LIVERPOOL IN PERDITION

Whereas the sale of the club seemed actée, the owners of Liverpool decided to carry the business in front of justice to block the operation. To reinflate the cases, the best elements of the club could even leave the ship. by Vincent Duchesne, 12-10-2010

In front of the court this Tuesday
Liverpool is badly. Very badly even. Modest 18es of First League after 7 days, Reds carry out their worse beginning of the season since nearly one half-century! If there were only that… In addition to the sporting deliquescence of this mythical club, in constant decline, it is the economic aspect which worries: Liverpool is in the red. The pun is easy but so much near to reality. Liverpool indeed owes 237 million books in Royal Bank off Scotland! Worse, a to be able guéguerre was established, plunging the English club in a very worrying infernal spiral. Designated culprits of this descent into Hell? Tom Hicks and George Gillett, owners of the club since February 2007. Already strongly disputed because of their calamitous management of finances, which had, obviously, an direct impact on the sporting sector, the two Americans did not find anything of better than to refuse the sale of the club, voted last week by the board of directors and which was connected with a break in a quite dark horizon.

A Singaporean billionaire returns to the load
Hicks and Gillett, after having tried to replace certain members of the board of directors before the agreement of sale, thus seized London High Court to make hood the business concluded with the American consortium New England Sports Ventures, already owner of the club of baseball of Boston Red Sox. Reason? The two owners estimate that the board of directors and in particular Martin Broughton, his president, did not act in the best interest of the club with an offer (300 million books) well in-on this side their waitings. History to complicate a little more schmilblick, Peter Lim, a Singaporean billionaire, announced this Tuesday that it would be ready to formulate an offer higher than that rejected recently by the board of directors, that is to say 320 million books! A thing is sure, Liverpool does not have more time to lose to regulate its accounts.

Gerrard, Torres and Reina on the departure?
Royal Bank off Scotland fixed a deadline for the refunding or the refinancing of the debt. If nothing moved by next on October 15, RBS could then take the control of the club and thus organize itself the sale! Add to that the spectrum of a penalty of nine points in First League and you obtain all the ingredients necessary to “safe which can”. According to Caughtoffside.com, the English club would seriously think of separating from its best elements to reinflate the cases. Pepe Reina, follow-up attentively by Arsenal in search of a guard surer than Manual Almunia, Fernando Torres, always in the collimator of Manchester City, and Steven Gerrard, strongly appreciated side of Milan AC, could quickly pack their bags. An extraordinary sale estimated at a little more than 110 million euros. What to fill the weight of the debt somewhat but to insert a little more Liverpool in an ocean of doubts and uncertainties on the purely sporting level…

Pro has - the ASVEL falls of entry

In 2009-2010, Asvel, outgoing champion, had not qualified themselves for the play-offs (9th of the regular season), a first for one holding of the title since the creation of the League in 1987. In Paris, its renovated manpower did not hold that one quarter-time then yielded under the shootings of Parisian carried out by Andrew Albicy (21 pts, 8 master keys) Marcellus Sommerville (19 pts, 5 rebounds) and Lamont Hamilton (19 pts, 6 rbds). They in particular boxed one 16 to 4 in five minutes at the third quarter-time (50-67, 28e).

However dominating with the rebound, Villeurbannais sinned with the shooting, with in particular worrying 2 out of 17 to three points. Angel Daniel Vassallo, one of the best markers of the season last and arrived of Paris at the intersaison, were held with 12 points. The best performance of Asvel was carried out by Davon Jefferson (15 pts, 12 rbds). Asvel receives Strasbourg at the time of the second day. Last season, the club had waited the 3rd day to take down its first victory.

Paris-turns - With the Turns of Freire

Freire Oscar, triples world champion, gained with the sprint the 104e Paris-Turns whereas Geoffroy Lequatre was taken again with 400 meters of the arrival. The Spaniard of Rabobank preceded Angelo Furlan (Lampre) and Gert Steegmans (RadioShack). The first French, Romain Feillu, are sixth.

Associated bonds

• Gilbert for the triplet?
• The classification of Paris-Turns

The Spaniard Oscar Freire (Rabobank) gained with the sprint traditional the Paris-Turns, run Sunday over the distance of 233 kilometers. Freire, first Spaniard to gain Paris-Turns, was essential clearly in front of the Italian Angelo Furlan and the Belgian Gert Steegmans. The French Geoffroy Lequatre, escaped in the final one, was overflowed by the group with only 400 meters of the arrival on the avenue of Grammont, borrowed for the last time by Paris-Turns.

Freire, which is 34 years old, counts three championships of the world to its prize list. Winner of Milan-Sanremo in March, it never yet had not removed Paris-Turns, regarded as being traditional lorry driver-sprinters. But it had taken seat on several occasions on the podium (2nd in 2001, 3rd in 2004 and 2007). In this 104e edition, led to sharp pace with the assistance of a favorable wind (46 km/h of average), an escape of eight runners (Jorgensen, T. Meyer, Krivtsov, Geschke, Pichon, Flecha, Saromotins, Maes), formed as of the 37e kilometer, opened the race until counting a maximum advantage of 3 min 50 dryness (km 85).

Under a beautiful sun of autumn, the last survivors (Geschke, Flecha, Saromotins, Maes) were taken again with only 15 kilometers of the arrival by the counter-attacking first (Hinault, Lequatre, Roy, Vachon). Lequatre passed to the attack in the coast of Beausoleil, before the last ten kilometers. It approached the very long finishing line (2600 m) with 18 seconds in advance on a group carried out by the team-members of Romain Feillu before the regrouping and the sprint of the first group. Freire removed the 70e victory of a career started in 1998.

Euro 2012: Attention with the Irish corners!

Friday, Northern Ireland accomodated Italy in a match qualifier for the Euro 2012. The occasion for the Irish players to show all their control on stopped kicks and more particularly, corner.

One knew Irish Coffee, here from now on, Irish Corner Kick. Friday, Ulster received Italy in Belfast within the framework of the matches of qualification for the Euro 2012. The meeting ended in a null and virgin score but revealed its batch of surprises all the same. Tony Chapron, who arbitrated the meeting, could note all the tactic installation by the Irish players to surprise their adversaries on corner. As the score attests some, it did not appear very effective.

In the rod, Steven Davis. With the 37e minute of play, the player of Glasgow Rangers is on the point of making display of all his technique of striking on corner. While wanting to type in the balloon to try to find a fellow-member in surface, it strikes the post of corner which it sends valdinguer behind him. Its foot finishes nevertheless by touching the leather which will traverse only two meters before finishing its race at exit of goal. Neither the post, nor the sphere will reach the desired destination.

The pretence was well tried but it is missed and the Italians did not bite with the hook.