The Gossip: Transfer Gossip making the rounds in November

Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC...

 
23/11/12: The Daily Express reports that Kevin Grosskreutz is keen to join United. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is quoted as saying: "It would be excellent to play alongside Shinji Kagawa again", although he has been linked to Liverpool recently.

23/11/12: El Mundo Deportivo have made the sensational claim that Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo could both end up at Old Trafford in the summer. It's claimed a double move would enable the

Eric Cantona eyes United job

Simon Bird writes in The Mirror...
Cantona: Succeed Fergie? Why not?
Eric Cantona has urged Sir Alex Ferguson to stay on as Manchester United boss "for ever". The Reds legend has insisted such is Fergie’s stamina and enthusiasm for the job, he cannot see the day coming soon when he will step down – even if he deposes Manchester City as champions next summer. The mercurial former star admits one day he would love to take the hot-seat at Old Trafford - a job he reckons no one could turn down. But Cantona said: “Alex Ferguson is young, has so much energy, so much love of the game, so many things to give, more and more and more. And I love to watch them winning things and I want Ferguson to be manager for ever.” Asked if he would accept a chance to boss United, Cantona responded: “I would say, ‘United is special, of course I would do it’. Today I’m with the New York Cosmos. But if one day there is an opportunity, why not? Like diving from here to the sea, watching, speaking to the fish, octopus, crabs, journalists.”
The Sun claims Patrice Evra has 'lit the fuse' ahead of December’s derby clash across town, quoting the French full-back saying: "United have always been superior to City. We have always been Manchester’s first club. The fact that they won the title last season changes nothing."
England may have been undone by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s genius in Sweden on Wednesday, but The Independent’s James Lawton praised Danny Welbeck’s goalscoring performance, writing: "Welbeck had been particularly impressive with his smooth and intuitive running, beginning to become a thing of beguiling memory."

French Tennis coach jailed eight years for raping pupils

A French court on Friday convicted a top French tennis coach of raping two under-aged girls he was training more than 20 years ago and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
Regis de Camaret ran a tennis training camp at the plush Mediterranean resort of Saint Tropez in the 1980s and early 1990s and counted former Wimbledon runner-up Nathalie Tauziat and former French national champion Isabelle Demongeot among his pupils.
Prosecutors had been asking for a sentence of 10 to 12 years. The court also banned Camaret, 70, from any professional activity connected with tennis.
Camaret, who sat stone-faced as the verdict was read, was ordered to be sent directly to prison.
Demongeot was among those who filed complaints against Camaret. She told the court she had been raped for nine years between 1980 and 1989, when she was in her mid- to late teens.

Sack fever grip soccer world as Brazil coach Menezes is sacked

Mano Menezes was sensationally sacked as Brazil coach on Friday, dealing a hammer blow to the hosts of the 2014 World Cup, local media reported.
Menezes, 50, took over from Dunga following the 2010 World Cup finals and had come under intense pressure after the team’s failure at the 2011 Copa America, where they lost in the quarter-finals, and at the Olympic Games in London this summer.
Menezes, who was reportedly axed after a meeting with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), oversaw 20 wins in his time at the helm, six draws and five defeats.
Earlier English football clubs Chelsea and Queen Park Rangers had sacked their coaches  sparking fears in football circles of a possible “Di Matteo effect” Di Matteo was until 4 days ago the  coach of Chelsea Football Club.

Saudi amputates Nigerian’s hand over theft

Saudi Arabian authorities on Wednesday chopped off the hand of a Nigerian man convicted of theft, in compliance with the Islamic sharia law strictly applied in the kingdom, the interior ministry said.
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim was convicted of theft and sentenced to having “his right hand amputated” the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.
The punishment was executed in the western city of Mecca, home to the Muslim holy Grand Mosque, where the theft took place, it said.
The ultra-conservative kingdom applies the Islamic sharia law, including executions by the sword for people convicted of rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking

Naval official flog co-tenant’s daughter for refusing love advances

A 43-year-old naval official was arraigned in Lagos on Friday for allegedly flogging his co-tenant’s daughter with a horse whip.
The accused, Roy Abdullai, who resides at Ikate, Surulere, is facing a four-count charge of multiple assault before a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
He pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Gbenga Salami, told the court that the accused on Nov. 20 assaulted one Ginika Umemba by flogging her.
He said that the accused used a horse whip to flog the complainant all over her body and thus causing her bodily harm.
According to the prosecutor, the accused assaulted the complainant because she refused to “go out with him”.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravene sections 170 and 171 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.
Magistrate A. Tobi granted the accused bail with two sureties whose address should be verified and properly identified and adjourned the case to Jan. 24 for mention.

4 bankers arraigned over alleged theft of Custom’s N2.2m

The police in Lagos on Friday arraigned four employees of the Skye Bank over alleged fraud and theft of N2.2 million belonging to the Nigerian Customs Service.
The employees are Mohammed Ayuba (26), Ernest Etiosa (33), Adewale Adeniyi (27) and Abayomi Davids (34).
They appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on an eight-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing.
The prosecutor, ASP Barth Nwaokoye, said that the accused conspired and used their offices as cashiers and reconciliation officers to commit the offences.
He said that they falsified the teller for the payment of N2.2 million into the account of the Nigerian Customs Service, and, thus, refused to credit the account.
He said that the offences were committed between March and July at a branch of the bank at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company premises in Ikeja.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 285, 335, and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by Magistrate Taiwo Akanni in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties each.
The case has been adjourned till Dec. 18 for mention

Rafael Benitez appointed new Chelsea coach

Statement from Chelsea FC

Chelsea Football Club can confirm Rafael Benitez has been appointed interim first-team manager until the end of the season. The owner and the Board believe that in Benitez we have a manager with significant experience at the highest level of football, who can come in and immediately help deliver our objectives.

The 52-year-old Spaniard is due to meet the players at the training ground in Cobham tomorrow.

Sinkiratu Sindodo denies ending relationship with Fuji star, Alao Malaika

There were rumours recently that the stars who have been dating for a while now have ended their relationship. Sikiratu, who just returned from the US where she went to premiere her first movie, Wura Wunmi, says the report is false.
"There's nothing wrong with my relationship with Malaika. We are still very much together" she says "We both went to the US for the premiere of my new movie. We came back together to Nigeria last week. Those who were at the premiere can testify to this. Please disregard the rumours

IS TONTO DIKE A DRUG ADDICT?

Nollywood actress Tonto Dike and Stella Dimoko of Encomium Magazine trades very harsh words in an interview recently. The interview was hilarious as Tonto dike did her best to match up with Stella.

Read and enjoy.