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Saturday, September 2 |
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Kufuor joins Livorno on loan
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| Ghana defender Sammy Kufuor has joined Italian Serie A side Livorno on a one-year loan deal from AS Roma. The 30-year-old, who featured at the last World Cup finals, will join Ivorian striker Ibrahima Bakayoko at the club. Although Kufuor played 21 games for Roma last season, he spent long spells away on international duty for Ghana. Kufuor moved to Roma at the start of the 2005/06 season after 11 years in Germany, of which ten were spent with giants Bayern Munich. But the central defender could make a quick return to the Italian capital, as Livorno start their Serie A campaign on 9 September away to Roma. |
posted by ^%&^
@ 8:44 PM
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Deadline day transfer deals in Serie A saw Mariano Gonzales move to Inter, Stefano Fiore join Torino, Gilberto Martinez sign for Roma and Amauri De Ol
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Jimenez, 22, was furious that his proposed move to Lazio collapsed and insisted he will never play for his Serie C club, Ternana, again. “I can't hide it. I am very disappointed,” said the Chile international. “I had a chance to play in Serie A and now that chance has gone. “The contract was ready, we had an agreement but I don't know what happened afterwards. “One thing is for sure though, I am not going back to Ternana and my agent is considering taking legal action against them for not letting me go.” The player may now appeal to the civil justice system with a complaint against Ternana and ask FIFA to rescind his contract. Jimenez played on loan at Fiorentina last season. Juventus meanwhile managed to retain the services of midfielder Cameronesi and striker Trezeguet, who was last week linked with a move to Manchester United. Juve's city rivals Torino were busy in the market, signing centre-midfielder Fiore from Fiorentina. Midfielder Amauri joins Palermo from Chievo, replacing Gonzales, who moved to newly-crowned champions Inter. Experienced Costa Rica defender Martinez signs from Brescia. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:43 PM
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Italian soccer preview
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| The Italian match-fixing scandal has created the most open Serie A season in years. Juventus was relegated to Serie B, AC Milan starts with an eight-point penalty and Fiorentina begins the season on Sept. 9-10 with a 19-point deficit. Inter Milan, by process of elimination and numerous high-profile signings, moves from sentimental favourite to top contender. Milan, despite its penalty, AS Roma and Palermo, which also made wholesale changes, are the other main challengers. Inter spent nearly 50 million euros ($70.9 million Canadian) on seven new players. Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic came from Juventus, Hernan Crespo rejoined from Chelsea, and star Italy defender Fabio Grosso transferred north from Palermo. "Inter has enormous potential. If they're able to keep the group together and find the right spirit they could also win the (Champions) Cup," said Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Inter was awarded last season's title when Juventus was stripped of the honour. The nerazzurri hadn't won the scudetto since 1989 and will face pressure to confirm their success on the field this season. Milan has to overcome the loss of striker Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea, although Filippo Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino appear up to the task. Inzaghi scored two goals for Milan to qualify for the Champions League after being relegated to a bench role during the World Cup. Gilardino, who failed to score in 10 Champions League games last season, will want to show that he belongs in his second season with Milan. AS Roma is counting on Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella returning to form. Totti is still not 100 per cent after a serious left leg and ankle injury in February. Montella is returning from shoulder and back problems. He missed two-thirds of last season and scored only one goal in 13 games. "We have to start how we finished last season. We can't let things slip away at the beginning," Montella said. Roma went on a Serie A record 11-match winning streak in the second half of last season and improved from a horrendous start to finish fourth. It was then promoted to second after sentences were delivered in the scandal. Palermo has five new players in its starting lineup, including midfielders Aimo Diana and Fabio Simplicio and winger Mark Bresciano. Coach Francesco Guidolin can also rely on defenders Cristian Zaccardo and Andrea Barzagli from Italy's World Cup squad, and veteran playmaker Eugenio Corini. "We can really have a good season," said Palermo forward David Di Michele, who was called up to Italy's team for 2008 European Championship qualifiers. "Important new players have arrived, we have a good coach and the competition won't be as thick as the past few years. "Inter, Milan and maybe Roma are superior, but then we're up there with Sampdoria. It will be a great season, with a lot more uncertainty and battles than the past. Without Juve, there's more space available." Sampdoria coach Walter Novellino is entering his fifth season with the club and has a reliable attack duo of Francesco Flachi and Emiliano Bonazzoli. Uruguay's Ruben Olivera joined Sampdoria from Juventus and will bolster the midfield. Udinese struggled in the league last season when it made its Champions League debut, exiting the European competition after the group stage. Led by Vincenzo Iaquinta and Antonio Di Natale in attack, Udinese is virtually unchanged from last season. Chievo Verona also made few changes of note. Other mid-table clubs are Cagliari, Livorno and Siena. Cagliari has a group of homegrown players to rely on. Livorno still has high-scoring striker Cristiano Lucarelli and Siena retained veteran forward Enrico Chiesa. Lazio and Reggina were also hit hard by the scandal. Lazio starts with an 11-point penalty, which it should overcome to avoid relegation, while Reggina seems destined to go down to Serie B with a 15-point deficit. Fiorentina's penalty is the biggest of all, but with last season's league scoring leader, Luca Toni, back, and some interesting additions, a climb out of the relegation zone is possible — albeit difficult. Atalanta, Catania and Torino are the promoted teams. Atalanta returns to Serie A after only one season in B and has signed former Italy forward Christian Vieri. Catania is back after a 22-year spell in the lower divisions and will rely on forward Gionatha Spinesi, who has scored 88 goals in the last five B seasons. Torino's ambitious owner, Urbano Cairo, spent 11 million euros ($15.6 million Cdn) to add players like goalkeeper Christian Abbiati and Barone. Messina, the final club relegated at the end of last season, also returns after having been promoted when Juventus was sent down to B. Also at the bottom are Ascoli, Empoli and Parma. Parma continues to struggle financially in the wake of the Parmalat scandal, having to sell five players. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:43 PM
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Juve formally withdraws TAR appeal
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Juventus on Friday formally withdrew an appeal to a civil court against its relegation for referee-rigging, saying it would instead present a final appeal within the realms of sporting justice .
The move removes risks that the start of the Serie A season would suffer a further postponement and not kick off as scheduled on September 9 .
Lawyers for the Turin team said the club appreciated the "willingness shown by the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) and the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) to review its case during (CONI's) arbitration". The decision to drop the civil court appeal was made at a Juventus board meeting on Thursday, a day after club Chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli met CONI chief Gianni Petrucci and FIGC emergency supremo Guido Rossi in Rome in a last-ditch attempt to find a solution to the crisis, which threatened to spill outside Italy .
Juve's appeal to the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR), which has jurisdiction over sporting disputes, had also risked involving FIFA, the worldwide soccer ruling body .
FIFA had threatened to ban the Azzurri and Italy's clubs from international competition if Juve went to the civil courts .
Taking the case to TAR would have broken FIFA and FIGC regulations about keeping soccer squabbles within the world of sport .
Cobolli Gigli reportedly agreed to accept Juve's demotion to Serie B and ditch the TAR appeal in exchange for assurances that the club will get a substantial reduction on its 17-point penalty with the CONI arbitration panel .
"We have faith that Juventus's request for fairer treatment in the penalties handed out will be well received by the arbitration panel," the lawyers said in a formal letter to TAR explaining the reason for the withdrawal of their appeal .
TAR was to have begun hearing the case on Friday .
Juventus, which was also stripped of the 2005 and 2006 titles, has repeatedly complained that its punishment was unfairly harsh since it was the only one of the five clubs found guilty of involvement in the scandal to be relegated .
The FIGC says it was hit hardest because Luciano Moggi, the club's former general manager, was the main villain in moves to arrange 'friendly' refs for some teams' games .
The Federation allowed the four other clubs, Fiorentina, Reggina, Lazio and AC Milan, to stay in the top flight giving them penalties of 19, 15, 11 and eight points respectively .
The Turin outfit had been demanding that the FIGC reinstate it into Serie A .
But it is expected to settle for a 10-12-point reduction on the penalty, which means it will start the season in the second division with a handicap of 5-7 points .
This will give the club a good chance of winning promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt and returning to the European Champions League in two season's time .
With a 17-point handicap, the club would have been likely to spend the next two seasons in the second division. This would have meant exclusion from the money-spinning Champions League for at least three .
FIGC rules state that taking disputes outside sporting tribunals is punishable with a three-point penalty. This meant Juventus risked starting the season in Serie B at -20 by going to the TAR .
Meanwhile, consumers' associations Codacons and Federconsumatori said they would continue their civil court case against Juventus, saying that soccer had suffered a moral blow and loss of image with the match-fixing scandal. photo: Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:29 PM
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Duluth woman wins fitness center’s weight loss challenge
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Margaretta Barley of Duluth is a real loser and proud of it.
Barley’s 29-pound loss placed her in the top 10 losers in Liberty Fitness Center’s national weight loss challenge. The competition ran from January through May, and it inspired Barley to slim down from 179 pounds to a healthy 150 that complements her 5-foot, 5-inch frame. Barley’s efforts — she trimmed 36 inches and 3.6 percent of her body fat — earned her first place at her local Liberty Fitness Center location in Duluth.
Barley, 43, is former nonprofessional athlete who once won a badminton championship when she was nine months pregnant. Like many women, an office job and a single-parent lifestyle caused Barley to shift her priorities. The pounds piled on almost too slowly to notice.
“I didn’t just start gaining weight right away,” Barley said. “By the time you get home, cook, take care of the kids, take care of the honey, there’s no energy left. I felt like I was getting a workout already, and I saw no reason to pay to go somewhere and sweat.”
But a failed advertising campaign from Liberty Fitness changed Barley’s mind. Employees from the fitness center had affixed coupons and a carnation to the cars in the parking lot where Barley works, but a security guard quickly gathered all the flowers and coupons up, said Marianne Byron, owner of the Liberty Fitness on Medlock Bridge Road in Duluth.
All but one. When Barley, a project manger, went to lunch, she found a carnation and coupon on the ground by her car.
“I put it in a vase on my desk and said, ‘This is my sign to change my life. I’ve got to go,’” Barley said. “I wanted Angela Bassett arms, Tina Turner legs and a Janet Jackson stomach.”
Liberty Fitness is a women-only center that focuses on total body wellness, exercise and nutrition in a spa-like environment. The comprehensive approach helped Barley improve her well-being — besides building muscle mass, she now sleeps deeply and restfully and she’s off her hypertension medicine.
The core of the exercise routine is a circuit of 11 pieces of adjustable workout equipment and 11 recovery stations, where exercisers can raise or lower their heart rate. After 40 seconds at each station, a vocal prompt sends Barley to the next piece of equipment. Twice around the circuit adds up to only a 30-minute workout, and Barley’s 29-pound weight loss.
Barley also learned better nutrition, and she soon started to replace her beloved potatoes and corn with lean meats and salads.
“I’ve never eaten so much turkey in my life,” said Freddy Gurley, Barley’s boyfriend. “Every day, she came in and talked about going around the circuit. I doubted her continuing to do it because she works so much and she’s always tired, but she proved me wrong. When I saw her start to drop those inches, I was really proud of her.”
Barley’s job requires regular overseas travel, and that caused her to miss a total of two weeks’ exercise during the weight loss challenge.
“She’s very competitive,” Byron said. “Contest rules stipulated that contestants had to work out three times per week. So, one day she came in twice, because she was flying out of town.”
Rewards, such as buying new workout clothes and spending time in the center’s on-site sauna after exercising, kept her motivated.
“The hardest thing was making up my mind to do it,” Barley said. “Thirty minutes three times a week doesn’t seem like much, but carving out that time is the hardest part for me.”
It turns out that Georgia women are great losers. Patti Covert, who attends the Alpharetta center, won Liberty Fitness’ national award, losing 441/2 pounds, 331/2 inches and 6.4 percent of her body weight. Covert was flown to the Liberty Fitness Center in Austin, Texas, for spa treatments, workout sessions and shopping sprees and will appear in Liberty Fitness Centers’ up coming advertising campaigns. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:28 PM
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100 voices heard for new aquatic/fitness center
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| The Chamber of the Broomfield City Council was standing room only when 100 supporters showed up at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, August 22 nd in show of support for a new Broomfield Aquatic/Fitness Center . The supporters were citizens from the aquatics community made up of divers, water polo teams, Masters, lap swimmers, youth age-group teams , senior citizens, synchronized swimmers, and other interested citizens. Laura Peterson, representative of the Broomfield Aquatic Center Committee (BACC) presented to the Council the need for a new Broomfield aquatic/fitness center. In April, Laura attended a three-day conference put on by USA Swimming on how to build a new community pool. In order to meet the community's current demand for pool space and the projected growth, a state of the art aquatic center is needed in Broomfield. Laura presented a conceptual description of the aquatic centers that is a three pool design. The three pools would meet the different needs of the community in this way: 1. A teaching pool with warm water for children to learn to swim and therapeutic exercises and aerobics programs for adults and seniors. 2. A 50-meter pool for adult lap swimming, Masters, high school boys and girls and competitive programs such as youth age-group teams. 3. The third pool would be a diving well, 17 feet deep and 25 yards long and a tower that would be used for both spring board and platform divers. This pool would also accommodate synchronized swimming, scuba instruction and deep water aerobics. A new aquatics center with these multiple activities would make it possible for programs not to vie for space. As of right now, there is a waiting list for pool time. She asked the Council to address the needs of the aquatic community noting that swimming meets one of the City Council's Priorities, Healthy Broomfield. Others addressing the City Council were, Kevin Sage, owner of Sagebrush Diving, Mick Nelson, USA Swimming, Kevin Nash, Broomfield Breakers Masters, Sean Maroze, Broomfield High school swimmer and Mary Louise Jeffries, concern citizen. Regarding funding, Laura said the Adams 12 Five Star School District voters have approved a $9 million bond issue, and the district is looking for a joint investor for an aquatic facility. City Manager George Di Ciero advised the Council that there had been very preliminary meetings with the Adams 12. Regarding revenues and expenditures, she said if the facility is built with three pools, it would provide a continuum of swimming opportunities. The cost estimated for a state-of-the-art facility would be between $15 and $18 millions. Several Council members spoke in support of a new aquatic/fitness center. Councilmember Bob Gaiser asked the BACC to present the same details as were first presented to the Broomfield Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee in June, 2006 Councilman Gaiser said, "Broomfield should get on the ball with this. Broomfield is the only solution to Adams 12's "problem" and there are a lot of advantages". Mayor Karen Stuart said something of this magnitude will require innovative partnerships, such as the possibility of partnering with Adams 12. She encouraged more players be brought to the table. She recognized the size of the supporters and graciously allowed extra time for all interested parties to speak. Councilmember Randy Ahrens said this is a window of opportunity for a project with Adams 12 funding and other avenues that might provide funding. He said he would hate for Adams 12's estimated $9 million to get away and that the BACC proposal should be aggressively pursued. Councilmember Dennis McCloskey also said the city should seek out multiple partnerships and agreed with Councilmember Ahrens that this is a window of opportunity. Councilmember Steve Kaverman said he was invited to participate in early discussions a year ago. His son has been diving for Broomfield High School. Broomfield should use the USA swimming organization as a resource. Councilmember Vince Buzek said he understands the challenges faced by people who swim in Broomfield. However, saying there is a need and it will pay off "doesn't make it so." He encouraged the supporters to bring numbers and facts to the September budget public hearings. Councilmember Linda Reynolds said when she first heard of this project she was and still is excited since she feels it meets with the City Council's "Healthy Broomfield" priority because swimming is a way to stay healthy. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:27 PM
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Fitness center at One SeaGate leaves downtown for Perrysburg
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Doug Pavelko won’t stop working out over the lunch hour.
But instead of walking to a nearby gym from his downtown office, he’ll hop into his car for a short jaunt to the Riverside YMCA on Toledo’s near north side.
“It will be a lot less convenient,” lamented the 46-year-old patent lawyer, who was among those exercising yesterday afternoon on the last day of the Downtown Fitness Center in One SeaGate.
The closing of the small gym leaves downtown workers without a public facility within walking distance to pump iron and improve their cardiovascular health.
Peggy Dumas, who managed the 2,500-square-foot center for Harris HealthTrends Inc., said owners had no choice but to close after the loss of 85 percent of members with the move this month of Owens-Illinois Inc.’s world headquarters to suburban Perrysburg.
She and Harris HealthTrends will head out to O-I’s new offices in Levis Commons, where they will manage a fitness center that will be open to company employees only.
Downtown Fitness Center, which was in a remote area of a basement of Toledo’s signature office tower, began as an O-I-operated facility but in a company downsizing in the late 1980s was sold to private interests.
It went through tough times. But in recent years the gym, which was known for personalized service and a friendly atmosphere, had 150 to 200 members, Ms. Dumas said.
Most members worked out or took aerobics classes before work or during the lunch hour, although the center was open until 6:30 p.m.
Because of the remote location, the manager said she doubts if many people knew it existed.
“In the last 20 years, we were downtown Toledo’s hidden secret,” she added.
Members paid about $33 a month and weren’t required to sign long-term contracts, she said.
“I’m devastated,” member Holly Sydlow, a lawyer in the U.S. attorney’s office, said of the closing. “Downtown Fitness was more like a boutique fitness center versus a big box.”
Ted Gillespie, a 12-year member, will transfer to the Riverside Y on Summit Street without much trouble because he works out over the noon hour and parks close to his downtown office.
“But for most people it takes five to 10 minutes each way to get to their car,” the attorney added.
“The Y isn’t an option for them. It’s really good to have a facility downtown workers can walk to. It adds to the quality of life. Working out is a stress reliever, And there is a lot of stress on the job today.”
At least two downtown corporations, Owens Corning and Manor Care Inc., operate fitness centers for employees and certain others, but they aren’t open to the public.
Real estate agent Nancy Lehmann said owners of One SeaGate are focused on filling vacancies created by O-I’s departure.
Once that is accomplished, they will likely look into adding a fitness center, she added. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:24 PM
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UEFA FOOTBALL EUROPE: Nürnberg keep Bayern at bay
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Wasteful FC Bayern München had to settle for a goalless draw at home to surprise Bundesliga leaders 1. FC Nürnberg on Saturday. Bayern, double winners for the past two seasons, had enough chances to beat their Bavarian rivals comfortably but Roy Makaay missed an open goal in the second half and Lukas Podolski made little impact after coming on as a substitute.
Hargreaves out
A draw was enough for Nuremberg to edge back to the top with seven points from their three matches. Bayern are behind them on goal difference, sharing second spot with FC Schalke 04 after their 2-0 win over Werder Bremen on Friday. Bayern, who were again without Owen Hargreaves - the England midfielder who is eager for a move to Manchester United FC, had the best of the chances and Roy Makaay missed an open goal as the champions dropped their first points of the season.
Missed chances
Bastian Schweinsteiger went close a couple of times before the Germany winger played in Makaay early in the second half. The Dutchman rounded the goalkeeper but then scuffed a shot into the side-netting when he seemed certain to score. "Sadly you get days like this, when you have chances but the ball just won't go in," Bayern coach Felix Magath said. "We don't have maximum points but we do have seven from three games and we can live with that."
Mönchengladbach triumph
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach are up to fourth after they claimed their second win of the season against DSC Arminia Bielefeld thanks to a goal from Carlos Kahe with half an hour to go. The Brazilian was on hand to head in the only goal of the game from close range after Marcell Jansen had nodded on a corner.
Dortmund joy
BV Borussia Dortmund got their first win of the season 3-1 away to VfB Stuttgart. Dortmund took the lead in the 20th minute when Ludovic Magnin sent a back header past his own goalkeeper. Stuttgart hit back with an half an hour gone, defender Serdar Tasci heading in from Alexander Farnerud's corner, but Dortmund were back in front two minutes later thanks to Florian Kringe's header. Alex Frei made the game safe with two minutes to go.
Ramelow off
Carsten Ramelow was sent off for dissent seven minutes from time but his Bayer 04 Leverkusen side were able to hold out for a 1-1 draw at home to VfL Wolfsburg. Vragel da Silva's late goal gave FC Energie Cottbus a 1-0 victory against VfL Bochum 1848 in the battle of the newly promoted sides, and TSV Alemannia Aachen defeated Hannover 96 3-0 away. Hannover, like Bochum, are still looking for their first points of the season. 1. FSV Mainz 05 are at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday when Hamburger SV host Hertha BSC Berlin. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:24 PM
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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Rosenborg rising to the bait
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Rosenborg BK are back in the Norwegian title race despite coach Per-Mathias Høgmo being on sick leave for two months.
Tørum form
The Trondheim team won the league for 13 years running between 1991 and 2004, and having lost their crown to Vålerenga IF in 2005, could be starting a new run this term. Caretaker Knut Tørum has steered Rosenborg to three straight victories as well as to a Norwegian Cup quarter-final success against Viking FK. Sandefjord Fotball await in the semis.
Self-effacing
"The success is mainly down to the players. They have responded well, and we are now playing with a lot of confidence," said Tørum. Key men like Vidar Riseth and Steffen Iversen have heaped so much praise on the stand-in that the Rosenborg management saw fit to remind them that Høgmo is still coach. The club have also been helped by Alexander Tettey's emergence as a midfield talent to match Per Ciljan Skjelbred. The youngsters are regarded as two of Norwegian football's brightest prospects.
Shaky form
Pacesetters SK Brann and Lillestrøm SK had appeared to be running away at the top of the table, but both have been giving away points left, right and centre. The fight for gold now seems to be between Brann, Lillestrøm, Rosenborg and surprise package Stabæk IF. Lillestrøm have had numerous chances to take pole but have been thwarted by an inability to defend leads. Their latest setback came in a 3-3 draw at SFK Lyn Oslo on 23 August, where Lillestrøm conceded in the fourth minute of added time. "I couldn't bear to watch when Lyn attacked for the last time," sighed coach Uwe Rösler. "I knew what was coming. I think that's eleven points we have thrown away in the closing minutes of games." Things are even tighter at the bottom. With nine matches remaining, the gap between Vålerenga in seventh and last-placed Molde FK is five points. Only the top six look to be safe from the drop. |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:24 PM
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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Anelka back in the Premiership
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Bolton Wanderers FC have paid a club-record transfer fee of €11.8m to bring back Nicolas Anelka to English football from Fenerbahçe SK on a four-year contract.
'Unprecedented amount'
The 27-year-old French striker, who won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid CF, has previously played in the Premiership for Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC. He has spent the last 18 months in Turkish football but has long been linked with a move. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said: "Nicolas is a player with an amazing track record in the Premiership. He was born to score goals. His talent and experience will be a valuable asset for us. It's an unprecedented amount of money for Bolton Wanderers to spend and fully underlines the club's ambition." |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:23 PM
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SLC to score a soccer school
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Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid have cemented a soccer relationship that will bring an elite soccer school to Salt Lake City and David Beckham back to Sandy.
Fresh off a trip to Madrid, RSL owner Dave Checketts said Friday he reached a 10-year agreement with the internationally famous team that calls for Real Madrid to help build a roughly $25 million soccer academy to train up to 200 budding soccer stars age 12 to 18.
In addition, RSL players will train at Real Madrid's practice facility in Spain every February. And Real Madrid will play a friendly match against RSL every other year - starting with July 2008 at a planned RSL stadium in Sandy.
Beckham will "definitely be playing when we open the stadium," Checketts pledged. The agreement with Real Madrid "gives Real Salt Lake tremendous credibility."
Real Madrid came to Utah last month to play against RSL at its temporary home at Rice-Eccles Stadium before a sellout crowd of 45,511. On game day, Beckham and other Madrid players helped Checketts turn dirt at a ceremonial stadium groundbreaking in Sandy.
Checketts, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan still are working through the stadium details and terms of an agreement that would deliver $40 million in new and old hotel taxes and $15 million in redevelopment funds to help build a $100 million, 20,000-seat venue near 9400 South and State Street.
The redevelopment funds depend on Sandy's Jordan School District forgoing some of the new property taxes that would be generated by the stadium and some surrounding commercial development for up to five years. Checketts huddled Thursday with district Superintendent Barry Newbold. The sports owner said the deal eventually would pump more money into the schools by generating more property taxes.
Newbold expects to see a firm proposal by the end of October. "The responsibility rests with the city to demonstrate how this would benefit the school district."
He said most residents contacting his office have urged the district to reject the plan. "I can't help but think that doesn't have some influence."
Checketts expects to find a resolution in time to start construction this year, a necessary step for a 2008 opening.
The year-round, elite soccer academy - which is part of the stadium deal - would include a private school and eventually dorms. Per Real Madrid's insistence, the school would emphasize character development and ensure the students have a life outside of soccer.
Checketts expects the school, which would include an indoor soccer field, to attract Utah soccer talent as well as top players from around the world. He said it would start with a "male emphasis" but eventually would include female players.
Real Madrid expects to pay half the construction costs. It also would send coaches and trainers and recruit players to train here.
RSL would retain the right to sign players from the academy. Real Madrid is so advanced in its training programs it doesn't need help.
"It'll be a great day when we start fighting over players," Checketts said.
Florida is home to a similar soccer school, IMG Academy. It offers summer training camps and full-time residency programs where annual tuition tops $33,500.
Tuition has not been set for the Salt Lake City academy, according to RSL spokesman Trey Fitz-Gerald, but scholarships would be available through RSL and Real Madrid.
RSL coach John Ellinger expects a flood of interest.
''When this gets out, there'll probably be a résumé list of people from all across the country saying, 'I want to be involved in that.' '' he said. ''It's going to be a good thing, building the academy from scratch, as far as the technical level with developing players on their own.''
RSL's soccer academy could be under construction in 2007. Salt Lake City would decide where it lands. Mayor Rocky Anderson has suggested the Utah State Fairpark, about 10 blocks west of downtown, or the site adjacent to a proposed youth sports complex at 2200 North and Interstate 215. Salt Lake City voters approved a $15 million bond for that facility and RSL has vowed to kick in an additional $7.5 million.
Anderson's chief of staff, Sam Guevara, said the city hasn't settled on a location. "The whole thing with the soccer [stadium] hasn't happened yet."
hmay@sltrib.com
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Tribune reporters Chhun Sun and Christopher Smart contributed to this story.
The elite soccer academy would:
Be located in Salt Lake City, possibly at the State Fairpark or near a planned west-side youth soccer complex.
Cost around $25 million in private money with half coming from Real Madrid.
Train 100 to 200 students age 12 to 18 a year.
Include academics.IN SPORTS: Real Salt Lake braces for Colorado challenge. Page D12 |
| posted by ^%&^
@ 8:23 PM
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