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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Cristiano Ronaldo confirms he isnt going to leave Real Madrid this summer !

Real Madrid star, wrote on his twitter ; Looking forward to being back in South Florida this August for the . See everyone in Miami on August 6th and 7th.

Manchester United isnt a part of this competition, so he will wear Real Madrid shirt again next season ! Cristiano Ronaldo will have a new aventure with the Italian Coach, Carlo Ancelotti ! Will he be the machine that he was ? We should wait for the next season !

PROOF :

One dead as shooting mars Albania's election

Albania's national elections Sunday were marred by violence after an exchange of gunfire wounded a candidate and killed a supporter of a rival party, tainting what had been a largely peaceful campaign and threatening to undermine the country's bid to join the European Union.
The violence near a polling station, which drew condemnation from an EU official, added to the existing uncertainty surrounding the election. Though the leader of the main Socialist Party has claimed victory, it's unclear when the results will be announced because the body that oversees elections in the Balkan country hasn't enough members to certify them constitutionally following a political dispute. However, the law mandates they be revealed no later than three days after the polls.
Election day has been overshadowed by the violence. A police spokesman said Gjon Gjoni, 49, died after being shot in an exchange of fire that also wounded Mhill Fufi, 49, a candidate for Prime Minister Sali Berisha's governing Democratic Party. An opposition party leader identified Gjoni as a supporter. Another man, Fufi's relative Kastriot Fufi, 39, was also wounded.
Details surrounding the incident, which took place in the city of Lac, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Tirana, were sketchy. However, the police spokesman confirmed that it started with an argument.
A spokeswoman for the ruling Democratic Party, Laura Vorpsi, said Fufi was trying to move away some opposition supporters who were trying to bribe voters, and alleged that they "responded with shooting rounds."
"The Democratic Party harshly denounces any act of violence," Vorpsi said.
Once one of the world's most hardline communist countries, Albania has had a rocky road to democracy over the past couple of decades. Corruption has plagued the impoverished country, and its elections have been marred by violence and vote-rigging.
Some 3.3 million registered voters were eligible to vote, the eighth national polls since the fall of communism in 1990. The monthlong contest had been relatively calm until election day, though there had been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies.
Some polling stations remained open after the original close time but most have closed and ballot boxes have started to be transported to counting centers nationwide.
The conservative prime minister, Berisha, and his close rival, Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, have both expressed the hope that Albania can gain eventual entry to the EU, and Sunday's election was seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote.
Berisha declined to comment on the killing after casting his ballot, saying he needed more information first. The prime minister invited all Albanians to take part in the vote and turn Sunday "into a day of festivities and good understanding."
"I assure you that your vote will be fully respected," Berisha said.
Later Berisha expressed condolences to the victim's family and called on his opponents not to exploit the death "for political capital."
"I ask police and prosecutor's office to investigate with absolute priority the event, discover the truth and the circumstances and the responsibility of each one," he said.
Rama, meanwhile, denounced "certain segments of police" for collaborating with "criminals" and insisted that participation in the vote was the best way to respond.
"It is barbarous that in an election day, in the midst of Europe, a human is shot dead from criminals supported from police," he told reporters.
In the evening Rama came to claim victory "based on operational data" and called on police and election authorities to guarantee the process.
"We are here as unshaken and invincible guarantors of each ballot which has been cast today to take Albania at the address set from its fate — the European Union," he said in front of his supporters at party headquarters.
Ilir Meta, the leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration, confirmed that Gjoni, the man who died, was a supporter. Meta, whose party allies with Rama's, also blamed police and "criminal elements" of the ruling Democrats, whom he alleged were exerting pressure at polling stations.
"Sali Berisha is not Albania's premier any more. He cannot leave power without shedding blood," Meta said.
The shooting wasn't the only incident: A journalist was reportedly not allowed to enter a polling station, while a camera belonging to a private TV station, Top Channel was broken and the cameraman reported to have been beaten.
Albania's president called for unity in wake of Sunday's violence. "Peace, calm, citizens' life is important," Bujar Nishani said. "I appeal for calm and maturity because, we may vote for different parties, but we are one nation."
But the EU's top diplomat in Albania took a hard stand on the violence.
"I want to say something very clear, very firm. Among the international and European standards for elections, there is the refusal of violence," said Ettore Sequi, the EU ambassador to Tirana.
Albania joined NATO in 2009. But it has failed to gain candidate status from the EU, which is pressing for broader democratic reforms and an improved election record.
Some 400 international observers and about 8,000 local ones are monitoring Sunday's election.

Tuna ft. Cozman - Fenix

Pakistan: 10 foreign tourists, local guide killed

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Islamic militants disguised as policemen killed 10 foreign climbers and a Pakistani guide in a brazen overnight raid against their campsite at the base of one of the world's tallest mountains in northern Pakistan, officials said Sunday.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at the base camp of Nanga Parbat, saying it was to avenge the death of their deputy leader in a U.S. drone strike last month.
The attack took place in an area that has largely been peaceful, hundreds of kilometers (miles) from the Taliban's major sanctuaries along the Afghan border. But the militant group, which has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for years, has shown it has the ability to strike almost anywhere in the country.
The Taliban began their attack by abducting two local guides to take them to the remote base camp in Gilgit-Baltisan, said Pakistani Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. One of the guides was killed in the shooting, and the other has been detained for questioning. The attackers disguised themselves by wearing uniforms used by the Gilgit Scounts, a paramilitary force that patrols the area, Khan said.
Around 15 gunmen attacked the camp at around 11 p.m. Saturday, said the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which spoke with a local guide, Sawal Faqir, who survived the shooting. They began by beating the mountaineers and taking away any mobile and satellite phones they could find, as well as everyone's money, said the club in a statement.
Some climbers and guides were able to run away, but those that weren't were shot dead, said the club. Faqir was able to hide a satellite phone and eventually used it to notify authorities of the attack.
Attaur Rehman, the home secretary in Gilgit-Baltistan, said 10 foreigners and one Pakistani were killed in the attack. The dead foreigners included three Ukrainians, two Slovakians, two Chinese, one Lithuanian, one Nepalese and one Chinese-American, according to Rehman and tour operators who were working with the climbers. Matt Boland, the acting spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, confirmed that an American citizen was among the dead, but could not say whether it was a dual Chinese national.
The shooting — one of the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in recent years — occurred in a stunning part of the country that has seen little violence against tourists, although it has experienced attacks by radical Sunni Muslims on minority Shiites in recent years.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan claimed responsibility for the attack, saying their Jundul Hafsa faction carried out the shooting as retaliation for the death of the Taliban's deputy leader, Waliur Rehman, in a U.S. drone attack on May 29.
"By killing foreigners, we wanted to give a message to the world to play their role in bringing an end to the drone attacks," Ahsan told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.
The U.S. insists the CIA strikes primarily kill al-Qaida and other militants who threaten the West as well as efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan. In a recent speech, President Barack Obama outlined tighter restrictions on the highly secretive program.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who wants to pursue peace talks with militants threatening his country, has insisted the U.S. stop the drone strikes, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty and are counterproductive because they often kill innocent civilians and stoke anti-U.S. sentiment in this nation of 180 million.
Sharif responded to the attack on the camp by vowing "such acts of cruelty and inhumanity would not be tolerated and every effort would be made to make Pakistan a safe place for tourists."
Officials expressed fear the attack would deal a serious blow to Pakistan's tourism industry, already struggling because of the high level of violence in the country.
The interior minister promised to take all measures to ensure the safety of tourists as he addressed the National Assembly, which passed a resolution condemning the incident.
"A lot of tourists come to this area in the summer, and our local people work to earn money from these people," said Syed Mehdi Shah, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan. "This will not only affect our area, but will adversely affect all of Pakistan."
He said the base camp was cordoned off by police and paramilitary soldiers after the attack, and a military helicopter searched the area.
Volodymyr Lakomov, the Ukrainian ambassador to Pakistan, also condemned the attack and said, "We hope Pakistani authorities will do their best to find the culprits of this crime."
Many foreign tourists stay away from Pakistan because of the country's reputation as being a dangerous place. But a relatively small number of intrepid foreigners visit Gilgit-Baltistan during the summer to marvel at the towering peaks in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, including K2, the second-highest mountain in the world.
An even smaller group tries to climb them. Nanga Parbat is over 8,000 meters (26,250 feet) tall and is notoriously difficult to summit. It is known as the "killer mountain" because of numerous mountaineering deaths in the past.
Pakistan has very close ties with neighboring China and is sensitive to any issue that could harm the relationship. Pakistani officials have reached out to representatives from China and Ukraine to convey their sympathies, the Foreign Ministry said.
The government suspended the chief secretary and top police chief in Gilgit-Baltistan following the attack and ordered an inquiry into the incident, said Khan, the interior minister.
The shooting was one of the worst attacks on foreigners in Pakistan in the last decade. A suicide attack outside a hotel in the southern city of Karachi killed 11 French engineers in 2002. In 2009, gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen, a driver and wounding several players.

Erdogan defends riot police tactics in Turkey protests

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoganpiled ridicule on activists behind weeks of protests against his government during a rally on Sunday and defended riot police who fired water cannon at crowds in Istanbul a day earlier.
Looking out of over a sea of Turkish flags waved by his AK Partyfaithful in the eastern city of Erzurum, Erdogan praised his supporters and the general public for opposing what he called a plot against his country.
"The people saw this game from the start and frustrated it. They (the protesters) thought the people would say nothing. They said we will burn and destroy and do what we want but the people will do nothing," he said.
Sunday's mass rally was the fifth which Erdogan has called since protests began in Istanbul in an unprecedented challenge to his 10-year rule.
The unrest was triggered when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to develop Istanbul's Gezi Park, but they quickly turned into a broader show of anger at what critics call Erdogan's growing authoritarianism.
The protests have underlined divisions in Turkish society between religious conservatives who form the bedrock of Erdogan's support and more liberal Turks who have swelled the ranks of demonstrators.
He ending his speech by throwing red carnations to the roughly 15,000-strong crowd in the AK Party stronghold.
MARCH ELECTIONS
The AK Party rallies are focused on boosting party support ahead of municipal elections scheduled for next March and Erdogan said voters would then give their verdict on the weeks of unrest.
"Those who came out using the excuse of Gezi at Taksim Square will get their answer at the ballot box," he said.
Erdogan, who won a third consecutive election in 2011 with 50 percent support, sees himself as a champion of democratic reform, and has been riled by the protests and by international condemnation coming mainly from key trade partner Germany.
Saturday's clashes occurred after thousands of protesters gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square, which adjoins Gezi Park, to remember the three demonstrators and one police officer who died in earlier protests. Many refused to leave after calls from the police for them to disperse.
Erdogan defended the tactics of the police, who also used fired teargas canisters to scatter protesters in nearby streets in cat-and-mouse clashes.
"Yesterday they wanted to occupy the square again. The police were patient up to a certain point," he said. "When they didn't leave the police was forced to get them out."
There were also clashes on Saturday night in the capital Ankara, where riot police fired water cannon and teargas to break up hundreds of protesters.
The interior ministry estimates about 2.5 million people have taken part in demonstrations across Turkey since the unrest began on May 31, Milliyet newspaper reported on Sunday.
Around 4,900 protesters have been detained and 4,000 protesters and 600 police injured, the report added.
The interior ministry also said the protests had caused 140 million lira ($72 million) worth of damage to public buildings and vehicles.

Pope Francis 'snubs' pomp and ceremony of Vatican Beethoven concert

Cardinals and Vatican officials reportedly whispered in embarrassment as the Pope's seat remained empty before the start of Saturday's Beethoven concert, which was organised to celebrate the Vatican's Year of Faith.
Addressing the audience in the Vatican's Paul VI hall, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Envangelisation, explained the Pope was not coming because of an "urgent commitment that could not be delayed".
The Pope has been meeting papal nuncios visiting the Vatican from around the world in recent days, suggesting he really was busy with meetings, but his no-show was also interpreted as his latest sidestepping of Vatican high life.
On his appointment in March, the Pope immediately caused a stir by refusing to wear opulent papal clothing and choosing an iron cross instead of gold. He then refused to move into the vast papal apartment occupied by his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
He has preferred to live instead in the Vatican's busy Santa Marta residence, where he dines alongside visiting churchmen and gives a daily mass to Vatican staffers, often extolling the virtues of poverty and a poor church.

Edward Snowden seeks Ecuador asylum

The former US security contractor was in an airport hotel on Sunday night in Moscow but was expected to travel on soon, after Ecuador’s foreign ministry confirmed that they had received an asylum request. His route to Quito may take him through communist Cuba, which would be unlikely to heed any American requests for assistance.
Ecuador’s own Left-wing, anti-American president, Rafael Correa, made a similar asylum offer last August to founder of the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing organisation, Julian Assange.
Mr Assange has spent the last year seeking refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he has claimed diplomatic immunity against extradition to Sweden on sex charges.
Mr Snowden, 30, who leaked details of classified surveillance programmes to the media, slipped out of Hong Kong on an Aeroflot flight on Sunday morning, just two days after he was charged with two counts of espionage and one of theft by the US authorities. He was accompanied by Sarah Harrison, a British researcher who has previously worked with Mr Assange.
Shortly after he touched down at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, Wikileaks announced that its staff had assisted Mr Snowden in arranging safe passage to Ecuador.

Nelson Mandela in critical condition, South African presidency reports

President Jacob Zuma said in a bleak statement issued late last night that he had visited his predecessor in hospital and spoken to Mr Mandela’s team of doctors who he said were still doing their best to aid his recovery.
Although Mr Mandela appeared to rally over several days last week, he said that his condition has taken a turn for the worse since Saturday evening.
“The condition of former president Nelson Mandela, who is still in hospital in Pretoria, has become critical,” he said.
“The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable. He is in good hands.” Mr Mandela is understood to have become increasingly weak and unresponsive and his family have been told to prepare for the worst.
The 94-year-old’s wife Graca Machel has kept a constant vigil at her husband’s bedside, sleeping frequently in a nearby room at Pretoria’s Heart Hospital.

Plants 'do maths' to control overnight food supplies


Plants have a built-in capacity to do maths, which helps them regulate food reserves at night, research suggests.
UK scientists say they were "amazed" to find an example of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation in biology.
Mathematical models show that the amount of starch consumed overnight is calculated by division in a process involving leaf chemicals, a John Innes Centre team reports in e-Life journal.
Birds may use similar methods to preserve fat levels during migration.
The scientists studied the plant Arabidopsis, which is regarded as a model plant for experiments.
Astonished'
Overnight, when the plant cannot use energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugars and starch, it must regulate its starch reserves to ensure they last until dawn.
Experiments by scientists at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, show that to adjust its starch consumption so precisely, the plant must be performing a mathematical calculation - arithmetic division."They're actually doing maths in a simple, chemical way - that's amazing, it astonished us as scientists to see that," study leader Prof Alison Smith told BBC News.
"This is pre-GCSE maths they're doing, but they're doing maths."
The scientists used mathematical modelling to investigate how a division calculation can be carried out inside a plant.
During the night, mechanisms inside the leaf measure the size of the starch store. Information about time comes from an internal clock, similar to the human body clock.

Champions Trophy: India beat England to win final

England's search for a global one-day title goes on after they collapsed to a five-run defeat by India in a pulsating Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston.
Chasing a modest 130 in a game reduced to 20 overs per side by rain, England were set for a historic triumph with 20 needed off 16 balls and Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara at the crease.
However, Morgan's departure for 33 was the first of four wickets to fall for three runs in eight balls as the team were struck by nerves.
England finished on 124-8 after James Tredwell missed the last ball of the innings with six required for victory.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 2-14 and slow left-armer Ravindra Jadeja took 2-24 to complement his vital unbeaten 33 off 25 balls in India's 129-7.
England are left to reflect on a fifth defeat in a major final - and another agonising loss in the Champions Trophy showpiece after losing to West Indies in 2004 - following the sort of woeful batting display that many thought had been consigned to the past.
A jubilant India, meanwhile, can add the Champions Trophy to the World Cup they won in 2011.

Spy-leaker Edward Snowden asks Ecuador for asylum



Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor who leaked classified documents revealing US internet and phone surveillance, has asked Ecuador for asylum.
The request was confirmed by Ecuador's foreign minister on Twitter.
Mr Snowden had fled the US for Hong Kong but flew out on Sunday morning and is currently in Moscow.
A US extradition request to Hong Kong failed but Washington insists he should now be denied international travel.
The US justice department has called Hong Kong's decision not to arrest Mr Snowden "troubling".
On Sunday, a US official said Washington had contacted "Western Hemisphere" nations that Mr Snowden might travel to, or through.
"The US is advising these governments that Snowden is wanted on felony charges, and as such should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel, other than is necessary to return him to the United States," the state department official said.
Earlier, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, who is in Vietnam,said on Twitter: "The Government of Ecuador has received an asylum request from Edward J. #Snowden."
Wikileaks said in a statement that Mr Snowden was "bound for the Republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers from Wikileaks".
The anti-secrecy group said Mr Snowden's asylum request would be formally processed when he arrived in Ecuador.

Why drone strikes are real enemy in 'war on terror'

Editor's note: Fawaz A. Gerges a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics where he directs the Middle East Centre. His most recent book is "The Rise and Fall of Al-Qaeda."
London (CNN) -- In his highly anticipated counterterrorism speechlast month, U.S. President Barack Obama publicly acknowledged -- for the first time -- the human toll that drone attacks inflict on Muslim civilians.
"It is a hard fact that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties," he admitted, adding, "These deaths will haunt us." While he pledged to curtail the use of drone strikes in the future, those words rang hollow when he went on to reaffirm his commitment to the targeted killings because, in his view, any alternative would invite far more civilian casualties.
Obama's drone calculus ignores the CIA's warning about the continuing "possibilities of blowback." Officials in Washington ignore the high-cost ways in which the U.S. "war on terror" and the use of tactics such as drone strikes fuel the fires of home-grown radicalization in Western societies. This is a rising phenomenon that has not been seriously debated, despite a string of high-profile attacks. While trials have yet to take place, the Woolwich attack in London and the Boston Marathon bombings are suspected to be the latest cases in point.

These are a different set of terrorists, in that they radicalized themselves -- enraged by specific grievances, while also having been integrated into life in Western society. Falling under the influence of militant preachers mostly online, they have internalized the kind of religious-political worldview that justified their taking matters into their own hands -- in short, a license to kill.In case after case over the past few years, attackers and would-be attackers have cited the war on terror, first in Iraq and now in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere as proof that the West is at war with Islam. The presence of Western boots in Muslim lands and the continuing use of drone strikes have triggered a backlash among scores of deluded young Muslims who live in America and Europe, and who come from different educational and class background, including high achievers. What is surprising is that these attackers are not unified by a core set of ideological beliefs, or a belonging to a particular terrorist group, but by a core set of grievances, real or imagined.

Can one million managers plug Africa's skills gap?




Rapid economic growth, rich stores of natural resources and a fast-growing population have all helped usher in a new era of optimism around Africa's future. But is there a missing link that's preventing the continent's economies from boosting their business potential and achieving their development goals?
"Yes," claims the African Management Initiative, pointing out the continent's "acute shortage" of high-quality, well-trained local managers.
The Johannesburg-based group wants to tackle the continent's talent gap by creating one million skilled African managers over the next 10 years.
"The demand is there," says Rebecca Harrison, director of the non-profit organization. "We meet business owner after business owner across the continent who tell us that, if they are growing, then getting good managers is the biggest challenge right now."
Harrison describes poor management in Africa as one of the biggest "bottlenecks for growth" across a range of organizations -- from large companies and multinationals to governments and NGOs.
But more importantly, she says, it's holding back the "engine of job creation" in most countries: small and medium-size businesses.
"We read headlines every day about 'Africa Rising,' we are seeing African economies take off and we are just finding on the ground that these small and medium-size companies are unable to grow, create more jobs and expand their businesses because of that lack of middle-management capacity."
Aiming high
For sure, creating one million well-trained, locally grown managers by 2023 to spearhead Africa's business development is an overly ambitious proposition in a continent where top business schools are few and far between -- there are about 90 institutions offering an MBA in Africa, according to an AMI report, whereas India has more than 1,500.
The AMI, which says it has a network of more than 5,000 African managers and entrepreneurs, estimates that there are about 10 million people in managerial and supervisory positions across the continent.
"If we can reach one in 10 of the 10 million managers out there indirectly, if we can have one in 10 African managers operating really effectively, then the continent will be a different place," says Harrison.
Educating future managers
To achieve its target, the AMI, which gets most of its funding from the Lundin Foundation, in Canada, has started launching a series of initiatives designed to expand access to key education tools, including a virtual campus tailored specifically for African managers and entrepreneurs.
What we want to do is leapfrog the traditional bricks and mortar approach to business schools and business training.

"What we want to do is leapfrog the traditional bricks-and-mortar approach to business schools and business training," says Harrison.
"We want to leverage technology to deliver high-quality practical relevant management education at a price that people can afford, combining online content with offline peer support."
On June 17, the AMI began its pilot of a two-week course where participants access free web-based practical tutorials in the form of video, audio or text to sharpen their management skills.
The "Launchpad: Success@Work in 21st Century Africa" module, which will have low bandwidth requirements and be available on mobile, will cover topics such as effective communication, goal setting and time management.
Harrison says it is part of the AMI's efforts to eventually develop Africa's first full-blown Massively Open Online Course (MOOC), in conjunction with three of Africa's leading business schools -- Nigeria's Lagos Business School, Kenya's Strathmore Business School and South Africa's Gordon Institute of Business Science
"The idea is to partner with the business schools in the continent and get the business teachers to deliver their content online and then to support that with offline learning," says Harrison. "So the model is the learning is free but if you want a certificate you pay a small fee."

The AMI says about 600 people have signed up for the pilot MOOC

Nigeria Vs Spain 0-3 All Highlights And Goals 6-23-2013 HQ

Neymar - Goals and Skills New (HD)

Messi's marathon 15-day world tour



Last weekend, Lionel Messi finally brought the curtain down on a gruelling 2012-13 season with a friendly against Guatemala. However, far from heading off for a well-deserved break with his family, the Argentine ace has a jam-packed schedule of friendlies, commercial commitments and charity events ahead of him.
The marathon gets underway on Saturday in Milan, where he will attend an event being run by the clothing brand he endorses, Dolce & Gabbana. It will conclude on 6th July in Chicago, where a team made up of Messi and his 'friends' will take on a world XI in a charity exhibition match.
In this 15-day period, the Argentine will travel to Senegal, Peru, Colombia and several cities across the US, clocking up more than 42,000 kilometres in total - more than the Earth's full circumference.
There will be little by way of holidays for the goalscoring wizard, who will have to report for pre-season duty in Barcelona just nine days after the end of his tour. This has led to criticism in some quarters of the blogosphere, following the fitness problems Messi suffered last season, when his hamstring injury rendered him powerless to prevent Barcelona's comprehensive Champions League semi-final defeat by Bayern. Gone are the days of the Argentine never missing a game: he is going to have to be used more sparingly next season.
Considering Messi's busy summer, it had been mooted that he could be allowed to come back for Barça's pre-season preparations a little later, but this possibility has since been ruled ou

Alves: "If Spain and Brazil face off, it'll be a great game"

Having defeated Italy 4-2, any possible meeting between Brazil and Spain in this year's Confederations Cup looks likely to come in the final. Barcelona full-back Dani Alves reflected on this prospect, stating: "They have to focus on making their way through and we'll do the same. If Spain and Brazil do face off, it'll be a great game between two teams that have a lot to shout about".

Riki will play for Granada for next three seasons

Granada has officially announced the signing of Iván Sánchez-Rico, aka 'Riki', for the next three seasons.
The former Deportivo striker joins Iturra and Piti as an ideal reinforcement for Quique Pina's exciting project at Granada.
Riki, who joined Deportivo de la Coruña in the 2006/7 season, is joining Granada on a free transfer.

Neymar and Fred fire Brazil to hard-fought victory

As expected, the host of the Confederations Cup went through to the semi-finals top of its group, whilst Italy progressed in second place.
Italy battled for possession and proved itself a worthy rival in front of goal, managing to score twice (Giaccherini and Chiellini) and rattle the crossbar on one occasion (Maggio).
However, it did not do enough to overcome the firepower of Neymar (with a goal) and Fred (with a brace) – the two stars who guided the 'Canarinha' to a well-deserved victory. Dante got Brazil's other goal, when he opened the scoring on 46 minutes.
If the other games turn out as expected, Brazil should face Uruguay and will not have to take on Spain (or Italy once again, if it wins the semi-final) until the tournament's final showdown.
On the othe hand, Mexico beat Japan 2-1 Manchester United striker Javier Hernández bagged a brace of headers. Shinji Okazaki scored in the '85 and Chicharito missing a late penalty.

Atlético and Chelsea agree Courtois loan extension

Atlético de Madrid has announced in an official statement that an agreement has been reached with Chelsea to prolong Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois's loan spell for another season. Courtois is set for a third campaign at Atlético, where he has won three trophies and will now play in the Champions League.
Securing the shotstopper for another year was a priority for Atlético and manager Diego Simeone after his key role in the club's recent success, including winning two Europa League crowns, the European Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, and the team's direct qualification for the Champions League.
Since his arrival two years ago from Chelsea – the loan spell started in the summer of 2011 – Courtois has cemented a place in the first team. He did so first under Gregorio Manzano – his first manager at the club – and then Simeone, with whom he became the keeper to concede the fewest goals last season and has won his three trophies at the club.
Courtois played a key part in all the team's finals and especially the most recent one – the Copa del Rey final on 17th May at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid. The Belgian came to Atlético's rescue with two spectacular and decisive saves in extra-time to keep out Argentine Gonzalo Higuaín and German Mesut Ozil.
Courtois has made 99 competitive appearances between the posts for Atlético since his debut on 25th August 2011, against Vitória de Guimarães in the Europa League. He has not lost his place in the team since that moment and has only missed games through suspension, injury and squad rotation - Sergio Asenjo deputised in last season's Europa League.
The Belgian keeper was the regular choice in the other three competitions last year – in the European Super Cup, La Liga and Copa del Rey.

Azpilicueta: "Mata is decisive for Chelsea"

Azpilicueta has defended the continued presence of his teammate Juan Mata at Chelsea. There are rumours that Mourinho may be willing to do without his services. "We would miss him a lot. He has been decisive during the last two seasons at Chelsea. He was a key player for us. I wish him the best," he remarked from the Spain team camp.
Another name linked with an impending move to England is David Villa. "He is a great footballer and he would be welcome there."

Soldado: "A Spain-Brazil Confed Cup final would be great"

Roberto Soldado (Valencia, 1985) has a reason to be happy. He is currently first-choice striker for 'La Roja' and has got off to a magnificent start in the Confederations Cup. The forward is now dreaming of a Spain-Brazil final.
Question: This time last year you were sad about being left out of the squad for the Euros, but what a turn-around!
Answer: Last year I was unfortunately not selected. Now I have the opportunity to experience life in the squad from the inside. I've started matches and have had the chance to enjoy the team's success.
Q: What did you think when Del Bosque announced his preliminary squad, with three players still to be cut?
A: You question whether you're going to be left out again. I was realistic and knew there is strong competition in this team and especially for my position. I was waiting until the last minute to know if I was in or not.
Q: What did it feel like to score against Uruguay?
A: It gave me confidence and encouraged me to keep doing things well. I always want to show what I have inside.
Q: You've scored 12 goals in your last 11 games.
A: My form has been good over recent games. I had a bad patch from March to April, but it seems I've turned it around and I hope I can keep that going until the holidays.
Q: Is the debate over on the '9' and 'false 9' positions?
A: It's difficult to forget that debate. I'm sure the 'false 9' will be used again because it has been successful and the manager is aware of that. What us centre-forwards have to do is give him reasons to always use one of the three forwards.
Q: Who do you think will be in the final?
A: It would be great to face Brazil. I think everyone is dreaming about a final like that at the Maracaná. It's one of the first stadiums you hear about outside of Spain when you're young.
Q: Do you really enjoy things so much when you play for Spain?
A: I've got loads of teammates here who make you suffer in La Liga, but now it's great to be on their side. It's a dream for me to play alongside them. The way they play makes everything easier for those of us who are new to the set-up. You just have to try to play at the same level.
Q: Does starting against Uruguay and getting on the scoresheet make you feel like the first-choice forward?
A: Not at all. I want to help the team, work hard and help the side improve.
Q: You and Arbeloa are close friends. How is he in relation to what has been said about his relationship with Casillas?
A: He seems fine. Very relaxed. I can't see anything strange that will affect the squad. Álvaro and Iker respect each other and I'm sure that will continue.
Q: How would you describe your relationship with Arbeloa?
A: He's like a brother. He looked after me at Madrid B. Now that I've come into the Spain squad, he's a veteran. It's a great help for me that he's here. I get on really well with him and that makes everything much easier.
Q: What about Iker?
A: I've known him for a long time. He's always nice to me and that's important.
 

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