Shaktar Donetsk beat Arsenal to Toure

[Ayo Akinfe]

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/art ... 562&cpid=8

Friday, 02 January 2004

By Gerrit van Leeuwen

Beveren have agreed to sell Gnegneri 'Yaya' Toure to Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee in the region of €2.1 million.

The Ivory Coast youngster, brother of Arsenal's Kolo, had been widely expected to link up with his sibling at Highbury.

However, Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar have tied up a deal, even though Toure could still move to The Gunners later in his fledgling career.

The African would be unable to play in England due to work permit problems and Arsenal will continue to monitor his progress with Donetsk.

"This is a historical moment for SK Beveren," explained chairman Frans van Hoof to Gazet van Antwerpen.

"Those who laughed at us have to change their opinion.

"This is a major financial input for our club.

"We are now assured of our licence and we can reorganise further.

"Yaya will grow more and could earn more for us. But Beveren will never earn hundreds of millions."

According to Belgian media sources, Antwerp will receive around 30 percent of the fee with a group of investors picking up 40 percent and Jean-Marc Guillou, the former Beveren coach and investor, also benefiting financially.

[Waffiman]

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/art ... 562&cpid=8

Friday, 02 January 2004

By Gerrit van Leeuwen

Beveren have agreed to sell Gnegneri 'Yaya' Toure to Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee in the region of €2.1 million.

The Ivory Coast youngster, brother of Arsenal's Kolo, had been widely expected to link up with his sibling at Highbury.

However, Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar have tied up a deal, even though Toure could still move to The Gunners later in his fledgling career.

The African would be unable to play in England due to work permit problems and Arsenal will continue to monitor his progress with Donetsk.

"This is a historical moment for SK Beveren," explained chairman Frans van Hoof to Gazet van Antwerpen.

"Those who laughed at us have to change their opinion.

"This is a major financial input for our club.

"We are now assured of our licence and we can reorganise further.

"Yaya will grow more and could earn more for us. But Beveren will never earn hundreds of millions."

According to Belgian media sources, Antwerp will receive around 30 percent of the fee with a group of investors picking up 40 percent and Jean-Marc Guillou, the former Beveren coach and investor, also benefiting financially.

Ayo, na work permit problems mess things up for Arsenal, I hear Kolo is not happy but the deal is for him to join Arsenal when he gets his required amount of caps. So long as Arsenal meet the asking price.


I also hear, Yaya has refused to sign, so it is not done and dusted yet because he does not want to go to the Ukraine.

[Larry Ashagbe]

Those Belgians are selling clubs and there are different people or groups that owns different percentage of the player.

Let us hope it is a good move for him and does not turn to a nightmare like JAG.

[Waffiman]

Those Belgians are selling clubs and there are different people or groups that owns different percentage of the player.

Let us hope it is a good move for him and does not turn to a nightmare like JAG.

Larry, this is exactly what is causing the problem, Yaya does not want to go to the Ukraine but an individual who owns Beveren stands to gain a whooping 60% from the deal so they are trying to force Yaya to go there.

Sharktar offered the most money, and I hear they are offering more if he is sold later in his career. Arsenal despite having first refusal on the player were not ready to pay that kind of money for a player they will have to loan back to Beveren because he has no work permit.

Yaya and Kolo are fightig the move and he has not signed yet. We go see.

[Gooner1]

Waffiman, this is very sad news indeed. I fear for the boy. This ia a very bad move indeed.

Isn't it the same club that have slapped £15 million on Agahowa?

What stops them from slapping a stupid price on YaYa?

I worry for the boy because the Ukraine is not a place for black people to at.

The boy is young and he does not need this hassle, how will he cope?

Waffiman this is not a good move at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Waffiman]

Waffiman, this is very sad news indeed. I fear for the boy. This ia a very bad move indeed.

Isn't it the same club that have slapped £15 million on Agahowa?

What stops them from slapping a stupid price on YaYa?

I worry for the boy because the Ukraine is not a place for black people to at.

The boy is young and he does not need this hassle, how will he cope?

Waffiman this is not a good move at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totally agree, but they offered the most cash, Bayern Munich and all the other clubs will not pay that kind of money.

I just hope a solution can be reached for the boy's sake. Another reason why this guy wants to sell now is come the summer, he would be able to apply for Belgium citizenship.

[Talk IT]

This boy might be good but i doubt if he will be as good as his brother. Hadly do you get brothers each making it big in football. Example, the kanu's, the Yobo's and many more. One will surely dorminate.

[Ayo Akinfe]

This boy might be good but i doubt if he will be as good as his brother. Hadly do you get brothers each making it big in football. Example, the kanu's, the Yobo's and many more. One will surely dorminate.

(1) Ronald and Frank De Boer
(2) Andrew and Alloysius Atuegbu
(3) Socrates and Rai
(4) Kana and Oman Biyik
(5) Fillipo and Simone Inzaghi

Besides, what if Yaya is the better of the two?

[Chief Bambostic]

This boy might be good but i doubt if he will be as good as his brother. Hadly do you get brothers each making it big in football. Example, the kanu's, the Yobo's and many more. One will surely dorminate.

In modesty, Kolo did say that Yaya is a better footballer than himself. It might very well turn out to be true

[PaJimoh]

One man's suya na another man's poison. As one spy dey try to come out of the cold, another African broda wey no see snow before apart from sugar dey head the opposite direction.

With name like yaya, he would need panda fur to survive.

[nemi2002]

Socrates and Rai no brother, interesting

[Ayo Akinfe]

Socrates and Rai no brother, interesting

So you do not know???? The first two brothers to ever captain Brazil.

[YUJAM]

Ayo:
Socrates and Rai are not brothers.

Pa Jimoh:
Beveren paid barely nothing for Yahya. They apparently have 15 more Yahyas - all from ASEC Abidjan at bundled deal, to help them get out of their financial troubles. And who said they will not buy African players because of this? The ANC will be like a thrift shop for these Euro sides.

[Waffiman]

Yujam, Beveren have an agreement via Arsenal with ASEC. You do not know what ASEC so how can you just conclude they paid nothing for Yaya.

From what I hear, a lot of parties stand to gain from this deal and it includes ASEC.

[Ayo Akinfe]

Ayo:
Socrates and Rai are not brothers.

Pa Jimoh:
Beveren paid barely nothing for Yahya. They apparently have 15 more Yahyas - all from ASEC Abidjan at bundled deal, to help them get out of their financial troubles. And who said they will not buy African players because of this? The ANC will be like a thrift shop for these Euro sides.

Na which kain trouble Yujam dey fain me so?? O boy take time o. In that case, Yaya and Kolo are not brothers either.

[azuka]

Yujam,

Socrates and Rai are blood brothers guy.

[YUJAM]

Waffi:
Wrong! I know about the deal which brought Yahya to Beveren. It included 15 other ASEC players and of course, Bevern stands to gain more from it as usual.

B4 this season, Beveren was mired in financial problems and turned to Africa for the sol'n. One of the ways they will get out of this problem is to start selling their players for massive profits.

[Ayo Akinfe]

Yujam,

Socrates and Rai are blood brothers guy.

Azuka, him just wan fain me trouble. I will soon launch a thread on Ferdinand Coly now to keep Yujam quiet.

[YUJAM]

Ivorians on verge of history


Yaya Toure, younger brother of Arsenal defender Kolo Toure, is one of Beveren's 14 Ivorians
Belgian first division side KSK Beveren are in line to field a team made up of eleven footballers from the Ivory Coast.

At present, the first division side has often fielded a team constituting ten Ivorians in addition to Latvian defender Igor Stepanovs.

Yet Stepanovs is on loan from English Premiership club Arsenal and once he returns to the London-based side in January, his place in the Beveren defence is expected to be filled by another Ivorian - central defender Lolo Igor.

Should the Belgian club then field a team comprising eleven foreigners of the same nationality, this would establish a new record in European football.

Since the start of the 2003-04 season, Beveren - who have 14 footballers from the Ivory Coast on their books - have taken to the pitch with ten Ivorians in the side on five occasions.

The west African colonization of Beveren began in June 2001 when the club was in severe financial difficulty but was saved by a rescue package initiated by French coach Jean Marc-Guillou.

Guillou, who had founded a football academy in the Ivory Coast linked to Asec Mimosas, formed an association with a limited company, found financial backing from Arsenal and offered Beveren 1.5 million euros plus an annual input of four players from his academy.

The simple plan has had spectacular results.

"Since the beginning of this season, I have heard it said that Beveren play the most attractive football in Belgium," said Remy Laguesse, Guillou's French assistant.

Forward Constant Kipre, midfielders Yaya Toure and Gilles Yapi Yapo have underpinned this achievement and are now big stars in the Belgian league.

Yet there are those that find the situation less favourable.

The president of first division rivals RC Genk has questioned how Beveren's approach is helping the development of Belgian football.

"It is true that Beveren delight the public," said Jos Vaessen.

"But the training of young Belgian players is in danger."

Following Beveren's 4-0 triumph away to Cercle Brugge on Sunday, the Ivorian-dependent club currently lies twelth in Belgium's 18-team first division. Beveren's Ivorian legion

By James Copnall
BBC Sport



Toure has made a name at Beveren

It's official - the best Ivorian clubside plays in Belgium.

Forget Asec Abidjan or Africa Sports, first division Beveren leads the way.

A small Belgian club featuring no less than 11 Ivorian footballers, it is owned by Jean-Marc Guillou.

Guillou is the French coach whose academy in Abidjan provided Asec with the prodigies that made the club glow so brightly in the late 1990's.

After a dispute with Asec's management, Guillou bought into Beveren, with the express intention of bringing his Ivorian jewels to Belgium.

"Unlike many other leagues, you are allowed as many foreign players as you want in Belgium," said Guillou's long-time assistant Remy Laguesse.

Five Ivorians were signed for the 2001-2 season, but early results were poor.

One of the early recruits, Venance 'Zezeto' Zeze, found the early going very tough.

"It was really difficult," Zezeto told BBC Sport.

"Every footballer has ups and downs, but you can't doubt your ability.

"All the same, you ask yourself: what is going wrong? And of course, people said bad things about us."

Beveren is located in the northern, Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, where a section of the population have extremely strong views on race.

Many club supporters were not prepared to welcome so many Africans with open arms.

"When I told the supporters I would bring Ivorians in and we would do much better, no one believed me," Guillou told BBC Sport.

Gilles Yapi Yapo, Zezeto and Yaya Toure, younger brother of Arsenal's Kolo, have become big stars in the Belgian league.

Guillou believes that the more Ivorians he brings in, the better things will be for the club.

"I noticed this season that when our team played with seven or eight Ivorians, our two English players and one or two Belgians, we had one of the best three teams in the country," said Guillou.

"But when, in contrast, we didn't have this set-up, because of national team call-ups or injuries, we were one of the worst teams."

Seduced by the attractive football played by Beveren's African legion, the fans now wave Ivorian flags at the club ground - a trend that could remain in fashion for a few more years to come.

[Waffiman]

Waffi:
Wrong! I know about the deal which brought Yahya to Beveren. It included 15 other ASEC players and of course, Bevern stands to gain more from it as usual.

B4 this season, Beveren was mired in financial problems and turned to Africa for the sol'n. One of the ways they will get out of this problem is to start selling their players for massive profits.

Beveren have had financial problems for a while hence the agreement with Arsenal to be our feeder club while the players look to get the necessary papers.

Yujam, you too dey mis-yarn. I nor go waste my time with you. I leave you with this questons. PS: Rai and Socrates are brothers

How many Arsenal youth players have been at Beveren on loan over the past two seasons?

Arsenal have first option on all ex-ASEC players, in fact Giles Yapi Yapo and two others Ivorians including YaYa Toure have played at Highbury during the pre-season.

[YUJAM]

My friend, Waffi, even if Arse have first dibs on all Beveren's African contingent, it does not take away that Beveren was rescued from their financial predicament because there were able to import cheap players from Africa. That is all.

Yeah, Socrates and Rai are brothers.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

How can we forget Michael and Brian Laudrup?

[Ayo Akinfe]

How can we forget Michael and Brian Laudrup?

According to Yujam, they are not brothers.