The SoccerDiva talks Sahin and More
Ed Note: Alright boys its time to clean up and show some respect. I am pleased to announce that The British SoccerDiva – Shie Nicolau has joined the YAMA basis. Sophie Nicolau is the former co-host of World Football Daily and more importantly she is a Gooner. She’s going to share her thoughts with us on all things Arsenal and anything else she has going that may be of interest. Today – she covered the Jose Mourinho presser after his Real Madrid side thumped the LA Galaxy 5-1. I know you lot are opinionated but keep it clean. – DAG
Mourinho Wants Sahin to be Happy
Real Madrid destroyed the LA Galaxy in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 30,000 at the Home Depot Center. Madrid travelled to LA with a full strength squad for the U.S. pre-season tour and they even gave a run out to some players who might be facing the club’s chopping board during this summer transfer window.
Kaka who is rumoured to return to his beloved AC Milan showed the Angelino crowd he still has that Brazilian magic. The big news however this week has been about Nuri Sahin and his potential move to Arsenal. There is even a suggestion that Tottenham have entered the race to sign the ex Borussia Dortmund star on loan.
So does the German star have a future at Madrid or is Mourinho looking to move Sahin to pastures new? He has failed to impress at the Santiago Bernabeu, a place even Mourinho highlights as a tough environment to play your football. And when asked if Sahin deserves another chance to prove himself, the Special One gave a very frank response, “Real Madrid is very difficult. It’s not an easy club, we demand a lot, we have great players and when you don’t start, well it’s difficult to do it.”
Mourinho didn’t reveal anything about where Sahin might be heading but he did perhaps give the youngster a lifeline should he decide to stay at Madrid. “His situation is also a specific situation. If he stays he stays and if he stays we will treat him good, I will treat him good. I will try to help him. He will be another option, so if he stays it’s not a problem for me. He’s one more solution. If he stays it’s perfect for me.”
But is it really Sahin’s choice? Desperate for first team football, Mourinho understands Sahin’s position. “The point is he’s a young boy. He wants to play every match. He wants to be happy to play. He wants to play to be happy. In Real Madrid you have Alonso, Khedira, Lass, Grenero, Ozil. The situation is not easy. We leave it in his hands. Be happy. Decide what you want to decide to be happy. If you want to leave we will help you to leave. If you decide to stay we are going to support you to be successful this season.”
It was clear Real Madrid are ready to talk business with another club. The big question is what club wants to talk and can Sahin rediscover the form that made Real Madrid want to sign him in the first place? If Arsenal sign Cazorla and also add Sahin to their squad in addition to the already captured Podolski and Giroud, this could turn out to be the first non-summer horribilis for Arsenal fans in a long time.
Mourinho Can’t Believe Beckham is in Los Angeles or I’m Sorry I Could Never Be Beckham’s Coach
Football icon David Beckham was recently quoted as saying Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest managers in football right now. It appears the two men have a tremendous amount of respect for each other. When Beckham’s quote was presented to Mourinho in a press conference after his Real Madrid side thrashed LA Galaxy 5-1 in a pre-season friendly, he reciprocated the compliment. “Beckham has always been nice to me. He has always had very good words for me. I’m sorry I could never be his coach. I would love it. Now it’s too late as David is in the last years of his career.”
Clearly Mourinho admires the ex-Real Madrid star and he didn’t hold back about Beckham missing from Team GB at the Olympics. “There is something I don’t understand and I know because I was also inside the project. If now the Olympic Games are in London it’s because of him. Yes it’s because of Sebastian Coe and other people, but he was the most important face of that project. I don’t understand why he is not playing though. I cannot understand. I think in a group of 18 players you have football qualities to give, human qualities to give. I think he is one of the best soccer professionals to express the ideals of Pierre de Coubertin. I’m so sorry he is not there. I also participated in the London project and I don’t understand why such a big personality is playing in this match, when he should be at the Olympics.”
About the Soccer Diva
Sophie Nicolaou is the former co-host of World Football Daily and London Greek Radio and has been in entertainment and broadcast media for the majority of her career operating on both sides of the microphone and camera. She worked at 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures in London and Los Angeles, spearheading PR and Communications campaigns for some of film and TV’s most revered franchises including Star Wars, X-Files and 24. From the London, Edinburgh, Cannes and Venice Film Festivals to working with some of Hollywood’s highest profile talent, Sophie has broad experience of everything that encompasses the entertainment mix.
For six years, she presented her own sports and pop culture radio show on London Greek Radio 102.3FM and was also the subject of an ITV documentary based on successful broadcasters within the U.K’s ethnic media. She has been pod casting about world football since 2008 and in the same year, Sophie also launched her football blog British Soccer Diva which is a social platform for fellow football fans to rant, rave, post and poll about the game as though they were sitting in a pub with their mates, on a soggy or sunny Saturday afternoon!
Sophie has interviewed players and managers including ex Arsenal super captain and now Manchester City Ambassador Patrick Vieira, Tottenham Hotspur’s Rafael van der Vaart, Wigan Athletic Manager Roberto Martinez, David Beckham, Jose Mourinho, Jan Vertonghen, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and US Women’s stars Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
On World Football Daily, Sophie talked about the beautiful game with the finest analysts and correspondents. Regular guests included, Tim Vickery and Andy Brassell from the BBC, Graham Hunter from Sky Sports, Grant Wahl from Sports Illustrated, John Cross from the Daily Mirror, Charlie Wyatt from The Sun, Neil Ashton from the Daily Mail and Derek Rae from ESPN.
“Football, soccer, call it what you want. The voice of a fan, for every soccer fan. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.” Follow Madam Football on Twitter @soccerdiva. Her web site is : http://britishsoccerdiva.com/prod/
