footballcircus: Hoff & Clough

After a two week hiatus we're back. And to celebrate, this week's Football Circus includes a story about The Hoff. Yes, he and Yaya Toure have had something of a love in on Twitter this week. Two people who categorically did not have a love in however, are Sergio Aguero and Sergio Romero's wife, as we detail below. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp has been reminiscing about Brian Clough and the old days; a Football Manager addict has gone to great lengths to meet his hero; and an Exeter City player had a shot so bad that it almost ruined his relationship. We also report on a big week for Mario Balotelli and in our Italian Football Story of the week, Massimo Moratti looks back on what might have been for Inter Milan...

Football Circus Clown Quote of the Week

"Were you born bald, Steve?".

- Chris Kamara to Steve Stone on Goals on Sunday after seeing footage of a younger, bald Steve Stone.

Hasselhoff / Toure Love-In

Yaya Toure has become involved in a new bromance...and it's not with his agent. No, Yaya has this week been exchaning pleasantries with The Hoff of all people over the medium of Twitter.

The Baywatch legend made the first move by tweeting a photo to Toure which showed him wearing a 'Toure Yaya 42' shirt.

Toure then replied:

"Nice shirt Mr Knight Rider!!!".

So excited with his reply from the Ivorian was Hasselhoff that he tweeted and offer to Toure to star in his new documentary:

"Hey @Yaya toure We are shooting Hoff the record next week my second season . come be in the show? what a blast and take only an hour ?? The YayaRider! Lol".

Lol indeed Mr. Hasslehoff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKeRr8t1FvY

New Man United Keeper Romero Denies that his Wife Slept with Aguero

Having recently signed for Manchester United, you would think that Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero had enough on his plate trying to claim a first team place with the Red Devils. According to an Argentine television show however, Romero also has to contend with the fact that he would sharing a city with a man who had slept with his wife back in 2006 - Sergio Aguero.

Romero however, clearly irked by the rumours of his wife's infidelity, took it upon himself to phone the television show and deny on air that there was any truth to them. Romero told the presenters:

"I have a great wife and a great family. It’s not nice when some people say this kind of stuff.

"I’m friends with him for over 10 years, imagine that. I couldn’t talk to him, but for sure I’m going to call him. Listen, we’re friends".

Romero's wife, Eliana Guercio, has also denied the rumours:

"It is not true. I have never had anything with Aguero. It seems terrible to me that they could link me with Kun.

"This is over 10 years old and for 10 years I’ve had to keep denying that anything happened. I don’t even know Aguero".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpALMhtwUew

Football Manager Addict Travels from Italy to Derry for Autograph

Football Manager fanatic Alessandro Colombini made headlines this week after travelling from Livorno in Italy to watch Derry City, the club he managed on Football Manager 2015. Three years previously, the young Italian had read a book about Bloody Sunday and has held an interest in the city of Derry ever since. On visiting the Brandywell, home of Derry City, Colombini made a point of tracking down striker Paddy McElroy for an autograph.

Colombini said of his adventure:

"I wanted to meet Patrick after the game because I wanted to tell him how good of a player he is for me in ‘Football Manager’. I told him I was from Italy and that he was brilliant in the game. I don’t think he knew how to react but he gave me his autograph and we had a good laugh about it. Paddy looked at me like I was an alien, he must have thought I was mad.

"I’ve been managing Derry City in ‘Football Manager’ for the last two or three years. I had my best season last year when I took Derry to the Champions League but AS Roma offered me the chance to come and manage them and as football fans know, when Roma ask, you must answer".

Clough 1, 'Arry 0

Last week saw Chelsea usurp Manchester United for the signing of Barcelona forward Pedro. Chelsea's move to secure a deal right under United's noses, got tongues wagging. One such tongue was Harry Redknapp, who, through his Evening Standard column, regaled readers with a similar transfer tale:

"One of the greatest examples I had was back in 1990 when manager of Bournemouth and I was going to sign Ian Woan from non-League Runcorn. I watched him twice in midweek — freezing cold nights — and we loved him. I met his dad, who was an ex-professional at Aldershot.

"We did a deal with Runcorn to buy Ian and he was supposed to come down on the Tuesday to sign. His dad, Alan, phoned me and said: 'I am working today so I can’t make it down. Can we come down in the morning? I really want to be there when my boy signs his first professional contract'.

"Ian’s dad didn’t really need to be there but I agreed. That night it was on Teletext that Woan was coming down to Bournemouth to sign for £40,000. Brian Clough was in his office with two of his backroom staff, Alan Hill and Ron Fenton, and he saw it on the television.

"Cloughie said: 'Bournemouth have a good record in signing non-League players. Who’s this Ian Woan?' None of them had any idea but Ron knew the Runcorn manager and he phoned him to ask if the deal was done.

"They were told it was happening the next day for £40,000. Cloughie immediately offered £80,000, got him down that night and signed him. I got a call at 11.30pm saying we’d missed out".

Exeter Player Breaks Girlfriend's Wrist with Poor Shot

Exeter City's David Wheeler had a truly woeful day on Saturday. His team lost 3-0 away at Northampton Town. But his misery didn't end there, for one of the winger's shots was so wayward that it went into the crowd and bizarrely managed to break his own girlfriend's wrist. Wheeler's shocking shot went into the away stand at Northampton's Sixfields stadium and his girlfriend Alice Woodyatt attempted to stop it, only to fracture her wrist in the process.

Woodyatt told The Sun:

"I love to watch David play for Exeter and took all of my family to the game – including my grandad who is David’s biggest fan.

"David didn’t know the ball had hit me and I didn’t want to make a fuss.

"I didn’t realise how bad it was straight away so I sat and watched the first half – but by the second half I thought maybe something had happened.

"People are amazed I stayed to the end but David has been playing well and I wanted to watch him no matter what.

"It was just a freak accident. I can laugh about it now and all of our family have had a good laugh.

"What are the chances of something like that happening? It’s just one of those things".

Wheeler himself said of the incident in his Exeter Express & Echo column:

"I knew one of [my shots] and one of the other lads’ shots went near but when I looked over she was obviously putting on a brave face.

"We later found it was a wrist break. I’m amazed that Alice managed to watch the whole game in that much pain".

What's Mad Mario Upto this Week?

Aaaaand that's the end of that chapter...for now at least. Yes, Super Mario's exit from Liverpool was finally confirmed this week as he agreed a two year loan contract with AC Milan. The move sees the striker return to the club who sold him to Liverpool last summer. There is apparently, a caveat however. Rumour has it that Milan, acutely aware of Balotelli's track record, have inserted a clause into his contract which dictates that Balotelli must not do anything that damages the image of the club. Furthermore, extravagant haircuts and clothing are said to be banned, his social media accounts will be monitored and he must be seen to lead a healthy lifestyle. That should be interesting.

Balo himself has taken to his Facebook account to bid farewell to the Liverpool fans:

"I’m grateful to Liverpool FC and Liverpool fans for the time and opportunities you gave me. It’s not a goodbye but rather a farewell. I’ll be supporting you guys all the way in every competition… unless you face AC Milan".

Of his return to Milan, Balotelli told the official AC Milan website:

"I am happy to be back. I don't have much to say because I just need to train and prove myself. Physically I am fit, but I need to train with the squad. I am very motivated but I need to work hard and talk less. I always hoped I would return to Milan, the club hold a special place in my heart. Do I want to end my career here? I just want to get back to work and have a good season, I have to work and that is it".

Italian Football Story of the Week

- Moratti Reveals Inter Almost signed Cantona and Totti

Former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has this week admitted that the Bianconi almost signed Manchester United great Eric Cantona and Roma legend Francesco Totti, during his time in charge of the club. Speaking to Sport Mediaset Premium this week, Moratti was asked which players he would have liked to sign when he was president. Moratti revealed:

"The first is Eric Cantona. We’d have started winning earlier with him, as Cantona would change everything.

"I was at the stadium when Cantona kicked that fan and I said to myself negotiations would be useful, as maybe Manchester United would’ve released him after that gesture.

"We were about to sign him and then, because of a misunderstanding with someone, he didn’t come.

"Then there’s Totti. We had the chance to negotiate for him because his contract was running down, but truth be told Roma would never have let him go.

"I tried to sign Roberto Mancini from Sampdoria, but President Paolo Mantovani considered him like a son and almost started crying when he thought about letting him go.

"Then one day Mancini sent me an Inter jersey with a Scudetto badge stitched on to it. He wrote that if one day I thought of him, we’d win.

“I was very impressed and a little later on I hired him as a Coach”.

Artist's Impression of the Week

- 'Guess Who's Back...'; Balo returns to the San Siro.

Football Recommendation of the Week

- 3-Sided Football; Devised by a Danish intellectual, 3-sided football has apparently been around since the early 1960's. It might be a little too much for us simple folk at Football Circus to grasp, but imagine Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich vs. Juventus in next year's Champions League final...Minds blown!