English Premier League club Aston Villa recently dismissed former Czech Republic international Patrik Berger following an unusual turn of events. The 34-year-old midfielder openly advised team-mate Gareth Barry to accept an offer from rivals Liverpool despite the fact that Barry had an ongoing contract. Berger himself played for Liverpool from 1996 to 2003. “His comments are ludicrous,” said Aston Villa’s manager Martin O’Neill, and immediately showed Berger the door.

Last year, Craig Bellamy travelled to Sierra Leone in western Africa. The visit to the war-torn state left a deep impression on the Wales and West Ham United striker, and he has now launched the Craig Bellamy Foundation, which will help to create a football academy in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown. The young people in Sierra Leone are mad about football and have lots of talent for the game, says Bellamy. In the past, however, they have not been thrown a football, they have been thrown a gun. By founding his academy, Bellamy wants to contribute to the fight against violence and warlike conflicts in the region. According to reports, the player has invested some EUR 825,000 of his own money in the ambitious academy, which will comprise 14 leagues, 68 teams and 141 staff (mainly coaches). “I’m not looking to find and sell players. I’m not an agent. I want to make it clear that if any player does make it, any fee goes straight back into the academy.”

The footballing career of three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho is apparently under threat. According to a medical report, the state of the 28-year-old Brazilian’s health is “catastrophic”. The Barcelona star was examined in a private clinic in the Catalonian capital in May as part of an “undercover operation”, reported Spain’s free daily newspaper adn. The test showed that Ronaldinho was not in a position to be playing top-class football at the moment. Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said the club knew nothing of the examination. “After all, it was an undercover operation,” joked the Dutchman. The Spanish press suspect that Ronaldinho allowed himself to be medically examined on behalf of a club interested in buying the star. Perhaps it was the results of the examination that prompted AC Milan boss Silvio Berlusconi to comment “I’ve always had my doubts about whether or not Ronaldinho can help us. I don’t think we need him now”. The fact is that Ronaldinho barely played a match in the weeks before the examination, and trained even less. That has provoked rumours that the one-time best player in the world is leaving Barcelona to seek a new challenge in the Italian or English league.