Ini Dia Messi Dari Jerman

Rekan barunya, Eden Hazard, telah merasakan pertandingan perdananya saat bertemu Manchester City, terbukti ia tak mampu berbuat banyak. Sayangnya pemain asal Jerman ini, kemarin tak dapat memperkuat Chelsea karena menderita cedera.
Beberapa kalangan di dunia sepak bola menilai Marin sebagai Messi dari Jerman. Ia pernah membawa Jerman U-21 menjuarai Eropa pada tahun 2009. Meskipun Marin bermain untuk timnas Jerman, tapi ia lahir di Yugoslavia.

Pemain bertubuh kecil ini dapat bermain di kedua posisi sayap. Ia mulai terjun ke sepak bola profesional pertama kali pada tahun 2006 dan bergabung bersama Borussia Mönchengladbach, ia langsung mendapat sorotan dengan dibandingkan oleh mantan pemain Jerman dulu, Thomas Hassler.
Pada 2009 ia pindah ke Werder Bremen, dan bersinar bersama Mesut Ozil dan Aaron Hunt. Pemain berusia 23 tahun tersebut merupakan spesialis set-piece, dan ia juga turut membantu membawa negaranya meraih urutan ke-3 pada ajang Piala Dunia 2010 meskipun hanya sebagai pemain pengganti.
"Saya seorang pemain ofensif, lebih tepatnya pemain sayap. Jadi saya harap bisa memberikan banyak assist untuk striker sehingga mereka mencetak banyak gol. Premier League adalah liga terbaik di dunia, dan saya berambisi untuk memenangkan kejuaraan tersebut bersama Chelsea,” kata Marin kepada situs Premier League.
"Dia tak pernah ragu ketika mendapatkan kesempatan untuk menggiring bola. Menurut saya, dia adalah dribblers terbaik di Bundesliga,” ungkap Jan Gunther, reporter sepakbola Jerman dan penyiar Radio Elf 90.

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Lampard di dekati LA Galaxy

Presiden Los Angeles Galaxy Tim Leiweke tidak menyembunyikan ketertarikan merekrut gelandang andalan Chelsea, Frank Lampard. Meski demikian, Galaxy tidak memastikan akan mengejar tanda tangan Lampard. Kemungkinan mereka mencari peman lain untuk mengisi slot "designated players", yaitu kuota tiga pemain dengan struktur gaji di atas standar yang ditetapkan liga utama Amerika Serikat (MLS). Saat ini Galaxy sudah memiliki David Beckham, Robbie Keane, dan Landon Donovan. "Saya penggemar Frank, saya pikir dia pemain hebat. Kalau saya mengingat Chelsea, saya mengingat Lampard," ujar Leiweke kepada Sky Sports News. "Harus Anda tanya, butuh dua tahun buat kami mendatangkan David ke sini. Kami terus mencari 'designated players' berikutnya. Ada kira-kira enam pemain yang memiliki hubungan baik dengan kami, tapi kami punya banyak dan slotnya tidak mencukupi." Beckham sendiri mendorong upaya Galaxy merekrut Lampard. "Kalau dia memilih meninggalkan Chelsea, tim mana yang tidak menginginkannya? Pemilik Galaxy sangat persuasif, jadi peluang itu masih ada," imbuhnya.

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Chelsea target Neymar signs new deal with Brazilian club Santos

Teenage prodigy Neymar will stay in Santos and ignore a multi-million pound move to Chelsea, after the player and his representatives agreed a lucrative new contract with the Sao Paulo club.

The deal was confirmed on Thursday in a meeting held at the club headquarters, with Neymar, agent Wagner Ribeiro and the Santos President Luis Alvaro Oliveira the only parties present.

There the 18-year-old signed the new deal; lasting five years and earning the youngster a reportedly staggering £36 million.

Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro told reporters: "Football is not only driven by money. It's part of an entertainment industry, but also driven by passion. This decision proves that a 18-year-old boy can take a balanced attitude of a man that loves what he does."

The striker added: "It was a complicated and difficult decision. I'm staying at Santos and I'm very happy here and now I'm focused to win more titles.

"Money doesn't just bring us happiness."

The player's representative Ribeiro, earlier strongly in favour of a European move, praised the superhuman efforts of the Peixe to keep their brightest star in Brazil.

"The deal offered by Santos for Neymar is incredible. Viewed outside of Brazil, how it was arranged here with half the training and including all the assistance to the family. I've never seen anything like it", the agent affirmed.

The new agreement means that Chelsea and other European clubs will have to wait until the end of the 2011 Copa Libertadores if they wish to tempt Neymar once more.

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Liverpool Sign Joe Cole

Roy Hodgson has made his second signing as the new manager of Liverpool FC by bringing in the former Chelsea FC midfielder Joe Cole on a four-year contract, subject to a medical.

Liverpool FC have announced the signing of English international midfielder Joe Cole on a four-year deal, subject to a medical. The 28-year-old joins Liverpool after his contract with Chelsea FC expired at the end of last season, and becomes new manager Roy Hodgson's second signing. Cole made two substitute appearances for England at the FIFA World Cup to take his caps tally to 56, and arrives at Anfield following an unsettled season at Stamford Bridge during which he made 26 Premier League appearances, 12 of them as a substitute. He came off the bench to make his last appearance for Chelsea in their 1-0 FA Cup final victory against Portsmouth FC.

Cole came up through the ranks at West Ham United FC before joining Chelsea for €9.3m in the summer of 2003. He enjoyed tremendous success in west London, helping Chelsea to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups during his seven years at the club. He also featured for Chelsea as they lost the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League final to Manchester United FC on penalties, the first time the London club had reached the showpiece. Cole replaces Yossi Benayoun, who signed for Chelsea at the start of the month, and becomes Liverpool's second major new arrival of the summer following the capture of striker Milan Jovanović from R. Standard de Liège. Hodgson succeeded Rafael Benítez on 1 July after leading Fulham FC to the UEFA Europa League final last term. He will have another shot at the competition this season with Liverpool, who finished seventh in the Premier League and kick off in the third qualifying round against either FK Rabotnicki, of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or Armenia's FC Mika on 29 July.

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