Pepe's madness hits Mourinho where it hurts

 

Pepe was the villain for Jose Mourinho as his play-acting and perseverance in his attempts to injure Lionel Messi only hampered Real Madrid's chances of retaining the Copa del Rey, as they went down 2-1 to Barcelona in the quarter-final first leg.

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AC Milan bring back the wrong Merkel

 

AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi will recognise the name of his side's latest signing, but will be relieved it is Alexander Merkel and not Angela coming to bail him and his team out.

The former Italian prime minister had economic problems in his political career, which were addressed and aided by the German chancellor.

On this occasion, however, a 19-year-old playmaker has been drafted back to the Giuseppe Meazza on a loan deal to help with a crisis on the pitch.

Merkel will act as much-needed midfield cover for injured pair Gennaro Gattuso and Alberto Aquilani, and may find himself featuring for the Scudetto holders regularly as Kevin Prince-Boateng has also picked up a knock.

Unlucky Angela, there's always the summer transfer window ...

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Evergreen Javier Zanetti's secret to beating AC Milan

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Guardiola's jar of players bordering on empty

 

There must be another attacker in there somewhere... somewhere... 

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola might have scooped up the Coach of the Year award at the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or Gala in Zurich last week, but the Catalan trainer has little reason for optimism at the moment.

After previous injuries to Ibrahim Afellay and David Villa, the Blaugrana also lost Pedro and Andreu Fontas due to various physical problems last week.

Additionally, Brazilian full-back Maxwell left the club for Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week, while Seydou Keita has been included in Mali's 2012 Afcon squad.

This has left Guardiola with selection problems ahead of Sunday's away game against Betis and the 40-year-old has to dig deep to find 11 players... 

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Di Stefano leads Cristiano Ronaldo boo brigade

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Barbara sticks with Pato & boots Tevez

 

It seemed like the transfer saga that would never end. 

Will Carlos Tevez finally get his wish and swap Manchester City for AC Milan? Will Paris Saint-Germain get their trophy-signing and bring Alexandre Pato to Parc des Princes?

It appeared salvation had finally arrived on Thursday. 

Reports emerged that PSG had agreed a fee for Pato and the Italian champions had already lined up a ready-made replacement in the form of Tevez.

But then it all fell apart. Pato announced that he had no intention of leaving his 'home' in Milan, and any move Massimiliano Allegri would make for Tevez had stalled.

The powers that be stepped in. Barbara Berlusconi, AC Milan board member and the daughter of Italy's mercurial politician, put the kibosh on any deal, unwilling to lose her boyfriend to Tevez, a less aesthetically pleasing alternative.

I guess we have her to blame for an inevitable 18 further days of speculation ... 
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A Tweet

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The Samba star Redknapp wants

 

Never 'eard of 'im, never 'eard of 'im, don't know him, Samba? We'll 'av 'im

With Tottenham's search for a defender well-documented, it seems Harry Redknapp has met his match in the most ironic of circumstances.

Fresh from his insightful analysis of Santos and Brazil midfielder Ganso, where he claimed to have never heard of the young star, his knowledge of Samba footballers seems to have redeemed itself.

However, it is the signature of Blackburn and Congo defender Christopher Samba that has now stirred his imagination. The burly stopper has long been linked with moves away from Ewood Park after forging a hugely successful career so far in the Premier League.

But despite there being no question of his ability in bolstering the Lilywhite's rearguard, or his name, he maybe doesn't have the guile or flair of his fellow contemporaries as such ...  
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Milanese tug-of-war

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Balotelli and the Mirror

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