Newcastle Jets’ new signing Emile Heskey believes he has a chance to play in his club’s opening A-League game of the season next Sunday after arriving for his first training session in good fitness.
Heskey flew into Australia yesterday and joined his team-mates for an informal training session on the Hunter Stadium pitch after charming the media at a packed press conference.
“My fitness is not too bad. I have been doing a bit with (Wigan’s) development group, their Under 21s – they are young lads and they keep you fit,” Heskey said.
Heskey decided to head to Australia having left Aston Villa, following a career that had also taken him to Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Wigan.
Gareth Bale keen to play overseas
Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale is keen on playing abroad at some point in his career.
The 23-year-old Wales international signed a new four-year contract with Spurs this summer preventing speculation of a move overseas, but it is something he would consider in the future.
“I’d never be scared of it,” he said.
“It’s something I’d like to experience. It’s in the future but if something did come up I would obviously look at it with interest.”
Hamas rulers urge Barca-Real boycott
The Hamas rulers of Gaza called for a media boycott of next month’s Barcelona-Real Madrid derby if the Catalan club goes ahead with plans to welcome Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to the game.
The Palestinian Islamist group, which held Shalit captive for more than five years until his release in a prisoner exchange in October last year, said his attendance at the game on October 7 would be offensive.
“We call on all Muslim, Arab and Palestinian media not to broadcast this game if Shalit attends,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
Ganso’s Sao Paulo debut delayed
Brazilian midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, who has just signed a $12 million deal with Sao Paulo, may not debut for his new team before 2013 because of injuries, team physiotherapist Luiz Rosan said.
“Our aim is for Ganso to play this year, but I can’t state that this will happen,” Rosan said.
Rosan said that the 22-year-old was suffering from a left thigh and right leg injury and it was difficult to put a time-frame on the recovery, even if “the aim is that he plays this season” as planned.
Sao Paulo had been hoping to get the maximum out of Ganso this season with Brazilian international striker Lucas Moura moving to Paris SG.
Beckham back at work after injury
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is back in training for the Major League Soccer club after a sprained left ankle and hopes to play in today’s game at Colorado.
The English midfielder has not played for the defending MLS champions since injuring his ankle in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver on September 1.
The Galaxy have already clinched a berth in November’s MLS championship playoffs.
“Still a little bit of discomfort but it’s good to be back on the field. Hopefully, I can get out on the field and stay fit this week and be involved,” Beckham said.
This season, Beckham, 37, has scored seven goals, the best total of his MLS career.
Italy vs France friendly in Parma
Italy will play France in a friendly at Parma’s Ennio Tardini stadium on Nov. 14, returning to the ground for the first time since earthquakes shocked Emilia-Romagna in May.
“We will return to Parma, where we should have played Luxembourg but didn’t because of the earthquake, for Italy-France,” Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giancarlo Abete said after a federal council meeting.
Cesare Prandelli’s side were due to play Luxembourg in Parma on May 29 in a warm-up game for Euro 2012 but the second in a series of earthquakes that caused massive damage to the north of central Italy re-sulted in the international match being cancelled.
New French taxes hit football hard
Clubs and players lashed out after the French government unveiled its 2013 budget on Friday, saying new tax plans would have a “disastrous effect” on domestic football.
Tax hikes include a “temporary” 75 per cent levy on annual earnings in excess of one million euros and a new rate of 45 per cent on incomes above €150,000.
“The taxes will have a disastrous effect on the competitiveness of French football,” the professional clubs association, the association of professional footballers and the French League said in a joint statement.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who earns nine million euros a year at PSG, will pay more than six million euros in taxes under the new government plans.