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Quote: "Ben Davies has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Swansea City.
The one-year extension will keep the Neath-born youngster at the Liberty Stadium until the summer of 2017.
The defender won a string of plaudits after bursting onto the scene last season following an injury to Neil Taylor, and signed a three-and-a-half year deal last November."
But the math isn't right 4½ years from now is the summer of 2018, not 2017. On the other hand a 1 year extension of 3½ year deal he signed last November would only mean until the summer of 2017.
UEFA.com's team of reporters have put their heads together to select 11 players who have impressed, from an emerging centre-back to a midfielder enjoying an Indian summer.
Goalkeeper
Vladislav Stoyanov (PFC Ludogorets Razgrad) Stoyanov returned to his homeland in January 2013 after impressing while on loan at FC Sheriff. He was quick to fit in at Ludogorets, helping them to the Bulgarian league title in May. He then saved a penalty in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Å K Slovan Bratislava and has not looked back, keeping four clean sheets in five UEFA Europa League Group B games.
Defenders
Gonzalo RodrÃguez (ACF Fiorentina) Many regard Fiorentina as the most entertaining side in Italy, and 29-year-old RodrÃguez's ability to build from the back has much to do with that. Experienced, hard in the tackle and skilful, the Argentinian centre-half confirmed his huge importance for the Viola in the UEFA Europa League, scoring in consecutive victories against FC Paços de Ferreira and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Nick Viergever (AZ Alkmaar) The 24-year-old defender prefers to play in the middle but has performed excellently at left-back this season. Coming forward, he also delivered the assist for the only goal in the away victory at Maccabi Haifa FC, while the Dutch international captained the club until the experienced Maarten Martens returned to the team.
Jordi Amat (Swansea City AFC) Since his summer switch from RCD Espanyol, domestic opportunities have been limited for centre-back Amat, 21, but the UEFA Europa League has provided the perfect stage for the Spanish youth international to impress Swans manager Michael Laudrup. A defensive stalwart throughout the campaign, Amat has played a stand-out role with a string of solid performances.
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur FC) Equally adept in either his preferred centre-half position or at left-back, the Belgian international has been a mainstay in a Spurs defence which conceded just twice to end the group stage with the competition's joint best defence. The 26-year-old is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is in a physical, aerial duel and he is the only Tottenham defender to get his name on the scoresheet in Europe this term, heading in the opener in a 2-0 win at FC Sheriff.
Midfielders
Bebras Natcho (FC Rubin Kazan) Probably Rubin's top performer over the last three years, the Israeli international dominates midfield, supplying assists and delivering great set pieces. The 25-year-old scored three times in this season's group stage and set up five more goals — one more assist than KRC Genk's Fabien Camus and FC Salzburg forward Alan. With his contract expiring late December, a raft of clubs could soon be battling for his signature.
Hans Henrik Andreasen (Esbjerg fB) Club captain Andreasen, who joined from Odense BK last winter, proved to be an important part of Esbjerg's progress with two games to spare. The 34-year-old's experience, hard-working attitude and ability to read the game make him not only an example to the many young players in the team, but also someone they can lean on.
Fabien Camus (KRC Genk) The 28-year-old Tunisian international returned to Genk in the summer after a season-long loan at ES Troyes AC in his country of birth, France. It has paid off for both Genk and the technically skilled left or central midfielder with great passing ability, who lies joint second in the UEFA Europa League assists table and also set up a goal in their play-off success against FH Hafnarfjördur.
Forwards
Andriy Yarmolenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv) Yarmolenko is Dynamo's leader and top scorer in their European campaign. Initially a centre-forward, he subsequently switched to the left of attack before moving to the opposite flank under Oleh Blokhin. This change has enabled him to make full use of his powerful left foot. A tireless worker, the 24-year-old recently netted his 14th goal for Ukraine, moving him up to third on the country's all-time list, behind only Andriy Shevchenko (48) and Serhiy Rebrov (15).
Olcan Adın (Trabzonspor AŞ) The versatile 28-year-old, who can be deployed on either wing, made a big contribution to Trabzonspor AŞ's progress with his tally of five goals and three assists. His pace and dangerous cuts inside are his key attributes, along with his free-kick prowess. Olcan is now hitting his full stride.
Alan (FC Salzburg) Salzburg strike partners Alan and Jonatan Soriano both dazzled, but the Brazilian just about gained the edge in the battle for a spot in UEFA.com's XI with his elegant overhead effort in a 3-1 win at R. Standard de Liège on matchday four. Soriano is out of action with a groin injury, but the 24-year-old Alan has kept scoring, making tremendous progress under coach Roger Schmidt.
The team is based on the opinions of UEFA.com's reporters and not UEFA.
. . . record signing feels right at home with new club
Club record signing Wilfried Bony admits he’s still in the learning process at his new club — but feels right at home within the Swans squad. The Ivory Coast international became the most expensive signing in the club’s history last summer when he made the switch from Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem for £12million. His move to the Liberty grabbed all the headlines in this part of the country, and he has already proved a big hit by scoring six goals in nine appearances in all competitions. And despite his early success in South West Wales, the 24-year-old insists he still has lots to learn about his new team-mates.
“I saw lot of Swansea games before I came here. They played very attractive football and the system is similar to what I was used to in Holland,” said Bony. “While I know the system quite well, I still need to understand each player more and they need to understand me more also. We are working on that at every opportunity. “Of course, I missed the pre-season because of waiting for the work permit and then I had to return to Vitesse before I trained alone. “So there was a bit of catch-up for me, but I feel like I am getting to where I need to be.” A big hit on the field, Bony is also settling well off it. Having hit the back of the net six times already, he is also hitting the high notes with his team-mates. He explained: “I have a good relationship with my team-mates. We talk, dance and sing together in the changing room. “We sing all kinds of songs, but that’s between the players so I won’t say exactly what we sing. “But we have good fun. There’s a good atmosphere here and that can also help you on the pitch too.” This Saturday, Bony hopes to find the net for the second time this week. After scoring a consolation goal in the Capital One Cup defeat at Birmingham City, Bony is looking to add to his tally when Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal visit the Liberty. “I’m looking forward to this game,” he added. “They are top of the table and have done really well. “But we have already played some big clubs and we have the quality to beat them — like we did in Valencia. “It should be a very good game because both teams play a similar style. Hopefully we will come out on top.”
You can catch a special interview with Wilfried on BBC Two’s Sport Wales tonight (Friday) from 7pm.
Watch exclusive club content via our official YouTube channel - Swans TV - by clicking http://goo.gl/7lZhjl
By South Wales Evening Post | Wednesday, September 25, 2013 | By Gareth Vincent
SWANSEA City chairman Huw Jenkins believes Leroy Lita will leave the Liberty Stadium in the next few days.
Striker Lita does not figure in Michael Laudrup’s plans — although contrary to some reports, he is in Swansea’s 25-man Premier League squad.
Swansea City striker Leroy Lita has been training with the under-21s
However, the chances of Lita playing any part under Laudrup look minimal and Swansea have made it clear to the former Middlesbrough man that he needs to move on if he wants regular football.
Despite interest from Championship clubs, Lita has so far failed to agree a loan deal.
But Jenkins believes the 28-year-old, whose Swansea contract expires at the end of the season, will depart soon.
Lita has begun training with Swansea’s under-21 squad this week, which provides a clear indication of how far down the pecking order he is.
“Leroy is part of our 25-man squad,” said Jenkins, “but he has been told to go and play football elsewhere.
“I think that’s an obvious solution in these circumstances.
“He is not getting games and he knew some time ago that he would be training with the under-21s from this week.
“There’s a lot of ifs and buts, but I would be surprised if Leroy doesn’t join somebody on loan this week.
“I think he is just waiting to get the best offer, which is entirely understandable. Anybody would do that.”
Swansea City have submitted their squad to the Premier League ahead of today’s 5pm deadline. Michael Laudrup has included 22 senior players in his squad, with the likes of Wales left-back Ben Davies, Spanish centre-back Jordi Amat and England international Jonjo Shelvey registered under the Under-21 bracket.
The full senior list includes: Wilfried Bony; Leon Britton; Jonathan de Guzman; Nathan Dyer; Chico Flores; Pablo Hernandez; Roland Lamah; Leroy Lita; Alejandro Pozuelo; Michu; Garry Monk; Curtis Obeng; Jazz Richards; Wayne Routledge; Jose Canas; Neil Taylor; Gerhard Tremmel; Michel Vorm; Ashley Williams; Angel Rangel; Dwight Tiendalli; Alvaro Vazquez.
The full list of players classed as U21s include: Daniel Alfei; Alex Bray; Alex Samuel; Ben Davies; Oliver Davies; Rory Donnelly; Gwion Edwards; Sam Evans; Henry Jones; James Loveridge; Lee Lucas; Kurtis March; Connor Roberts; Josh Sheehan; Liam Shephard; Darnel Situ; Scott Tancock; Connor Peters; Lewis Moore; Thomas Atyeo; Corey Francis; Joseph Jones; Luke Llewellyn; Kyle Copp; Keston Davies; Stephen Fallon; Cameron Gilchrist; Alexander Gogic; Ryan Hedges; Owain Jones; Jamie Latham; Jordi Amat; Jernade Meade; Cai Owens; Jonjo Shelvey; Jordan Sherman; Dylan Thomas; Gregor Zabret; Kristian Scott.
Two fans were thrown out of Brøndby Stadium after the Danish Superliga game Brøndby - Randers - after having sex in the middle of the pitch after the game on Sunday.
Even though the game ended 0 - 0 I guess somebody scored. Don't know if he hit the centre spot or the g-spot.
This. Is. Mental
After Brøndby 0 – Randers 0 a couple scored on the pitch, had sex in the centre circle [Picture] http://t.co/gMUApctQzE
After Brøndby 0 — Randers 0 a couple scored on the pitch, had sex by the centre circle [Picture]
Tuesday, August 27th, 2013
At least someone scored at Brøndby on Sunday.
After Randers picked up a point on the road following a goalless draw in round four of the Danish Superliga, a mad event happened on the pitch once all the fans had exited the stadium.
An unknown couple sneaked onto the pitch and started havng sex by the centre circle.
Brøndby press officer Mikkel Davidsen reported the incident on his Twitter feed, and an image of the canoodling couple has since been posted online.
Further reports have also indicated that the pair’s love making failed to last long as the couple were interrupted by the club’s security chief, James Mickel Lauritsen, who threw them out of the stadium.
The image of the couple having sex on Brøndby’s pitch is below.
Winger joins on season-long loan with view to permanent move
ALBION have boosted their attacking options by signing Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent deal
The 24-year-old today completed his move after passing a medical and will wear the No.10 shirt.
Sinclair arrives with a wealth of Barclays Premier League experience having also played for Chelsea, Swansea and Wigan in the top flight.
He is a player Steve Clarke knows well having seen him come through the ranks at Stamford Bridge.
“Scott understands he needs to play football and it will be good to work with him again,” said the Baggies boss.
“We’re delighted he feels this is the right club for him at this stage of his career.
“He is the type of player we were missing from the squad.
“He is a pure winger, who is quick, direct and scores goals — he has proven that over his career.
“He can play off the right or left and improves our attacking options.
“I know him well and he is a good person, who I know is 100 per cent committed to our cause.
“He is frustrated he did not get the chances to play at Man City last season and hopefully he will take those frustrations out on Premier League defenders this season.”
Sinclair has played for England from Under-17s to Under-21s level and represented Team GB at last summer’s Olympics.
He is renowned for his pace and trickery and has a reputation for scoring individual goals.
Sporting & Technical Director (Designate) Richard Garlick added: “Scott is the winger we ear-marked right at the start of the transfer window.
“He has had a frustrating time at Manchester City but you cannot doubt his quality in terms of what he has done in the past.
“He has a got a full pre-season under his belt with City and he is young, he is hungry and wants to play.
“He likes the club, the set-up, players and head coach.
“Hopefully he will bring a wow factor to the team — and is a player who will excite the fans.”
The Bath-born forward joined Bristol Rovers as a nine-year-old and became their second-youngest debutant — aged 15 years and 277 days — in a League Two clash with Leyton Orient in December 2004.
Chelsea snapped him up for a tribunal-set fee in July 2005 and he spent five years with the London club.
He made his first-team debut as a late substitute in a League Cup semi-final clash with Wycombe Wanderers in January, 2007.
Sinclair, who scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a 4-0 League Cup win over Hull during the 2007/08 campaign, enjoyed loan spells at Plymouth, QPR, Charlton and Crystal Palace to gain first-team experience.
The 5ft8in ace also spent the second half of the 2008/09 season at Birmingham, helping them win automatic promotion to the top flight.
Sinclair’s form encouraged Wigan to snap him up for the following campaign, when he made his first real impact on the Barclays Premier League under then-Latics boss Roberto Martinez.
In summer 2010, he joined Swansea on a permanent basis and quickly became a fans’ favourite at the Liberty Stadium.
He scored 19 goals in his first season for the Swans, including a play-off final hat-trick in a 4-2 Wembley win over Reading to make them the first Welsh club to reach the Barclays Premier League.
Sinclair carried that form into the top flight, scoring eight goals in 37 games, prompting then-Premier League champions City to splash £6.2million to take him to the Etihad Stadium last summer, where he found first-team opportunities hard to come by.
In total, Sinclair has made 211 career league appearances, including 64 as a substitute, scoring 53 times.
Swansea City midfielder Ki Seung-Yeung linked with move to Sunderland
22 Aug 2013 18:23
There have been suggestions the South Korean could leave on a loan basis just 12 months on from a then club-record move from Celtic
Swansea City star Ki Sung Yueng takes on Norwich
Ki Seung-Yeung has been linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium after Sunderland emerged as a potential suitor for the Swansea City star.
Midfield Ki has slipped down the pecking order at the Swans following Michael Laudrup's summer acquisitions of Jose Canas and Jonjo Shelvey in the middle.
And there have been suggestions the South Korean could leave on a loan basis just 12 months on from a then club-record move from Celtic, the 24-year-old left out of the matchday squad for Swansea's Europa League first-leg play-off clash with Petrolul Ploiesti.
Ki signed in a £5.5m move from the SPL giants but to date has only ever delivered glimpses of his form that made him such a hit in Glasgow as well as his home country.
And he could be allowed to leave the Swans, with Laudrup also revealing out-of-favour striker Luke Moore is on the verge of a move to Elazigspor, the Dane confirming he is in talks over a free move to the Turkish outfit.
Laudrup also said Leroy Lita and Curtis Obeng will be granted free transfers if they can find new clubs.
And while he denied reports of Roland Lamah joining FC Copenhagen, he did pour doubt on the Belgium winger's Liberty future after admitting the loan signing from Osasuna had flopped in South Wales.
Lamah was named on the bench to face Petrolul, but Laudrup said: “Roland is in our squad right now, but we will have to see what happens in the last ten days. “I will talk to the player and see what he wants to do. “He hasn't been playing until now and he didn't play so much last season - less than probably he expected. “When you bring in a player you always hope that he plays a lot, score goals or defend perfectly or whatever. “You can use a certain number of players and then there are players who play less than he expects and this the case with Roland. But he's here and I can't say he will leave to another club.”
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