Iniesta urges fans to support old club
»Barcelona and Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta has written an open letter asking for people to invest money to help save his boyhood club Albacete from extinction.
Iniesta and his family are the third-tier club's majority shareholders and he said they were doing everything they could to stop Albacete folding but needed more outside investment.
"Using this letter I would like to encourage everyone who has been connected with this club, former players, fans, companies and institutions to take part in the third phase of the capital increase so that we can safeguard our historic club," he wrote.
"The country is going through a very difficult economic situation and we will only resolve this situation if all of us who can make an effort."
Albacete, who have had a couple of stints in Spain's top flight, are the latest club to suffer financially as the economic crisis gripping Spain dents revenue from ticket sales and sponsorship.
Viagra for high on-field performance
»Some professional American football players in the US are reportedly getting an extra 'edge' on the playing field from a drug that is usually prescribed for enhancing performance in the bedroom, according to at least one player in the National Football League (NFL).
"I've heard crazy stories. I've heard of guys using Viagra, seriously, because the blood, it's supposed to thin," said Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"It's such a competitive league and guys try anything just to get that edge," he said.
Marshall's comments about Viagra were in response to questions about the recent spike of Adderall abuse in the NFL, a drug typically used to treat attention deficit disorder, which is being blamed for a rising number of performance-enhancing drug (PED) suspensions within the league.
In recent weeks, at least three players have been placed on PED suspensions after testing positive for Adderall, which is on the list of NFL banned substances. Viagra is not on the list.
"Whatever the inherent advantage might be, the disadvantage — in the middle of a football game — seems obvious," said Marc Sessler, a writer for the NFL's Around the League blog.
Penalty misses mystify Mourinho
»Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho cannot understand why his sides consistently fail to deliver in penalty shootouts after revealing it took extraordinary circumstances for him to shake off his bad luck in his only final shootout win in 2008.
"I only won one title on penalties. I always lose. I don't know why. If you ask me why, maybe because I don't take them or save them myself," the famously confident Mourinho said with a smile in an interview.
While at Chelsea, Mourinho was eliminated on penalties by Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League semifinals and last season Sergio Ramos missed as his Real side lost to Bayern Munich in the last four.
His sides have slipped up in other shootouts and Mourinho said the only final he won on penalties, the Italian Cup showpiece against AS Roma in 2008, was thanks to a very particular set of circumstances.
"We won that match with (keeper) Julio Cesar facing a penalty from (Roma's) Juan who was his childhood buddy and he knew intimately," Mourinho said. "Julio Cesar told me before the match that if he faced Juan in the shootout he would save it," added the coach.
Scolari comment irks Bank of Brazil
»Luiz Felipe Scolari ran into his first controversy only hours after taking over as Brazil coach by saying that players who could not handle pressure should "work for the Banco do Brasil".
Banco do Brasil SA, the nation's largest bank by assets, described the remark as "unfortunate" while the National Confederation of Financial Industry Workers (Contraf) said its members had been "disrespected".
"The Banco do Brasil, along with all the Brazilian people, wishes good luck to Luiz Felipe Scolari in his new challenge as coach of the Brazil national team," said the bank in a statement.
"However, the Banco do Brasil regrets the unfortunate comment...and states that it is proud of counting on 116,000 workers who wear the colours of the bank, with the colours of Brazil, every day and work with dedication and commitment to look after the needs of our customers and clients.
"For the BB family, planning, respect and organisation are the secrets for a strategy of success."
The bank later said that Scolari, who is one of their customers, had contacted them to apologise.
»Barcelona and Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta has written an open letter asking for people to invest money to help save his boyhood club Albacete from extinction.
Iniesta and his family are the third-tier club's majority shareholders and he said they were doing everything they could to stop Albacete folding but needed more outside investment.
"Using this letter I would like to encourage everyone who has been connected with this club, former players, fans, companies and institutions to take part in the third phase of the capital increase so that we can safeguard our historic club," he wrote.
"The country is going through a very difficult economic situation and we will only resolve this situation if all of us who can make an effort."
Albacete, who have had a couple of stints in Spain's top flight, are the latest club to suffer financially as the economic crisis gripping Spain dents revenue from ticket sales and sponsorship.
Viagra for high on-field performance
»Some professional American football players in the US are reportedly getting an extra 'edge' on the playing field from a drug that is usually prescribed for enhancing performance in the bedroom, according to at least one player in the National Football League (NFL).
"I've heard crazy stories. I've heard of guys using Viagra, seriously, because the blood, it's supposed to thin," said Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"It's such a competitive league and guys try anything just to get that edge," he said.
Marshall's comments about Viagra were in response to questions about the recent spike of Adderall abuse in the NFL, a drug typically used to treat attention deficit disorder, which is being blamed for a rising number of performance-enhancing drug (PED) suspensions within the league.
In recent weeks, at least three players have been placed on PED suspensions after testing positive for Adderall, which is on the list of NFL banned substances. Viagra is not on the list.
"Whatever the inherent advantage might be, the disadvantage — in the middle of a football game — seems obvious," said Marc Sessler, a writer for the NFL's Around the League blog.
Penalty misses mystify Mourinho
»Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho cannot understand why his sides consistently fail to deliver in penalty shootouts after revealing it took extraordinary circumstances for him to shake off his bad luck in his only final shootout win in 2008.
"I only won one title on penalties. I always lose. I don't know why. If you ask me why, maybe because I don't take them or save them myself," the famously confident Mourinho said with a smile in an interview.
While at Chelsea, Mourinho was eliminated on penalties by Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League semifinals and last season Sergio Ramos missed as his Real side lost to Bayern Munich in the last four.
His sides have slipped up in other shootouts and Mourinho said the only final he won on penalties, the Italian Cup showpiece against AS Roma in 2008, was thanks to a very particular set of circumstances.
"We won that match with (keeper) Julio Cesar facing a penalty from (Roma's) Juan who was his childhood buddy and he knew intimately," Mourinho said. "Julio Cesar told me before the match that if he faced Juan in the shootout he would save it," added the coach.
Scolari comment irks Bank of Brazil
»Luiz Felipe Scolari ran into his first controversy only hours after taking over as Brazil coach by saying that players who could not handle pressure should "work for the Banco do Brasil".
Banco do Brasil SA, the nation's largest bank by assets, described the remark as "unfortunate" while the National Confederation of Financial Industry Workers (Contraf) said its members had been "disrespected".
"The Banco do Brasil, along with all the Brazilian people, wishes good luck to Luiz Felipe Scolari in his new challenge as coach of the Brazil national team," said the bank in a statement.
"However, the Banco do Brasil regrets the unfortunate comment...and states that it is proud of counting on 116,000 workers who wear the colours of the bank, with the colours of Brazil, every day and work with dedication and commitment to look after the needs of our customers and clients.
"For the BB family, planning, respect and organisation are the secrets for a strategy of success."
The bank later said that Scolari, who is one of their customers, had contacted them to apologise.