David Di Michele and Herita Ilunga have become the latest recruits at the
Boleyn Ground
02.09.2008
West Ham United are pleased to announce the double signing of Italy striker
David Di Michele and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga, subject to
registration at the Premier League.
The club recognise the lateness of this announcement but certain formalities
including the release of the international transfer certificates had to be
completed. West Ham United can also confirm discussions with Ghana
midfielder Stephen Appiah are ongoing. This deal can be completed outside of
the transfer window as Appiah is a free agent.
Di Michele and Ilunga will arrive on season-long loans from Torino and
Toulouse respectively with a view to possible permanent transfers and join
Valon Behrami and Jan Lastuvka as new recruits.
Vastly experienced, Di Michele will add plenty of creativity to the West Ham
United attack. He played at the Boleyn Ground for Palermo in September 2006
in the UEFA Cup first round and then went on to score in the return leg in
Italy when the Serie A club won 3-0 to progress. Di Michele, 32, he joined
Torino for 2007/08. His 15 goals in 37 appearances for Udinese in the
2004/05 season led to international recognition and he has been capped six
times for the World Cup holders.
The 26-year-old Congolese international left-back Ilunga had attracted
attention from several Premier League clubs but was delighted to secure a
move to east London. Ilunga first rose to prominence at St Etienne and made
136 appearances for the club before switching to Toulouse in 2007. He played
35 times in Ligue 1 last season and also caught the eye with six UEFA Cup
appearances. He has also been involved in World Cup qualifying this summer.
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Bajner secures Boleyn switch - WHUFC
The highly-rated Hungary Under-19 forward Balint Bajner has finalised his
move to West Ham United
02.09.2008
West Ham United can confirm the signing of Hungarian youth international
striker Balint Bajner on a season-long loan with a view to a possible
permanent transfer.
The 17-year-old, who had attracted attention across Europe, is the latest
in-demand youngster to head to the club. Bajner, who represented his country
at this summer's European U19 Championship and can also play wide right, had
been playing for Romanian club Liberty Oradea before heading to east London.
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Tomkins makes positive return - WHUFC
James Tomkins made his first appearance this season on a day when Freddie
Sears also shone
02.09.2008
James Tomkins made a welcome return on Tuesday afternoon in a
behind-closed-doors friendly against Wycombe Wanderers as Freddie Sears also
caught the eye with both goals in a 2-0 win.
The 18-year-old Sears scored a sensational opener for Kevin Keen's side in
the seventh minute, waltzing past four Wycombe defenders before placing an
unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner. Ten minutes later Zavon
Hines rolled the ball across the six-yard area for Sears to tap-in an easy
second.
As impressive as the goals from the forward were, the performance of fellow
homegrown youngster Tomkins was equally as pleasing. The defender, who had
not played since injuring his knee with England Under 19s in July, showed he
was working his way back to fitness well with an assured first-half display.
Tomkins was involved from the off and quickly demonstrated his ball-playing
credentials, floating a beautifully weighted pass for Kyel Reid to chase
down the left. The 19-year-old was also solid in defence, getting across
quickly in the fourth minute to halt a dangerous-looking Wycombe attack. His
most telling intervention was still to come though, as five minutes later he
raced back to head a Wycombe effort off the line just as it looked like the
visitors were going to level matters.
After an encouraging 45 minutes, Tomkins made way for Icelandic prospect
Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson at the break with Nigel Quashie continuing his own
return as a second-half substitute for Hayden Mullins. Luis Boa Morte was
another experienced performer on view.
Following on from his impressive pre-season form, Reid had a lively game on
the left wing. The pick of his contributions was a fierce drive that was
just tipped over by the Wycombe keeper. There were several changes in the
second half, with Tom Harvey and Ryan O'Neill among the youngsters getting a
taste.
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Di Michele & Ilunga join West Ham - BBC
West Ham have signed Italy striker David di Michele and Demoratic Republic
of Congo left-back Herita Ilunga on 12-month loan deals. But both of the
moves are subject to registration by the Premier League, with the club
blaming the late announcement on administrative issues. Di Michele, 32, is
hoping to move from Torino while the 26-year-old Ilunga is set to join from
Toulouse. The Hammers are also still in talks with Ghana midfielder Stephen
Appiah. The 27-year-old is available on a free transfer after negotiating an
exit from Fenerbahce recently. Di Michele has been capped six times for
Italy and has played for teams such as Palermo and Udinese where he enjoyed
the most success, scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances during the 2004-05
season. Ilunga made 136 appearances for St Etienne before moving to Toulouse
in 2007. He played 35 times in Ligue 1 last season and also played a part in
Toulouse's Uefa Cup run. The pair join Valon Behrami and Jan Lastuvka as new
signings brought in by manager Alan Curbishley during the summer transfer
window.
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Curbishley set for talks - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd September 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley will meet the club's board later this week with his own
future very much on the agenda, according to a story in tomorrow's Mail.
With the manager and the board regularly in contact news of a meeting later
this week is nothing out of the ordinary. However claims by the Daily Mail
that Curbishley is considering his future at the club in the wake of George
McCartney's sale to Sunderland, a deal not sanctioned by the manager has led
to speculation that he may be about to walk.
Further speculation suggests that the two parties may even meet to thrash
out a compensation package so that Curbishley - who has been in charge for
less than two years - can leave the club with his reputation intact despite
having another year to run on his current contract. It should be stressed
that the story carries no quotes and therefore remains pure speculation at
this moment in time. However the inference that Curbishley is less than
delighted with the sale of the popular left-back is probably close to the
truth. After all, it was only last weekend that Curbishley's number two,
Mervyn Day told reporters that no further players sales were expected in the
transfer window. 48 hours later the board sanctioned McCartney's sale, just
one month after he signed a new five-year deal at the club. Curbishley - who
is still thought to carry the backing of the majority of Hammers fans,
despite media reports to the contrary - has already been embarrassed this
transfer window by the departure of Freddie Ljungberg, another player he was
unaware was being sold. He also came under fire for offering a trial to
former Tottenham and Millwall full-back Ben Thatcher.
With two wins from their opening three league games Curbishley has led the
Hammers to their best league start since Harry Redknapp's team won four of
their first five outings back in 1999. But as Curbishley recently remarked,
even that 'won't be good enough for some'.
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Did Spurs want Cole? - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd September 2008
By: Staff Writer
Speculation tonight suggests that Tottenham had a £10million bid for Carlton
Cole rejected late last night. The Times are claiming that Spurs moved for
Cole after their attempts to sign Emile Heskey from Wigan ended in failure.
However the Hammers are said to have demanded £12million for the former
Chelsea striker which Tottenham refused to pay. The North London based club
eventually settled for rookie striker Fraizer Campbell on loan from
Manchester United, with their star striker, Dimitar Berbatov going the other
way in a £30million deal. Dean Ashton was also reported to have been the
transfer deadline day target of Aston Villa, who are rumoured to have
offered around £12million for the United striker. West Ham are understood to
have rejected the deal due to the meagre sum offered.
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Better late than never! - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd September 2008
By: A Different Staff Writer
United have belatedly announced the signing of two players - with a possible
third to come. Italian striker David Di Michele and Congolese left-back
Herita Ilunga have been signed on one year loan deals with a view to
subsequent permanent transfers. 32 year-old striker Di Michele has arrived
from Torino, though Hammers fans will remember him better as part of the
Palermo side United faced in the 2006 UEFA Cup. Di Michele, who has six
international caps, scored in the second leg 3-0 defeat by the Italian side
from whom he joined Torino in 2007.
Ilunga has arrived from French outfit Toulouse and will fill the left-back
slot recently vacated by George McCartney. The 26 year-old defender has
spent most of the transfer window being linked with a move to Britain with
Newcastle and Celtic being most strongly linked. The club's explanation for
the late announcement - which came nearly 19 hours after the official
deadline closed - was that international clearance certificates had yet to
be received. The club have also confirmed that they have been in talks with
Ghanaian midfielder Stephen Appiah, whose possible move to the Boleyn will
not be restricted by the closure of the transfer window in view of his
status as a free agent.
More as we get it....
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Humiliated Curbishley plots Hammers exit - Daily Mail
By NEIL ASHTON
Last updated at 11:43 PM on 02nd September 2008
Alan Curbishley is on a knife edge at West Ham after indicating he would be
prepared to accept a severance package in the wake of George McCartney's
controversial departure to Sunderland. Sportsmail can reveal that Curbishley
believes he is being deliberately undermined by the board after he went on
record to claim the fire sale was officially over following Anton
Ferdinand's £8million sale to Sunderland. He has since told friends he was
humiliated on transfer deadline day when McCartney was sold without his
authorisation. The manager was originally led to believe the club were in
negotiations with Chelsea for two rightbacks - Paulo Ferreira and Juliano
Belletti - but neither deal was completed in the transfer window. On Monday
night West Ham announced they had signed Italian striker David Di Michele
and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga, with both loan deals subject to
registration by the Premier League. But Curbishley believes he is simply
keeping the seat warm until a replacement becomes available, possibly
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic. Curbishley feels his reputation will remain
intact if the club offer to pay up the remainder of his contract and he is
expected to hold further meetings with chief executive Scott Duxbury this
week to 'clarify' his role. Despite Curbishley's fears, Duxbury has told the
Hammers manager he is doing a good job and the club have no intention of
replacing him. Curbishley was told to cut costs over the summer, but he did
not realise the extent of the club's financial problems until they began
selling players without his consent. Freddie Ljungberg's astronomical
contract was paid up, John Pantsil and Bobby Zamora were sold to Fulham and
Ferdinand signed for Sunderland last week. Central defender Matthew Upson,
who has forced his way back into the England squad, was considered by
Arsenal but Arsene Wenger signed a cheaper option in Mikael Silvestre. The
Hammers are still talking to free agent Stephen Appiah, the Ghana
midfielder. Despite an opening day victory over Wigan, Curbishley was
stunned to learn that his future was discussed by board members immediately
after their 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. Bilic, who is preparing for
Croatia's World Cup qualifier against England in Zagreb next Wednesday, is
the board's top target and would be the overwhelming choice of West Ham
supporters.
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Curbishley clashes with club captain Neill over leadership jibe
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Independent.co.uk Web
Alan Curbishley's fraught season at West Ham was made worse by a
dressing-room row with the club captain, Lucas Neill, after his team's 4-1
win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. It is understood that, in front of
the West Ham team, Neill told Curbishley that the players had "kept you in a
job" and that the manager himself needed to do more to lead the team.
The clash came despite the second victory of the season for the West Ham
manager and was with one of his more vocal, if not popular, first-team
players. With a squad full of difficult personalities to manage, feelings
were running high in the immediate aftermath of the game when Curbishley was
told by Neill that he needed to "inspire" his players. West Ham had snatched
two goals in injury time to make the scoreline look lot more comfortable
than the match had been.
There was a stand-off between Neill and Curbishley, although it is not
expected that the player will be disciplined for his outburst. When he spoke
to the press after the Blackburn match, Curbishley admitted that it was "a
bit lively in the dressing-room afterwards because we [were] a little
frustrated" at letting Blackburn get "back into it". According to sources
that was an understatement, with Matthew Upson and Craig Bellamy also
involved in an angry exchange.
Despite his often beleaguered aspect, Curbishley continues to have the
support of most of the dressing room, although it came as a blow to him to
have been confronted by Neill. The outspoken Australian international was
one of Curbishley's first signings when he came to the club from Blackburn
Rovers in January last year and was made captain soon after that.
The West Ham board has made a public show of faith in the manager, despite
refusing to back him with any substantial funds in the transfer market this
summer. The sale of Anton Ferdinand to Sunderland and the unremarkable
incoming players, two more of whom arrived yesterday, have all been
interpreted as a sign of the Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's
dissatisfaction with Curbishley. However, after two victories they are
persisting with the manager for now.
West Ham had hoped to make an announcement when the transfer window shut on
Monday night but it was not until yesterday that they announced that
Curbishley had been able to add to his squad. The Italian striker David Di
Michele, who plays for Torino, and the Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga, of
Toulouse, have both joined on season-long loans with a view to a permanent
move. West Ham claimed that they would be permitted by the Premier League to
complete the deals after the deadline because of a delay in the release of
the international transfer certificates.
Given their recent transfer record in the signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier
Mascherano, whose acquisition two years ago was so mired in controversy that
it earned West Ham a £5.5m fine and very nearly a points deduction, it is
surprising that they are seeking leeway on the rules.
However, the loan system is often used by clubs to facilitate permanent
transfer deals that are too late for the deadline, such as Jermain Defoe's
switch from Tottenham to Portsmouth at the end of January.
More pertinently the club said that they also hope to sign the Ghanaian
international Stephen Appiah, who is a free agent and able to move outside
the transfer window, in the next week. Appiah, who has played for Juventus
and Fenerbahce, is an established figure in European football but the
signing of Di Michele and Ilunga will do little to convince West Ham fans
that they are destined to improve on last season's 10th-place finish. Di
Michele, 32, who has six caps for Italy, and Ilunga, 26, are not the
transfer window's most sought-after individuals. Their signings, plus those
of the Swiss international Valon Behrami and Jan Lustuvka, represent all the
additions to the club that the director of football, Gianluca Nani, has been
able to make this summer.
Ilunga is a replacement for George McCartney, who left the club last week to
rejoin Sunderland.
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Appiah in no hurry to be a Hammer - TodaysZaman.com
Ghana national team captain Stephen Appiah has stated that he is in no hurry
to commit his future to West Ham.
The Hammers have been strongly linked with the powerful midfielder and were
reportedly ready to push through a deal before the deadline at midnight on
Monday. But Appiah, who is a free agent after having parted company with
Fenerbahçe, is considering his options with a number of Europe's leading
clubs believed to be interested in him. Sources close to the player told
skysports.com that Appiah will not rush into putting pen to paper with any
club due to his status as a free agent. As he is no longer under contract
with the Turkish giants, the former Juventus player will be able to sign
with a new club after the closure of the transfer window. The highly rated
Appiah is bound to attract interest in the Premier League, Spain, Italy and
Germany, with his combative talents in great demand.
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Curbishley's future 'in doubt'Sachin Nakrani - The Guardian
Wednesday September 3 2008 Article history
Curbishley is believed to be unhappy with West Ham's transfer policy.
Alan Curbishley's future at West Ham was in the balance last night after he
indicated he would be prepared to accept a severance package, according to
reports.
The sale of George McCartney to Sunderland appears to have been the tipping
point. After the sale of Anton Ferdinand, also to Sunderland, which
Curbishley is believed to have opposed, the manager had publicly ruled out
any more departures in the transfer window that closed on Monday night. The
sale of McCartney was, therefore, seen to undermine him.
Curbishley was also reportedly told that the club were in negotiations with
Chelsea for two of their right-backs, Paulo Ferreira and Juliano Belletti,
but neither deal was done before the deadline. The manager may regard a
severance payment as a means of keeping his reputation intact and is
expected to hold talks with the club's chief executive, Scott Duxbury this
week. Duxbury, though, has backed Curbishley and told him the club has no
intention of replacing him.
The Premier League last night admitted responsibility for West Ham's failure
to register formally new signings David Di Michele and Hérita Ilunga before
transfer deadline but insisted they are under no pressure now to finalise
the deals and gave no guarantee they will go through.
West Ham released a statement yesterday evening confirming they had agreed
to sign the Italian striker Di Michele from Torino and the Congolese
full-back Ilunga from Toulouse on season-long loans with a view to possible
long-term deals and put the lateness of the announcement down to
administrative "formalities" which have yet to be completed.
Those formalities lie with the Premier League who confirmed they have
received the necessary paperwork from the London club but due to the "hectic
nature" of deadline day have yet to process them. Officials have now begun
that process but, despite West Ham's desire to complete the deals as soon as
possible, refused to give a time frame for when they will.
"There is no deadline for us to finalise these transfers," a Premier League
spokesman said. "It is more important that we go through the documentation
correctly." That leaves West Ham in limbo. The club are confident Di Michele
and Ilunga will be available for the club's next fixture - the league match
away to West Bromwich on September 13 - but are equally aware they cannot
officially claim the players as their own.
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Should Neill Have Curbed His Anger? - West Ham Till I Die
The Independent reports a clash between Lucas Neill and Alan Curbishley
after the Blackburn game in which the West Ham captain urged his manager to
show more leadership and told him the team had kept him in a job.
It is understood that, in front of the West Ham team, Neill told Curbishley
that the players had "kept you in a job" and that the manager himself needed
to do more to lead the team.
The clash came despite the second victory of the season for the West Ham
manager and was with one of his more vocal, if not popular, first-team
players. With a squad full of difficult personalities to manage, feelings
were running high in the immediate aftermath of the game when Curbishley was
told by Neill that he needed to "inspire" his players. West Ham had snatched
two goals in injury time to make the scoreline look lot more comfortable
than the match had been.
There was a stand-off between Neill and Curbishley, although it is not
expected that the player will be disciplined for his outburst. When he spoke
to the press after the Blackburn match, Curbishley admitted that it was "a
bit lively in the dressing-room afterwards because we [were] a little
frustrated" at letting Blackburn get "back into it". According to sources
that was an understatement, with Matthew Upson and Craig Bellamy also
involved in an angry exchange.
Read the full article HERE. Angry exchanges in dressing rooms are nothing
new, but this adds fuel to the Mail rumours that Curbishley is looking for
an exit. If he feels he has lost the dressing room, he may feel it is his
only option, especially with the way he feels the Board has treated him.
Apropo of nothing, KUMB is reporting that West Ham rejected a £10 million
bid from Spurs for Carlton Cole, saying they value him at £12 million. That
surely has to be a windup.
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Doubts grow over Alan Curbishley's West Ham United future - Telegraph
Tensions between Alan Curbishley and West Ham's Icelandic owners were rising
last night, the manager fearing that the deadline-day transfer of left-back
George McCartney to Sunderland could precipitate a defensive crisis.
By John Ley
Last Updated: 1:29AM BST 03 Sep 2008
Curbishley's position at Upton Park has become increasingly precarious in
recent days over his opposition to the board's cost-cutting transfer policy,
under which centre-half Anton Ferdinand has also joined McCartney in leaving
for the Stadium of Light.
In response, West Ham announced yesterday that they had recruited Congolese
left-back Herita Ilunga – in addition to striker David Di Michele – but the
move is unlikely to placate Curbishley, who fears his defence has been left
threadbare and who has seen much of the control over signings wrested from
his control by sporting director Gianluca Nani.
The uncertainty has led Slaven Bilic, the Croatia coach, to be linked with
Curbishley's job, even if the manager has bought himself a little time with
two victories in West Ham's first three Premier League games. The board's
concerns over Curbishley are understood to extend beyond transfer business
and misgivings about his man-management and tactical acumen.
Such have been the problems in adding to West Ham's squad that the signing
of Ilunga and di Michele, subject to registration by the Premier League, was
only announced last night several hours after the transfer deadline.
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Lucas lash for Curbishley
Independent.ie WebSearch By Sam Wallace
Wednesday September 03 2008
Alan Curbishley's fraught season at West Ham was made worse by a
dressing-room row with the club captain, Lucas Neill, after his team's 4-1
win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. It is understood that, in front of
the West Ham team, Neill told Curbishley that the players had "kept you in a
job" and that the manager himself needed to do more to lead the team. The
clash came despite the second victory of the season for the West Ham manager
and was with one of his more vocal, if not popular, first-team players.
Feelings were running high in the immediate aftermath of the game when
Curbishley was told by Neill that he needed to "inspire" his players. West
Ham had snatched two late goals to make the scoreline look lot more
comfortable than the match had been. There was a stand-off between Neill and
Curbishley, although it is not expected that the player will be disciplined
for his outburst. When he spoke to the press after the Blackburn match,
Curbishley admitted that it was "a bit lively in the dressing-room
afterwards because we (were) a little frustrated" at letting Blackburn get
"back into it". According to sources that was an understatement, with
Matthew Upson and Craig Bellamy also involved in an angry exchange.
Curbishley continues to have the support of most of the dressing room,
although it came as a blow to him to have been confronted by Neill, who was
one of Curbishley's first signings when he came to the club from Blackburn
Rovers in January last year and was made captain soon after that. The West
Ham board has made a public show of faith in the manager, despite refusing
to back him with any substantial funds in the transfer market. The sale of
Anton Ferdinand to Sunderland and the unremarkable incoming players, two
more of whom arrived yesterday, have all been interpreted as a sign of the
Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's dissatisfaction with Curbishley.
However, after two victories they are persisting with the manager for now.
(© Indep-endent News Service)
- Sam Wallace
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Celtic target Ilunga moves to West Ham - FootyLatest.com
Wednesday 03 September 2008 - 01:14:54
The Toulouse defender Herita Ilunga, who was strongly linked with both
Celtic and Newcastle last week, has now moved to West Ham United on a
one-year loan, with an opton to buy at the end. The Congolese international
is in the last year of his contract and was not happy at being left in the
reserves at Toulouse.
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West Ham still eyeing former Fenerbahce midfielder Stephen Appiah - The
Times
West Ham confirmed that they could still sign Ghana captain Stephen Appiah,
to go with the two players they captured before the transfer window closed.
By John Ley
Last Updated: 11:31PM BST 02 Sep 2008
Appiah, 27, the former Juventus midfielder, is a free agent after leaving
Fenerbahce, and a West ham spokesman said: "West Ham can confirm discussions
with Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah are ongoing." The club snapped up
Italian striker David di Michele and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga.
However, manager Alan Curbishley could face late opposition from Arsene
Wenger for Appiah, with Arsenal believed to be considering a move for the
player nicknamed 'The Tornado'.
Appiah has been consistently linked with Arsenal over the past four years
and his availability could prompt Wenger to consider adding him to a
midfield which is in need of strengthening after the summer sales of Mathieu
Flamini, Gilberto and Alexandre Hleb. Curbishley remains the favourite, and
at least he was able to add to his injury-stricken squad with West Ham
acknowledging "the lateness of this announcement", blaming administrative
issues. Di Michele and Ilunga have signed on year-long loans with a view to
making their deals permanent. Di Michele has most recently been playing for
Torino, while full-back Ilunga was with French side Toulouse. The
experienced Di Michele, 32, has played six times for Italy, while the
26-year-old Ilunga had a taste of European football during Toulouse's Uefa
Cup campaign last season. However, in March 2007, Di Michele was accused and
found guilty of illegal betting and received a hefty fine and a three-month
ban from Serie A. Although betting was not illegal for Italian players until
November 2005, Di Michele, along with three others, was alleged to have
placed bets through an illegal bookmaker.
Curbishley has sold key players such as George McCartney and Anton
Ferdinand, to Sunderland, as the club's owners look to cut the wage bill.
Freddie Ljungberg was also sacrificed, the former Arsenal winger handed a
free transfer to take him off the wage bill.
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Illegal betting and never played abroad - is di Michele right for the
Hammers? - FansOnline.com
By Wes Evans
Posted on Tuesday 02 Sep 2008 21:16:00
At 32 years old, he's hardly the player that Hammers fans expected to be
lighting up the six yard box on a regular basis. Chat about Eidur Gudjohnsen
set minds racing...will West Ham be signing a player capable of challenging
Ashton and Bellamy? David di Michele, from Torino on loan with an option to
make the deal permanent, isn't really what most had in mind. In a career
that's spanned 15 years, exclusively in Italy up until now, the player has
been moderately prolific in front of goal, with 40 goals from 92 games with
Salernitana, then a Serie A club, being his best haul. He also played in the
Champion's League with Udinese, so at least there's some form there.
However, his career has been blighted by a period of suspension for illegal
betting. Although it is not illegal for Italian players to bet, he did so
through an illegal bookmaker, and received a $27,000 fine. He was also
banned from Serie A for three months last year. His record of nine clubs in
15 years hardly hints at stability, so don't be surprised if this is one
player that doesn't appear in a West Ham shirt in the 2009-2010 season.
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West Ham sign Italy striker David Di Michele - Times Online
West Ham United have signed David Di Michele, the Italian striker and Herita
Ilunga, the Congolese left-back, with both deals subject to registration by
the Premier League. Both players have been brought in on year-long loans
with a view to making their deals permanent and were both completed in time
for last night's transfer window deadline, though West Ham have only
announced the deals this evening. The club are also continuing to talk to
Stephen Appiah over a move to Upton Park, with the Ghana international able
to sign outside the window because he is a free agent. "The club recognise
the lateness of this announcement but certain formalities including the
release of international transfer certificates had to be completed," a
statement from West Ham said in relation to their two loan signings. "West
Ham can also confirm discussions with Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah are
ongoing."
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West Ham confirm double capture and Appiah talks - Daily Mail
By Dave Wood
Last updated at 12:05 AM on 03rd September 2008
West Ham have announced they have signed Italian striker David Di Michele
and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga, with both deals subject to
registration by the Premier League. The news comes after last night's
transfer window deadline and in a statement on the club's official website,
the Hammers acknowledged "the lateness of this announcement", blaming
administrative issues. Both players have been brought in on year-long loans
with a view to making their deals permanent, while the club are also
continuing to talk to free agent Stephen Appiah over a move to Upton Park.
The statement read: "The club recognise the lateness of this announcement
but certain formalities including the release of international transfer
certificates had to be completed. "West Ham can also confirm discussions
with Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah are ongoing."
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Di Michele joins Hammers Tuesday 2 September, 2008 - CH4
The transfer window may have closed last night, but David Di Michele's move
to West Ham has only just been announced! The want-away Torino striker had
been begging for a switch to Roma after a row with Coach Gianni De Biasi,
but that failed to materialise. Instead the Hammers have just confirmed they
signed the Italian international on a season-long loan from Toro. "The club
recognise the lateness of this announcement, but certain formalities
including the release of the international transfer certificates had to be
completed," read a statement. The 32-year-old had a dismal spell at Torino,
where he was suspended due to a betting scandal for the first couple of
months and then failed to impress the fans or tactician. His time at Udinese
proved to be his most successful, earning six caps for Italy, although his
last appearance was in the 3-1 defeat to France in Euro 2008 qualifying on
September 6, 2006. Di Michele joins another former Serie A figure, ex-Lazio
man Valon Behrami, at West Ham.
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