* Midfielder agrees five-year deal with Real Madrid

* Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart sorry to lose him
(Adds Real Madrid confirmation, details)

BERLIN, July 30 (Reuters) – Germany midfielder Sami Khedira,
who played a major part in Germany’s progress to the World Cup
semi-finals, is joining Real Madrid from VfB Stuttgart on a
five-year deal, the clubs said on Friday.

The 23-year-old, who has a German mother and a Tunisian
father, cost the La Liga giants 12 million euros ($15.7
million), according to Spanish media reports.

He is the fourth reinforcement for new Real coach Jose
Mourinho following the purchase of Argentina winger Angel Di
Maria and Spanish midfielders Sergio Canales and Pedro Leon.

Mourinho was hired to replace Manuel Pellegrini at the end
of last season’s trophyless campaign and the club are seeking to
end the two-season reign of arch-rivals Barcelona as Spanish
champions and win a first Champions League title since 2002.

Khedira made his international debut in a friendly against
South Africa last September and was not expected to feature in
Germany’s World Cup team but was given his chance following the
injury that kept captain Michael Ballack out of the tournament.

He formed an impressive partnership with Bastian
Schweinsteiger as Germany finished third. He has 12 caps and
scored his first international goal in the World Cup third-place
playoff against Uruguay.

VfB, where Khedira made his professional debut in 2006, said
they were sorry to see him go.

“One is always extremely unhappy to let go a player who
dictates the game and is easily identified with, such as Sami
Khedira,” said Stuttgart’s sporting director Fred Bobic.

“On the other hand, we were able to fulfil Sami’s wishes of
furthering his career at Real. We wish him all the success with
his new challenge.”

(Reporting by Brian Homewood in Berne, additional reporting
by Iain Rogers in Barcelona, Editing by Clare Fallon and Ken
Ferris; To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

By Mike Collett

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
continued to deflect Barcelona’s interest in his Spanish skipper
Cesc Fabregas by urging him to stay at the club on Friday and
help them win the Premier League title in the coming season.

“There is a good attitude in the squad and Cesc Fabregas can
help us to achieve our targets,” Wenger told a news conference
ahead of this weekend’s pre-season four-team Emirates Cup which
they are hosting.

“He is now at an age, 23 and he has just won the World Cup
and I believe he will gain in authority again next season—the
biggest achievement for him is to help us win the championship.

“I have always said that Cesc Fabregas will be our captain
next season and we want to keep him, and despite all the
speculation for the whole of last season and this summer nothing
has changed.”

Fabregas has been courted relentlessly by Barcelona where he
was part of the Catalan club’s youth programme, and the player
admitted on Thursday he was torn between staying at Arsenal and
returning to the Nou Camp.

Barcelona made a 29 million pounds bid ($45.17 million) bid
for him last month but Wenger reiterated on Friday that Arsenal
were not prepared to negotiate and said he expects Fabregas to
remain a Gunner.

He also dismissed the fact that Fabregas was forced to wear
a Barca shirt by his celebrating Spanish team mates after their
World Cup final victory as nothing more than high jinks.

“It was part of celebrations—you can understand things
like that when you are friends, it has nothing to do with his
behaviour or his attitude. He has always said he is committed to
the club and he has always shown it.

“Look at the length of his contract and there is five or six
years to go I think. That means when we sign a contract for a
long period we are committed to that player no matter what
happens, to pay him and to keep him.”

In an interview with Catalan style magazine DIR Emotions
published on Thursday, Fabregas said: “I’m a Barca fan, I’m a
club member, as is my grandfather, my uncle, my cousin… I have
had the colours in my blood from a young age, I’m Catalan.

“However, I’m the captain of Arsenal, I’m a ‘Gunner’,” he
added. “And I have become a player there and matured as a
person.”

Fabregas joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old in 2003 and has
matured at the club, making 267 appearances and scoring 48 goals
in all competitions.

Fabregas is due to return to the club after the World Cup on
Aug. 5 and will not play in this weekend’s tournament which
comprises Arsenal, Celtic, AC Milan and Olympique Lyon.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Young Milan forward Dominic Adiyiah is being courted by Hannover over the possibility of spending the next season with them on loan, Bild reports.

Having been snapped up by the Rossoneri from Fredrikstad in January, the 20-year-old has yet to make a league appearance in Serie A and could be allowed to depart on a temporary basis in order to gain valuable senior experience.

Mainz have already been linked with a loan deal that would take Adiyiah to the Bundesliga, though Hannover are keen to compete by offering a similar move. Crucial to any temporary switch, which is said to be worth €300,000 and could include a purchase option, could be Goran Milanovic, who is an advisor of the young African.

“Dominic is my boy,” he affirmed. “I would prefer he went to Hannover 96, which was my first club outside of Serbia. I am sure he would be a plus for Hannover and that the club would also be good for him.”

Such words would appear to indicate there is a new leader in the race to sign the striker.


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* Stuttgart say they have agreed terms with Real Madrid

* Bundesliga club sorry to lose Khedira

(Adds details and quotes)

BERLIN, July 30 (Reuters) – Germany midfielder Sami Khedira,
who played a major part in Germany’s progress to the World Cup
semi-finals, is to join Real Madrid from VfB Stuttgart, the
Bundesliga club said on Friday.

“VfB and Real Madrid have agreed on the midfielder’s move to
the Spanish capital,” the German club said on their website
(www.vfb.de).

“As soon as the German international has passed a medical
exam, he will put his signature on the contract.”

VfB, where Khedira made his professional debut in 2006, said
they were sorry to let the 23-year-old go.

“One is always extremely unhappy to let go a player who
dictates the game and is easily identified with, such as Sami
Khedira,” said Stuttgart’s sporting director Fred Bobic.

“On the other hand we were able to fulfil Sami’s wishes of
furthering his career at Real. We wish him all the success with
his new challenge.”

Khedira, who made his international debut in the friendly
against South Africa last September, was not expected to feature
in Germany’s World Cup team but was given his chance following
the injury which kept captain Michael Ballack out of the
tournament.

He formed an impressive partnership with Bastian
Schweinsteiger as Germany finished third.

He has 12 caps and scored his first international goal in
the third-place playoff against Uruguay in South Africa.
(Reporting by Brian Homewood in Berne; Editing by Clare Fallon;
To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)—Carlos Bilardo, who has been accused by Diego
Maradona of betrayal and working behind the scenes to have him dismissed as
Argentina’s coach, says the former playing great was to blame for his own
downfall.

Bilardo, who coached the 1986 World Cup winning team led by Maradona, and
the 1990 team that lost in the final, said Thursday that until now he has kept
him mouth shut for the good of Argentina’s national team.

During a 10-minute speech Wednesday, Maradona accused Bilardo, the Argentine
national team director, of “betrayal” and Argentine Football Association
president Julio Grondona of “lying.”

The outburst followed the AFA’s decision Tuesday not to renew Maradona’s
contract.

“Until now I have been still and have put up with everything for the good
of the team, for the World Cup and the players,” Bilardo said Thursday on radio
La Red. “I didn’t want to cause problems. But enough is enough. I can’t let
myself be more humiliated. My friend don’t understand how I’ve put up with
this.”

He said he planned a news conference next week to offer his version of what
transpired.

The AFA said it offered Maradona a four-year contract to continue as coach
until the 2014 World Cup, but only if he would drop seven members of his
coaching and backroom staff. Maradona declined, although many criticized him for
his lack of tactical knowledge and his unwillingness to seek help.

“You can’t always give all of your friends jobs,” Bilardo said.

Bilardo took some credit for winning the 1986 World Cup, and finishing
second four years later and said Maradona owed him a debt of gratitude.

“I’m a World Cup champion and a runner-up,” he said. “I didn’t depend on
Maradona. He depended on me. He hadn’t done much in ’84 and ’85.”

Grondona, who also replied to Maradona’s charges, said he had not lied to
the famous No. 10. He acknowledged the job offer was there, but with conditions.

“I continue being sorry that he has gone because it’s very sad,” Grondona
said. “But I did not lie to Maradona. I told Maradona that I was content with
him, that he had to continue. What he misinterpreted was that the conditions
weren’t the same.”

A national icon who often divides public opinion, Maradona took over as
Argentina’s coach 21 months ago, stepping in with little experience on the
bench.

In a roller-coaster ride, he used over 100 players in matches, struggled to
qualify for the World Cup and wound up naming a 23-man World Cup team that
excluded Inter Milan defender Javier Zanetti and teammate and midfielder Esteban
Cambiasso.

Instead, he selected Ariel Garce for the squad despite the defender only
playing his first international match for Argentina in May against Haiti.

Argentina was ousted from the World Cup in the quarterfinals with a 4-0 rout
by Germany in which Germany coach Joachim Loew exploited Argentina’s frail
defense and lack of midfield speed.

Argentina youth team manager Sergio Batista will be the interim coach for an
Aug. 11 exhibition in Ireland. There is also a Sept. 7 exhibition match at River
Plate stadium against world champion Spain.

Possible permanent successors include two club coaches in Argentina:
Alejandro Sabella of Estudiantes and Miguel Russo of Racing.

* French striker scores a goal in each half

* Macedonians fail to trouble second-string Liverpool team
(adds quotes, detail)

By Zlatko Krstevski

SKOPJE, July 29 (Reuters) – David Ngog struck a goal in each
half to give Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson a successful start as
his side won 2-0 at Rabotnicki Skopje in a Europa League third
qualifying round, first-leg match on Thursday.

The French striker opened the scoring after capitalising on
a defensive blunder in the 18th minute and added the second just
before the hour mark, steering in a crisp shot from 10 metres.

The Macedonians failed to trouble a second-string Liverpool
team missing many of their World Cup players, including captain
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

The stadium’s capacity was sold out a week ahead of the
fixture but many of the disappointed 22,000 home fans left the
fairly uneventful match well before the final whistle.

New signing Milan Jovanovic was among Liverpool’s starters
and the Serbia winger had a decent game on the left flank,
causing problems with his speed and close control.

“Many of our young players are not used to playing in a
match like this but I am very satisfied with their performance,”
Hodgson told a news conference.

“If we are to have a good season in the Premier League, we
must use all the players we have.

“We were without 13 players tonight but the mix of young and
experienced players we fielded fulfilled my expectations.”

The latter stages of the match were played in near darkness,
after floodlight failure at the stadium’s newly-built northern
tier. The return leg is at Anfield next Thursday.

David Beckham “has no interest” in joining West Ham United and is happy playing for the LA Galaxy, his spokesman has said.

West Ham co-owner David Gold had previously said that Beckham had promised to think about signing for the Hammers, but Beckham’s camp have moved quickly to deny those claims.

“Whilst it’s flattering to hear of interest there has been no contact with or offer from West Ham,” Beckham’s spokesmen told the Press Association.  

“David is happy at the Los Angeles Galaxy and has no interest in leaving, and is looking forward to returning to the team on August 9.”

Beckham, 35, spent part of last season on loan at Italian giants AC Milan is close to completing his recovery from the ruptured achilles that scuppered his chance of making it to a fourth World Cup this summer.

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