Summer Signings: Six of the Best (so far)

Where did the sporting summer go? Federer’s grand-slam supremacy; Armstrong and Contador bickering their way through the Pyrenees; Watson holding back the years on the sun-kissed links of Turnberry. Like 10pm sunsets and long, hot afternoons (ok, long rainy afternoons) these glorious events have, already, been consigned to the annals for another year. But don’t despair – football’s back! Though it’s hardly been away and – for the love of God – the destiny of the Ashes is still in the balance, the English league season has kicked off once more.

As ever, through the barren months, wild transfer speculation has kept us all engaged, entertained and amused (Christian Vieri to Blackburn?? At 36, Big Bobo is surely in worse shape than Big Sam himself). Despite most of the guff which fills footy gossip columns lacking even the slightest thread of veracity, occasionally a juicy deal or two does, in fact, come to fruition. And – resisting the temptation to include broadcaster ESPN for their audacious signings of not only the English Premier League, but also Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga – here are six of the best mid-summer moves (so far):

Diego (Werder Bremen to Juventus) – Erstwhile team-mate of Robinho and Elano in the 2002/03 Santos superteam, Diego has been a star attraction in the Bundesliga since moving to Bremen three years ago. Juve expect the diminutive playmaker will add a necessary dash of élan to their workmanlike engine-room; aiding the transition of rookie boss Ciro Ferrara’s men from Champions League also-rans into genuine contenders. With a healthy haul of 20 goals during his final season in Germany (six came in Werder’s run to the UEFA Cup Final) and a hatful of assists, the 24-year-old from São Paulo appears to be reaching a peak which looked like it might never arrive when he failed to flourish in the first post-Mourinho Porto side. With several big names deserting Serie A like a sinking ship, Diego now has a golden chance to become a Calcio superstar in their absence.

Anatoliy Tymoschuk (Zenit St Petersburg to Bayern Munich) – Bayern’s shambolic 08/09 campaign ended in bitter recrimination, as the fall-out from the all-too-brief Klinsmann era threatened to destabilise the German giants. However, the shrewd acquisitions of experienced coach Louis van Gaal, Hamburg’s workhorse forward Ivica Olić and – in particular – Ukrainian grafter Tymoschuk give an altogether more resolute sheen to the FC Hollywood starting eleven. The ultimate professional, ‘Tymo’ will filter out opposition attacks in front of a back four now shorn of inspirational Lúcio; feeding the ball quickly and accurately to front-men Franck Ribéry, Miro Klose and €30m man Mario Gómez. Having been the lynchpin behind Zenit’s recent continental successes (including a 4-1 humiliation of Bayern in the 2008 UEFA Cup semi-final), the Ukraine vice-captain now chances his arm at a genuine European football heavyweight.

Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow to Chelsea) – A summer of relative austerity for previously profligate Roman Abramovich, but at least Carlo Ancelotti has been allowed at least one exciting new plaything, by means of Zhirkov’s expensive acquisition. Given Joe Cole’s forthcoming return and Florent Malouda’s unexpected mid-season turnaround last term (...from disinterested to unstoppable in the eye-blink between Scolari’s dismissal and Hiddink’s appointment), the signing of a crafty, industrious left-footed winger will create intense competition for a starting place alongside Messrs Anelka and/or Drogba. Hiddink has used Zhirkov as a left-wing-back to great effect at international level, and the Blackburn Rovers fan (?) is certainly defensively capable. Causing havoc in the final third, though, is where Blues fans will see the costliest ever Russian footballer at his very best.

Lucho González (FC Porto to Marseille) – Few would have predicted that one of the Champions League’s most reliable, versatile and sought-after midfielders would switch to the Mediterranean coast, rather than to one of Italian or Spanish football’s big guns. El Comandante’s move, for a fee in the region of €18m, indicates the extent of OM’s ambition under new head coach Didier Deschamps. The former River Plate star will fill the gap in the Marseille midfield vacated by Sunderland’s new recruit (and former OM skipper) Lorik Cana, though he’ll offer far more offensive flair than the fiery Albanian ever did. With Gaby Heinze and Stéphane M’Bia among a number of impressive fellow arrivals, ‘Lucho’ will be confident that his new side is on an upward curve.

Nilmar (Internacional to Villarreal) – Though the Yellow Submarine’s general manager José Manuel Llaneza refers to the club’s new record signing as a “global superstar”, Nilmar has much to prove before he can truly substantiate such lofty acclaim. In a World Cup year, with his place in the final Brazilian squad still in the balance, it could be perceived as something of a risk for the 25-year-old to return to Europe. But now the time is right for the clever goal-poacher to atone for the aberration on his CV which was a short, unhappy spell at Lyon. With the talismanic Nihat Kahveci returned to Beşiktaş after seven productive years in La Liga, much of Villarreal’s attacking onus now falls upon the slender shoulders of their new star and his strike partner Giuseppe Rossi. The young duo are set to be one of the most scintillating in the Primera División.

Cristiano Ronaldo/Kaká/Xabi Alonso/Karim Benzema (all to Real Madrid) – There have been some exciting deals swilling around in football’s bottomless money pit of late, but for sheer arrogance, ambition and razzmatazz there’s simply no-one that can match the peerless profligacy of Florentino Perez. Even the greatest sceptics of his approach cannot wait to see how the second generation Galacticos ‘project’ pans out – both on and off the field. Let the fun begin...

Other great deals:

Top 3 young guns on the move

Fabian Delph (Leeds Utd to Aston Villa) – has enjoyed praise from quarters diverse as Steve Claridge, Steve Staunton and, perhaps more credibly, Fiorentina boss Claudio Prandelli. A left-footed English midfielder with authority, composure and great passing range: who needs Gareth Barry?

Radamel ‘Falcao’ Garcia (River Plate to FC Porto) – long-touted for a move to Europe (and already familiar to fans of certain football management games), the fleet-footed front-man has big boots to fill now that Lisandro Lopez has set sail for Lyons. Nonetheless, Porto’s new no.9 has all the raw talent to set the Champions League alight.

Marcus Berg – top-scoring at the under-21 Euros drew Premier League attention towards the Swedish striker, but the 22-year-old was instead destined for the Bundesliga, with Hamburg. If he can translate his scintillating Eredivisie form to one of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, Berg will soon replace Ivica Olić as the Hamburg fans-favourite.

Top 3 freebies (Bosmans/loans)

Aleksandr Hleb (Barcelona to Stuttgart [loan]) – turned down a season-long switch to Inter (as a makeweight in the megabucks Eto’o-Zlatan deal) to return to his old home. An excellent move for both parties.

Valeri Bojinov (Manchester City to Parma [loan]) – continuing his long, laborious return from serious injury with Serie A returnees Parma could be the ideal switch at this stage of the powerful striker’s stop-start career.

Michael Owen (Newcastle Utd to Manchester Utd) – what a move for the one-time Anfield hero, whom the press had prematurely consigned to the knackers yard, and what a bargain for wily old Sir Alex. Everyone’s a winner.

Football’s my religion; Prenton Park is my church

As Noddy Holder once sang: “Come on feel the noise, girls grab the boys; we’ll get wild, wild, wild.” More pertinently, the Black Country legend also once roared – on Slade’s inescapable ode to December 25th: “It’s Christmas!!”

That’s right, it’s here again. As if you hadn’t noticed. Come this Thursday morning we’ll all be heading off to the church of our favoured denomination for hymns, prayers and an engaging sermon on the life and times of Jesus Christ & chums.

Except that, in all probability, none of us will be adhering to that model of a traditional Christmas celebration. In a secular society, it’s far more likely that the once-holy day will be spent unwrapping iPods and hedge-trimmers, downing a Guinness or six, tolerating overcooked Brussels sprouts, and rowing with the missus/significant other over the merits of a can of De-Icer as a suitable Chrimbo present.

Once that unholy ordeal is done and dusted, it’s on to Boxing (or for any Irish readers – St Stephen’s) Day. Then we can really revel in the joys, thrills and spills of our modern religion: football. It’s housed in the contemporary cathedrals, churches and chapels; the ones we fondly call Anfield, Molineux and, erm, The Reebok. And I, for one, can vouch for the uplifting hymnal qualities of Villa Park’s rousing “Paul McGrath m’lord; Paul McGrath...On the piss m’lord; on the piss...”to the tune of campfire classic ‘Kum Ba Yah’.

With the obscene sums of money swilling around the upper echelons of English football, endlessly cosseted players and a raft of power-hungry club owners; the beautiful game, as it stands today, seems as far detached from the lofty altruistic ideals which form the basis of any major organised religion. Yet, amid the sheer godlessness of it all, there are a number of top footballers that hold strong religious beliefs. In a profession which is entirely, some would say necessarily, self-centred, and in an age when practising religion is the exception rather than the rule, there remain a few dedicated to a higher power than even Sir Alex, Rafa or Arsene.

No, no, it’s not Fabio Capello, rather the big man (or men, or whatever spirits/beings apply) who dwells upstairs.

Currently top scorer in the Premier League and a (mostly) reformed character; Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka directly attributes the recent resurgence in his career to his 2004 conversion to the teachings of Islam. Having earned himself a reputation as a wayward star; difficult to work with and prone to fits of sulkiness that would shame even Antonio Cassano, Anelka was apparently lost to English football for good when spells at Arsenal, Liverpool and, finally, Man City ended sourly.

Following his conversion, Anelka swapped the Light Blues for the environs of predominantly Muslim Istanbul, at Fenerbahçe. Upon his return to these shores – at Bolton, in 2006 – doubts about the Frenchman’s attitude lingered. But it soon emerged from the Wanderers dressing room that the quicksilver striker was a changed man. Still a quiet, contemplative character, but now with a new-found maturity and, quite implausibly, known for his friendly demeanour around the training ground. Success in Lancashire soon brought Chelsea a-knocking.

It’s true, his first season at the Bridge ended in ignominy, as his Champions League-deciding penalty kick was stopped in Moscow. Now though, in the continuing absence of Didier Drogba, Anelka is firmly established as a key man for both the Blues and Les Bleus.

The 29-year-old’s interest in his faith dates back to his childhood in the tough outskirts of Paris: “The Muslim religion interests me,” he told reporters back in 1999. “When I'm in Trappes, I hang out with Muslims and we discuss it a lot. In the summer we're outdoors until 4am, so we have the time to talk. It opens your mind and the subject fascinates me, just like astronomy does.”

Similarly brought up in the roughest of rough neighbourhoods; Franck Ribéry (whose wife, Wahiba, is Algerian) and Zinedine Zidane (also of Algerian extraction) are among a number of other French stars committed to a religious path. The cultural melting pot of France’s inner cities clearly has had a profound effect on many of their top talents.

Anelka concluded: “I listen in order to understand and learn, just like Roberto Baggio on Buddhism.”

Ah yes, the Divine Ponytail, Signor Baggio himself was another of this rare breed – the religious footballer. In deeply Catholic Italy, the Azzurri star stood out not only for his innate footballing talents, but also for his closely-held Buddhist beliefs. Baggio ‘found’ his religious calling during the late 80s, while enduring an injury nightmare at his first major club Fiorentina. The opening line of his autobiography reads: “Life is an endless cycle for those who believe in reincarnation.” Such a philosophy can only have helped nurse the great no.10 through is USA ’94 penalty heartache and enabled him to maintain his career, as he did at Brescia, well into his late 30s.

Just this year, highly-rated Fiorentina ‘keeper Sebastien Frey cited Baggio’s influence in his adoption of the Buddhist faith: “Roby Baggio helped me discover Buddhism and it aided me a lot, therefore I keep practicing this religion, as it makes me feel much better.”

Frey, as with Baggio, turned to religion when suffering his darkest hour – facing up to the prospect of serious injury bringing an untimely end to his career. So, it seems, the serenity engendered by subscription to a system of faith can sometimes play a vital role in a footballer’s long-term recovery – psychologically, at least.

Individual choice aside, it’s indisputable that religion pervades the global game.

Quite obviously, in many Middle Eastern and North African countries, Islamic life is inextricably entwined with football – diet, training and fixtures are all arranged around the call to prayer and duties such as adherence to fasting during Ramadan. In the Ivory Coast, the raw divide between Christian and Muslim factions – during the recent civil war – was soothed, albeit temporarily, by the united stars of their stirring 2006 World Cup campaign.

It’s not all positive though. In Glasgow, putrid bigotry unconvincingly poses as a religious divide between Celtic and Rangers supporters. In Bosnia, the newly-integrated Muslim/Croat/Serb league faces violent riots between warring fans on a habitual basis. In football, as in all walks of life, mindless morons are determinedly keen on using religion as tool for ill deeds.

To concentrate on the brighter side though, in this season of goodwill, committed Christian footballers – including characters as diverse as Linvoy Primus, Jermain Defoe and regular wearer of an ‘I Belong to Jesus’ t-shirt, Kaká – will each take time out this week to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Ex-Chelsea midfielder and erstwhile Beeb pundit Gavin Peacock will be quietly celebrating in the Canadian seminary where he now studies Divinity and Theology. Meanwhile, Wayne and Colleen Rooney will be holding a contemplative prayer meeting for assorted WAGs (and hubbies) in their ultra-lavish Cheshire mansion...well it could happen, right?

FALLEN IDOL RONNIE CAN RETURN LUSTRE TO MILAN

Following much gossip, rumour and counter-rumour, Ronaldinho’s protracted transfer saga at long last drew to a welcome close late last month. The waning Brazilian star’s decision to swap the beguiling glamour of Barcelona for, well, the irresistible appeal of Milan was, in the end, hardly a tough one.

Of course, it wasn’t really Ronnie’s decision to depart Catalonia quite so soon – incoming Barca coach Pep Guardiola made it brutally clear that he and his fellow party-loving team-mate Deco were no longer welcome at Camp Nou. With Manchester City proving the only ‘serious’ competition for the signature of the apparently superfluous former Ballon D’Or winner, there was only ever going to be one victor.

That the mighty AC Milan should even find themselves fighting it out toe-to-toe with nouveau riche upstarts City for playing recruits could perhaps be perceived as a sign of Serie A’s diminished prestige since those heady glory days of the 80s and 90s. But, of course, Ronaldinho isn’t your average cast-off.

At the age of just 28 – and, according to vice-president Adriano Galliani, having “lost his belly” – he could conceivably yet rekindle that irresistible fire which once made him everyone’s favourite buck-toothed ball manipulator. Certainly, Milan will be resting their hopes on a Samba-rich Kaka-Ronnie-Pato attacking axis coming good this season. And it does have a rather tantalising appeal – on paper, at least.

In light of Guardiola’s ruthless approach to re-shaping the humbled blaugrana this summer, there has been some pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti to adopt a similar ‘rip it up and start again’ policy over at San Siro. That, however, is simply not the manner in which Milan operate.

No, at least prior to the unveiling of ‘Dinho, there had instead been a quiet revolution at the club’s Milanello HQ this summer.

Though no spring chicken at 31, and another Barca redundant, Gianluca Zambrotta will bring a much-needed injection of dynamism and attacking width to what has become an increasingly stodgy side. The early acquisition of Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini should also prove to be an excellent piece of business. The Frenchman’s tireless running and accurate passing promises to gel well with likely engine-room cohort Andrea Pirlo – who will clearly take the creative role in the partnership.

Quite where the new arrivals will leave club stalwart Rino Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf – who remains, for now, in possession of the cherished no. 10 shirt for now at least – remains to be seen.

At the sharp end of things, the ‘loss’ of inept strikers Alberto Gilardino and Ricardo Oliviera should be more than compensated for by the return from successful loan of Milan’s long-neglected centre-forward Marco Borriello. It’s surely a big ask for the Neapolitan to reproduce the rich vein of goal-scoring form which reaped 19 goals last term, but he has within him the ability to make a significant contribution when called upon.

Fellow loan-returnee Christian Abbiati may also receive an unlikely shot at redemption, as Milan have so far failed to replace calamity-prone ‘keepers Zeljko Kalac and Dida; with Galliani declaring the club’s transfer activity now closed. And that is just where Milan’s problems might lie.

The back five remains an ageing, increasingly vulnerable unit; certainly incapable of keeping up with the rigorous demands of Champions League football. Perhaps it’s just as well they won’t have to, as they’ll instead face up to the perceived ignominy of participation in the little-loved UEFA Cup.

Still much-loved, but sadly in inevitable decline; Paolo Maldini looks set to carry on into his 41^st year. The plan was to retire the legendary no. 3 shirt upon his retirement, but if he continues to prolong his career much longer, the world’s finest full-back of the past two decades will be able to pass the shirt directly on to his son Christian – a highly-rated youth team prospect at Milan.

Alessandro Nesta, another defender of immense talent and composure, is becoming all too frequent a visitor to the treatment table. Rumours persist that he’ll need to go under the surgeon’s knife sooner rather than later to clear up his injury problems once and for all, but when available Nesta remains the rock upon which the side’s (occasionally shaky) foundations are built.

Serie A is, broadly speaking, contested at a speed considerably slower than the Premier League’s default ‘breakneck’ setting. The rossoneri, therefore, clearly expect the value of experience over raw pace to still hold firm at domestic level.

The Milan hierarchy, despite public niceties to the contrary, have no interest whatsoever in having a concerted crack at the UEFA Cup, so will be able to concentrate the efforts of their still ageing team on a full-blown title challenge. The absolute bare minimum required will be re-admission to the Champions League for 2009/10.

Allowing for his participation in Brazil’s pursuit of an elusive gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Games was a significant sweetener which eased through the deal bringing Ronaldinho to San Siro. Young hope Alexandre Pato will also be otherwise occupied in Beijing until just before Serie A’s big kick-off (assuming Brazil do make it to the latter stages).

Nonetheless, this state of affairs could conceivably work in Milan’s favour. Should the two return triumphant from the Games – not a great stretch of the imagination – they’ll be up and flying; ready to put promoted Bologna to the sword on day one of what promises to be an intriguing campaign for Ancelotti’s boys from Brazil.

Now all they have to do is keep their original Seleção star, Kaká, out of the greedy clutches of a certain West London-based player vacuum...