Chelsea's Juan Mata Fined For Speeding In Aston Martin

Chelsea star Juan Mata fined for speeding after magistrate jokes he should be JAILED for six months in Esher, Surrey.

magistrate joked he should be sentenced to "six months in prison from the beginning of the football season".

Robert Manley, prosecuting, told Staines Magistrates' Court on Friday how Mata had been driving his Aston Martin car at around 2.30pm on December 4th last year down the A3 towards Hook.

"The Aston Martin activated the speed device on the A3. It was travelling at 63mph," he said.

Magistrates convicted Mata, who was absent from the court, saying he must pay £200 in the next 14 days.

He is also required to pay £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge and will have three points added to his driving license.

 

LiveScores: AC Milan vs Valencia

FT	AC Milan	2- 1	Valencia
HT		(2 - 0)

match details :
21'	(pen.) Robinho	x0 - 0
22'	Robinho	1 - 0
39'	Nigel de Jong	2 - 0
53'		2 - 1	Daniel Parejo

LiveScores: South China vs Tottenham

FT	South China	0 - 6	Tottenham
HT		(0 - 3)
match details :
14'		0 - 1	(o.g.) Sean Tse
34'		0 - 2	Clint Dempsey
45'		0 - 3	Jermain Defoe
54'		0 - 4	Jermain Defoe
80'		0 - 5	Jermain Defoe
86'		0 - 6	Tom Huddlestone

Official: Bayern complete Thiago deal

The Champions League holders have beaten Manchester United to the highly rated midfielder's signature for an agreed fee of €20 million 

Bayern Munich have confirmed that they have secured the services of Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona for an agreed fee of €20 million, potentially rising to €25m.

Pep Guardiola recently already stated that he was keen to lure the 22-year-old to the Allianz Arena and the deal has now been completed as Thiago has signed a contract with the Bavarians until the summer of 2017.

The Spain international initially appeared to be on his way to Manchester United in search of regular first team football, but the presence of former coach Guardiola at the Allianz Arena eventually prompted Thiago to Germany instead.

"Thiago was bought at the strong desire of our new coach Pep Guardiola," Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told his new club's official website.

"We are pleased that we succeeded in this big transfer. Thiago has just been starring in the Under-21 Euros. He is a fantastic player who will strengthen Bayern."

The figure that Barca will receive for Thiago is set to rise to €25m following a friendly match between the European giants, which will be played in the following four years.

Thiago will compete with the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo and Javi Martinez for a central midfield berth and joins Mario Gotze and Jan Kirchhoff as a summer arrival to the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal holders. Invariably Bayern are going to have one hell of a line-up in the middle of the park.

Barcelona Youngstar Thiago To Pen 5-Year Man Utd Deal

THIAGO 'EXCITED ABOUT MAN UTD CHANCE' AS DAD

PREPARES FOR ENGLAND MOVE

Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara will fulfil a dream by moving to Manchester United this week.

Sources close to the Spanish Under-21 midfielder say a five-year deal worth an initial £17.5 million are ‘well advanced’ and that “only little details remain to close the operation”, says The Sun.

His father Mazinho, a World cup winner with Brazil in 1994, has put his Barcelona restaurant ‘Campechano’ on the market, ahead of an imminent move to England.

The source added: “Thiago is very excited about the chance to play in the Premier League.

“He’s always loved it.”

Usain Bolt Handed Chance To Prove Himself For Man Utd In Ferdinand Testimonial

Usain Bolt is set to pull on a Manchester shirt in Rio Ferdinand's testimonial next month.

Ferdinand was rewarded for over a decade of service at Old Trafford with a match against Sevilla next month, and he urged David Moyes to let the world’s fastest man play.

Bolt is a big fan of United and good friends with recently retired boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

A source told The Sun: "Usain has finally got his wish and he’ll be lining up alongside Rio.

"It should be quite a game. It will be fascinating to see if Usain’s speed will be matched by his passing and ball control."

Real Madrid Ready To Sell Chelsea, Liverpool Target Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid are preparing to sell Xabi Alonso.

Punto Pelota says Real will sell Xabi once they wrap up a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi.

Illarramendi will move to Madrid as a direct replacement for Xabi, who is wanted by former club Liverpool and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea.

Real will seek €12 million for the midfielder, 31, who has less than 12 months to run on his existing deal. 

Brazil 3-0 Spain: Classical Fred seals Confederations Cup

Brazil have won the Confederations Cup after thrashing world and European champions Spain at raucous Maracana Stadium. 

Two goals from Fred and a stunning Neymar finish saw Brazil claim their third straight Confederations Cup title in emphatic fashion, as they brushed Spain aside 3-0 in the final on Sunday.

The tournament hosts were in supreme form inside a raucous Maracana, ripping the reigning world and European champions to shreds to end their 29-match unbeaten run, and claim the trophy for the fourth time, alongside their triumphs of 2009, 2005 and 1997.
Fred needed only 90 seconds to open the scoring, before a thumping second from Neymar moments before the break rounded off an excellent first half for Brazil.
The onslaught continued two minutes after the restart when Fred put another past a shell-shocked Spain, who showed their ineptitude at both ends when Sergio Ramos lashed a penalty wide.

Gerard Pique's 68th minute red card ended any fleeting hopes of a comeback from la Roja, as Brazil's win sparked wild celebrations in the stands and saw Spain lose by three goals in a competitive game for the first time since 1985.

The fans had the Maracana rocking long before kick-off, and barely two minutes in, the home side nearly blew the roof off the famous stadium when they took the lead.

Oscar delivered a ball into the box which Fred, Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa and Pique all challenged. A goalmouth scramble ensued and, despite laying on the turf, the Fluminense man reacted quickest to poke home.

Fred very nearly set Oscar up for the second within minutes when he flicked across the box from Neymar’s cross, but Chelsea’s young playmaker drilled agonisingly wide.

Paulinho then made Casillas work hard to keep the deficit at one with a cheeky lob after robbing Andres Iniesta, with the Spain keeper backpedalling to get a hand to the attempt.

Vicente Del Bosque’s side were simply struggling to cope with the tenacity and energy in Brazil’s play, which was matched every step of the way by the fervour raining down from the stands And Arbeloa nearly committed a fatal mistake when he flattened Neymar on the halfway line, but with the fans baying for blood, only a yellow card was issued to the defender.

Spain finally showed signs of life when Iniesta’s rasping drive forced Julio Cesar to push around the post, but it was an aberration amid Brazil’s dominance, and Casillas had to stand tall again to stop Fred from point blank range.

However, it was then the hosts' turn to live on the edge when an outrageous goal-line clearance from David Luiz denied Pedro a sure-fire goal after Mata’s pass put him one-on-one with Cesar.

But with half-time approaching, Brazil would get their deserved second. Oscar drew the attention of the defence on the edge of the box and deftly slipped in Neymar, who unleashed an unstoppable shot into the back of the net.

And two minutes after the interval, the hosts struck again. Hulk’s fantastic diagonal ball was cleverly dunied by Neymar, leaving Fred to finish coolly into the bottom corner.

Spain were handed a glimmer of hope with a penalty after Marcelo clumsily challenged substitute Jesus Navas, but Ramos extinguished that optimism almost instantly with a wild spot-kick that flew wide.

And they were finished for good when Pique stuck out a leg in vain to bring down the onrushing Neymar, earning the Barcelona defender a straight red card as the last man.

It was party time inside the Maracana, with the irrepressible Neymar driving past defenders with ease, and substitute Jo coming close to a fourth with a powerful strike that was saved by Casillas.

Spain had a few chances to restore a little pride, but Pedro was denied excellently from close range by Cesar, who did equally well to push away a curling Villa effort with only minutes remaining. 

But it just was not la Roja's night, with the final whistle signalling what had been an inevitability for some time as the Brazil celebrations kicked off in earnest.

The question now is whether the Selecao can ride this wave of momentum all the way onto the biggest stage of them all at World Cup 2014.

"We never arrived," said Xavi, whose ineffectual performance was one of the big surprises on a lacklustre night for the Spaniards, who had Gerard Pique sent off.

"They were more intense, they pressured more and there was more rhythm to their game. They were just better."

His words were echoed by coach Vicente del Bosque who, after voicing irritation with Brazil fouls disrupting his side's flow, was quick to acknowledge that "they were better than us and they deserved the title".

Golden boot winner Fernando Torres said Spain's feeling of "inferiority" and "inability to find any solutions" was hard to take, and something he and his World Cup and European Championship-winning team-mates were not used to.

However, Sergio Ramos, who missed a second half penalty, said: "We're not machines - this day had to come eventually."

"It's helpful to lose now and again - it reminds you that you're not unbeatable," Del Bosque said, while Iker Casillas was already looking a year ahead, saying: "At least now we know exactly what to expect in 2014."are preparing to sell Xabi Alonso. Punto Pelota says Real will sell Xabi once they wrap up a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi. Illarramendi will move to Madrid as a direct replacement for Xabi, who is wanted by former club Liverpool and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. Real will seek €12 million for the midfielder, 31, who has less than 12 months to run on his existing deal