Fulham Broadway

Chelsea keeper Cech signs five-year deal to stay at Stamford Bridge until 2013 Petr Cech has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. The deal, which keeps the 26-year-old goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge until 2013, was completed late last week but announced as the team touched down today in Guangzhou, China, for the pre-season tour of Asia. The Czech international arrived in the summer of 2004 from Rennes and has made 115 appearances in four seasons with the Blues. New deal: Petr Cech Cech has played a total of 166 games in all competitions - recording 90 clean sheets - for Chelsea and was thrilled to extend his contract. 'It is an honour to be at a club like Chelsea and I am very happy to have renewed my contract with them,' said Cech. 'Chelsea has grown in my heart, not just because of my team-mates and all the people that work for the club but also because of their fantastic fans.'In his first season with the Blues, Cech was awarded with the Barclays Premiership Golden Gloves, as he set a new record in top flight football for not conceding a goal in 1,024 minutes and for the most clean sheets (21) in a single Premier League season. Despite a high-profile blunder in the Euro 2008 match against Turkey, Cech is one of the world's top goalkeepers. He was voted UEFA's Most Valuable Goalkeeper in the 2005-06 season, along with being named the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) World's Best Goalkeeper in 2005. The news of Cech's deal is another boost for new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, following the announcement of Wayne Bridge's new contract last week and the recent capture of Portuguese international Deco. The goalkeeper added: 'I gave my first interview when I arrived at Chelsea in 2004 and I had said that it had been my dream to play for one of the best clubs in the world and in the best league in the world - this came true and I am very pleased my dream will last. 'Personally I have to say I cannot wait for the new season to start. 'I am confident that it will be a very successful season for all of us.' Scolari said: 'I am delighted that Petr has signed a new contract. 'In my view he is the best goalkeeper in the world, so I am very pleased that he will remain with me at Chelsea." Chief executive Peter Kenyon added: 'I think everybody agrees with Felipe's assessment that Petr is the best goalkeeper in the world so naturally we are very happy he has committed his long term future to us,' Kenyon said. 'He has been a key player in the club's success in the last four years. 'He has also shown himself throughout this time to be a top professional and is a great ambassador for the club on and off the field.' Daily Mail Great news

Agree, the pace starts to wane (tell me about it). One reason why they're looking at that Falkirk 19 year old in the thread you started I suppose...

Good point. A player staying aginst his will is indeed rare -occasionally you get the Gallas's kicking against the bricks. My gut feeling, could be wrong, both Lampard and Drogba will be here next season, and there will be statements from the players (agents) and the club shortly saying everythings sweet. Presumably they're both flying out to China.

Nailed on then I reckon. The filthy beast.

Yeah saw that too. Now, if Drogba is tempramental, Eto is just mental. Lol can remember Robben watching our game with other players who were in Chels tracksuits, he was in Real Madrid white. Bit of a giveaway. Drogba is made out to be some sort of total cunt by the media. Fans turn against him for the 'diving' -do ManUtd fans have a go at Riverdance for the diving and theatricals, sly winks and general cuntishness ? Do they fuck. They get behind him and say hes the best in the world. Theres been an orchestrated campaign against Drogba -partly by the press to undermine Chelsea FC -a continuation of the resentment of Abramovich being so rich and buying the club, and because hes such a devastating forward. There also been misquotes by wanky French mags, and remember the things he was supposed to have said last year ? Laughable quotes in slang English ? Total mistranslations as well. As you say theres also a fragility of players living in a bubble, that bears no resemblance to the real world. To me Drogba keeps his feet on the ground -the amount of money and help he's ploughed back into Africa is amazing. I hate to say it if he was white and English, his weaknesses would be ignored. The reality is he'll be remembered as a Chelsea great, who was instrumental in titles and cups...the real danger now, as fans turn -will he start genuinely playing up. At the Bridge this time round, guaranteed theres going to be cunts boooooing him ....and Lampard, whatever the outcomes.

Well it's fairly certain the tight shorted one is one his way out -especially with Ivanovuch, and all but one of the Portuguese back four in situ. Wouldn't be surprised if he doesnt fly out -especially to Malaysia etc , him being Israeli and how they didnt want him there along with Grant. Also he's crap.

More confirmation, which is good news. To be fair if he was with Milan or any Italian team they'd be playing him in his 50s Claude Makelele has informed the club that he has turned down the chance to join Paris St-Germain and wants to remain at Stamford Bridge. Reuters

Looks like its going through.... Chelsea are set to sell Tal Ben Haim to Manchester City for £5m early next week. Independent, various.

From The Independent There was confusion yesterday over Didier Drogba after an agent who works for the Chelsea striker, Thierno Seydi, told France Football magazine that the Ivorian would sign a new contract at Chelsea if he failed to find another club in the next 10 days. That was met with astonishment by Chelsea. They have not received a single offer for Drogba, despite his stated desire to leave, while there has been no new contract offer for the 30-year-old who has two years left on his present deal. Neither are Chelsea contemplating offering Drogba a new deal. Last night it appeared that Seydi was backtracking on his statements, apparently claiming he had not spoken to the magazine, which last autumn had carried Drogba's first complaints about wanting to leave Chelsea, but that was met with some scepticism. New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has stated he wants to keep the player but if a suitable offer was made . it would have to be around £25m . Chelsea are understood to be prepared to sell. I really dont think transfer costs have ruined football, nor do I think its Lampard or Drogba to blame. The made up stories and greedy agents who are supposed to represent players create the unrest, turn fans against players, and instil greed and inflated egos in players. This is a cancer of the game that needs to be quaterised.

..he's in the US. It must be Owen Hargreaves http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7512440.stm

Bogarde

RONALDO TO STAR IN REMAKE OF 'ROOTS' FOOTBALLER Cristiano Ronaldo is being lined up to star in a multi-million dollar remake of the epic TV series Roots. Ronaldo has demanded £3.5m per episodeProducers say the star's treatment at the hands of Manchester United make him the perfect choice to portray the young African slave who is beaten by his brutal masters. The Portuguese winger said he had been traumatised by 'outrageous' demands that he honour the £125,000 a week, legally-binding contract, which has brought him only, misery, adulation and Gemma Atkinson. Speaking from the titanium gazebo in the rose garden of his 31-room mansion, Ronaldo said: "I feel I can relate to the suffering of African slaves. "If anything, it is worse, because footballers cannot sing while we work, whereas they had time to develop gospel music during their 16-hours shifts before dropping dead from exhaustion." In the series a young African boy is dragged from his homeland and shipped to America where he is forced to work in the fields by a cruel and violent plantation owner. "The similarities are uncanny, though admittedly, the Lear Jet that flew me from Lisbon to Manchester wasn't packed with 150 other players sleeping head-to-toe." Ronaldo also conceded that, while the slave-master in Roots administered brutal beatings, Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson had nurtured his talent, lavished him with praise and turned him into one of the best footballers in the world. "But without the freedom to do whatever I want, wherever I want, for whatever fee I want, I am exactly the same as a cotton picker forced to live in a shed, dying at the age of 32." He added: "I know the people will love my acting. Already, in the streets, I hear many of them calling me 'Kunta'."

RANGERS VIOLENCE BEGAN IN LATE 17TH CENTURY, SAYS UEFA THE violence at the Uefa Cup final began much earlier than was thought, probably in the late 17th century, officials said last night. Uefa said the ring-leaders included King William of Orange and his horseA Uefa investigation has revealed last month's violent scenes in Manchester were directly related to tensions arising from the Battle of the Boyne, which took place near the east coast of Ireland in 1690. It is now believed the conflict was sparked not by a faulty big-screen television, but by a series of marginal differences over the correct method of worshipping Jesus. Uefa said the violence then continued on and off for another 180 years until it was formalised with the establishment of Rangers Football Club in 1872. Jean-Marie Le Blanc, Uefa's head of riots, said: "The violence in Manchester has deep, complex and incredibly stupid roots. "It seems to based on an entrenched hostility towards Papal doctrine and an insatiable lust for the blood of 'fenians'." He added: "If we want to prevent this kind of violence we must establish a single, agreed method for the worship of Jesus across the continent of Europe. "Oh yeah, and booze - don't give them any booze."

The £48m they're talking about is laughable...I know SWP cost £24m but twice as good ??

It'll definitely be more reined in under Scolari than Grant. To me you have to accept his attitude, too much control, and you lose the creativity. All top artists are tempermental, and he, as with players like Eto, Gazza doesnt hide it. Its just part of their make up. Can be frustrating for the fans but thats the price. Osgood was a lazy cunt sometimes, strolling around -one game against Sheff Weds he sat and chatted to fans... The money side of it is driven, as always, by the agent.

Loads of fans said that about Drogba and Ballack first season - Scolari might be able to get the old Sheva goal hunting again...or you could be right, and Abramovich has had a word with Scolari about keeping his mate on.

Its mercenary, but no more than any other players agents stance. 99% of players go somewhere else if its more lucrative. Not nice for the fans, but thats the reality of the modern game.

Think thats just his agent saying 'Last 10 days of Sale' like DFS do, in the light of no firm offers coming in. Strongly believe the Chels hierarchy want him to stay , and a prohibitive price tag will mean he stays...

Hes got quite a way to go yet I would say. Given his chance by none other than Ray Lewington btw. Robinho is in a different category at the moment...

Completes the trio of average to crap freebies bought by Mourinho in a money-free temper tantrum. Useless, and after that clumsy challenge on Cech.....

Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim is set to accept an offer to move to Manchester City in a £5million deal - and will make a decision in the next 48 hours. Israel international Ben Haim has suffered a nightmare at Stamford Bridge, where new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has told the 26-year-old he is free to go... Daily Mirror Good News

I would think thats probably the case. I suppose theres not a lot going on with the transfer market in terms of definites, so rumours are flying about as per usual. A few outs, Bosingwa -signed managerless ? and Deco....

OK Kez, -what's your fave Chelsea moment of all time ?

They were saying Robinho had expressed publicly a desire to move to SW 6 and play under Big Phil. How much of this is media generated, and how much is due to Madrid being prepared to use Robinho as a bargaining chip for Riverdance Ronaldo, is open to speculation...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7502968.stm