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Mid-Day Ticker: Strootman out of World Cup; Bayern president admits to tax evasion; and more

KevinStrootmanASRomainjured1 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

A serious knee injury has robbed the 2014 World Cup of another star player.

The Netherland’s World Cup hopes took a huge hit on Monday with news that AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Roma’s 1-0 defeat at Napoli. The medical report from Roma says that the 24-year-old may have also damaged his meniscus. He’s set to undergo surgery in the next few days.

Since moving to Roma last July from PSV Eindhoven, Strootman had been a regular starter for a club that was for a while atop Serie A. Last year, Netherlands National Team head coach Louis Van Gaal even said that Strootman was the only player guaranteed to start for the Netherlands in the World Cup.

Following his move, Strootman has played in 29 matches for Roma in all competitions, scoring six goals. He also played in nine of the Netherlands ten World Cup qualifying matches.

Here are some more items to start off your week:

BAYERN MUNICH’S ULI HOENESS ADMITS TO TAX EVASION

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness could find himself in prison after admitting to massive tax evasion.

On the first day of his trial in a Munich state court, Hoeness and his attorney admitted to tax fraud of €18.5 million ($25.66 million), a number much higher than what the prosecutor had originally alleged. Hoeness reportedly did not disclose earnings on income that he kept in an undisclosed Swiss bank account.

Hoeness turned himself in to authorities early in 2013. After three more days of hearings, a verdict is expected on Thursday. If found guilty, Hoeness could serve up to ten years in prison.

‘‘I evaded taxes,’’ Hoeness told the court, according to the AP. ‘‘I’m aware that reporting myself doesn’t change anything. I deeply regret my wrongdoing. I will do everything necessary to ensure that this depressing chapter for me is closed.’’

Despite going to trial, the Bayern Munich board have allowed Hoeness to continue acting as the club’s president, a position he’s held since 2009.

MAN UNITED ON ALERT FOR KROOS

Toni Kroos’ latest comments have caught English Premier League clubs by storm.

The German international midfielder, who has been strongly linked for the past few months with a move to Manchester United, said at a press conference on Monday that “it’s no secret” he could move to the Premier League in the future. Kroos and his club Bayern Munich are currently at a contractual impasse, with his current deal set to end in June 2015.

“No decision has been made (on my future),” Kroos told reporters. “It is no secret the Premier League is a possibility. “I’ve heard that people have written that I might go to England. But there’s nothing new from my point of view. The situation is that I don’t have any agreement right at the moment at Bayern. On the other side there is no agreement in place anywhere.”

Kroos was the Man of the Match the last time Bayern faced Arsenal at the Emirates, bossing the midfield and scoring a terrific goal on a first-time shot from outside of the box. Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola has gone on record saying he hopes the club can hold on to Kroos.

QUICK KICKS

On-loan Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina could return to Liverpool at the end of the season, with two years left on his contract. (REPORT)

Man United and Borussia Dortmund are battling to sign Cagliari and Italy National Team defender Davide Astori. (REPORT)

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibault Courtois has a verbal agreement with Real Madrid to move to the Bernabeu in the summer. (REPORT)

Borussia Mönchengladbach have found a replacement for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, signing FC Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer on a deal through June 2019. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these developments? Think the Netherlands could miss the knockout round of the World Cup without Strootman? Do you see Hoeness going to prison?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. His name is Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and he is the real deal. Or don’t you think Barcelona knows a thing or two about rating goal keepers?

    He has a chance within a couple of years of being the 2nd best goal keeper in the world. And that is saying something, because Manuel Neuer by go down as the best ever.

    Reply
    • why? because he’ll play for one of the best clubs in the world?

      Until recently Valdes was a great keeper, but not world-class.

      The best keepers in the world

      Buffon, Cech, (belgian keeper at Atletico), Neuer,

      I don’t believe just by being the keeper at Barca will lift him into world-class status.

      Reply
      • Ter Stegen is already better than Buffon and Cech. Granted, Buffon was once one of the greatest. And Cech, he is, and was, good, but never was he in the top 5. However today, it is Neuer.

      • The latest world goal keeper rankings has Ter Stegen ranked 6th in the world

        And by the way. Petr Cech plays for Chelsea, not Atletico. And he is definitely not from Belgium.

  2. Marce Andre Stegen is moving to Barca? He has 2 Own Goals in his career. Please oh Please let him be playing against the USA in Brazil

    Reply
    • It’s a weird move. He is not that great of a keeper. Talented but like a baby in Keeper terms. He friggen 21 years old. Pressure gets to him and he shouldn’t be a starter for Barca except that… they don’t have anyone else.

      Reply
    • So Barca, who values a keeper who always plays it from the back, is going to buy a clumsy-footed keeper who twice in his career has fumbled the ball back into his own net?

      Real Madrid fans must be loving that.

      Reply
  3. are you serious? The ATLETICO GK is going to Real? He’s like their 2nd best player. Holy crap, Casillas will be done. This dude is literally considered the best GK in the world under 25. Belgium are going to def need him in the world cup

    Reply
  4. Kroos is a weird player. I feel like he drops out of games when they get tough. He is not a replacement Schweinsteiger. People like to say Pirlo is a “quarterback.” I feel that is more true about Kroos. He is great with the ball but don’t expect him to tackle anybody.

    Reply
    • I like Toni a lot Increase, of course I am a Bayern fan and haven’t thought it through. But, doing so, I agree with you. Good observation.

      Reply
  5. Really sucks for Strootman, he’s a great player. I was watching this game and you could tell right away that it looked pretty serious. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

    Reply
  6. and after reading the whole post, i think you buried the lede: did courtois really commit to real madrid already? that’s huge. and i think he’s still under contract at chelsea for a while yet, so i wonder what the club is going to do about that.

    Reply
  7. Wasn’t bringing in Strootman one of the reasons Roma viewed Bradley as expendable……

    Mignolet is a really good keeper and I don’t think a Liverpool side on the cusp of a title challenge this season would purposefully complicate its situation a la Friedel/ Lloris at Spurs. If one was being cynical Reina reminds them he’s on loan and still on the books to trigger the transfer or release process.

    Reply
    • No, it was bringing in Nainggolan over the winter that made him truly expendable though I think they made that move specifically to cover for Bradley’s possible transfer.

      Reply
    • Bradley was a starter last year under Zeman (who brought him in). Played well, then promptly saw Roma splash millions to buy Strootman to take his position.

      No worries, Bradley took the role of super-sub. Played well, then promptly saw Roma splash more cash to buy Nainggolan to take his position.

      And then another team comes along and offers him financial security for life, while Roma says “please stay, we don’t want you to go.” Talk is cheap.

      Reply
      • they still have nainggolan, who (i think) would also be playing ahead of bradley. but yeah, they’re getting pretty thin.

      • What good is playing time when you’re $5 million per year short of really enjoying life the way it was meant to be enjoyed? Or as best as in can be enjoyed from Toronto, Canada. Playing time doesn’t hug you at night the way a solid gold Masaerati does.

      • Hey, With that much money he put robot arms on the Masaerati that can hug, high five, and walk the dog.

      • GLORY. my friend

        Bradley was supposed to lead us to GLORY. He can’t achieve that in Toronto. He was making 1-1.5 million a year a Roma. 5 million in Toronto but he could have been in the Champions League in 6 months

      • I believe I just heard MB break us off with an “ain’t no ‘we’ in this contract. Just dollar signs and zeroes, boys”.

        So we’re back to square 1– email Jovan Kirovski to see if we can look at his CL winners medal. I’m thinking he’ll play ball for a sandwich, which is pretty much what it cost him to acquire it.

      • Smart money says take $5 mil in Toronto for an immediate pay day. However, if the player believes that by continuing to play in Europe he is likely to improve enough to earn a better contract, he could take the risk and stay in Europe. The central mids are not among the highest paid positions in soccer, but the top level central mids are compensated well. Yaya Toure, for example, makes around 13 million euros per year, which is $18 million dollars per year. He is on the higher end of the pay scale for the position, but the point is that it is possible to make more money in Europe than $5 million Toronto offered.

      • I get your point…but your numbers are OFF. He was on EUR 1.1 million POST-tax (USD 1.5). He is making about CAD 6.5 million PRE-tax (USD 5.75). That’s or about USD 3.6 million post tax (– dated a Canadian so I became familiar with their tax laws).

        The difference is about 2 million/year not 5 — that’s is still enough for me to move to Toronto 🙂

      • Yeah, I agree. I think Bradley would be insane to turn down that type of money. I’m just saying if he stayed (i.e. if he wasn’t offered the Toronto move) then he’d be one of the replacements for Strootman.

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