SUPER TUESDAYS ON SWOOSH0018

Premier League Big Earners 2009

By Sportsmail
Barclays Premier League chairmen will hold their summer meeting this week facing the reality that the 'big four' are increasing their financial stranglehold on the English game.Figures for the 2008/9 season reveal the Champions League is now worth around double the amount to the top four clubs than it was three years ago.Premier League champions Manchester United earned a total of £90million in prize money and TV cash from all competitions last year - nearly £60m more than bottom club West Brom - with a staggering £33.7m coming from their march to the Champions League final.
But the biggest discrepancy came between fourth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Everton. The Londoners, competing in the Champions League for the eleventh consecutive season, earned £73.4m compared to fifth-placed Everton's £49.5m with Arsene Wenger's team bringing in £23.4m from European football.
The figures do not include ticket money and merchandise income where the big four also dominate. The rise in income from the Champions League is partly due to the strength of the euro against the pound, partly to the increase in the value of the competition's TV rights and also to the fact that English clubs have dominated the latter stages of the competition in recent years.
Meanwhile Liverpool were facing financial meltdown last night. The club's accountants issued a chilling statement admitting there is 'significant doubt' whether the company which runs the Merseysiders can 'continue as a going concern'.
Liverpool's parent company Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd, run by American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks, made a £42.6million loss last year.Around £36.5m of that is interest payments on the whopping £350m loan they took out to refinance the club.
Earnings, in millions of pounds, by Premier League clubs in 2008/09 season (not including gate receipts or merchandise income)...

Lge pos PremLge Total
1(1)Manchester United £90.0mm
2(3)Chelsea £81.2m
3(4)Arsenal £73.4m
4(2)Liverpool £72.3m
5(5)Everton £49.5m
6(6)Aston Villa £46.4m
7(10)Manchester City £44.6m
8(8)Tottenham Hotspur £44.4m
9(9)West Ham United £42.0m
10(7)Fulham £41.6m
11(11)Wigan Athletic £38.1m
12(18)Newcastle United £37.2m
13(12)Stoke City £37.0m
14(13)Bolton Wanderers £36.2m
15(14)Portsmouth £35.8m
16(15)Blackburn Rovers £35.5m
17(17)Hull City £34.4m
18(16)Sunderland £34.0m
19(19)Middlesbrough £32.8m
20(20) Westh Bromwich Albion £31.9m
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FORZA AZURRI
TO THE CONFEDS CUP NOW


Above is the kit that the Azurri will wear just for the Confeds Cup.

A Puma spokesman said: "This choice was made to honour [Italy's] early Thirties national team, that used to wear light blue, with black shorts. We choose a dark brown for aesthetic reasons."
Its a powder blue and far from the Italian Blue.

The Italians arrived yesterday, quietly and privately, even evaded me. About the squad that Lippi had brought to South Africa. No Del Piero or Inzaghi. Here is Lippis squad

Goalkeepers: Amelia, Buffon, De Sanctis
Defenders: Cannavaro, Chiellini, Zambrotta, Dossena, Legrottaglie, Gamberini, Grosso, Santon
Midfielders: Camoranesi, De Rossi, Pirlo, Gattuso, Montolivo, Palombo
Forwards: Gilardino, Iaquinta, Pepe, Quagliarella, Toni, Rossi

Interesting here that Lippi has left out Cassano and Giovinco. He brought Toni who has been terrible and Andreas Dossena. Maybe Dossena scored against United so he is included. He should have left Dossena and brought Giovinco as an extra midfielder. But lets see what the master tactician has in store for us. Italy are in a tough group. The Brazilians will be a stern test.
Cannavaro, De Rossi, Pirlo, Gatusso, Buffon, Zambrotta, Gilardinho all there.So lets see. For me to stand and sing the anthem, The Azurri in my own country. Dream come true. I cant wait.

Here is a quick clip of Italys first training session in South Africa at the SouthDowns Colledge in Pretoria.



So for now its Forza Azurri,Welcome to SA

Galactico has a big preview on the Confeds Cup so wel wait for that. All in all Spain and Brazil have come with POWER SQUADS. So we in for a great tournament.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Pro 20 Action the Ozzies are out. Yes can you believe it. Dumped out by the West Indies and Sri lanka. Yea Bret Lee was no where near his best and bowled badly at the death. And the mity Ozzies are gone. This should be a psychological advantage for many teams.But credit to Sri Lanka and their captain Sangakara.Played a brilliant Knock
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And news reports are flying in that KAKA is all but a Real Madrid player