By JOHN BOSCHINI
According to his brother, Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is hoping to follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and French teammate Thierry Henry and join MLS after his Chelsea contract expires.
"There are more and more players who want to go and play there," Claude Anelka said. "It would be a dream for him. There are more and more players who want to go and play there."
Anelka, 31, is under contract until the end of the 2012 season. The often reclusive forward played for Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and Real Madrid before moving on to Chelsea in 2008.
Here are some more stories to get you through the day.
Kean appointed Blackburn manager
Steve Kean, former assistant to sacked manager Sam Allardyce, has been given until the summer to prove that he can be the manager of Blackburn Rovers full time. Keen had the "caretaker" tag removed after a meeting with Blackburn's new owners, the Venky family. The Scottish manager has said that he would like the job on a permanent basis.
Italy's World-Cup winning coach, Bearzot, dies
Enzo Bearzot, the man behind Italy's victory in the 1982 World Cup title, passed away Tuesday at the age of 83. The former Inter Milan player won the World Cup despite Italy drawing all three of its group matches. He served in the Italian Football Federation until 2005 and is survived by his wife and two children.
Moenchengladbach signs striker Hanke
Struggling Borussia Moenchengladbach, club of United States' midfielder Michael Bradley, announced the signing of striker Mike Hanke from Hannover. The German international has struggled at Hannover but has made 12 appearances for the German National Team and has scored 42 goals in 191 Bundesliga matches. Moenchengladbach currently sits at the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
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What do you think of these stories? Excited by the prospect of Anelka joining MLS? Can Hanke turn Moenchengladbach's season around?
Share your thoughts below.
Adrian Mutu to MLS?
http://football-italia.net/dec23d.html
Contract ends in 2012 eh? Cosmos should pick him up. >_>
In other news, later at night, the “draft” or “régimen de transferencias” for Mexico’s first division was today. Edgar Castillo was sold to Puebla, and holding mid Jonathan Bornstein is now officially a Tigre.
(Solotigres, a fan blog that seems to have good access to the team, reports he has mostly been at holding mid in the preseason.) Bornstein is also carrying a minor injury that may keep him out for the start of the Clausura.
No other official movements of Yanks reported, although I had read that Pachuca wanted to unload Vidal.
Like the Special One once said referring to Anelka: He has more clubs than Tiger Woods…
Cheers
There was a day when I would have been jazzed by the idea of Anelka in MLS but those days are gone. I’m more excited by the Joel Lindperes of the world and things like the signing of Andy Najar…
Oh… By the way, Djorkaeff did not phone it in during his time in NY. (His World Cup holiday not withstanding.)
I’m not a fan of Anelka. When he plays at Chelsea he seems disinterested, so all the more if he played in MLS.
Anybody really think that he is going to come over here and give any effort is dilludional. Think Djorkaef sp?, Matheaus, Zegna and Beckham. He would be coming over here for nothing more than a paid holiday. He is exactly the type of player that the MLS does not need. Sure he is talented on a talented team but not one I would want to build a team around. Imagine the first time he got subbed out. You think there might be a temper tantrum?
Anelka has been to the top of the sport, fallen hard from grace, and worked his way back into the top echelons of the sport. I too thought he was arrogant and lazy early in his career, but his turn around over the last couple years has been impressive. And in light of this, I’m not sure why so many question his quality as a teammate.
who wants to bet he only wants to play for LA or NJ and will only do so at the age of 33 or older.
Bit tiring. sadly Id still say itd be good for the league.
http://www.nme.com/news/lil-wayne/41371
Probably were just going to sip tea and listen to records anyways.
Very sad about Enzo Bearzot death… One of my favorite coaches of all time of one of the greatest natl teams of all time Italy 82. With Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Cabrini, Tardelli, B Conti, Paolo Rossi, Antognoni etc. What a f”””kg genius team
+1
Claude Anelka: Soccer
Chris Farley’s brother: Comedy
Although that’s an insult to Farley’s brother
I’m guessing with an ego like Anelka’s he’s looking at LA or NYC. Montreal is an amazing city, but I imagine he’s coming more for the America he’s seen in Hollywood… and not Canada.
Gladback need help at the back. Not up top.
Now this makes sense. I think that would be a GREAT signing for Montreal. It might not put butts in the seats everywhere, but it makes perfect sense for that franchise. Start out with some serious (albeit older) talent with the natural language connection. I think that would be a great move for that franchise. Just the kind of guy they need to start the MLS franchise. God call Zaggy.
Anelka and Drogba are both buddies with the rapper ‘Lil Wayne. Chelsea prevented them from flying to Miami a while back to attend Lil Wayne’s birthday party. There is no doubt he would be coming to the USA for the celebrity scene, like Beckham. Partying or not, he’d still be the most deadly striker in the history of the league.
Absolutely. I could see it going the way of Blanco with Chicago. The mexican fans were all about it.
wiki has a story about Anelka wanting to play in UAE or Turkey.. he even changed his name to Abdul-Salam Bilal… i think he would make a better fit over there.. lets save up for drogba! jk if only
Saputo has alot of cheese money…and he’s the kind of bold/arrogant guy thats going to be splashy (imo)…again not sure it would work out in the end, but it would be a signing I could see Montreal fans perhaps getting behind.
That would be quite the financial strain, but with the French connections, I would not be surprised.
If anything, it would show an early dedication to winning.
Agree with that, or maybe Montreal actually. I have a feeling their owner will be trying to spend some cash on players like that, and they speak French there. I just don’t want him on the Timbers roster.
I’ll give you that, he can be pretty lazy.
But if anyone could manage that financially, New York would be the source.
Sir, I’m sorry you feel that way.
Where did I say he wasn’t talented? I don’t disagree with that, its ALL of the other tangibles I hate about him. He’s just a plain bad teammate, and not anyone I’d want younger players looking up to (other than maybe his finishing).
Henry is great for MLS because he goes and does ridiculous NY morning show broadcasts and all the other little things that help put it in the mainstream. Anelka isn’t that guy. As you said, other than people who watch/follow Chelsea or the EPL, he’s not really going to be able to bring in the super casual fan, because no one is going to know who he is (and he’s not going to introduce himself).
I also would like to point out that he can be a good striker when he wants to. He’s a guy that absolutely can get lazy on the pitch, and depending on his motivation for really coming here, he could also be a huge flameout for the team that buys him. Its a risk I wouldn’t want my team to take.
We’ll just polish one of our 4 Open Cups, maybe the one we won at your expensive.
🙂
I’m watching the game because of Boca. French football is boring. This first place lille plays like a bottom team in the EPL.
Claude Anelka’s a bum.
Metro bull, I like that.
He would instantly become the best striker in MLS, better than Henry, and his namesake with Chelsea would be a big draw I think.
He has 5 champions league goals already this year. I don’t see how you can deny the talent he still has.
By 2012, there will be better players in the MLS than 33 year old Anelka.
Bocanegra and St Etienne now playing first place Lille in a nice Ligue 1 match. Lille look very fast… http://www.espa.tv/embed.php?channel=amor13&width=780&height=560
Old(er), lazy at times, proven history of being a poor teammate, would he think this is really a place to play hard, or a place to make a couple victory laps and see America before retiring, need I go on? He’s not coming for another year at least, and I’d imagine some French teams would probably be interested. I’m not sold on him driving in fans (other than Eurosnobs) because he isn’t a social guy (except when he’s calling out the French FA), and his salary demands would likely be similar to Henry, which doesn’t seem worth it (imo)
beacuse lindpere is an obvious attacking option… its okay, your a bridgeview fire fan, we have grains of salt waiting for any info from you guys
wasn’t questioning your motives, just making a statement. I just get excited as life long metro bull fan.
Well, I wasn’t trying to showcase anything other than those 4 players as an attacking option. So why would I put anybody else?
But if he were to land in an already solid locker room with a solid coach…WOW! Think of Houston with him. That would be scary.
I like how the potential lineup is so good that you left out USMNT starter Ream and newcomer of the year candidate Lindpere…..awesome
I think Who Cares is set to have a huge season this year.
Additional “& more” topic: c davies not on the gameday roster for sochaux today.
Didn’t he play at PSG after leaving Arsenal for Real Madrid under acrimonius circumstances. Guy couldn’t
settle at Madrid, probably didn’t get his ways and went to PSG.
You think Jeff Cunnigham is a locker room cancer???
Gladbach needs a whole new backline!
Potential situation…
——Agudelo——Anelka——
————-Henry————-
—-Who cares—–Who cares—-
——————————-
———–Marquez————-
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Forget Hanke. If Gladbach is to have any chance of staying up — and I don’t think they do — they need a new GK in January.
I watched Heimeroth, their GK, blow two saveable shots against Hamburg last Friday. And he made a hash of direct kick last night in the DFB Pokal against Hoffenheim. That guy is really the worst keeper in the Bundesliga.
Though it does make me appreciate Tim Howard more….
Why would you not want Chelsea’s starting striker?
@fred lol that wouldn’t happen. maybe if they get that new stadium and rebrand.
Chivas
NY!
What would be great for MLS is if instead of NY or LA, he goes to Seattle or Montreal.
Whats interesting is his brother actually has some experience with soccer here (he coached at AC St. Louis last year iirc), so who knows? That said, don’t think I’d want him on my team…