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Hammers loan Julien Faubert to Real

Real Madrid confirmed Saturday they had taken French midfielder Julien Faubert on loan to the end of the season.

Real said they had an option to buy the 25-year-old if he impresses between now and June, adding he would be officially unveiled on Monday.

Faubert, who has one French cap to date, played for Cannes and then Bordeaux before heading to East London in 2007 - but an Achilles tendon rupture kept him sidelined shortly afterwards and he has not featured this season.

West Ham said the Spaniards would pay 1.5 million euros for the loan deal while AS sports daily put a future transfer fee at six million, around two million less than they paid Bordeaux for his services.

Real boss Juande Ramos has also been tracking Wigan's Ecuadorian star Luis Antonio Valencia.

Source:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Raul Equals Madrid Record

Real Madrid legend Raul equalled the club's all-time scoring record to send his side on their way to a 2-0 victory at lowly Numancia.

The 31-year-old striker netted his 307th goal for the Real, where he has spent his entire professional career, and Arjen Robben added a classy second to narrow the gap on leaders Barcelona, who play Racing Santander on Sunday.

The late dismissal of Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago for a second caution proved immaterial.

The gap is still nine points and may be back to 12 in 24 hours' time, but Saturday's win was Real's sixth in a row in the league and at least maintains the pressure on their arch-rivals.

In contrast, Numancia are becoming increasingly embroiled in a relegation battle having lost three on the bounce, although it could have been a different story had they taken their early chances at La Parajeto.

In Saturday night's other game Athletic Bilbao came from behind twice to beat Malaga 3-2 in an action-packed game at San Mames.

The Basques looked off-colour when falling behind to goals from Albert Luque and Lolo either side of Fran Yeste's first-half equaliser, but late strikes from Fernando Llorente and Markel Susaeta turned the match on its head.

After Llorente's equaliser both sides may have settled for a point but, with four minutes remaining, substitute Susaeta showed great technique to hang in the air and guide Gaizka Tuquero's left-wing cross back across goal into the far corner with a cushioned header.

Source:
SportingLife.com

Keane For Spurs Is Nonsensical Move...

By Jermain Defoe's own admission, he never wanted to leave Tottenham last January, but starting only three Premier League games in the first half of the season forced his hand. He could not play alongside fellow 'little man' Robbie Keane and manager Juande Ramos clearly favoured the Irishman as a partner for Dimitar Berbatov.

A year on and Defoe is back at Tottenham as first-choice striker alongside Roman Pavulychenko, scoring goals and happy as a pig in muck. So what does Harry Redknapp do? Talk about signing Keane back from Liverpool, of course. It's unlikely to happen, but that the idea was even mooted is ridiculous.

A move for Kenwyne Jones made sense until the figures got silly, bringing as it would much-needed height and a striker who could dovetail equally as well with both first-choice strikers.

A rumoured move for Roque Santa Cruz also seems sensible, bringing as he does aerial power as well as a touch of class. That Spurs will always be outbid by Manchester City makes it an unlikely transfer, but not an unreasonable one.

Redknapp was smart enough in the summer to buy Peter Crouch for Portsmouth as a foil for Defoe, who must have been happy with that gift of a strike partner. We can only assume Defoe is rather less enamoured at his manager's public interest in a player whose presence forced him out of the club a year ago.

Keane is a quality footballer, whatever Rafa Benitez believes, but his attributes are surplus to requirements at Tottenham. Interest in him smacks of an attempt to please fans, of being seen to undo the work of the previous regime, rather than a sensible footballing decision.

He's possibly available, he's a very good Premier League player, the fans loved him - Keane ticks a lot of boxes except that one next to 'Can play with existing strikers'. Can you imagine a front four of Defoe, Keane, Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric - a quartet who would just about make a Crouch if they stood on each other's shoulders.

If we didn't know better, we'd suspect Redknapp was just playing what my mother would call 'silly beggars', because surely even he can see the cul-de-sac of re-creating the same situation that forced out his star striker only a year ago.

Sarah Winterburn

Source:
http://www.football365.com

Inter’s Obinna Loaned To Real Betis

It has been well reported in recent times that the La Liga outfit Real Betis are keen to boost their attacking ranks ahead of the second half of the season.

One of their primary targets has been Victor Obinna of Inter Milan, a player that certainly would add a lot of creativity and spark to the Betis attack.

According to Sportsmediaset, both Inter and Betis have reached an agreement for Obinna, with it being decided that he will join the Spanish club for a six month loan period.

The move will see him stay in Spain for the remainder of the season, allowing the Nerazzurri to trim their squad down in the process.

It has also been reported that if both the player and the Spanish club are content at the conclusion of the season, then he can be purchased outright for a fee of €6 million.

Obinna has made eight appearances for the Nerazzurri, since joining the club from Chievo in 2008, where he excelled at from the 2005-06 season.

Adrian Del Monte

Source:
http://www.goal.com

Thai pair to star in Malaysia

Fresh from their Asian Team victory at the Royal Trophy earlier this month, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and his compatriot Prayad Marksaeng will join the line-up at the Maybank Malaysian Open from February 12-15.

Jaidee was undefeated over the three days at the Royal Trophy, and will be confident of collecting a third Malaysian Open title, having triumphed in 2004 and 2005. His maiden victory was a landmark event, in that it was the first time a Thai player had won a co-sanctioned European Tour event.

He said: “The Maybank Malaysian Open is one of my favourite events on Tour. I feel I’m in good physical condition, and would love to claim the trophy for a third time. Both victories for me came at Saujana Golf and Country Club so I’m familiar with the course and surroundings, which always helps me to focus on my game and relax.”

Jaidee was the first man to earn over US$2million on the Asia Tour, and has ten Asian Tour victories to his name. In the 2008 season, he won the Hana Bank Vietnam Masters and the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, finishing in 14th position on the Order of Merit after playing 11 events on the schedule. His most recent appearance, at the Abu Dhabi Championship, saw Jaidee claim a creditable 13th place.

Marksaeng has been a member of the Asian Tour since it began in its current form in 1995. He has six Tour victories to his name, and became one of the first 10 men to reach US$1million in career earnings. His most recent Asian Tour win was at the 2007 Volvo Masters of Asia, and he collected three titles on the Japan Golf Tour last year.

Marksaeng partnered Jaidee to Foursomes and Fourball victories at the Royal Trophy, and also won his singles match against Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal on the final day.

He said: “The victory for Asia at the Royal Trophy was a great start to the season for me. Thongchai and I played well together in the opening two days, and I’m looking forward to teeing off beside him and the other players at next month’s Maybank Malaysian Open. “

Commenting on the progress the game has made in the past few years, Malaysian Golf Association President Datuk Robin Loh said: “The quality of players in Asia has grown tremendously in recent times. It’s great to have so many high profile players from the Asian Tour playing alongside the best of The European Tour at the Maybank Malaysian Open this year.

“Both Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng are popular with the locals, and on the back of their recent victories they will have lots of confidence and support from the fans.”

The Maybank Malaysian Open, which was the first event in Asia to be co-sanctioned back in 1999 by The European and Asian Tours, will offer players vital prize money in The Race to Dubai.

Kyi Hla Han, Asian Tour Executive Chairman, said: “The Asian Tour players always perform well at the Maybank Malaysian Open, and consider it one of their favourite events on the schedule. We have had many winners at this co-sanctioned event, and with the form of our Asian Team earlier this month we’re confident the Tour players will give good performances at Saujana Golf and Country Club. It would be great to see another Asian player lift the trophy.”

Source:
http://www.europeantour.com

Colin Montgomerie named European Ryder Cup Captain

Colin Montgomerie has accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour, ratified by The Ryder Cup Policy Board, to captain The European Team in The 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales, from October 1 to 3, 2010.

Montgomerie, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 23, 1963, becomes the 22nd golfer to captain a Ryder Cup Team against the United States and the sixth Scotsman, following in the footsteps of George Duncan (1929), John Fallon (1963), Eric Brown (1969 and 1971), Bernard Gallacher (1991, 1993 and 1995) and Sam Torrance (2002).

Montgomerie made the first of eight Ryder Cup appearances in 1991 and he was on the winning European Team in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2006. In all he has played 36 matches with 20 wins and seven halved. He owns the phenomenal record of not having lost any of the eight singles he has played and shares the record for most singles matches won (six) and most singles points gained (seven).

Montgomerie succeeds Nick Faldo with the aim of regaining The Ryder Cup following a successful spell in which Europe defeated the United States on no fewer than seven occasions in 12 matches since 1985.

Europe’s victories were achieved under the captaincies of Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987), Bernard Gallacher (1995), Seve Ballesteros (1997), Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004) and Ian Woosnam (2006) while Jacklin presided over a halved match in 1989.

Montgomerie said: “This is the proudest moment of my career. I have enjoyed some wonderful times, not least of all playing in eight Ryder Cups and winning eight Harry Vardon trophies, but to be named The European Team Ryder Cup Captain is something to cherish. My wife, Gaynor, and I are absolutely delighted.

“The Ryder Cup has been a huge part of my life and the next 20 months leading up to the 2010 contest will be invigorating. I’ve enjoyed the thrill of playing under six superb Captains – Bernard Gallacher, Seve Ballesteros, Mark James, Sam Torrance, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam – and every one brought something new to the table and contributed so much.

“After playing in eight successive matches it is difficult to explain how much I missed not being part of The Ryder Cup in 2008. Now I have the opportunity to captain a European Team seeking to regain the trophy and I am very pleased to be doing so at The Celtic Manor Resort, a venue with which I have a great affinity.

“We want to win the Cup back in Wales. That will be our priority. Nevertheless I know that Corey Pavin and his American team will share with us the desire for this match to be played as has become tradition with fair play and good sportsmanship top of the agenda.

“It is also going to be a very special experience playing The 2010 Ryder Cup on a course which is the first in history to be built to host the match. It is set up to challenge the best and being a course with a whole host of tempting options and punishing hazards there will be drama every step of the way. It is going to be an extraordinary week for everyone especially, of course, Sir Terry Matthews, the visionary behind not only the development and continued success of The Celtic Manor Resort but also the Wales Ryder Cup bid.

“I would like to stress that I am delighted to be taking this role now for 2010. You can wait too long to become captain and lose touch. I did not want that to happen and this opportunity has ensured it will not. I believe I have the stature to do the job and my experience of playing in this great event so often can only help, too.

“I also want to make it clear that I’ve accepted the captaincy with the knowledge that I do not think my days of winning are over. Everyone who knows me will understand that commitment has always been a key word in my vocabulary and I am still focused on winning tournaments. But I’ve also made the commitment to captain The 2010 European Ryder Cup Team and not to play in it. I’ll be focusing on getting everything right for our arrival at The Celtic Manor Resort.”

Source:
http://www.europeantour.com

Nicklaus honored with GWAA's Bartlett Award

HOUSTON -- Legend Jack Niclaus, whose commitment to charitable giving has spanned four decades and is embodied in The Memorial Tournament and the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, has been honored with the Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award.

The award, named for the first secretary of the GWAA, is given to a professional golfer for his/her unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Nicklaus will be honored at the GWAA Annual Awards Dinner April 8 in Augusta, Ga.

The 69-year-old Hall of Famer, father of five and grandfather of 21, has focused his charitable concerns on children in need. His passion, along with that of wife Barbara, led to the creation of the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, which provides pediatric health care services for children in a five-county area of South Florida.

The primary beneficiary of the Honda Classic, the Foundation supports activities that advance and enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of childhood diseases and disorders and supports not-for-profit programs and projects aimed at children's health, safety, and well-being. It provides programs and services to more than 4,000 hospitalized children and their families, free of charge, through the creation of the Child Life Institute in 2007.

The Memorial Tournament, which Nicklaus founded in 1976, supports the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, as well as many other leading charitable organizations within Central Ohio.

Nicklaus, whose charitable commitments began shortly after launching his professional career in 1962, supports such diverse causes as The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, The Barbara and Jack Nicklaus Junior Golf Endowment Fund, The Everglades Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Robert T. Jones, Jr., Memorial Scholarship Fund. As a national chair of The First Tee, Nicklaus has twice spoken before Congress on the character-building virtues of golf, and, in conjunction with the PGA of America, he created a program which has provided close to $2 million in grants to support instruction at over 160 First Tee facilities.

Nicklaus was awarded the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor bestowed on any U.S. civilian. In addition to the Bartlett Award, the GWAA has honored him with the William D. Richardson Award (1978) and the ASAPSPORTS/Jim Murray Award (2006).

Former Bartlett winners include Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, the Louisiana trio of Hal Sutton, David Toms and Kelly Gibson, Val Skinner, Betsy King, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Tom Lehman, Arnold Palmer, Kenny Perry, Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade, Patty Berg and Andy North.

The GWAA will also honor Players of Year Padraig Harrington, Lorena Ochoa and Jay Haas, Ben Hogan Award winner Erik Compton, Jim Murray/ASAP Award winner Juli Inkster and Furman Bisher, winner of the William D. Richardson Award, at the dinner.

The 980-member professional organization takes an active role in protecting the interests of all golf journalists, works closely with all of golf's major governing bodies and the World Golf Hall of Fame and facilitates a scholarship/internship program which is currently helping students at 17 major U.S. universities.

Source:
http://www.pgatour.com