Other soccer news in brief
Hammers sign striker Franco
WEST HAM United have signed Mexico striker Guillermo Franco. No contract details were given on West Ham’s website (www.whufc.com) but the 32-year-old Franco, who had been without a club, said he was delighted to get the opportunity of first-team football in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup.
Gourlay new Chelsea CEO
CHELSEA have appointed Ron Gourlay as chief executive to succeed Peter Kenyon, the Premier League club said yesterday.
Gourlay (46) has been with the west London club for five years in a variety of roles and was previously chief operating officer.
Before that, he had senior roles at Manchester United and sportswear maker Umbro.
“Ron was the outstanding candidate for the job,” said chairman Bruce Buck. “It was not necessary to look outside as we had someone with all the necessary attributes inside which was important as it ensures continuity and a smooth transition.”
Chelsea said on Wednesday Kenyon would leave his post on October 31st but continue to serve as a non-executive director and represent the club on various Uefa and European Clubs’ Association committees.
Folan seals loan move to Riverside
STRIKER Caleb Folan has joined Middlesbrough on a three-month loan from Hull with a view to a permanent move.
The Republic of Ireland forward’s loan spell begins tomorrow, meaning Folan will be available for the crucial game against leaders West Brom at the Riverside which could see Boro go top of the Championship.
The 26-year-old became Hull’s first £1 million (€1,115,554) player when he joined from Wigan in August 2007 and played a role in the Tigers’ rise to the Premier League, scoring nine league goals. However, he has yet to score this season.
Chairman claims curb on City spend would be unfair
MANCHESTER City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak has strongly defended the reconstruction of the club and said only outside investment on such a scale could ever break the monopoly on success enjoyed by Europe’s richest sides.
Uefa president Michel Platini has singled out the expenditure at City since the takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a senior member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, a year ago. City have spent more than €223 million on 11 players since, which Uefa has condemned as an inflationary danger for clubs across Europe.
Khaldoon rejected the assertion.
“I could accept the argument if we were artificially building up the club through debt,” Khaldoon said. “That produces a destructive end result; we have seen that happen. But in our case, the club will be in the healthiest position because there is no debt.
“We have funded it through equity, including the signing of the players. I believe what we are doing is a fair way to inject competition into football, without debt.”
He said he believed curbing the freedom of owners to buy and invest in “mid-tier” clubs would deliver a monopoly on European success to the already richest clubs.
Newcastle sign Khizanishvili on loan
NEWCASTLE have signed Georgia international defender Zurab Khizanishvili on a three-month loan. The 27-year-old Blackburn player will go straight into the squad for Saturday’s Championship clash with Plymouth at St James’ Park.
Tbilisi-born Khizanishvili, who has 62 caps, began his career with Dinamo Tbilisi, and after spells with city rivals FC Tbilisi and then Lokomotiv Tbilisi, made his way to Scotland and Dundee, and then Rangers.
He joined Blackburn in a €558,000 move in 2006 after spending a successful season on loan at Ewood Park.
However, he has found himself surplus to requirements at Rovers and has made just one senior appearance, in a 3-1 League Cup second-round victory at Gillingham.
There is one Championship game on tonight, with the city derby between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday at 7.45pm (live on Sky Sports 1).
