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Carlos Carvalhal will take the reins of Turkish side Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor next season as he prepares for his second stint in the country.

Carvalhal, who was appointed as the interim coach of Besiktas in August 2011, was subsequently shown the door after a string of poor results but is determined to succeed in the Super Lig this time around.

“I am happy to return to Turkey. I told my agent a month and a half ago that I wanted to come back,” Carvalhal was quoted as saying by Lig TV.

“I got attractive financial offers from all over the world. I had the chance to travel and earn bags of money. But once I saw the project Istanbul BB were undertaking, I couldn’t say no.

“I always wanted to do more as a coach in Turkey.”

Article source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/carvalhal-appointed-istanbul-bb-coach-143700805--sow.html

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Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1186528-top-10-eredivisie-u-23-talents-premier-league-clubs-must-sign

The final week of the professional domestic season, or at least the week following the most recent of these reports, began… no, not with the cup final but with the relegation/promotion play-offs in the two top-flights.

On Thursday, Hertha Berlin lost 2-1 at home against second-division Fortuna Dusseldorf in the first leg of the play-offs for the final place in the top division. On Friday, Karlsruhe, the 16th-placed team in Bundesliga II, battled to a 1-1 draw away against the third-placed side from the third division, Jahn Regensburg.

Four days later, the lower-division team earned a 2-2 draw in Karlsruhe that saw them promoted on away goals. It was the second time that tradition-laden Karlsruhe, the club that spawned players such as Oliver Kahn and Mehmet Scholl, have dropped to the third division, whereupon many hundred fans rioted. It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that the police had the situation under control again.

Jahn Regensburg (the strange name refers to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, who popularised gymnastics in Germany) will probably have to go into the Bundesliga II season without the man who’s taken them there. Coach Markus Weinzierl has been openly courted by Augsburg and it’s unlikely he won’t jump at the chance to coach in the top-flight.

Sandwiched between these two games was the most amazing cup final in recent memory, won by Bundesliga champions Dortmund against Bayern. It was the first time in club history that Dortmund managed to win the league and cup double, though it wasn’t the outcome as such that was amazing but the manner in which it happened.

The Munich giants, who had conceded only 22 goals over the course of the league campaign, lost by the stunning score of 5-2. It was only the third time in 18 attempts that Bayern lost a domestic cup final; it was the first time ever, with the exception of the German version of the Community Shield, that Bayern conceded more than two goals in a proper final of any kind; and it’s the first time in the modern era that Bayern have lost five competitive games in a row against the same opponent. (And perhaps the first time ever. In 1950 and 1951, Bayern lost four derbies on the trot against 1860 Munich but managed to draw the fifth.)

Dortmund’s Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scored the first hat-trick in a cup final since 1986, when Bayern’s Roland Wohlfarth netted three goals against Stuttgart. Equally impressive, though, was Shinji Kagawa, who opened the scoring and set up Lewandowski’s first goal. It’s an open secret that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, watching the game from the stands, is interested in the Japanese midfielder. Two days after the match, Kagawa informed the club he would not extend his Dortmund contract, which runs until 2013. That probably means Borussia will sell him this summer, when they can still pocket a hefty profit, considering Kagawa cost them only €350,000 (£280,000) two years ago.

But the most amazing aspect of the game was not that it produced such historic numbers and stunning figures. It was that Dortmund, who’ve never been a model of efficiency and normally waste chances by the truckload, capitalised on every mistake Bayern made with the sort of clinical precision teams normally fear about Bayern. And, of course, that Bayern made so many mistakes in the first place, most of which could only be explained by nerves or a lack of concentration.

If it was the former, it doesn’t bode well for the Champions League final on Saturday. Bayern are now under enormous pressure, as most people expect them to defeat Chelsea and win the trophy, if only because of the home field advantage. At the same time, the potential for disaster is huge, considering Bayern could now repeat Bayer Leverkusen’s tragic 2001-02 season, when the team came second in every competition.

Then again, “disaster” and “tragic” are relative terms, of course. In Berlin, for example, they would gladly swap places with Bayern. On Tuesday night, Hertha completed a nightmarish second half of the season by only drawing the second leg of the play-offs in Dusseldorf 2-2 and getting relegated to Bundesliga II.

In a way, the game was befitting of Hertha’s season, because it was first thrilling and then descended into chaos. In the second half, Hertha were reduced to ten men and then fell behind, whereupon Berlin fans, but also some Fortuna supporters, lost their composure and interrupted the match with fireworks and smoke bombs. This necessitated seven minutes of stoppage time, during which hundreds of Dusseldorf supporters positioned themselves right next to the touchlines, anticipating the promotion celebrations.

But deep into this long injury time, with the score now 2-2 and Hertha needing only one more goal, those fans suddenly invaded the pitch. Some were even cutting lumps of soil out of the field of play, even though there were almost two minutes still left on the clock. It was only after a lengthy interruption and a clearing of the pitch of play that the remainder of the game could be played.

Fortuna’s promotion is particularly bitter news for proud and tradition-laden Cologne. The club that considers itself the biggest in the Rhineland is now the only team from that region in Bundesliga II, while almost all local rivals are in the top flight. (Meaning Leverkusen, Gladbach and Dusseldorf. Aachen, meanwhile, have been relegated to the third division.) At least they have a new coach in Cologne, as Holger Stanislawski is going to take over the team.

So, have we covered everything that needs to be said about the 2011-12 Bundesliga season? Not quite, as there is one more thing worthy of note.

Unless the French Ligue 1 produces 167 goals on its final matchday, the Bundesliga is once more the highest-scoring of the major European leagues – for the 22nd year in row! But more about that at some other time, in some other place.

Article source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1071347/bundesliga-weekly:-cup-final-and-play-offs

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar has admitted that he is desperate for David Villa to be included in Vicente del Bosque‘s squad for Euro 2012.

The Barcelona striker has been out of action since fracturing his tibia during the Catalans’ successful Club World Cup campaign in December but has not given up hope on making his comeback in the Copa del Rey final on May 25.

Villar, for one, is praying that Spain’s record goalscorer can prove his fitness in the game against Athletic Bilbao at the Vicente Calderon.

“I want David Villa to go to Poland and Ukraine,” the RFEF supremo is quoted as saying by Marca. “I do not know if he will be able to attend, but hopefully he will be with the team at the Euros.”

Villar insisted, meanwhile, that he has no idea which players will make the final cut, revealing that Spain boss Del Bosque has yet to give him any clues regarding the make-up of his 23-man squad.

“I do not know who will go to the tournament,” the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder insisted. “Vicente del Bosque has not told me anything. He will inform me a minute before telling a news conference to the media!”

Del Bosque is scheduled to announce his squad for the Euros two days after the Copa del Rey final.

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Article source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/spanish-football-federation-president-wants-160700768--sow.html

Introducing the Czech Republic’s Gebre Selassie

Cech, Rosicky and Baros may be the high-profile stars in the Czech Republic Euro 2012 squad, but little-known Theo Gebre Selassie could make quite a splash in Poland-Ukraine

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/1549/rest-of-europe/2012/05/12/3098304/galatasaray-win-super-lig-title-following-draw-with

A comprehensive guide to the Allianz Arena

In just days, the grand finale of Europe’s elite club tournament takes place in Munich. Goal.com takes an in-depth look at the venue where the continent’s best two will face off

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/462/netherlands/2012/05/02/3062916/ajax-retain-eredivisie-title-after-win-over-vvv

Fortuna Dusseldorf end Bundesliga exile

Fortuna Düsseldorf

Hertha Berlin

Fortuna Dusseldorf returned to the Bundesliga after a 15-year absence thanks to a 2-2 draw against 10-man Hertha Berlin in a match marred by crowd trouble.

The match had to be stopped twice, the second because of a pitch invasion, but
eventually the visitors were relegated to the second division after going down
4-3 on aggregate.

Maximilian Beister gave Fortuna a dream start with a goal inside the first
minute, but Anis Ben-Hatira replied with a header in the 22nd minute.

Ben-Hatira was given his marching orders for a second yellow card in the 54th
minute and Fortuna did not need long to take advantage with Ranisav Jovanovic
putting them 2-1 up five minutes later.

Hertha fans manifested their frustration, interrupting the play as they threw
fireworks onto the pitch, and not even an equaliser from Raffael in the 84th
minute could appease them as they again disrupted the proceedings, causing seven
minutes of stoppage time to be added.

A pitch invasion with a minute still to be played caused a further delay before
referee Wolfgang Stark blew the final whistle to bring an end to the drama and
seal Fortuna’s return to the top flight.

Beister, who will join Hamburg next season and was therefore already certain of
a place in the Bundesliga, gave the home side a perfect start with a long-range
effort which caught Thomas Kraft cold with less than a minute played.

Hertha responded well and deservedly levelled through Ben-Hatira in the 22nd
minute as he headed Ronny’s free-kick past Michael Ratajczak.

Hertha’s chances of getting the goal which would have levelled the tie were
dealt a blow when Ben-Hatira was sent off for a second yellow card in the 54th
minute.

Five minutes later, Jovanovic headed Fortuna back in front from Thomas Broker’s
cross, but the drama was only just beginning.

Adam Matuschyk shot wide of an open goal as he missed the chance to seal
Fortuna’s return to the top flight, and almost in the next Hertha attack, Otto
Rehhagel’s side levelled.

Raffael played the ball to the feet of Adrian Ramos inside the penalty area,
and he returned the gesture to set up Raffael to give Hertha hope with the
equaliser on the night.

Only one goal was now needed to keep Hertha in the top flight, but their fans
did not seem to care as they once again threatened to force the game’s
abandonment as they threw more fireworks onto the pitch.

After a break of several minutes the game restarted with seven minutes of
stoppage time announced.

With Dusseldorf fans lining the pitch preparing to invade it at the final
whistle, Jovanovic missed the chance to seal the win in the sixth minute of
stoppage time when he wasted a one-on-one against Kraft.

Hundreds of fans stormed on to the field of play with one minute of the game
still to be played.

The teams were forced to leave the pitch as stewards and police tried to send
the fans back into the stands, forcing a delay of 15 minutes while order was
restored.

Both sides eventually emerged with Hertha seeming reluctant to return to play
out the remaining 60 seconds before another pitch invasion greeted the final
whistle, with Dusseldorf returning to the Bundesliga in dramatic circumstances.

Article source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=341645&cc=5901

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Police will not act against traders who set up a burger stall in front of Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s home on Thursday despite the Bersih chief claiming it was an invasion of her privacy.

Article source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/spanish-football-federation-president-villar-refused-present-liga-225000248--sow.html

Galatasaray clinched the Super Lig title after a 0-0 draw with Fenerbahce on Saturday confirmed its championship triumph.

Fatih Terim’s side had finished top of the league in the regular season, nine points clear at the summit, but the four highest-placed teams were forced to play out a title playoff.

The clubs who participated went into the round of fixtures with half of their points tally, and Galatasaray was in serious risk of seeing its advantage slip away.

But despite winning just two of its six matches, compared to Fener’s four victories, a stalemate at the Sukru Saracoglu on Sunday gave the side its first league title since 2008.

The feat also makes Terim the most successful coach in the history of Turkish football with five Super Lig titles to his name, beating previous record holder and ex-Trabzonspor boss Ahmet Suat Ozyazici.

Following Gala’s decade-long slump, presidential candidate Unal Aysal took control of the side last summer with the aim of bringing success back to the 2000 UEFA Cup winners.

His first step was to re-appoint Terim as coach, before overseeing an extensive recruitment drive, which saw the likes of Johan Elmander, Felipe Melo and Emmanuel Eboue among others added to the team.

Amidst the ongoing match-fixing scandal in Turkey, Galatasaray lead the way for much of the season, including a 14-match unbeaten run midway through the campaign.

Article source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/galatasaray-wins-super-lig-title-184800503--sow.html

13 May 2012 20:59

De Graafschap have been relegated from the Eredivisie after a 1-1 draw with Den Bosch, while Twente have missed out on the Europa League.

In the playoffs for the Dutch Europa League spots, Twente lost their second leg 1-0 to RKC Waalwijk on Sunday to miss out on European football for the first time in six seasons.

Furkan Alakmak scored in the 84th minute for Waalwijk to earn his side a 2-1 aggregate win.

Waalwijk will now face Vitesse Arnhem in a playoff for a Europa League spot.

Vitesse defeated NEC Nijmegen 2-0 on Sunday to win 4-3 on aggregate.

Nicky Hofs and Wilfried Bony both scored in the second half for Vitesse.

De Graafschap went into their relegation-promotion playoff second leg on Sunday knowing that a win would keep them alive in their quest to remain in the Dutch top flight next season.

But Den Bosch started the match better and took the lead in the 17th minute when Tom van Weert scored.

The home side managed to equalise 13 minutes later through Yuri Rose but De Graafschap failed to score again and Den Bosch held on to win the playoff on away goals.

Michael Uchebo scored an injury-time winner for VVV Venlo to triumph 4-3 over Cambuur on aggregate in their relegation playoff.

After a scoreless first leg, Cambuur looked like going through on away goals when Marco van der Heide tied the game at 3-3.

But VVV’s Nigerian striker Uchebo popped up in the second minute of second-half injury time to score the deciding goal and maintain his side’s chances of playing in the Eredivisie next season.

In the other relegation-promotion playoffs, Willem II won 3-2 on aggregate against Sparta Rotterdam after a 1-1 draw on Sunday, while Helmond Sport defeated Eindhoven 2-0 to win 3-0 on aggregate.

Article source: http://www.soccerway.com/news/2012/May/13/eredivisie-wrap-de-graafschap-relegated-twente-beaten