A round-up of today's other soccer news in brief.
Kinnear to have heart surgery
NEWCASTLE’S CHAOTIC season took another turn for the worse yesterday when it emerged that manager Joe Kinnear needs heart bypass surgery.
The 62-year-old is expected to have the operation later this week after being taken ill on Saturday, and it is understood he will need two months’ complete rest afterwards, ruling him out of a crucial part of the Premier League run-in.
While Kinnear’s well-being is obviously paramount, his health problems have brought further disruption to a campaign which has pinballed from one setback to another and remains precariously balanced.
Assistants Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood will take charge of team affairs, and owner Mike Ashley will hope the weekend’s 3-2 Premier League win at West Brom heralded the start of a fightback with relegation still an awful possibility.
Newcastle have yet to comment on the news, but the club’s managing director Derek Llambias is due to visit the former Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest manager in hospital once again today.
Kinnear, who suffered a heart attack almost 10 years ago, complained of feeling unwell at the team hotel in the midlands on Saturday morning.
Real Madrid top the money league
MANCHESTER UNITED may be champions of Europe and about to reveal record profits – but they still lag behind Real Madrid in the list of the world’s richest clubs.
The strength of the euro against the pound has helped Real Madrid maintain their position at the top, despite a 21 per cent increase in revenue for United, according to the Deloitte Football Money League. Barcelona are third in the list, while Bayern Munich have climbed above Chelsea (fifth) and Arsenal (sixth) to be fourth.
Deloitte are predicting United will reveal revenue of €286million in 2007/08.
Money League — 2007/08 revenue
(previous year in brackets)
1 (1) Real Madrid €322.6m
2 (2) Manchester United €286m
3 (3) FC Barcelona €272m
4 (7) Bayern Munich €259.8m
5 (4) Chelsea €236m
6 (5) Arsenal €233m
7 (8) Liverpool €186m
8 (6) AC Milan €184m
9 (11) AS Roma €158.8m
10 (9) Internazionale €151.5m
Dixon hoping to get back on track with West Ham
ONE OF the more unusual senior international call-ups of the Steve Staunton era was an unheralded 16-year-old striker called Terry Dixon of Tottenham Hotspur, writes Stephen Finn.
In May 2007, the schoolboy was a sensational draftee for an end of season tour to Portugal and was subsequently named on the bench for the international friendly against Chile that month.
Unfortunately the young striker has a history of injury problems that have plagued him since he first joined Tottenham’s academy and in a youth team game he suffered a dislocated knee cap for the third time.
After reviewing the situation, Spurs opted to pay up some of his contract and released the teenager last March. It seemed a sad end of the line for a precocious talent.
However, Dixon refused to accept his fate and thankfully, West Ham United’s sports psychologist Christian Lattanzio was similarly convinced the striker’s story in top-class football was not over.
Dixon signed a three-year deal with the Hammers on Tuesday night. “It was a great feeling signing the contract. I can’t wait until I am playing in games again,” he said.
“When Tottenham decided to pay up some of my contract and let me go it was the worst day of my life. I wasn’t just told I couldn’t play for Tottenham again, they said I wouldn’t be able to play football again.
“I feel great now. I’ve kicked a ball a few times and it all feels fine.”
