26 Apr 2010 – 14:15:21
Veteran defender Jody Craddock has challenged Wolves to grow into an established Premier League force after successfully avoiding relegation.
The Molineux outfit’s safety was confirmed following Burnley’s 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Craddock was part of the Wolves squad which was relegated from the Premier League six years ago and the experienced centre-half is pleased to avoid the ‘devastation’ of a return to the Championship.
However, he has urged the club to move on and alter its mindset during the close-season.
“It’s great that Wolves have survived after what happened last time when we went straight back down,” he told the club’s official website.
“I’ve been relegated with both Wolves and Sunderland and it’s a devastating feeling, so it makes it even better that we’ve survived this time.
“It’s important that we improved over the season and we’ve had some good results recently.
“We’ve had a lot of draws but every point is crucial and that’s been proved.
“We’ve definitely grown as a team during the season and fully deserve to have secured our status.
“It’s probably too far to be looking ahead, but when we come back in August the challenge is going to be to do it all again, because we want Wolves to become a team which is established in the division.”
26 Apr 2010 – 14:50:26
Roberto Martinez has spelled out his blueprint for success at Wigan Athletic after setting his sights on European qualification.
The Latics were assured of their Premier League status for another season after other results went their way despite losing 3-2 to West Ham United over the weekend.
Both rather than be involved in perennial relegation scraps, Martinez insists the DW Stadium outfit should set higher targets.
“The target for this season was always to survive and it’s another great landmark for the club,” he told the club’s official website.
“We have done it by being brave, keeping to our beliefs and achieving some great phases of football.
“Achieving our primary aim now feels so rewarding and gives everyone at the club a real sense of happiness
“Now we need to build for the future and make sure that as a club we are never in this position again.
“I want Wigan Athletic to be challenging for Europe on a regular basis, not looking over our shoulder every season and seeing survival as the only target for the season.”
26 Apr 2010 – 15:08:36
Wolfsburg rubbished speculation linking them with a summer move to sign Germany international defender Christoph Metzelder from Real Madrid.
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season and Metzelder is certain to move on for pastures new.
However, Wolfsburg managing director Dieter Hoeness has denied that his side are keen to do a deal with the former Borussia Dortmund stopper.
He told the Wolfsburger Nachrichten: “These reports are pure rubbish, there is no truth in them at all.
“It’s not true and there is nothing going on. I wonder how such reports are produced.”
26 Apr 2010 – 15:13:52
Borussia Dortmund’s hopes of signing Poland striker Robert Lewandowski look to have been dashed by Lech Poznan’s valuation of their player.
The 21-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs, but Dortmund insist that they will not be held to ransom.
General manager Michael Zorc told Sport 1: “The player would be happy to join our club at the end of the season, that is a fact.
“But we are not going to meet the demands of Lech Poznan. They are looking for too much money.
“We are in no hurry. The Bundesliga season will be ending in two weeks’ time and it will only be then that we will know where we have finished.
“That will then have some influence on the way we look to do business over the summer.”
26 Apr 2010 – 15:33:34
Roma head coach Claudio Ranieri has urged his players to retain the belief that they can pip Internazionale to the Serie A title this season.
A surprise 2-1 home defeat by Sampdoria left Roma two points behind Inter with three games to play and Ranieri remains upbeat about his side’s prospects.
He commented: “If we had drawn this match then it would’ve been the same thing – we were in charge of our own destiny and now we aren’t.
“I don’t know where Inter are likely to drop points. All I know is that we must give our all. The sad fact is our fate is no longer in our hands.
“The Scudetto will be decided in the final round. We have fallen and must get back on our feet. Luck was on our side in the derby, but not this time.
“We certainly need to end the season well. Inter are strong, so compliments go to them and to Roma for an impressive campaign.”
26 Apr 2010 – 15:39:44
Internazionale boss Jose Mourinho has dismissed rumours linking him with the short-term job of leading Ghana at this summer’s World Cup finals.
The Black Stars are currently under the charge of Serb Milovan Rajevac and he has been backed to remain in charge for the world showpiece in South Africa.
Ghanaian FA spokesman Randy Abbey confirmed: “We are going to the World Cup with Milovan Rajevac, whom the FA has faith in.
“We have lots of respect for Jose Mourinho, likewise we have for Rajevac, a wonderful coach who is out there doing his job ahead of the World Cup.
“Ghana’s plans for the World Cup do not include Mourinho and no such decision has been taken to call on any technical person for assistance.”
Earlier comments attributed to Mourinho stated: “After my last match with Inter, I will be on holiday and there is no way I will join any national team or other team involved in the 2010 World Cup.
“So, every word about my participation in the 2010 World Cup is completely untrue.”
26 Apr 2010 – 15:50:10
Internazionale supremo Massimo Moratti says that his club are fully focused on their Champions League semi-final second leg clash with holders Barcelona.
Inter retook top spot in Serie A at the weekend as Roma lost 2-1 at home to Sampdoria, but Moratti thinks that domestic matters will be on the back-burner for the next few days.
He told the Italian media: “We will have to wait and see what happens in the remaining league games of the season.
“There are still three important matches to go until the end of the season, both for us and for Roma.
“For now we are only thinking about Wednesday’s match against Barcelona though.
“We are already looking towards the game in Barcelona. We are fully concentrated on this very important Champions League game.”
26 Apr 2010 – 16:19:55
Real Madrid’s France international striker Karim Benzema has admitted to being frustrated at a lack of regular starts during his first season with the Spanish giants.
The 22-year-old former Lyon frontman has scored eight times in 28 appearances for Real to date, having started on 17 occasions – only four of which have come since the turn of the year.
Benzema told Marca: “It is always a pleasure to return to the pitch, but it is complicated because I have not been able to put together a good number of matches. I lack continuity.
“Although I am training well, I need minutes to get better. Sometimes I play more, sometimes less – that is a decision for the coach.
“This is a great club and that’s how things are. I have to be ready to play the five, 15 or whatever minutes I am given.”
26 Apr 2010 – 16:29:06
Valencia president Manuel Llorente has hinted that head coach Unai Emery’s future with the club depends on Los Che qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Emery has guided Valencia to third place in the table and Llorente is happy with the way things have gone so far this term.
He told Super Deporte: “Months ago we decided to give priority to the objectives before the renewals The club is first and then the individual.
“We respect and we demand a lot from him (Emery). On a personal level I have great respect for the work of coach Unai Emery, as well as a close relationship with him.
“We talk every day because we are both involved in achieving our goals. We still have to fight much, but I must stress the merit of the team and the coaching staff, because it has taken a lot to be in third position at this stage of the season.
“In the last few seasons we have realised that to be in the Champions League we must do things right.
“Two years ago the team was struggling to avoid relegation. Therefore, being third is a major achievement.”
26 Apr 2010 – 16:13:59
Real Madrid legend Raul may have played his last game for the club after suffering an ankle injury which has ended his season prematurely.
The 32-year-old Spain forward suffered a sprained ankle in the 2-1 weekend win over Real Zaragoza and has been ruled out for at least four weeks, meaning that he will not feature for Real again this term.
Team doctor Carlos Diez commented: “Raul will be out for a minimum of four weeks, thus ruling him out for the rest of the season.
“News like this will be difficult for the morale of all the team’s players, but they are all fighters.”
Raul had previously suggested that he might exit the Bernabeu in the summer, having become something of a bit-part player under Manuel Pellegrini this season.
Meanwhile, Real’s Dutch midfield playmaker Rafael van der Vaart may also miss the closing weeks of the Primera Liga campaign, having sustained a torn hamstring early on in the victory over Zaragoza.