Sao Paulo: Brazilian club Santos accepted the offers made by Barcelona and Real Madrid for young striker Neymar, who will now decide where he wants to go. Details of the offers were not made official, but Brazilian media reported that Real Madrid are willing to pay 35 million for Neymar, 7 million more than rivals Barcelona. Real Madrid also reportedly offered a bigger salary, but the player has said in the past that his personal preference is to play alongside Lionel Messi in Barcelona.
Santos vice president Odilio Rodrigues said early on Saturday that the offers were "similar," but admitted that Neymar had a "gentleman's agreement" with Barcelona. Neymar learned the details of the offers past midnight Brazilian time in the coastal city of Santos, but left Santos' headquarters without giving any hints about which team he will choose.
"I'm happy to know that these two clubs are interested in me. I'm very proud; it's one of the happiest moments of my life," a smiling Neymar said. "I'll look at both the offers very carefully. I'll go home and make a decision along with my family. I'm not in a hurry. The decision may come in five minutes, in half an hour or in three days."
Neymar was accompanied by his dad, Neymar Silva Santos, who handles the player's career. He said it will be mostly up to the youngster to decide his future. "We are not going to rush into a decision," Santos said. "We will
09:11 AM, May 25, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo were handed two-match bans in the King's Cup after they were sent off in last week's final at the Bernabeu, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday. Mourinho was dismissed for vigorously disputing a refereeing decision in the 75th minute of Friday's 2-1 final defeat by Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese will not serve his punishment in next season's Spanish cup competition...
11:38 PM, May 22, 2013
Here is a look at the life and career of Jose Mourinho, the charismatic Portuguese manager, who will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after reaching an agreement with the club on Monday to leave three years before the end of his contract: EARLY DAYS: - Jose Mourinho was born in January 1963 in Setubal, Portugal. - Following a modest playing career, he accepted a job in...
09:43 AM, May 21, 2013
Jose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season having once again produced some golden quotes. Here are some of the Portuguese coach's most memorable utterances over the years as well as what others have said about him. WHILE PORTO COACH: "The only thing that I want to say is that we are the best ones and in normal conditions we are more than the best ones....
09:00 AM, May 21, 2013
Madrid: Jose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after three years at the Spanish club, paving the way for his expected return to Chelsea. The Portuguese coach's final season at Madrid has been blighted by divisions and a lack of trophies, but he is free to leave three years early from his contract after the final match on June 1 without any compensation involved. "To...
11:42 PM, May 20, 2013
Singapore: Atletico Madrid will not stand in the way of striker Radamel Falcao if he wants to leave the club this offseason, general manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin said Monday. Marin said in Singapore that it's up to Falcao to decide whether to say at Atletico-the newly crowned Copa del Rey champions-but the club would support him no matter what he chooses. "Before the start of the season we talked...
06:42 PM, May 20, 2013
Paris: Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to leave the club and says Real Madrid is a possible destination. The Italian had a meeting to discuss his future with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo on Sunday. But it's believed the recently crowned French league champions are reluctant to release him a year before his contract expires. "We had a meeting and I asked to leave the club,"...
09:11 AM, May 20, 2013
Paris: Carlo Ancelotti's future at Paris St Germain was in doubt on Sunday when Qatar-owned television channel BeIN Sport reported that he was leaving while sporting director Leonardo said the Italian had asked to go but the club wanted him to stay. "Carlo Ancelotti will not be the PSG coach next season. He met (club president Nasser al-Khelaifi) and (sporting director) Leonardo this afternoon in Paris for more than an...
10:25 PM, May 19, 2013
Madrid: A Copa del Rey final defeat against Atletico Madrid capped the worst season of Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho's career, the Portuguese said on Friday after the 2-1 loss left him without a major title this season. Widely expected to move on at the end of the campaign and linked with a return to Chelsea, a grim-faced Mourinho gave little away about his future but said Real, the world's...
09:18 AM, May 18, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was sent from the bench for protesting a referee's decision in the second-half of Friday's Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid. The Portuguese reacted furiously when the official awarded a free kick to Atletico with around 15 minutes remaining at the Bernabeu, racing to the edge of his technical area and gesticulating wildly. Cristiano Ronaldo had put Real ahead in the 14th minute...
09:01 AM, May 18, 2013
Madrid: The Copa del Rey trophy was supposed to be coach Jose Mourinho's parting gift for Real Madrid, or at least a consolation prize after a season that will be remembered for his abrasive antics and his team's failure to win silverware. Instead, Atletico Madrid ended a 14-year winless run against their city rivals by taking the title on Friday, coming from behind for a cathartic 2-1 win in extra...
07:30 AM, May 18, 2013
Madrid: Better known for his tough tackles, powerful heading ability and nerves of steel when taking penalties, Sergio Ramos appeared in the conference room to represent the club and deftly handled a string of awkward questions. "If I am here it is for a reason. I can also answer questions just like the boss," Ramos said. "We are here to talk about football, and not about controversy or the future...
09:38 AM, May 17, 2013
Barcelona: With a return to England looking likely, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho can go out a winner when his team plays crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid on Friday in the Copa del Rey final. Luckily for Mourinho and Madrid, Atletico have been incapable of winning a Spanish capital derby so far this millennium. Atletico's last victory over their city rivals came 14 years ago, in 1999. Since then, Madrid have...
09:37 AM, May 17, 2013
London: Some up and downs in the career of David Beckham, who said on Thursday he would retire from football at the end of the season: Up: Signs professional contract with Manchester United in 1993 and helps team win Premier League-FA Cup double in 1996. United wins league title again a year later. Down: Gets red card for kicking Diego Simeone in England's second-round match against Argentina at 1998 World...
10:21 PM, May 16, 2013
Madrid: Jose Mourinho faces ending a season without a major trophy for the first time in a decade if his Real Madrid side fail to beat city rivals Atletico Madrid in the King's Cup final at the Bernabeu on Friday. Since starting out in his first full season as a coach with Porto in the 2002/3 campaign, through spells with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real, the Portuguese has amassed two...
05:53 PM, May 15, 2013
Madrid: Barcelona have confirmed that striker Leo Messi will miss the rest of the season as a result of the muscle injury which forced him out of his side's 2-1 win away over Atletico Madrid. The fact that Messi's injury is a relapse of the hamstring problem, which he originally suffered in the quarter-final of the Champions League April 2 and which has troubled him ever since, is a key...
01:16 PM, May 14, 2013
Paris: Paris St Germain have rejected a bid by Real Madrid to hire coach Carlo Ancelotti, club president Nasser al Khelaifi said on Monday. "They (Real) came and I discussed it with them. He's got a contract with us for one more year...for me, he's here next year. He's a fantastic guy and I'm sure he'll respect his contract," Al Khelaifi said. Ancelotti refused to confirm he would stay at...
10:35 PM, May 13, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane will have surgery on his right knee and will be out of action for four to six weeks, Spanish media reported on Sunday. The France international stumbled awkwardly while making a tackle during Real's 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Saturday and had to be substituted after 19 minutes. "I am sad! The tests today have revealed an injury to the meniscus. They are going...
09:11 AM, May 13, 2013
Madrid: Not even an injury to Lionel Messi in the 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday could dampen Barcelona's celebrations at winning their 22nd Spanish league title. Messi started his first match in six rounds because of a recurring right hamstring injury, but he left the field in the 68th minute with Barcelona trailing 1-0 to Radamel Falcao's 52-minute goal and having made all three substitutions. However, Alexis Sanchez...
08:04 AM, May 13, 2013
