Aug 19

Atlético Madrid sign striker Radamel Falcao from Porto for £34.7m

• Colombian scored 17 Europa League goals last season
• Striker had been linked to Chelsea

Atlético Madrid have bought the Colombia striker Radamel Falcao from Porto, in a Portuguese record transfer deal worth €40m (£34.7m). The Portuguese club said in a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange that the price tag could rise to €47m, depending on unspecified factors.

Atlético said on their website that Falcao had agreed a five-year contract and was scheduled to arrive in the Spanish capital for standard medical tests later on Friday.

Falcao was a key player for Porto last season, scoring 34 goals to help them win four trophies, including the Portuguese title and the Europa League. He will fill the role vacated by the Argentina striker Sergio Agüero, who has joined Manchester City in a £38m deal.

The 25-year-old Falcao scored the only goal in the Europa League final in Dublin, against Sporting Braga, to set a record of 17 goals in the second-tier competition. Chelsea were reportedly interested in Falcao. The Premier League club’s new manager, André Villas-Boas, was in charge of Porto last season.

Atlético MadridFC PortoChelseaTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

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Jun 22

Chelsea appoint former Porto coach André Villas-Boas on three-year deal

• Club confirm Villas-Boas will replace Carlo Ancelotti
• Chelsea praise his ‘ambition, drive and determination’

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of the former Porto manager André Villas-Boas on a three-year contract.

The 33-year-old, who replaces Carlo Ancelotti, returns to the club where he worked under José Mourinho, and takes up his new role with immediate effect.

He becomes the club’s seventh manager since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003, and the youngest in the Premier League.

A Chelsea statement said: “André was the outstanding candidate for the job. He is one of the most talented young managers in football today and has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time.

“His ambition, drive and determination matches that of Chelsea and we are confident Andre’s leadership of the team will result in greater successes in major domestic and European competitions.

“André will bring his coaching experience back to a club he is already very familiar with, having previously worked here for three years. He has always been highly regarded at Chelsea and everyone here looks forward to welcoming him back and working with him.”

Porto are understood to have agreed a £13.3m compensation package with Chelsea. Sources in Portugal have suggested that Villas-Boas will bring his trainer José Mario Rocha and the scout Daniel Sousa with him from Porto.

Villas-Boas led Porto to domestic and Europa League success last season, and is expected to begin work immediately on reshaping the Chelsea squad. He has already been linked with Porto’s Falcao, the £25m-rated Colombian who scored the winner in the Europa League final against Braga.

ChelseaAndré Villas-Boasguardian.co.uk

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Aug 23

Football Weekly podcast: Six-shooters

It’s Monday, which must mean James Richardson and his merry band of men are back with another edition of Football Weekly.

Barry Glendenning expresses his delight at the goal bonanza in the Premier League, which saw Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle United all win 6-0, while Fulham held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw, and Bolton Wanderers made Avram Grant’s start to life at West Ham United even more miserable.

In Championship news, James Dart marvels over the exploits of Craig Bellamy on his Cardiff City debut, and wonders whether QPR can continue their winning ways.

Finally, Raphael Honigstein rounds up the first weekend of the Bundesliga, and helps us look forward to the second legs of the European qualifiers in midweek – with Liverpool’s Europa League future far from certain as they take on Trabzonspor, and Tottenham Hotspur hoping to see off those pesky Young Boys in the Champions League.

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James RichardsonBen GreenBarry GlendenningJames DartRaphael Honigstein

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