Kaka: I belong to Brazil

 

After spending two years wandering in the international wilderness, Kaka has been welcomed back to the Brazil national fold - and he could not be happier about it.

Though he has not played a minute of competitive football for Los Blancos this season, the playmaker has been identified as the man to safeguard Mano Menezes's job in charge of the Selecao as he was handed a recall to the squad for their
The former AC Milan icon himself admitted that he was surprised to have been included in the squad given his lack of playing time this season with the Liga champions, but revealed that the news was like receiving his first call-up all over again as he looks to reignite his seemingly-dwindling career.

A deeply religious man, Kaka has become renowned for displaying a t-shirt bearing the phrase 'I Belong To Jesus' in the Champions League final win against Liverpool. Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani imagines how the 30-year-old might demonstrate his loyalty to the national side following what could prove to be a hugely significant moment for player and country alike...

Tweet Follow @omomani

Pardew takes Newcastle back to the future

 

With Alan Pardew signing a new eight-year contract with Newcastle United on Thursday, the 51-year old is set to stay at the Sports Direct Arena until 2020.

Pardew guided Newcastle to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season, while the club's managing director Derek Llambias wants the Magpies to replicate the managerial longevity of Arsenal and Manchester United.

"If you look at clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have shown that stability gives you the best platform to achieve success, and that is the model we wish to emulate here," said Llambias.

"Alan has done a fantastic job over the last couple of years and has proved what a great Premier League manager he is. I have total respect for him in all football matters and have an excellent relationship with him which I think benefits the club enormously."

Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us an idea of the problems Pardew could be facing if he sees out his new deal...
Tweet Follow @omomani

Lifesaver El Shaarawy at the double to keep Allegri afloat

 

With just one win from four Serie A games, Massimiliano Allegri's position as AC Milan boss looked under severe threat ahead of his side's clash with Cagliari on Wednesday evening.

Fortunately for Allegri, who guided AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2011, a goal in each half from Stephan El Shaarawy secured his side a valuable three points at San Siro to ensure last season's runners-up are in with a chance of making up for their poor start to the campaign.

"The victory is for Allegri and the fans," El Shaarawy said. "We are with him, he has our trust.

"I'm happy because of today's victory. It will give us a lot of morale for the next games."

Tweet Follow @omomani

Copy-cat Mourinho looks to emulate Sir Alex

 

At 49, Jose Mourinho is already part of the managerial furniture in world football but the Real Madrid boss insists he wants to emulate the coaching lifespan of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 70-year-old is just over a month shy of his 26th year in charge at Old Trafford but Mourinho admits he is likely to continue his own career along the same path as the Scot.

"I understand perfectly why Alex is still in the job [at the age of 70] and I think I will be the same," Mourinho said.

"I love football so much, I love coaching so much. I will still be very young when I become 50 and I believe I have a lot in front of me.

"Fifty is a number with a certain impact - it's a number I believe sometimes has a psychologically negative impact on many people because they realise the world spins very, very fast and our lives are very, very short.

"It's a number that makes me think and look back but also look forward too. I'm such a happy person because what I have done so far I think is amazing."

Tweet Follow @omomani

Walcott looks to carve out reputation as the new Henry

 

It may be a bold ambition but Theo Walcott has revealed his aspiration to replicate the success Thierry Henry brought to Arsenal.

The England international maintains that his time as a winger is now up and that Arsene Wenger should try him in the advanced position which enabled Henry to go down in history as one of the Premier League's greatest players.

“I love Arsenal and I love playing with my teammates and hopefully something can be sorted and I can get back in that team and get a chance to play up front," said Walcott.

"I definitely want to play up front. I think I've learned my trade as a winger now.

"I remember when Thierry Henry joined at 22 and the legend he was. Hopefully I can be the legend he was as well in that up front position."

Henry netted 228 goals in 377 appearances for Arsenal. No pressure, Theo.
 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Shelvey red with rage at 'grass' Sir Alex

 

Clashes between Liverpool and Manchester United are always memorable games, but for Jonjo Shelvey, Sunday's meeting at Anfield was one to forget.

The 20-year-old was sent off for a challenge on centre-back Jonny Evans in the first half, and was furious with the role he believes Sir Alex Ferguson played in the dismissal.

"I apologise to the fans for getting sent off but no way was I pulling out of that tackle in a game of that importance. Im sorry," Shelvey posted on Twitter.

"I have also apologised to sir Alex, just where I come from people don't grass people up to get someone sent off."
Tweet Follow @omomani

2001 Canvas Odyssey

Tweet Follow @omomani

Liverpool and Manchester united over Hillsborough

 

When Liverpool and Manchester United go head-to-head at Anfield on Sunday, an epic sporting rivalry between English football's two most successful clubs will be renewed.

But ahead of the clash - the Reds' first home match since the shocking and damning findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel were published - both clubs have pleaded with their fans to respect the occasion and each other by commemorating the 96 victims of the 1989 disaster together.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has written an open letter to the club's fans urging them not to let themselves down on the day, and the general mood appears to be one of rare unity between two very different clubs whose illustrious histories are similarly scarred by the memory of terrible tragedies.
Tweet Follow @omomani

No glove lost between Friedel and Barthez

 

Brad Friedel took to Twitter on Friday to defend himself against comments made by Fabien Barthez regarding new Tottenham signing Hugo Lloris.

"He [Lloris] is faster than Friedel, he jumps higher, and he is very strong mentally," the former Manchester United man said. "What is happening now is incomprehensible, but I am not concerned. He will become the centre-piece for the club."

Exasperated by the former France shot-stopper, the American launched a counterattack on the social networking site.

"Just saw Barthez comments," Friedel wrote. "I normally don't comment on such crap, but when disrespected by someone I don't respect I must.

"Barthez was ignorant, disrespectful and out of order to mention my name."
 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Trent Reznor Cartoon of Nine Inch Nails

Tweet Follow @omomani

Rodgers' babes overcome Young Boys

 

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers gambled on youth in the Europa League clash with Young Boys on Thursday night.

The Anfield boss handed debuts to Andre Wisdom, Suso and summer signing Oussama Assaidi, while Dani Pacheco was handed a rare start.

It took two goals from Jonjo Shelvey - just 20 years of age himself - but Liverpool managed to seal a topsy-turvy 5-3 battle in Berne as Rodgers' youthful side managed to finally get the better of Young Boys.

Tweet Follow @omomani

Juventus ruin Chelsea's big Oscar night

 

It was a performance worthy of an award, but not quite enough for three points - Oscar dazzled fans at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night with two first-half goals to give Chelsea a commanding lead over Juventus.

But the Italian side would soon pull the red carpet out from underneath the Blues as Arturo Vidal struck before the interval.

And, 10 minutes from time, Fabio Quagliarella clinched a valuable Champions League point to put a dampener on what would have been a perfect night for the competition holders.
Tweet Follow @omomani

MOU-REKA! Madrid rediscover winning DNA

 

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho appeared less than happy with his side going into the Champions League clash with Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

“At the moment, I have no team," Mourinho said after the Spanish giants suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in La Liga.

But Mourinho had changed his tune entirely after watching his side come from behind to beat the Premier League champions 3-2, courtesy of goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It's good because the DNA of my team is back," Mourinho said.

He added: "We could lose and I would be proud, but we cannot lose matches like we did in Sevilla and Getafe and my happiness is not just about the three points, it is about the DNA of my team being back."

Tweet Follow @omomani

Mancini keeps Silva safe at fortress Manchester City

 

Real Madrid face Manchester City in a mouthwatering Champions League tie at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

The trip to Spain marks a return to his homeland for David Silva, who is coveted by Jose Mourinho's side.

But, having tied the playmaker to a five-year contract on Monday, Roberto Mancini and the Premier League champions have made it very clear one of their prized assets is going nowhere.

Tweet Follow @omomani

The Lonely One - Mourinho feels the heat in Madrid

 

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho continues to feel the pressure after the club's slow start to the new league campaign, which saw them beaten 1-0 by Sevilla in their last outing.

The side have now lost two of their opening four league fixtures as they fell eight points behind rivals Barcelona at this crucial early stage of the season.

Mourinho's charges have started this term in indifferent form as they look set to host Premier League champions Manchester City at home in their opening Champions League fixture on home soil, looking to put to bed rumours of unrest.

Tweet Follow @omomani

Crouch slam-dunks Mancini into NBA rage

 

Stoke City secured an unexpected point at home to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday, thanks in part to their opening goal, courtesy of Peter Crouch.

The former England international got more than a little lucky not to see his effort disallowed, however, as multiple apparent handballs in the build-up set City fuming.

Manager Roberto Mancini complained after the game about watching "the NBA, not football", but there was nothing that he could do. Perhaps a time-out might be in order...

Tweet Follow @omomani

Kylie gets Cole in a spin

 

Ashley Cole may have the pressing issue of an Anton Ferdinand snub to deal with in Chelsea's clash with QPR on Saturday, but that hasn't stopped the left-back being distracted by the allure of popstar Kylie Minogue.

After enjoying the 44-year-old's hit single, 'Spinning Around', on Friday, Cole tweeted: "Wow @kylieminogue is hot in that video, spinning around, love the 90's".

Unfortunately for the England international, the track was actually released in 2000, but that hasn't stopped the saucy Aussie from getting Cole caught up in a spin...
Tweet Follow @omomani

Craig Thompson at Mlabbas

 

I've been invited to Craig Thompson's workshop at Mlabbas in Amman, Jordan with a bunch of other Jordanian talents.

Thompson is the great graphic novelist best known for his books Good-bye, Chunky Rice, Blankets, Carnet de Voyage and Habibi.

Workshop lasted for two days, Thompson talked about his experince and taught us some of his techniques.

I would like to thank Mlabbas for the opportunity with it's owner Imad Al Shawa, and well for my friend artist/writer Mike V. Derderian who organized the workshop.

follow Mlabbas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlabbas

follow Mike V. Derderian on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mikevderderian

 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Rooted to the Emirates, Wenger's set to prolong Arsenal stay

 

Robin van Persie, Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas may have all left the Emirates in recent seasons, but one man who has no intention of leaving Arsenal is Arsene Wenger.

Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis revealed the club's intention to offer the French boss a new deal on Thursday, with Wenger already racking up a 16-year stay in north London.

While the 62-year-old admitted he will not rush into signing a new deal, he has already laid his cards on the table, insisting he is an "Arsenal man"...

Tweet Follow @omomani

Sir Alex sweats as Kagawa & Van Persie limp back

 

With Wayne Rooney already sidelined with a gashed leg, the last result Sir Alex Ferguson will have wanted from the international break is more injuries to his collection of forwards.

He will not have been pleased, then, to see Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa limp off their flights back to Manchester. Van Persie was substituted at half-time in the Netherlands' match against Hungary, while Kagawa did not play for Japan against Iraq.

Sir Alex does, at least, have Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck to call upon as the Red Devils prepare to face Wigan Athletic.

Tweet Follow @omomani

My Football cartoons Beginnings

 

Many of my followers asked me when did I start drawing football cartoons, well I always thought it happened recently, a year or less from my beginning with Goal.com.
But one of my friends at school; Rajy, surprised me lately with these two illustrations of  Del Piero and Peruzzi the Juventus players, these were in the 1998 -1999 season, referring to their jersey that they are wearing in these two pics.
My freind as well is a Juve fan, and I made these two illustrations back in my high school days for him as a humble gift from me to him.

 

I wonder if back then if somebody told me that am going to start that as a career later, what would be my reaction?

Tweet Follow @omomani

Rafa's lucky red pants lose their magic

 

Rafael Benitez has revealed that a lucky pair of pants he wore during all his European matches in his first year at Liverpool may have been the real reason the Reds won the Champions League.

The Spaniard won the European Cup in his debut year on Merseyside, and went on to almost clich a memorable first league title in Premier League era for Liverpool.

However, when Benitez moved on to pastures new with Inter Milan the spell appeared to have worn off - getting sacked after less than half a year at the San Siro - with him not having managed since.
 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Hodgson gambles on Sterling

 

With injuries taking their toll on his squad, England boss Roy Hodgson took the shock measure of handing Raheem Sterling his first senior call-up on Monday.

The 17-year-old has impressed after breaking through at Liverpool this season but has just five Premier League appearances to his name and represents something of a gamble.

However, these are odds that the 65-year-old Three Lions boss clearly fancies ahead of a World Cup qualifying clash with Ukraine.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Rooney shocked at Ronaldo's admiration... for himself

 

Wayne Rooney has revealed in his latest autobiography that his former Manchester United team-mate and current Real Madrid maestro Cristiano Ronaldo loved the sight of his own reflection.

The 26-year-old striker stated: "In the time I've been playing with Ronnie, the one thing I've noticed about him is that he can’t walk past his reflection without admiring it, even if we're about to play a game of football.

"Every match, before the team goes out for the warm-up, he runs through the same routine. The kit goes on, the boots go on. Not long after, Ronnie turns to his reflection and stares, psyching himself up for the game."

While it may not have distracted him to the extent that he missed out on Sir Alex Ferguson's team talks, thankfully, Rooney has never had quite the same problem.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Frozen out at Chelsea, Lyon open door for Malouda return

 

After being frozen out of the first-team and forced to train with the reserves, life looks bleak for Florent Malouda at Chelsea.

But the 32-year-old's former club Lyon have come to the rescue after their president Jean-Michel Aulas claimed the midfielder would be welcome back with open arms.

"Our door is always open to former players," Aulas said. "Malouda has been in contact with our coaching team very recently."
Tweet Follow @omomani

Blatter salutes 'general' Ronaldo & hails 'magician' Messi

 

Fifa president Sepp Blatter believes both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are "living legends" in the world of football.

The 76-year-old feels the two players are different on the pitch but thinks they possess rare quality, and he believes the Real Madrid man dominates the game while the Barcelona star lights up matches with moments of pure magic.

"Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Both! They are different but both fantastic for football," Blatter was quoted as saying by Marca.

"Cristiano wants to be the general on the pitch, lay down the law and scream here I stand. Messi, on the other hand, is like a conjurer, a magician. They are both living legends of football." 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Europe's finest begin long road to Brazil

 

The first round of qualifying fixtures for World Cup 2014 kick off this weekend and it's a chance for many of us to see the star names which made Euro 2012 such a memorable tournament.

With Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas leading the way, the Real Madrid captain will be hoping that Vicente Del Bosque's side will be able to become the first team to retain the trophy since Italy did so back in 1938.

Roy Hodgson's England side will be hoping to make an impact on the latter stages in Brazil, as well a few of the other familiar faces such as Italy, Portugal and Germany...
Tweet Follow @omomani

Liverpool miss out as Juve's favourite son heads down under

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero confirmed his move to Sydney FC on Wednesday, penning a two-year deal.

Don't Miss

However, the 37-year-old claimed that Liverpool showed a late interest in signing him ahead of his switch to the Australia A-League outfit.

"They were one of the clubs, amongst the non-Italian sides [interested], and I was surprised to be contacted by them," he said his first Sydney FC unveiling.

But Brendan Rodgers' supposed approach was, evidently, in vain and could only watch on as The Old Lady handed her favourite son to Australian football.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Messi avoids Ronaldo shaped elephant in the room

 

After Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his unhappiness at a "professional issue" at Real Madrid, La Liga rival Lionel Messi was quizzed on the situation at a press conference.

Some quarters have suggested that the former Manchester United man is upset because he did not win the Uefa award for the best player in Europe, with Messi's team-mate Andres Iniesta instead collecting the trophy, while others think he is jealous of the Argentine.

However, the Barcelona star refused to comment on the Portuguese's comments, instead stating: "There's no reason to ask me about what he says and vice-versa. It's nothing to do with me."

Tweet Follow @omomani

Real Madrid bemused by Ronaldo tantrum

 

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has put the football world on alert by admitting he is upset with a "professional issue" at the club.

The Portuguese scored his 149th and 150th goals for Los Blancos in their weekend win over Granda, but refused to celebrate either strike, before revealing his reasons afterwards.

Ronaldo insisted his unhappiness has nothing to do with Andres Iniesta winning Uefa's best player award ahead of him, but who realy knows what's on Ronny's mind?
 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Rodgers in two minds over possible owen return

 

After Liverpool's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Brendan Rodgers was left red-faced over the lack of striker options at Anfield.

The Liverpool boss conceded he wouldn't have let Andy Carroll leave on loan had he of known that no replacement would enter his squad. While on Monday, the club's principal owner, John W. Henry, released an open letter which claimed he would not pay over the odds for players.

With Michael Owen still without a club after being released by Manchester United in the summer, Rodgers may be left with no alternative now the transfer window has slammed shut.

Tweet Follow @omomani

TEVEZ GOES FROM SINNER TO SAINT

 

Carlos Tevez's strike during Manchester City's 3-1 win over QPR on Saturday completed a remarkable comeback for the Argentine striker.

Just 11 months ago the 28-year-old began a season long spat with Roberto Mancini, refusing to come off the bench during a Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich before exiling himself to his native Argentina.

However, the former Manchester United man came back into the squad towards the end of last year's title winning campaign and now appears to have walked the long road to redemption with the club's fans.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Rodgers the deadline day loser as transfers pass Liverpool by

 

As Premier League clubs frantically tried to tie up deals for players on Friday, Liverpool were caught on their heels as rival clubs stole the march on their summer transfer targets.

Liverpool's unwillingness to meet Fulham's valuation for Clint Dempsey resulted in the forward ending up with a move to Tottenham.

Another of the Reds' reported targets, Gaston Ramirez, was also involved in the deadline day furore as he made a switch to Southampton.

Brendan Rodgers' is now faced with the prospect of keeping Luis Suarez in bubble wrap and away from sharp objects until January as the Liverpool boss faces the first half of the campaign with reduced numbers in attack.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Mancini & Mourinho to do battle in Group of Death

 

Manchester City will face Real Madrid in this season's Champions League "Group of Death" that also contains the champions from Holland and Germany.

Roberto Mancini's men were drawn in Group D alongside Jose Mourinho's La Liga winners in Monaco yesterday, along with Eredivisie champions Ajax and Bundesliga holders Borussia Dortmund.

City will be cursing their luck, especially after being drawn in the least enviable group in last season's tournament, playing Napoli, Villarreal and eventual runners-up Bayern Munich before finishing third.

Tweet Follow @omomani