Hasselbaink poised for move as Barcelona press Ł6m bid
Artykuły
Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"
Graham Hunter in Barcelona and Jon Brodkin
Saturday January 18, 2003
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink may play his last game for Chelsea at Old Trafford today after Barcelona opened direct negotiations with his club yesterday.
The development came after Leeds United offered Mark Viduka to Barcelona for about Ł5m after Leeds's sale of Robbie Fowler to Manchester City broke down. Despite this, Barcelona's coach Louis van Gaal is resolute that Hasselbaink is the only striker he wants.
Chelsea's managing director Trevor Birch was reported to have been in Barcelona yesterday, pushing bullishly for the best possible return on the Dutchman who cost Chelsea Ł15m from Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona's opening offer was precisely the Ł6m they believed Birch and the Chelsea chairman Ken Bates were willing privately to accept. The Catalan club's managing director Xavier Perez Farguell warned that he would not go one penny above that price. But Chelsea are understood to have set their opening demand at Ł8m and once again warned Barcelona that they did not want any cast-off players thrown in.
Securing such a handsome return on a player who will be 31 in less than two months would be excellent business by Birch. Unless Chelsea lower their price considerably, however, the deal may founder just as it did last August.
The timing is delicate for both clubs. Chelsea have today's top-of-the-table clash against Manchester United occupying the minds of Claudio Ranieri, his other players and their fans. As for Barcelona, they are struggling badly in the Spanish league and host the champions Valencia tonight in a match they may well lose.
Barcelona's embattled president Joan Gaspart could at least appease angry fans in that case by presenting Hasselbaink to them on Monday.
Chelsea will be reprimanded by the Premier League for failing to warn it or Charlton about the heavily sanded state of the Stamford Bridge pitch last weekend. However, an inquiry board set up yesterday is unlikely to accede to Charlton's demand for a replay.
The panel will need seven to 10 days for discussions with officials from both clubs, who have provided the Premier League with "contradictory information".
If the panel decides Chelsea have a case to answer it will convene a commission to investigate.
Mark Bosnich is to challenge his sacking by Chelsea and will attend a meeting at the Premier League before an arbitration panel is set up to consider his case.
The Australian goalkeeper had his contract cancelled by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine. He is adamant that he never knowingly took drugs and will contest both his dismissal and an FA misconduct charge.
development - rozwój, postęp
resolute - zdecydowany
precisely - dokładnie
demand - żądanie
considerably - znacznie
founder - założyciel
delicate - delikatny
clash - starcie, potyczka
occupy - zajmować, okupować
embattled - borykający się z wieloma problemami; gotowy do walki
appease - uspokoić
reprimand - ganić, krytykowac
inquiry - dochodzenie; zapytanie
convene - zwoływać
commission - komisja
investigate - śledzić, badać
sack - wyrzucić; zwolnić z pracy
arbitration - arbitraż
consider - rozpatrzyć
case - przypadek
goalkeeper - bramkarz
adamant - nieugięty, niewzruszony
dismissal - dymisja, odrzucenie
misconduct - przewinienie
charge - oskarżenie, zarzut
