleta has admitted Manchester City must win the FA Cup to salvage their season. ------------------- ZEENEWS.com

Pirlo: I could have joined Madrid, Chelsea or Barca

Pirlo: I could have joined Madrid, Chelsea or Barca

By Shane Callaghan

Apr 30, 2013 12:44:00 AM

The Italy international spoke about how close he was to signing for some of Europe's leading clubs and tipped Clarence Seedorf to be a success at Milan - if he is offered the job

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has revealed he may have signed for one of Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona if not for the intervention of AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi.

The 33-year-old ended a 10-year spell with Milan in 2011 and, prior to signing for Juventus, a decision he believes was the best of his career, Pirlo says he was not short of suitors keen to secure his services.

"I had already reached an agreement with Chelsea, then after Berlusconi intervened and I stayed at Milan. I was also very close with Capello at Real Madrid and nearly joined them in 2006," he explained in his autobiography.

"Guardiola then convinced me to join Barcelona in 2011, but Berlusconi stepped in again."

The former Milan playmaker added he was happy with the decision to sign for Juventus, but stressed his departure from the Rossoneri was born out of a desire to seek a new challenge.

"Surely it was the best decision of my career to sign for Juventus," he said. "Do I regret leaving Milan? I decided I needed a change. I needed to find new ideas and that was the best thing for both parties."

Clarence Seedorf has been touted as a potential successor to Massimiliano Allegri at Milan and Pirlo believes his former team-mate is well-equipped to take the reins at San Siro.

"He is a great character, he has charisma and could do very well at Milan. But now he's still playing in Brazil, we will see when it stops," he added.

It is a career path Pirlo also harbours aspirations to follow and he credited current coach Antonio Conte for inspiring him to one day swap life on the pitch for life in the dugout.

He said: "Thanks to Conte I got the urge of coaching and I thank him for that. We will see what happens in the future."

Pirlo could pick up his second successive league winners medal with Juventus as early as this weekend. ------------- goal.com

Manchester City to launch ambitious €38m Reus raid

Manchester City to launch ambitious €38m Reus raid

Apr 30, 2013 7:25:00 AM

The Premier League club will make a formal double-your-money offer for the Dortmund star in the next 10 days, although the 23-year-old would rather stay in Germany

EXCLUSIVE
By Greg Stobart

Manchester City will launch an ambitious €38 million bid for Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus before the end of the season, Goal.com can reveal.

The Premier League side are preparing a package that will double Reus' €71,000-a-week wages and will make a formal offer to Dortmund in the next 10 days.

CAN MAN CITY LURE REUS?

DANIEL BUSE, GOAL.COM GERMANY

It's unlikely that there will be a scenario that will see Marco Reus leave Dortmund this summer. It's true that he will be losing his best friend, Mario Gotze, who has agreed to join Bayern Munich, but he remains committed to the club. With Gotze leaving, Jurgen Klopp is obviously keen to keep his remaining star players, including Reus and Mats Hummels, with the former enjoying a productive 2012-13 season. Reus has certainly proved that he is well worth the €17.1m that Dortmund paid to sign him last summer and, while Manchester City have an ambitious project that could be tempting for him, he is the type of player who needs a settled environment and that should see him stay in Germany.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is understood to be reluctant to leave the German club just a year after joining from Borussia Monchengladbach - but City will test their resolve with a big-money bid.

City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, is determined to complete the club's transfer business early this season and has targeted a number of marquee signings, with Napoli striker Edinson Cavani the top target.

Reus has been identified by Begiristain as a player who would boost the 2011-12 champions' chances of winning the Premier League title next season after they missed out to bitter rivals Manchester United this term.

The likes of Brazilian star Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic are also on City's radar as they plan a major summer overhaul of the playing squad, with a number of highly paid players potentially leaving the Etihad Stadium including Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott.

"Manchester City are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the 2012 summer transfer window and have drawn up a hitlist well in advance of the end of the season," a source close to the club told Goal.com.

"Reus is one player the club are committed to going all guns blazing for very soon. They are determined to test Dortmund - and the player's - resolve with a fantastic offer."

Dortmund would be reluctant to cash in on the Germany international with Mario Gotze moving to Bayern Munich this summer in a €37m deal and speculation over the future of striker Robert Lewandowski remaining uncertain.

Reus has enjoyed a sparkling season since his €17.1m move to Dortmund last summer, scoring 22 goals and providing 18 assists for the Champions League semi-finalists.

Reus has four years remaining on his contract at Signal Iduna Park and is a childhood Dortmund fan - he was on the club's books as a youth player and chose them over Bayern Munich last summer.

But he could be tempted by City's huge double-your-money offer even though he would prefer to stay in the Bundesliga next season to boost his chances of featuring for Germany at the World Cup in 2014. --------------- goal.com

EMENIKE OUT OF ACTION AGAIN

EMENIKE OUT OF ACTION AGAIN

Posted: Apr 29, 2013

Eagles striker set to undergo arthroscopic surgery in the coming days

Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike will undergo an arthroscopic surgery in the coming days on his knee ligament after he damaged his meniscus lateral ligament on his return from a two month injury layoff in Spatak Moscow's 2-0 win over Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday.

According to team doctor Michael Vartapetova, the AFCON top scorer who suffered a muscle tear in the semi-final match against Mali at the just concluded African Nations Cup which the Eagles triumphed is expected to be out for a long period.

"In the near future Emenike operation will be made. Recovery times are not announced." he stated.

Emenike who has been cleared of match fixing allegations during his time with Karabukspor of Turkey is expected to miss the Eagles 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia in June and the Confederations Cup as well. ------------------ Complete Sports

Four Enduring Mysteries About the Boston Bombings

By Michael CrowleyApril 29

FBI

From left: Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Boston, Mass., on April 15, 2013.

Follow @TIMEPolitics

Two weeks after the Boston marathon bombings killed three people and injured hundreds more, one suspect is dead and another is in custody and charged with a capital crime. The basic outlines of the story of the Tsarnaev brothers seem clear. Yet recent news reports and comments from members of Congress underscore that critical questions about their alleged crimes remain unanswered, complicating the emerging debate over what lessons America should draw from the horror on Boylston Street. Here are the most pressing:

Did They Really Act On Their Own? During his initial interrogation, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly said that he and his brother Tamerlan acted alone, motivated by anger over America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that they learned how to construct their bombs online. Officials have disclosed no evidence to the contrary, but there are hints of a more complex plot. By some accounts, their bomb detonators–exploded via remote controllers for toy cars–required a sophistication that the Tsarnaev brothers didn’t otherwise show when, for instance, they failed to wear disguises to the marathon site, or when they carelessly allowed a hostage to escape. “There was some outside counsel to these individuals on how to build and how to detonate,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers told Fox News last week, although a national security source also told Fox that the toy-car detonator is not a known al Qaeda technique.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to explore a six-month trip Tamerlan took to Russia last year, and whether he met with Islamist rebels in the country’s troubled republic of Dagestan. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul suggested to NBC yesterday that the Tsarnaev brothers might have had a foreign “trainer”: “And the question is, where is that trainer or trainers?” McCaul asked. “Are they overseas in the Chechen region or are they in the United States?”
How Much Does Vladimir Putin Know? Some lawmakers believe the Russian government is being coy about its intelligence on the Tsarnaev family. “I think they do know more than they’re telling us,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN yesterday. Those suspicions have hardly been allayed by this weekend’s revelation that Russia informed U.S. officials only recently about recorded phone conversations, including one in which Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, discussed “jihad.”
Those conversations were the basis for the warning by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to the FBI about Tamerlan Tsarnaev two years ago. After the FBI’s three-month investigation sounded no alarms, however, Russia didn’t respond to the bureau’s request for more information.
“There’s got to be a basis for why [Russia] went up on her electronically or why they went up on one of her affiliates or associates,” Schiff told CNN, referring to Tsarnaev’s mother. “We haven’t received that information from the Russians.” It’s possible Russia is worried about exposing its intelligence operations. It’s also possible the Russians just don’t like to share with us. As Rogers noted on ABC’s “This Week” yesterday, “You have to remember the FSB is a hostile service to the FBI and the CIA.”
Did U.S. Intelligence Officials Fail to ‘Connect the Dots’ Again? A more dogged pursuit of leads and better intelligence sharing could have prevented the September 11 attacks, and some lawmakers now wonder if the same goes for Boston. The FBI investigated Tamerlan in 2011 after Russia’s initial warning that he’d grown enchanted by Islamic radicalism, but the bureau closed its file on him after finding no “derogatory” information. Even if the FBI had no legal grounds to continue surveilling Tsarnaev without more specific information, however, some critics suggest that local law enforcement could have kept an eye on him.
At the federal level, meanwhile, critics are asking whether intelligence agencies should have perked up when Tamerlan returned from a six-month trip to Russia last year. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina calls it a “system failure” that the Department of Homeland Security didn’t notify the CIA and FBI about Tamerlan’s trip. “I am now saying to my fellow citizens, 11 years after 9/11 clearly our system is not working,” Graham told CNN last week. But Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano told Congress last week that her department didn’t notify the FBI because the bureau’s alert on Tsarnaev had expired months before, leaving DHS with no impetus to share word of the trip. Some members of Congress weren’t assuaged, and have also wondered why the FBI team in Boston didn’t get more prodding from headquarters.
Who Is ‘Misha’ and Where Is He? Tamerlan’s relatives say that his sharp turn toward Islam, while perhaps fostered in part by disappointment over his stalled boxing career, was encouraged by a man the Associated Press describes as a “mysterious radical”–a bearded man known only as “Misha.” “This person just took his brain. He just brainwashed him completely,” Tsarnaev’s uncle, Ruslan Tsarni tells CNN. Misha is a Muslim convert who urged Tamerlan to quit boxing, stop studying music, and adopt a sharply anti-American worldview. The Associated Press and other news outlets have thus far been unable to locate Misha, an older, heavyset Armenian native with a reddish beard whom Tamerlan reportedly met in 2008 or 2009. According to the Daily Beast, the feds have now identified “Misha,” though it’s unclear whether they have spoken to him yet. They are no doubt eager to. With so many questions about the terror in Boston still lingering, investigators are desperate to talk to anyone who might have answers. Update: Last night Christian Caryl reported meeting with a man in Rhode Island who he says is Misha; the man says he “wasn’t [Tamerlan's] teacher, and that he is “cooperating entirely” with the FBI.
MORE: Exclusive: Imam of Mosque Visited by Bombing Suspect Speaks to TIME
PHOTOS: Joy and Relief in Boston After Bombing Suspect’s Arrest

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/29/four-mysteries-about-the-boston-bombings/#ixzz2RvchELlp

Canadian boxer may have inspired Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev

Get short URL

Published time: April 29, 2013 21:01

William Plotnikov. (Image from odnoklassniki.ru)

Share on Tumblr

Trends
Boston Marathon bombing Tags
Russia, Terrorism, USA, Canada

Yet another name has surfaced as investigators attempt to determine what motivated the suspected Boston Marathon bombers to wage a terrorist attack two weeks ago.
Authorities are still searching for answers in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Boston that claimed three lives earlier this month, and the only surviving suspect — 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — has reportedly stopped speaking to investigators. As questions continue to go unanswered, though, independent researchers may have stumbled upon the name of another person whose background may prove helpful in piecing together what happened to inspire the April 15 bombing.
The extent that Dzhokhar’s 26-year-old brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev played in the bombing may never be known since he was killed in a gun battle with authorities amid a massive manhunt that brought most of the Boston, Massachusetts region into lockdown mode. Now investigators are digging for dirt on another man who may have had a role in influencing the late Tsarnaev brother’s actions: a slain 23-year-old Canadian boxer named William Plotnikov.
Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper has called into question Plotnikov, a Muslim convert who fled Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2012 to fight against Russian security forces. According to the paper, Plotnikov and the elder Tsarnaev brother connected over the Internet during the years before and may have motivated one another to use violence in getting their points across.
Details on Plotnikov’s life are presently scarce, but investigators do believe that he spoke to Tamerlan Tsarnaev using an online social networking site. Novaya Gazeta reveals that Plotnikov briefly left the Toronto region in 2010 so he could study Islam in the Dagestan region of Russia. While overseas, a red flag was raised before Russian authorities who in turn ordered an investigation into Plotnikov and a subsequent interrogation. During that questioning, Plotnikov allegedly identified Tamerlan as someone whom he communicated with on the Web.
Two years later Plotnikov joined a group of insurgents in the Dagestan region, but an attempt to engage Russian security forces proved unsuccessful and he died in battle with six other militants that summer. Now a number of connections between the two slain young Muslims are making investigators ask new questions.
For one, the timing of Plotnikov’s passing raises concerns among investigators. Plotnikov died in battle on July 14, 2012, and two days later Tamerlan Tsarnaev quickly fled Russia for the United States. Simon Shuster of TIME notes that Tsarnaev was in Dagestan at the time of the killing, but fled two days later to Moscow, then to the US.

Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev Boxing Pictures. (AFP Photo / Getty Images / Glenn DePriest)

“He did not even wait to pick up his new Russian passport, which his parents claim to be the reason he came to Russia in the first place,” writes Shuster.
One source speaking to Novaya Gazeta says Tamerlan Tsarnaev may have had to abort other plans after the untimely passing of an insurgent who admitted to knowing him.
"It seems that Tamerlan Tsarnaev came to Dagestan with the aim of joining the insurgents," a security source told the paper. "It didn't work out. First you need to contact an intermediary, then there is a period of 'quarantine' – before they take someone, the insurgents check him out over several months.”
TIME’s Shuster explains more of the similarities between the suspect and his Canadian colleague:
“Both their families have roots in predominantly Muslim regions of Russia — Plotnikov’s mother is Tatar; Tsarnaev’s parents are from the North Caucasus. Both of them became avid amateur boxers in North America after their families emigrated there. Both of them embraced radical Islam while grasping around for an identity in their adopted homes. Both of them came to Dagestan to explore their faith. And both of them were in Dagestan between January and July last year, when Plotnikov had already joined an Islamist militant group and Tsarnaev was attending services at a radical mosque.”
And while the parents of the Tsarnaev brothers insist their sons are innocent, the father of Plotnikov has been perturbed by his own offspring’s actions. Speaking to Canada’s National post last year, Vitaly Plotnikov said his son converted to Islam in 2009 only to die during an insurgency battle just three years later.
“How can the mind of a person be changed in such a short period of time?” the father asked.
Tamerlan’s brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been formally charged with using a weapon of mass destruction and has been transferred to Federal Medical Center, Devens outside of Boston, Mass. ------------------ RT QUESTION MORE

Collins says gay pride march, Boston bombing moved him to come out

Mon Apr 29, 2013 1:54pm EDT

(Reuters) - Boston's gay pride parade last year, and this month's bombings at the city's marathon helped persuade Jason Collins it was the time to come out as the first gay player in one of North America's top professional leagues.
Collins, a former center with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Boston Celtics, said in a Sports Illustrated article published on Monday that he had gradually become frustrated with having to keep silent on gay issues.
"I realized I needed to go public when Joe Kennedy, my old roommate at Stanford and now a Massachusetts congressman, told me he had just marched in Boston's 2012 Gay Pride Parade," Collins said in the SI article, which he co-wrote with a journalist from the magazine.
Joe Kennedy is the grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy, younger brother of former president John F. Kennedy.
"I'm seldom jealous of others, but hearing what Joe had done filled me with envy. I was proud of him for participating but angry that as a closeted gay man I couldn't even cheer my straight friend on as a spectator," he said.
"If I'd been questioned, I would have concocted half truths. What a shame to have to lie at a celebration of pride. I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore. I want to march for tolerance, acceptance and understanding. I want to take a stand and say, "Me, too," he said.
Collins, who was traded from the Celtics to the Washington Wizards in February and is now a free agent, waited until the 2012-2013 regular season ended earlier this month to make his announcement. He said he had not come out earlier due to a desire to protect his team.
"Loyalty to my team is the real reason I didn't come out sooner. When I signed a free-agent contract with Boston last July, I decided to commit myself to the Celtics and not let my personal life become a distraction.
"When I was traded to the Wizards, the political significance of coming out sunk in. I was ready to open up to the press, but I had to wait until the season was over.
"A college classmate tried to persuade me to come out then and there. But I couldn't yet. My one small gesture of solidarity was to wear jersey number 98 with the Celtics and then the Wizards. The number has great significance to the gay community," he said, referring to the 1998 murder of University of gay Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.
"When I put on my jersey I was making a statement to myself, my family and my friends," he said.
IMPACT OF BOSTON BOMBING
The 34-year-old Collins had already come out to his family and close friends but said the bombing at the April 15 Boston Marathon, which killed three people and injured over 200, had pushed him to make his announcement.
"The recent Boston Marathon bombing reinforced the notion that I shouldn't wait for the circumstances of my coming out to be perfect. Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?
"When I told Joe a few weeks ago that I was gay, he was grateful that I trusted him. He asked me to join him in 2013. We'll be marching on June 8," he said of this year's Boston gay pride parade.
Collins also said that he found it very tough to keep out of the public debates about gay marriage in the United States.
"The strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable in March, when the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for and against same-sex marriage. Less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future.
"Here was my chance to be heard, and I couldn't say a thing. I didn't want to answer questions and draw attention to myself. Not while I was still playing," he said.
A two-time NBA finalist, Collins said he was ready to sit down and talk with other players but already felt happier now he had come out publicly.
"Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start. It all comes down to education. I'll sit down with any player who's uneasy about my coming out. Being gay is not a choice. This is the tough road and at times the lonely road.
"If I'm up against an intolerant player, I'll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on.
"The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I'm much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy."
(Reporting By Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Frances Kerry) --------------------- Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo Destroying Dortmund Promo | Real Madrid vs Dortmund 30...

Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly the wealthiest manager operating in Britain

Last Updated: April 26, 2013 8:43am

Sir Alex Ferguson: Reportedly worth £34million

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has retained his position as the wealthiest football manager in Britain, according to a report to be published on Sunday.

The fourth annual Sunday Times Sport Rich List, to be published in full on 28 April, says that Ferguson, who has just led United to Premier League title glory, is now worth £34m.
The list is based on identifiable wealth, which includes land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies, but which excludes bank accounts.
Former Sunderland and Ipswich boss Roy Keane, who used to play for Ferguson at United, is next on the list at £29m, followed by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (£29m).
QPR manager Harry Redknapp is worth £13m, good enough for ninth on the list, just behind his predecessor at Loftus Road, Mark Hughes (£14m).
Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez has joined the list in joint-10th, alongside England boss Roy Hodgson and Martin O'Neill, with a fortune of £12m.
The richest Formula One drivers born or based in the UK have also been revealed and Lewis Hamilton leads the way among active drivers on £60m, an increase of £5m since last year.
Jenson Button has also added £5m to his total in the last year and is now worth £58m, while Scot Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar champion, is worth £50m. --------------------- bleacher reports

Down but not out: Football owes Javier Zanetti a happy ending

Down but not out: Football owes Javier Zanetti a happy ending

Apr 29, 2013 9:00:00 AM

The Argentine's career is at risk after he ruptured his Achilles tendon on Sunday but his vow to return will have come as music to the ears of fans of all persuasions

COMMENT
By Kris Voakes
Football is the cruelest of mistresses. Most of the time we love her, but we also have those days when we hate her with a passion. Never have any of her actions been more steeped in betrayal than on Sunday in Sicily. The wonderful springtime sunshine was on our backs as we strolled hand in hand with her on our latest adventure, but our sense of joyful anticipation was quickly cut short at 15:14CET when we saw what football had done to Javier Zanetti.
As the Argentine made just another trademark run to the byeline in Inter’s visit to Palermo, his pull-back caused the home defence to panic and clear for a corner. Yet a split second later it was the travelling players and medical staff who were panicking. Watching the 39-year-old wave to the bench is far from a regular sight. Watching him crumple to the ground with his head in his hands, however, was nothing short of sickening.

	ZANETTI'S 1101 GAMES
33	Talleres (1992-93)
66	Banfield (1993-95)
845	Inter (1995- )
12	Argentina Olympic team (1995-96)
145	Argentina (1994-2011)

The Achilles tendon rupture which he suffered as he put his body on the line to keep the ball in play could rob Zanetti of the farewell from the game that he, more than anyone, deserves. A player who transcends rivalries like no other, adored by Inter fans but also admired and respected by Milanisti and Juventini, will be sent nothing but good wishes by the football world as he attempts to recover from such a cruel blow over the next eight months.
Yes, he has been lucky in his career in steering clear of a major injury until now, but the timing could not have been worse. Turning 40 in August, ‘Pupi’ now faces an immense struggle to cope with the kind of rehabilitation programme he has never previously had to endure. Younger, more naturally resilient bodies have found it difficult to overcome such challenges, with so many never standing up to the rigours like before when they have returned to full working order.
But there isn't a football fan alive who wants Zanetti’s career to end this way. His is the last story that should end on a stretcher, heading for the tunnel little more than 15 minutes into a game. The whole world will be willing him on to succeed in his fight to return to the field of play midway through next season, as he vowed to do in a message to supporters on Sunday night.
“I felt a real pain, I still do, but I will overcome this,” he reassured Inter followers, and one can only hope that he approaches this most monumental of challenges with the same vigour with which he has taken on the mantle of being the Nerazzurri’s best player this season despite his senior citizen status.
Andrea Stramaccioni and his side have a lot on their plates right now, but this takes centre stage above everything else. Days like Sunday bring a sense of focus. Inter lost three more points in their continued battle for European football thanks to Josip Ilicic’s 10th-minute goal, but the result and its consequences are nothing but an afterthought. Concern for Zanetti is the be-all and end-all.
Innocuous injuries are so often the most damaging. It is not the beef behind a challenge which causes the pain, but simply the body giving out thanks to the wear and tear of a life in football. Javier Zanetti has given his heart and his soul to the game, and now his body has temporarily been handed over too.
But we will believe. We will retain hope that Zanetti will be back. His final chapter will come with him bouncing up and down in front of the Curva Nord at San Siro, just as it should be. The fans will sing “C’e’ solo un capitano” and the man himself will have a big grin on his face. If football owes one man that happy ending, it is Javier Zanetti. ---------------------- goal.com

Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Pique & the stars one yellow card away from missing the Champions League final

Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Pique & the stars one yellow card away from missing the Champions League final

By Rupert Fryer

Apr 29, 2013 9:00:00 AM

Jupp Heynckes has a major decision to make when his Bayern Munich side visit Camp Nou, with six of his players just one booking away from suspension

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has something of a selection headache this week when his side take their four-goal first-leg lead to Spain to face Barcelona, with no fewer than six of his first-team squad just one booking away from missing the Champions League final.

Mario Gomez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez all picked up cautions during the Bavarians' 4-0 demolition of the Blaugrana at the Allianz Arena, leaving all three walking a tightrope on Wednesday.

Brazilian duo Dante and Luiz Gustavo also sit on two bookings, as does captain Philipp Lahm after he received a yellow card in each leg of his side’s round of 16 victory over Arsenal.

Barcelona’s defensive problems could be further exacerbated should Gerard Pique mistime a challenge as the Catalans go all out to come back from the brink. Alex Song also runs the risk of a suspension after he was twice booked during the group stage.

Jurgen Klopp has little to worry about when Borussia Dortmund visit the Bernebeau on Tuesday, with only Kevin Grosskreutz one card away from missing a potential final.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, will have to try and curb the enthusiasm of Sergio Ramos and Michael Essien, both of whom carry two previous bookings into the clash. ---------------------- goal.com

Maria Sharapova makes Stuttgart final

Last Updated: Sunday, April 28, 2013, 13:55 

Moscow: Reigning champion and top seed Maria Sharapova reached the final of the Stuttgart Premier tennis tournament after defeating local favourite Angelique Kerber in a hard fought semifinal.

The Russian world No.2 emerged the winner by a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 against sixth-ranked German Kerber in a see-saw encounter Saturday.

Sharapova, a former Wimbledon champion, has been pushed to three sets in all three of her matches so far at the clay-court tournament, following earlier close calls against Ana Ivanovic and Lucie Safarova.

The Russian will play either Chinese second seed Li Na or unseeded American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the final.

The Stuttgart tournament, known as the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for commercial reasons, has a prize fund of USD 800,000. ----------------------- ZEENEWS.com

Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund Preview: Visitors have one foot in the final

Jurgen Klopp's side recorded a 4-1 win over the Spanish champions in Germany last week and will look to finish the job at the Bernabeu on Tuesday

By Enis Koylu

Festejo Lewandowski tercer gol

Real Madrid are likely to welcome Alvaro Arbeloa back into the defence after his suspension for the first leg. Pepe will drop to the bench, leaving Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane to partner one another at centre-back.

Don't Miss

Angel Di Maria will start on the wing after the birth of his daughter confined him to the bench in Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo has been training on his own as he looks to overcome a thigh injury and, although he is classed as a doubt, the Portuguese is likely to make the XI.

Finally, Gonzalo Higuain is likely to retain his place up front ahead of Karim Benzema.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, should name the same team who won so impressively at Signal Iduna Park. Lukasz Piszczek has been struggling with a groin problem but should start in defence alongside Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer.

The likes of Felipe Santana, Mitchell Langerak, Moritz Leitner, Oliver Kirch and Julian Schieber were given a run-out against Fortuna Dusseldorf but will drop out as BVB name a more familiar line-up.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Real Madrid are bidding to reach their 13th European Cup final. The last time they lost in the showpiece was in 1981. BVB have reached one final in their history, beating Juventus in 1997.
  

• Cristiano Ronaldo's goal against the Germans in the first leg was his 50th in the competition.

• Jose Mourinho's side lost to German opposition - Bayern Munich - in last season's semi-finals. This is the third straight year that they have reached this stage.

• Only one team have progressed having lost the first leg 4-1, with Deportive La Coruna recording a 4-0 second-leg win in Spain against AC Milan.

• Borussia Dortmund overcame Spanish opposition in the last round of the competition, beating Malaga 3-2 on aggregate.

• BVB lost at this stage of the competition to Real Madrid in 1998, with the Spaniards going on to win the competition.

• Robert Lewandowski became the first player to score four goals against Madrid in the Champions League in the first leg. ---------------------- goal.com

Arsenal in pole position to clinch top-four place despite Manchester United setback

Arsenal in pole position to clinch top-four place despite Manchester United setback

Apr 29, 2013 9:00:00 AM

Of the three sides competing for the final two Champions League spots, the fixture list is kindest to Arsene Wenger's in-form team, while Spurs and Chelsea must face each other

COMMENT
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

The guard of honour would have hurt. So would watching Robin van Persie in opposition colours emphatically convert a penalty that he had won upon his return to the Emirates Stadium.
But a point against the new champions still felt like an achievement for this Arsenal team, one which has consistently tripped up against the elite this season.

THE RACE IS ON The fight for CL spots
MAY 4
	SPURS	v	SOTON
	QPR	v	ARSENAL
MAY 5
	CHELSEA	v	CHELSEA
MAY 8
	CHELSEA	v	SPURS
MAY 11
	CHELSEA	v	VILLA
MAY 12
	SPURS	v	STOKE
MAY 14
	ARSENAL	v	WIGAN
MAY 19
	NEWC	v	ARSENAL
	SPURS	v	SUN'LAND
	CHELSEA	v	EVERTON

"It keeps our unbeaten run going," concluded Arsene Wenger in glass half-full mode. "We have got to be proud of ourselves. It was a good point," added Theo Walcott.
Arsenal remain in pole position to board the Champions League gravy train for what would be a 16th consecutive year.
A home clash against Wigan Athletic is book-ended by trips next Saturday to QPR, who have already plummeted through the relegation trap door, and hapless Newcastle United on the final day of the season.
All three opponents sit in the bottom five. All three clubs were also defeated by Arsenal in the corresponding fixture earlier in the campaign. Indeed, Wenger's side walloped seven past Newcastle in late December.
Even the most dis-satisfied Gooner would appreciate that their side has proved highly accomplished at brushing aside those whose principal ambition at the start of the season was simply preserving top-flight status.
Since the start of February, Arsenal have secured 24 points from their eight matches against Stoke City, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Swansea City, Reading, West Brom, Norwich City and Fulham. Of their three other league fixtures in this period they have been far less convincing, losing in demoralising fashion in the derby against Tottenham and drawing at home against Everton and now United.
That setback at White Hart Lane, which left Arsenal seven points behind Spurs, felt like a watershed moment.
But Wenger's ruthlessness in axing skipper Thomas Vermaelen and Wojciech Szczesny – who has since being recalled due to yet another Lukasz Fabianski injury – has been vindicated with a series of resilient displays.
The swagger associated with the great Wenger teams has only been seen in isolation, usually against mediocre opposition when victory has already been secured.
Arsenal were terrific in the opening half-hour against United. Aggressive, motivated and purposeful, Theo Walcott's expertly-taken second-minute goal was a justified reward. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted afterwards to being surprised by the ferocity of some of the home side's challenges.
It seemed to have provided the platform for a key victory against a United who initially demonstrated all the fire of a team that had spent the week in hardcore party celebration mode.
But Van Persie's eagerness to show his former club that he deserved their respect, if not their love, helped to switch on his team's competitive button.
The Dutchman's every touch was jeered but his decision to leave the club where he spent eight years has been fully justified by pilfering 25 league goals for the side that has romped to the title. It says much for Van Persie's impact that the status of Wayne Rooney, subbed for the fourth time in five games, has been downgraded, most probably for good.
United grew in assurance as the game progressed and, by the end, Arsenal were hanging on. When handshakes were traded, it felt more like a valuable point for the hosts than a chance missed in the quest for fourth.
In a nod to the drama and title-winning significance that was the hallmark of this fixture during the Wenger glory years, Arsenal's fans chanted the name of Patrick Vieira in the second half.
No Gunners captain has lifted a trophy since the great Vieira, who held aloft the FA Cup before he left in 2005.
Even the most ardent AKB ('Arsene Knows Best') would be hard pushed to argue that this current team stacks up with its predecessors either side of the millennium.
Of the current squad, who would get in those teams spearheaded by Vieira? A fully fit Jack Wilshere (he looked far from convincing once again during his substitute appearance), perhaps. Maybe Santi Cazorla. Walcott's electric pace would certainly be a useful bench option.
With three games left, Arsenal's only target is to clinch what Wenger calls the season's fifth 'trophy' and end some of the growing disconnect between the dugout and those who sit in the most expensive seats in the Premier League.
For that, they are well placed following a highly creditable 26-point haul out of a possible 33.
The fixture list is kinder to them than either Chelsea or Tottenham, at least one of whom is destined to drop points when they play one another in what looks the pivotal top-four clash at Stamford Bridge on May 8.
For all Spurs' progress under Andre Villas-Boas, they lack the experience of their two rivals in seeing a campaign to a successful top-four conclusion.

Arsenal have benefited from a far less punishing fixture list than Chelsea, who must still visit Old Trafford and a revitalised Aston Villa before ending the campaign, most likely four days after competing in the Europa League final, against Everton at home.

The odds lean slightly towards Arsenal achieving their principal ambition this season. That, at least, provides some solace as they sit 21 points in arrears of United. ----------------------- goal.com