Spurs eye Inter stars
by Patrick Goss - created on 7 May 2005
Tottenham are rumoured to have bid for Obafemi Martins and Emre Belozoglu of Serie A giants Internazionale.
Martin Jol is keen to continue the renaissance he has triggered at White Hart Lane and attention has already switched to which players will arrive in the summer.
The Italian press are suggesting that Spurs have submitted bids for Martins and Emre - although the latter is far more likely to move.
Nigerian Martins is considered as one of the stars of the future by Inter, with the pacey striker already emerging as a key forward this season because of the fitness problems for Christian Vieri and star man Adriano.
It is highly unlikely that Inter supremo Massimo Moratti would allow the forward to leave - with suggestions that a price well in excess of £20 million has already been placed on the player.
Emre is another story, with the Turkish playmaker expected to depart for pastures new this summer.
The lively midfielder would be available for a mooted fee of around £9 million - but Spurs could find themselves bidding against rivals Arsenal for his services.
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Are you kidding me? Inter won't give up Oba. Moratti would be signing his death wish if he got rid of him now. They can have Emre though.
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Also:
Inter star Ivan Cordoba slapped a supporter on Friday evening and Coach Roberto Mancini claims the defender was right to do so.
The ‘Corriere della Sera’ reported the incident this morning, as Colombian international Cordoba struck the young man who chanted ‘You never win’ as he walked through Milan city centre.
“If my son told me he was slapped because of that, then I’d give him another so that he’d understand it isn’t right to be so rude to complete strangers,” said Mancini in today’s Press Conference.
This incident overshadows the upturn in the Nerazzurri’s fortunes and they have been at the centre of controversy over the last couple of weeks.
Cordoba was also involved in the off the ball clash that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic given a three-match ban, forcing him to miss Sunday’s Scudetto showdown with Milan. Juventus have made no bones about pointing the finger of blame at Cordoba for “simulating injury.”
“I spoke to Cordoba and he is a humble man who is rarely pushed to take such action, so I believe him. They were making fun of him and he reacted with a little slap.”
Mancini rushed to his player’s defence then and started his Press Conference with a statement that highlighted his increasingly angry state of mind.
“Before anyone asks me any questions, I wish to say a few things. For a couple of weeks now newspapers have been writing about events that never happened, so I wish to clarify that there was no argument between patron Massimo Moratti and President Giacinto Facchetti after our 2-1 defeat at Messina. The same applies for the supposed row I had with Adriano.”
The relationship between Inter and the Press has always been fractious, but has only deteriorated over the last few months.
“If you want respect, then you have to give it back,” continued Mancini. “I understand that it’s the favourite pastime of journalists to try and destabilise Inter, but I would at least appreciate it if they stuck to reporting true events, otherwise I’ll stop giving respect as well.”
-Channel4-
Forza King Cordoba! and Mancini with the beautful words