Hamburg bring back Benjamin
Friday, April 28, 2006
Article summary
News round-up: Hamburger SV have started team-building with the UEFA Champions League in mind while Simão should be fit for Portugal's FIFA World Cup bid.
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Hamburger SV
SL Benfica captain Simão should be fit to compete in the FIFA World Cup with Portugal after making good progress in recovering from an ankle injury. It was initially feared the 26-year-old winger could miss the finals after twisting his left ankle, but the club now expect him to achieve full fitness in time for the tournament.
Wigan Athletic FC midfielder Jimmy Bullard has agreed a €3.5m transfer to English Premiership rivals Fulham FC in anticipation of the summer transfer window. The 27-year-old will sign a four-year contract with Fulham on 8 May. Bullard has played 36 games for Wigan during their debut season in the top-flight.
Ghanaian international forward Isaac Boakye is facing a race to be fit for the FIFA World Cup after suffering a knee injury in a practice match with DSC Arminia Bielefeld. The 24-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 25 Bundesliga games this season, will be out for at least three weeks.
FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup finalists, will play their rearranged Primera División game on 20 May. The match was postponed last Sunday because of heavy storms in Seville. However, the final matchday of the Spanish top-flight season will take place on 13/14 May as scheduled, with only the Sevilla-Barcelona fixture following it.
IFK Göteborg striker Stefan Selakovic has been charged on three counts as part of an ongoing investigation into tax irregularities at the Swedish club. The 29-year-old has maintained his innocence of all charges, but now faces a possible prison sentence, along with former Göteborg treasurer Janne Nilsson and former club director Mats Persson.
Aberdeen FC have signed 16-year-old defender Frederick Engelhardt from Norwegian club Ham-Kam Fotball for a fee of around €20,000. The youngster impressed during a week-long trial in Scotland. Midfielders Kyle Macaulay and Richard Foster have also agreed new deals with the Scottish team. The 19-year-old Macaulay has committed for another season while 20-year-old Foster is now under contract until 2008.
