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Il portiere dell’ Arsenal Almunia, che si vocifera possa entrare a fare parte della Nazionale inglese di calcio grazie alla concessione del passaporto britannico, spara a zero sul Chelsea. L’ estremo difensore spagnolo definisce il gioco della squadra di Hiddink noioso ed i suoi tifosi ( foto ) dei fantasmi. Per Almunia i sostenitori dei “Blues” “non si vedono e non si sentono e non sostengono la squadra massicciamente in trasferta come uso di molte tifoserie inglesi”. Il numero uno dell’ Arsenal si è dichiarato stupito dello scarso seguito di cui avrebbe goduto il Chelsea al “Nou Camp” di Barcellona. Invero, Lampard e compagni hanno avuto il sostegno di un discreto numero di fans che si sono anche fatti sentire nel catino “blaugrana”. Intanto anche l’ allenatore del Celtic Glasgow Strachan ha rilasciato dichiarazioni relative alla supersfida di “Ibrox” della prossima settimana che potrebbe decidere la lotta per il titolo. Questo weekend, comunque, i Rangers ed i biancoverdi dovranno, però, concentrarsi su Hearts ed Aberdeen, avversari di turno non tra i più facili della “SPL”:
I hate Blue
ARSENAL keeper Manuel Almunia launched a bitter attack on Champions League rivals Chelsea last night.
The Spaniard branded the Blues’ football ‘boring’ and their fans ‘ghosts’.He also made it clear he would rather play Chelsea in the Euro final in Rome on May 27 as they would be much easier to beat than Barcelona.Almunia declared: “In the final I would want Chelsea. They are more predictable, whereas Barcelona have greater resources.“We know what Chelsea are like. We have them measured. They wouldn’t surprise us.“Our semi-final, first leg with Manchester United was much better than Chelsea’s against Barcelona. Chelsea just went to Spain to defend and it made for a boring game. “They showed that all they wanted was a 0-0 result. Our manager Arsene Wenger doesn’t know how to put a team together that isn’t going for a win.“United wanted to seal the game at home but didn’t manage it and our morale is high.“We have a great home record this season and I know we can get through to the final.”
As for the Chelsea followers, Almunia added: “They say their fans are ghosts. You don’t see or hear them.“A lot of people travel with English teams and it surprised me that not many Chelsea supporters went to Spain for their tie with Barcelona.”
Almunia was the star of the show at Old Trafford in midweek, even though the Gunners ended up being beaten 1-0.His heroics have given Wenger’s men the opportunity to do the business at home in the return on Tuesday and reach the final showdown in the Italian capital.Almunia admits even he was impressed by the way he performed in the first leg.He said: “I had one of my best games since I’ve been in England.“The Carlos Tevez chance was the most difficult, because it went so quickly.
Celtic-Rangers finale
• Gordon Strachan backs SPL’s end-of-season split
• Dismisses idea of Old Firm joining English Premier League
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 1 May 2009 22.00 BST
Celtic’s manager Gordon Strachan is a supporter of the SPL end-of-season split. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
The Celtic manager, Gordon Strachan, has backed the decision of the Scottish Premier League to schedule the final Old Firm match of the season as far in advance of the end of the campaign as is possible.With Celtic and Rangers once again locked in a tight battle for the SPL crown, many believe a derby to conclude the season and potentially decide the champions would provide a fitting showpiece. Yet league chiefs and the police routinely avoid such a scenario following the trouble which marred a similar occasion in 1999.Celtic will therefore travel to Ibrox next weekend, the second match of five following the SPL’s annual split. “You wouldn’t get a game right at the end of the season now because of the police,” Strachan said. “There’s not much point in talking about it because they would not let it happen. If it did cause trouble, then it wouldn’t be worth the excitement. The build-up and to lose the league on the final game might be too much for some fans. Some aren’t as sensible as you and I and just go home after the game. The build-up after 37 games might just be too much.”Strachan is a rare supporter of the SPL split, which has been widely criticised due to fixture anomalies. Celtic, indeed, have written to the league to seek an explanation regarding this season’s closing five games.”I like the idea of the split,” added the manager. “Playing hard games can throw up a surprise. If you do win the last five against the toughest teams then you deserve to win the league. If either Rangers or Celtic win five on the trot then they deserve to win the league but you have seen with results this season that anything could happen.”Strachan takes his team to Aberdeen tomorrow without the suspended Scott Brown, while full-back Mark Wilson’s groin injury will keep him out of the trip north and Scotland’s B international against Northern Ireland next midweek.Celtic’s manager poured cold water on the latest suggestions that both halves of the Old Firm could be invited to join a new division of the English Premier League. “Every Celtic or Rangers boss over the last 20 years has been asked this question, but if we ever get near to it then it can get asked again,” he said. “If I’m here I’ll try and answer it, but I think it’s a long way off.”Rangers will be without Madjid Bougherra for Sunday’s visit of Hearts due to suspension.