Spurs complain over duo

Tottenham report Manchester United and Liverpool for tapping up

TOTTENHAM have dragged Manchester United and Liverpool into a tapping up storm.

Spurs have reported their Premier League rivals for their pursuit of strikers Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed United have made a bid for Berbatov and eventually expects the deal to go through.

Spurs have also been angered by the comments of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who went public last week by revealing Republic of Ireland captain Keane as a target.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy tonight issued the following statement: “Today’s public comments by Manchester United’s manager, announcing that he has made an offer for Dimitar and is confident that the deal will go through with time working in their favour, is a blatant example of sheer arrogance and interference with one of our players.

“It is also probably one of the worst offences by any manager in the Premier League to date and is unbelievably hypocritical given his recent comments in respect of Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. “This comes after a series of events, dating back to last summer, which have shown Manchester United to be in breach of Premier League rules.

“As a result, we have today made an official complaint to the Premier League about the conduct of Manchester United. "Benitez made similar comments in respect of Robbie recently and we made an official complaint to the Premier League about the conduct of Liverpool earlier this week. “The behaviour of both clubs has been disgraceful. We told both clubs very early on that we had no interest in selling Robbie or Dimitar, respectively, and that they should refrain from pursuing the player.

“Both clubs arrogantly chose to ignore this request and we now have evidence that both clubs have systematically been working to prise the players away from us, outside of Premier League rules of conduct."

The statement continued: “Our subsequent position has been severely compromised by both clubs making their intentions widely known and indeed making contact with the players and their agents, without the club’s permission.

“I have absolutely no wish to sell either player and to date we have not accepted any offer for either. “However, when a player’s head is turned and their commitment is absent, particularly when they occupy key positions such as that of striker, they become a negative influence in a team dressing room in which they were once a positive addition and influence.

“This is the situation we now have on our hands, with both Dimitar and Robbie having made it clear that they wish to leave for Manchester Utd and Liverpool respectively. “Irrespective of the outcome and futures of Robbie and Dimitar, we are continuing to seek to bring in quality, talented players for the future, who want to play in a Spurs shirt.”

This is confirmed on the Spurs website:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1443096.ece

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/chairmanspeaksout180708.html

-zuco- said:

Merged ^^

Did Ferguson actually confirm it was Berbatov he'd bid for?

And that he was confident of signing him?

If that's true then it is highly hypocritical.

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Zuco Sir Alex did indeed confirm that they have bid for Berbatov. I have mixed feelings about this, of course it is hypo-critical after Manchester United reported Real Madrid for a similar offense regarding Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Spurs remain stubborn regarding Berbatov so if the only way to push the deal through is to make it public then I say go ahead.

The difference between the Berbatov and Ronaldo situation is that Ronaldo is already at a mega club that are winning trophies, where as Berbatov is at a club who are not even in the Champions League. At this stage of Berbatov's career at the age of 27, it is unfair for Spurs to deny him the chance to play at the highest level. Also, Manchester United's actions in this matter are not even comparable to the outrageous behaviour of Real Madrid. Real have launched a public campaign by making countless comments regarding the player, they have also printed many false stories in there newspaper Marca about Ronaldo.

On a side note, Paul Ince already announced that Bentley and Santa Cruz were not for sale. So I wonder if Blackburn will report Spurs for going ahead and bidding for Bentley regardless. Also, I wonder if Mr Blatter will make a public statement urging Tottenham to grant Berbatov the move that he wants and comparing there refusal to sell as slavery, the way he did regarding Ronaldo. I think we know that he won't do that, as he would not want an english club who are in the Champions League to improve by signing better players would he, he prefers to see them leave.

Well, Fergie denies saying it was Berbatov, saying the quotes in the newspapers didn't come from him.

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From the Sunday Times

Fergie goes to war over Berbatov allegations
Sir Alex Ferguson is considering legal action against the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy as Berbatov row continues

SIR ALEX FERGUSON is considering legal action against the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy as the row over Manchester United's pursuit of striker Dimitar Berbatov threatens to escalate into an ugly confrontation between the clubs. Ferguson is incandescent about a statement by Levy in which he branded the United manager “unbelievably hypocritical†and accused him of “sheer arroganceâ€.

Levy has also made a complaint to the Premier League regarding Ferguson's conduct in his attempts to sign Berbatov, for whom United have bid £20m. United indicated last night that this would be vigorously contested.

At the centre of the argument are quotes attributed to Ferguson in The Sun, which he categorically denies having given. The newspaper quoted Ferguson as saying he was confident of signing Berbatov. Levy interpreted this as “interference†with regard to his player, labelling it “probably one of the worst offences by any manager in the Premier League to dateâ€.

However, Ferguson, speaking in Cape Town after United drew 1-1 with Kaizer Chiefs in the first game of their South African tour, hit back in the strongest terms. “It is going to be very embarrassing for Tottenham because they have based their complaint on a story in The Sun. I don't know where they got these quotes from, but it certainly wasn't me,†Ferguson said.

I haven't seen [Levy's statement] yet. I have just been given the gist of it by our press officer. But I'm sure our legal people will be looking at it.â€

Unless it can be proved that Ferguson made the comments in dispute, Levy could find himself defending a defamation case. However, last night Tottenham said that they stood firmly by the statement.

In all likelihood, the row has strengthened United's chances of signing Berbatov, who joined Spurs in May 2006 for £10.9m. Levy was determined to play hardball over the 27-year-old Bulgarian striker, for whom he is thought to be seeking £30m, but he may have to be more accommodating should he find himself trying to persuade Ferguson not to sue.

Barcelona are also interested in Berbatov and are reported to be ready to offer Tottenham £24m for his services.

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Banana-rama said:

The difference between the Berbatov and Ronaldo situation is that Ronaldo is already at a mega club that are winning trophies, where as Berbatov is at a club who are not even in the Champions League.

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The size of the current quality or ambition of the clubs don't matter. Just because we are a much bigger club than them, doesn't mean that we can publicly claim to sign him, if indeed its true.

But I do agree that if it is true, its totally different to the Real situation. Even comparing it to the was Real are behaving is wrong.

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But, tbh, I think its just to a way to try to get us and Liverpool to stop trying to sign them.

And hes the hypocrite. As Banana said, Blackburn said that Bentley and Santa Cruz weren't for sale, but yet they still bid for Bentley?

If every club reported one another for making bids for players who were "not for sale," there would be a club reported nearly every week.

vital football

Egg On Levy's Face Now?

Daniel Levy has already submitted an official complaint to FA about United's behaviour in relation to Dimitar Berbatov. The Spurs chairman was particularly angered by a comment attributed to Sir Alex Ferguson in which the big man allegedly boasted we were close to reach an agreement.

Fergie later denied it and now it transpired that a Swedish fans' website was responsible for creating this confusion, for which they have apologised.

'It might seem like we are to blame for what has happened,' admitted a Scandinavian supporter's branch's webmaster Steinar Madsen to Aftonposten.

'We are to the blame in the sense how the interview was presented. Ferguson didn't mention the name Berbatov when he was interviewed by us.

'I would call it a misunderstanding. It was tricky conditions for the interview.

'As journalists, you have probably experienced this yourself, how it is to listen to the tape afterwards.

'That can cause problems and Ferguson's accent is not too easy to understand to start with.

'Ferguson confirmed that United had tabled an offer.

'We assumed it was Berbatov he was talking about. We might have taken it too far.'

These comments were widely published and many self-righteous souls wasted no time in calling Fergie a hypocrite yet they, along with Levy, are left with egg on their faces now.

As Spurs did not reveal what other evidences they had against United I am very curious about what will happen to their complain now that it's cornerstone was proved to be nothing more but the product of an overenthusiastic imagination.

versa said:

These comments were widely published and many self-righteous souls wasted no time in calling Fergie a hypocrite yet they, along with Levy, are left with egg on their faces now.

As Spurs did not reveal what other evidences they had against United I am very curious about what will happen to their complain now that it's cornerstone was proved to be nothing more but the product of an overenthusiastic imagination.

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For me, 'tapping up' is a ridiculous concept that serves very little purpose insofar as football law is concerned, aside from providing loopholes by which greater amounts of money can be extracted out of a buying club, be it in transfer fees, sign on fees, or fines. It is also, to my mind, a false moral ground by which a smaller club can 'defend' itself with pseudo-morality against a larger one.

Let us assume for a moment that Old Trafford has been in personal contact with Dimitar Berbatov for a long period of time. They have been 'tempting' him by offering him higher wages, a brighter stage, and the potential of glory. He has slowly been having his head turned away from White Hart Lane. Why should such a thing be construed as being morally 'wrong'? Because it limits the amount of mental control a club like Tottenham have over one of their players.

If a player is less aware of what he might accomplish in the sport, then he will be less inclined to desire things which are greater for himself. Instead, he should honour his contract, and ignore the situations which exist around the club; be it that they are unambitious and accomplishing very little, or that he is being used infrequently, for his manager does not know how to use him. Sepp Blatter's silly 'slavery' comments were meant to touch upon this very issue; that is, certain players are being mentally 'enslaved' by their clubs, because the clubs wish them to be controlled to the point of playing for them until the club decides they are no longer needed.

I disagree with the notion that such 'tapping up' is somehow wrong; instead, I find it to be quite natural and, in most cases, entirely acceptable. 'Tapping up' is spoken of as if it is violent kidnapping or robbery, and not as if it were a presentation of benefits to an adult who can use such data to make a decision. If a player is content and happy at his club, then advances from other clubs will be ignored.

It is with this perspective that I approach all of this. Perhaps someone could correct me.