Manchester United have confirmed that midfielder Park Ji-Sung has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2012-13 season. ( Full Article )
SEOUL — Two years ago, Park Ji-sung grabbed headlines when he became the first Asian to play in a Champions League final.
But this year, when his Manchester United team returned to European soccer’s biggest stage, his appearance seemed more commonplace.
Asian players like Park, a midfielder, and Atsuto Uchida, a Japanese defender with the German team Schalke 04, which United beat in the semifinals, are not the rarity they once were. They can be found playing in all positions in the major leagues of Europe, except one: goalkeeper.
Manchester United's club partners Hublot hosted a glittering event at the Cipriani on Wall Street, which included a gala dinner, a fashion show featuring some of United's players and a charity auction raising thousands of pounds for the MU Foundation.
United players hit the runway:
David De Gea- who is settling in well at MU despite knowing little English.
Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung overcame stunted growth as a child and lived on a diet of frog stew to become one of Asia's most respected athletes. Now he hopes to encourage young Vietnamese children to follow their dreams by hosting the inaugural Doosan Asian Dream Cup on Wednesday in Ho Chi Minh City.
"I would like to give inspiration to all of those children of Vietnam who dream of becoming a soccer player, and to let them know that they too can become great players," Park said when asked about the maiden project of his charity-based JS Foundation.
Vietnam's divided history is one of the reasons why he chose it to host the event, which will feature world-class soccer players from the continent, the former captain of Korea's national side said during a press conference at Incheon International Airport on Monday.
"I have heard that soccer is very popular in Vietnam. One of the reasons why we chose Vietnam as the site of our first charity project is because of the way in which the country has also had this tragic experience in its history of being torn in two," he said before boarding a plane for Ho Chi Minh. The game will kick off in the city's Thong Nhat Stadium at 8 p.m. (Korean time).
The JS Friends' team is made up of Park and former or current national teammates Park Chu-young, Lee Chung-yong, Ki Sung-Yueng, Lee Young-pyo and Jung Jo-gook. Hidetoshi Nakata and Daisuke Matsui of Japan and Li Weifeng of China also join the side, which will be coached by Yoo Sang-chul, a bulwark of the Korean national team from 1994 to 2005. They will face Navibank Saigon FC in Vietnam's first league.
Park said he was originally hoping to be joined by one of his Manchester teammates, but that national duty got in the way. "Unfortunately my friend and teammate Patrice Evra cannot participate due to the schedule of the French national team," he said.
United coach Sir Alex Ferguson sent words of support and encouragement through a video message. "I would like to say that Ji-sung is a fantastic professional. He has a real caring heart. Whatever he is going to achieve out there, I hope he finds he enjoys it," he said, before praising his attacking midfielder's "fantastic contribution to the welfare of others."
"You [Park] are fantastic that way. Have a good day, all the success," Ferguson added.
So, earlier today, on a wet and windy summer day in Manc, the Utd players boarded a bus to drive through Manchester to present their 19th Premier League title to the fans, here is the resulting picspam.
Sepp Blatter will make way for a successor as FIFA president in four years' time if he is re-elected in June, he has announced.
Blatter is seeking a fourth term as FIFA president and is being challenged by Asian confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam.
The 75-year-old told UEFA's Congress in Paris on Tuesday that if he wins he will definitely stand down in 2015, saying: "You know very well that I am a candidate for the next four years as FIFA president but these will be the last four years for which I stand as a candidate." He added: "Together we have the task of bringing together the adventure we have started. "We want to ensure a better future for our youth."
The new president will be elected at a Fifa Congress which starts on 31 May.
With Bin Hammam vowing to increase Fifa's decision-making power and spread its considerable wealth, Blatter is facing his first challenge since Issa Hayatou took him on - and lost - in 2002.
Bin Hammam is also currently attending the Congress for European football's governing body, Uefa, as they lobby federation presidents for their vote on 1 June in Zurich. Uefa members make up more than one quarter of the maximum 208 Fifa voters that Blatter and Bin Hammam will attempt to woo. The winner needs a two-thirds majority of valid votes cast in the first ballot, or a majority in the second.
Fifa has set an 1 April deadline for other candidates to be nominated by a single member federation. "We are in extra time," said Blatter, referring to the time left before the election. "Let's wait and see what the outcome will be."
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Nani will not return to action until after this month's international break.
The Portugal international will miss games against Arsenal, Marseille and Bolton, adding to Ferguson's already lengthy injury list.
The Manchester United winger was forced out of his side's 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, leaving the field on a stretcher after Jamie Carragher's first-half tackle left a deep gash on his left shin.
Many observers felt the challenge warranted a straight red card, rather than the yellow Carragher received, and the defender seemed to acknowledge he had had a lucky escape by visiting the United dressing room to apologise to Nani after the game.
Ferguson revealed the extent of the injury this morning, in his first press conference since being charged by the FA for comments made about referee Martin Atkinson in the wake of United's defeat away to Chelsea last week.
The manager is reasonably happy with Nani's progress, but still ruled him out of tomorrow's FA Cup quarter-final with Arsenal, Tuesday's Champions League clash against Marseille and next Saturday's Premier League meeting with Bolton.
"We have managed to stitch the injury, which is good news," said Ferguson. "We need to guard against infection and swelling.
"It is difficult to say exactly when he will be ready to return but we won't get him back for the Bolton match next Saturday."
Ferguson also confirmed that neither Rio Ferdinand nor Park Ji-sung, who are recovering from calf and hamstring injuries respectively, are set for a comeback this weekend.
Antonio Valencia's return is also on hold, although the Ecuador midfielder did feature in a closed-doors game earlier this week and Ferguson does not feel it will be long before he makes his comeback.
"Antonio is difficult to assess because he has been out for such a long time," said Ferguson.
"He has been training very well and is taking part in a few practice matches between the players.
• Arsenal manager annoyed by questions on big-game defeats • Sir Alex Ferguson praises form of defence and Park Ji-sung
Arsène Wenger offered a prickly response to criticisms of Arsenal's record against Manchester United and Chelsea after his side had extended their run against the new Premier League leaders and the champions to 11 games without a win.
Wenger refused to answer when he was asked to explain why Arsenal found it so difficult to win against their main title rivals. Instead he blamed his team's lack of penetration against United on a "very bad" pitch.
When the subject returned to Arsenal's results in the big matches the Frenchman was visibly annoyed. "Why do we always seem to lose these big games? If you are a football specialist I leave this analysis to you," he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Why do you ask me when you know everything? I believe we are here to analyse one game – the game of tonight. I know your job is to get to conclusions but I leave that to you.
"I've spoken about the game tonight. You have to be calm and be realistic and objective. United won the game tonight and you don't necessarily have to go to big conclusions. Be calm."
Wenger was aggrieved that "the technical quality of the game was very average on both sides". The match, he said, had been a "big disappointment and a big frustration" but he argued there were mitigating circumstances, namely the "bouncy and slippery" playing surface.
"The pitch was so poor in my opinion and the game suffered a lot from it," he said. "I ask you, 'Do you want a good pitch or a bad pitch?' What do you say?"
Park Ji-sung's winning goal, four minutes before half-time, moved United two points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand. It also established a club record, with Sir Alex Ferguson's side now having gone 16 games unbeaten since the start of the season, beating the previous best, 15, which was set by Ron Atkinson's team in 1985-86.
"I hope we can make it 17," Ferguson said, looking forward to Sunday's game at Chelsea. "That's a very important game now and we are starting to get there in terms of our form. It's improving and, if the back four continue to play like that, it will give us a great chance.
Diageo's flagship Smirnoff brand has launched an above-the-line campaign featuring three stars of Manchester United playing a surreal game of football above and below water.
The ad, created by JWT Sydney and shot in Manchester using 3D technology, features Rio Ferdinand, Ji-sun Park and Ryan Giggs playing a bizarre form of football before a Smirnoff bottle emerges from the water. It ends with the words "Discover Extraordinary Purity".
It is launching this month (December) across the Asia Pacific region on TV and digital media.
Ingrid Tatham, Smirnoff regional brand manager, said: "Manchester United has a huge following and really resonated with our Smirnoff fans in Asia, we are excited to create a dynamic and engaging new campaign for our customers to interact and take part in ."
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov hails five-goal performance after 'worrying' slump.
The Manchester United forward admitted that his barren run had started to cause him sleepless nights, so he was delighted to help United put pressure on title rivals Chelsea with five goals in their 7-1 win over Blackburn.
"I don't think anybody could have guessed the scoreline," said Berbatov.
"In the end I'm pleased with the performance and the goals I scored, personally I was very impressed with myself.
"I've scored five before but it was a long time ago back home. To do it in the Premier League when only four other players have done it, to stand next to Shearer and Andy Cole is a great honour."
Berbatov's five-goal haul sends him to the top of the Premier League scorers' charts, but what looks like a superb statistic for a striker - 11 goals in 13 league appearances - masks the peaks and troughs of his autumn.
The Bulgarian began the season in the form of his Manchester United career, scoring six goals in five games culminating in a hat-trick against Liverpool. The brilliant overhead kick he executed for his second was the kind of audacious effort that only seems to come off for a player flush with confidence.
But that performance was followed by a slump in which Berbatov failed to score in 11 games. In the seven league outings following his heroics against Liverpool he managed just five shots on target. Eventually he was ignominiously dropped - not even picked for the bench - by Sir Alex Ferguson for United's game against Wigan last weekend.
So it is hardly surprising that Berbatov was, as he admitted after picking up the match-ball yesterday, "a little bit worried. When you are a striker people tend to only look at the goals you score."
"For me, it is more about how I play, the assists I give, how I link with other players," Berbatov said.
Man Utd's Nemanja Vidic: "It's important to win, it's the last game of pre-season, and I think we did well today, especially a lot of players who haven't played much. It was important for Dimitar to score, he's been under a lot of pressure but I think he'll score more this season."
Man Utd's Javier Hernandez: "It's unbelievable to score and win this match. It's an unusual goal I scored, I kicked the ball to my face and it went in. All the team are nice people and we want to win the league. I'm so happy to be here."
Man Utd's Dimitar Berbatov: "It's a goal like any other, but it's a good day for me, especially as we won the game. The whole team performed very well and it doesn't matter who scores, it's important we win everything. Mine's was a goal, Javier's was a goal. If the ball's in the net, that's what counts."
Manchester United is one of the most successful in the history of English football. In 1968, they became the first English club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1. They won a second European Cup as part of the Treble in 1999, before winning their third in 2008. .The club holds the joint record for the most English league titles with 18 and also hold the record for the most FA Cup wins with 11.
The club's current manager is Sir Alex Ferguson, who has managed the club for the last 24 years since he took charge of the club from Ron Atkinson in November 1986 and the current club captain is Gary Neville who received the armband permanently from previous captain Roy Keane in November 2005.
Manchester United’s Park Ji Sung recommended Super Junior’s songs to his team mate.
Manchester United’s defender Patrice Evra wrote in his personal twitter in May that “Bonamana is a good song” and “Park Ji Sung really likes Super Junior”.
‘Bonamana’ is the English name of Super Junior’s 4th regular album’s title song “Miinah”.
Netizens who saw this replied “should have invited Super Junior to the welcoming ceremony of the national representatives”*, “seems like Park Ji Sung really likes Super Junior”.
Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron will not play in the team's second World Cup match against South Korea because of an injury and will be replaced by Maxi Rodriguez. [...] South Korea midfielder Park Ji-Sung told Argentine newspaper Clarin this week that his team will be very wary of Messi.
"He's magic," Park said. "Argentina's one of the best teams in the world."
T-ara’s Hyomin recently uploaded a picture of herself together with South Korea’s soccer superstar, Park Ji Sung on the 14th to her Cyworld, invoking jealousy from fans.
The photo showed the two of them standing together and smiling brightly as Hyomin wrote, “Together with Korea’s best player, Park Ji Sung!” Even Park Ji Sung has told us he has heard our song. It was awesome!”
She also added, “Also World Cup in South Africa Fighting! ^^”
Netizens said, “Meeting of the captain and Hyomin!” “I’m jealous,” and “You look great!”
Who can make suit work so hot? little black dresses vs other-coloured dresses? So who won all the awards? Who is playing consoles on the backstages? :/ Whose beard is almost so fabolous as the one who has it?
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omonatheydidnt but yaaaa know...PARTY PARTY~*~*~!
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