Liverpool had their chance to bring Rafa back... but chose not to: No drama for Rodgers over Benitez return claims

Brendan Rodgers insists there 'is no drama' that Rafa Benitez has stated his desire to become Liverpool manager again as he believes the club have moved on.
Benitez, who was quoted as saying in an interview with Spanish paper Marca that he will 'almost certainly' move to Liverpool in the future, was overlooked by Fenway Sports Group last summer when they whittled down their shortlist to replace Kenny Dalglish.
Chelsea's interim boss moved to clarify his comments in Russia last night, stressing that he was talking about his home and family but Rodgers, who will come up against the Spaniard on Sunday week at Anfield, remains unfazed.

No going back? Liverpool had the chance to offer Benitez his old job last summer......

 

Roy Hodgson considering Picking Sterling for the friendly with Sweden on Wednesday.

 Brendan Rodgers will have no concern if Raheem Sterling is selected for England next week as he insisted the Liverpool midfielder is not being overexposed.
The 17-year-old, however, has been spared a trip to Moscow for this evening’s Europa League game against Anzhi Makhachkala, as Rodgers wants to rest him for Sunday’s game at Chelsea but Liverpool’s manager would be happy to see Sterling travel to Sweden.
‘It’s very difficult to hold him back,’ said Rodgers. ‘This is his dream. I’m sure he wants to play for his country, he has played through the age levels. I’ve always believed if you are good enough, it doesn’t matter how old you are.
‘Raheem is one of the top young players in the country at the moment. I wouldn’t have any worries (if he is selected). He’s in capable hands and would have senior players around him. If you look at how he has coped this season, he’s getting better every week.

Spared Anzhi trip: Sterling

‘His biggest thing is his courage. I’ve seen him grow from a young kid into a young man these last three months. He works hard every day and has a real challenge up against the senior players here but he embraces it.’
Liverpool top Group A after beating Anzhi 1-0 at Anfield but the team Rodgers selects for this match will be vastly different to the one that was successful two weeks ago and it is likely that Adam Morgan, an 18-year-old Academy graduate, will lead the attack.
‘We want to get into a position where we can compete on all fronts but with the delicacy of the group, we have to be careful,’ said Rodgers.
‘Our priority is the league. Unfortunately if I have to sacrifice other competitions and manage that the best I can because we aren’t maybe in a strong enough state as a squad, then that’s what I’ll have to do.’

Real Madrid boss Mourinho Could set for Liverpool job?

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard says he wont mind to be managed by Jose Mourinho.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he would like to be managed by Jose Mourinho, prompting rumours that the Special One could come to Merseyside.
It is fair to say that the Reds are currently in the middle of a period of transition.
Current boss Brendan Rodgers has the task of cutting the deadwood from the squad, as well as completely altering the team’s playing style.
Still, perhaps it is also fair to say that many Liverpool fans expect the team to be doing better, and Jose Mourinho has had a near instant impact at every team he has moved to.
He won the Primeira Liga in both his full seasons at Porto, the Premier League in his debut campaign at Chelsea, and Serie A upon moving to Inter Milan.
If there is one thing Liverpool fans crave, it is league success, and apparently Gerrard feels the same way, stating that Mourinho is the man that he would love to manage him above all others.
“I would like to play for Mourinho, the Special One,” said the Reds captain.
Of course, that could hint at a Real Madrid transfer, but having turned that opportunity down a number of times in the past, perhaps that ship has sailed.
“Liverpool weren’t really challenging at the time, so there was something to think about,” said Gerrard when asked about his near-move to Chelsea when Mourinho was coach.
“But I ended up saying ‘no’ and a year later I said ‘no’ again. But he came back when he arrived at Real Madrid two years ago.
“I look at some players who get interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona and they cause absolute wars to get out and get there.
“But that has never been me and, again, it just wasn’t going to happen.”
In that case, could Mourinho make the jump and move to Liverpool?
It’s unlikely, but you never know in football…

          LATEST FIFA WORLD RANKING

There has been plenty of movement in the latest edition of the FIFA World Ranking, with 77 qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ ensuring a number of changes compared to last month.

Nigeria is a non mover from last month and placed in the 58th position. In the top 20, leaders Spain and second-placed Germany remain unchallenged at the top, with Argentina’s move...

into third place following wins over Uruguay (11th, down 4) and Chile (21st, down 4) edging Portugal down to fourth. Also benefiting from two victories are Italy (5th, up 3) and Russia (9th, up 3), the latter moving into the top ten for the first time since October 2010.

Brazil, who are hosting the 2014 world finals and thus have no potential points-earning qualifiers, managed to stay 13th thanks to two runaway wins in friendlies against Iraq (97th, down 17) and Japan (24th, down 1).

Six teams have reached their highest-ever position since the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was launched in 1993: Algeria (19th, up 5), Haiti (57th, up 3), Dominican Republic (92nd, up 10), St Kitts and Nevis (106th, up 16), Philippines (143rd, up 4) and Timor-Leste (187th, up 19).

The results of 146 'A' internationals have been taken into account on the current edition of the FIFA/World Ranking, of which more than half (77) were qualifiers for the next FIFA World Cup. 25 were CONCACAF/AFC continental qualifiers and 44 were friendlies.

November 2012 Ranking - statistics

Leader

Spain (unchanged)

Moves into top ten

Russia (9th, up 3)

Croatia (10th, up 1)

Moves out of top ten

Uruguay (11th, down 4)

Greece (12th, down 2)

Matches played in total

146

Most matches played

Laos (6 matches)

Biggest move by points

Hungary (up 160 points)

Biggest move by ranks

St Lucia (up 38 ranks)

Biggest drop by points

Slovenia (down 101 points)

Biggest drop by ranks

Congo (down 21 ranks)

      

           

FIFA revealed the Short listed Players for Ballon d’Or  2012 

Fifa have announce the names of the candidates for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football for 2012 awards, FIFA and France Football has well revealed the names for the men’s awards.

The candidates for the FIFA Ballon d’Or and for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football awards have been unveiled (see below). The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of the men’s national teams as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 7 January 2013, during which the FIFA FIFPro World XI, the FIFA Puskás Award – for the most beautiful goal of the year – the FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented.

The list of 23 male candidates has been drawn up by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and by a group of experts from France Football. The list of ten coaches has been drawn up by the Committee for Women’s Football and FIFA Women’s World Cup and by the FIFA Football Committee, as well as by a group of experts from France Football.

On 29 November 2012, FIFA and France Football will announce at a press conference in São Paulo (Brazil) the names of the three men and three women, as well as the three coaches for women’s football and three coaches for men’s football, who have received the most votes (without unveiling the winners). The three nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award and the FIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist for the best forwards will also be announced (the shortlists for best goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders will be unveiled on 19, 22 and 26 November, respectively).

Names of Player’s shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala 2012

The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2012:

Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Xabi Alonso (Spain),Mario Balotelli (Italy), Karim Benzema (France), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Sergio Busquets (Spain), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Özil (Germany), Gerard Piqué (Spain), Andrea Pirlo (Italy),

Sergio Ramos (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire), Robin van Persie (Netherlands), Xavi (Spain).

The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2012:

Vicente del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Roberto Di Matteo (Italy/Chelsea FC), Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona former coach),

Jupp Heynckes (Germany/FC Bayern München), Jürgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Löw (Germany/Germany national team), Roberto Mancini (Italy/Manchester City FC), José Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid CF), Cesare Prandelli (Italy/Italy national team)

AFCON 2013: Eagles to face Zambia in Nations Cup

Now that the Super Eagles have escaped being drawn against the one of favorite in the forth coming African Cup of Nation in South Africa 2013, the expectation is high and many Nigerians will like to see a re-branded side in the Tournament.

Although history has stated that Nigeria has never lost against Zambia ever since both of them have been playing, but am very sure it won’t be an easy one because there are the defending champions of last competition and they are more stronger side now.

It is quite obvious that group D is the ‘’real deal’’ comprising of African top teams.

Meanwhile, the 16 teams will play in five host cities throughout South Africa from January 19 to February 10, 2013, to determine the African champion who will represent the continent at the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup.

Group A: South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco, Angola.

Group B: Ghana, DR Congo, Niger, Mali.

Group C: Zambia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria.

Group D: Ivory Coast, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo