Indisputable proof that Cristiano Ronaldo is returning to Manchester United (or not)

"I'm going back to Manchester and this is totally a real quote!"

Though Manchester United fans' crowdfunding campaign to raise the money necessary to pay Cristiano Ronaldo's ginormous transfer fee and bring him back to his old club was shut down last month, the fervent desire to see him return has not dissipated. As a result, rumors and scraps of out of context information are melded together and blindly repeated in the hopes that he can be willed back onto the team.

Here's the latest proof that Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely returning to Man United, if only in the minds of the forlorn journalists and supporters he left behind.

-Prior to Manchester United's 2-0 win against Wigan in the Community Shield, Antonio Valencia decided to relinquish the No. 7 shirt and go back to wearing No. 25. Obviously, he could have only done this because Ronaldo is rejoining the squad and his old number needs to be thoroughly cleaned and made ready for him.

-On Monday, Paddy Crerand claimed on MUTV that Ronaldo was spotted in Manchester. This quickly spread to Twitter, where pictures of him at the airport were used to confirm the rumor. Pictures like this one...

Nevermind the fact that this picture was taken four years ago in Portugal as he made his way to Madrid. That's not important. All that matters is that prayers are being answered and Ronaldo is going to Manchester.

-After returning from a lengthy preseason tour of the United States, Ronaldo and Real Madrid teammates Pepe and Fabio Coentrao were granted permission to join the Portuguese national team a day late ahead of their friendly against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Fenerbahce's Bruno Alves, who played in the Turkish Super Cup the day before, was also given permission to arrive a day late. This can only mean that Man United are signing all four players with the help of the Portuguese football federation. This goes all the way to the top.

-FIFA organized this international date just before the start of the season (and the end of the transfer window) specifically to give Ronaldo a chance to sneak off and finalize the deal. Few people know this, but Ronaldo and FIFA president Sepp Blatter play online poker together every Thursday night.

-In June, Ronaldo put his Madrid house up for sale. The buyer? GARETH BALE.

-Sergio Ramos dyed his hair blond specifically to drive Cristiano Ronaldo out of the club. Ronaldo always said that if Ramos did that or if Iker Casillas ever bought a cat, he would leave.

-Manchester United manager David Moyes publicly went after Cesc Fabregas, a player he knew he could not sign, as a diversion for the top secret Ronaldo negotiations. Meanwhile, the only thing keeping Real Madrid from giving Spurs €250 million for Bale is the fact that Moyes initially had trouble convincing Valencia to surrender his shirt number.

-Wayne Rooney wants to leave Man United because he knows Ronaldo is coming back and he's jealous. A parody Twitter account claiming to be his son Kai said so (parody means "super real").

-In July, Jose Mourinho, who coached Ronaldo at Real Madrid said, ''I know Ronaldo loves Manchester United and I know he loves the Premier League..."* Like Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, Ronaldo will do anything for his love.

So there you have it. You can't argue any of these facts because they are all true and/or completely made up. Just accept that Ronaldo is going back to Man United whether he's actually going to or not and everything will be fine.

Chelsea strike pair targeted by La Liga elite

La Liga side Valencia are looking to sign either Romelu Lukaku or Demba Ba on loan from Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail.

The Spaniards had previously targeted Fernando Torres, but will now look to sign one of Lukaku and Ba as Chelsea may not guarantee the pair first team football.

Loanees

Valencia have already loaned defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu from Chelsea and are looking to make another signing after Tottenham signed star striker Roberto Soldado.

The 21 year old has struggled with injury and will spend a season at the Vicente Calderon to gain some first team experience.

Another Chelsea player plying his trade in La Liga this coming season is Marko Marin, who has joined Sevilla.

Chelsea have also sent young Brazilian right back Wallace out on loan to Inter Milan, while Lucas Piazon has joined Vitesse Arnhem for 2013/14.

Fringe

Ba and Lukaku are subject to serious interest from Valencia, who believe that Jose Mourinho does not consider the pair first team players.

The Senegalese striker has struggled to settle in London after a £7 million move from Newcastle and may be open to a short-term move away.

Lukaku has already turned down loan moves this summer to West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion, who he scored 17 goals for in a loan spell last season.

However, Valencia may hope to tempt the Belgian with the promise of regular first team football.

Real Madrid vs Chelsea: Preview and Projected Line-ups

It didn't take long for newly arrived Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to find a means to have a rematch with former employer, Real Madrid. The Guinness International Champions Cup has had a hand in seeing that the Portuguese leader gets his chance.

Real Madrid’s focus has been mainly on the rumours around both Gareth Bale’s arrival and the contract saga involving Cristiano Ronaldo. The two equally are sure to be sorted out in the remaining part of the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho has been busy buying up all the talented young players he can find. The arrivals of players such as Andre Schurrle have strengthened the club even further this summer.

Madrid are a worthy test for Chelsea, and the two clubs are certain to give the fans a show in Miami as they close out the summer pre season tournament and prepare for their return to Europe.

Ronaldo is expected to be in the first team and will likely get a massive reception from the crowd as Mourinho is expected to give young Romelu Lukaku yet another chance to continue to prove himself worthy of fighting for a first team place his year.

Projected Madrid Starting XI: Casillas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Alonso, Khedira; Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo; Benzema.

Projected Chelsea Starting XI: Cech; Cole, Ivanovic, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Van Ginkel, Mikel; De Bruyne, Oscar, Hazard; Lukaku.

Neymar will adapt quickly at Barcelona, says Iniesta

The Spain star has backed his Brazilian team-mate to be a success at the Catalan side during his first season and regards Cesc Fabregas as a crucial part of the squad

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta feels Neymar is "one of the best" and therefore will adapt quickly to his new surroundings at Camp Nou.

The forward completed a switch from Santos in a deal worth €57 million during the summer transfer window but, following his arrival in Spain, critics have questioned his ability to perform at the top level in Europe.

However, his experienced team-mate is certain the Brazil star, who Barca revealed suffers from anaemia, will be an instant success at the club.

"I don't think he will need much time to adjust," he told reporters in Bangkok, where Barca have arrived following their Peace Tour. 

"When you're the best and you get to our team, you adapt quickly. Despite coming from another league, he will contribute much.

"His signing only brings positive things to us."

Iniesta also commented on Cesc Fabregas and his standing in the team, as the midfielder looks set to stay at Camp Nou with Manchester United having seemingly given up on the Spaniard.

"For me, he [Fabregas] is undisputed in this club," he continued.

"My team-mates are always the best and the important thing is that competition makes us all better, because ultimately the team are winning the titles, not the individuals.

"He is a key player for us, he always performed at the highest level and will continue to do so."

Sports Betting - Some Basics About Sports Betting

Sports betting one of the few forms of gambling where skill can largely outweigh the benefits of luck. For this reason sports betting has become one of the most popular forms of gambling in the United States and around the world. Add in the passion many people have for their favourite sports and it's easy to see why just Americans gambled 12.3 billion dollars in 2010 on horse race betting alone. Add in all the other sports that can be bet on and it's easy to see that sports betting is a favourite past-time for many people around the world.

Betting On Your Favourite Sports Team

Each year people gamble billions of dollars on sports teams. These bets can be between friends (which is often illegal), through office pools (again often illegal), and through legally established online and brick-and-mortar gambling houses. The exact terms of the bet have to be examined on a case-by-case basis but there are some basic principles that are followed, especially for legal gambling houses.

Sports teams are not all created equally. Often, the likely winner of a game is known before the game is even played. Let's consider the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team, one of college football's most dominant teams. And let's assume that they are playing against the University of Toledo Rockets football team, which hails from a much smaller and less established school. The Crimson Tide would almost certainly win. Should the Toledo Rockets pull off an upset it would be a major event, likely garnering national headlines.

Most people thus wouldn't bet on the Toledo Rockets to win in a straight-up match. The odds would be extremely slim. Instead, bets makers set an over/under score which dictates that the Alabama Crimson Tide must win by a certain score in order for gamblers supporting the Crimson Tide to collect their money. So let's say the Crimson Tide are given a score of (-14). This means they must beat the Rockets by more than 14 points in order to "beat the odds."

Betting On Horse Races

If you're not into team sports but still want to enjoy the thrill of sports betting, a day at the races is just the thing for you. Gambling on horse races counts among the oldest and most prestigious forms of gambling and is enjoyed across the United States, Middle East, Australia, and Europe. Certain horse races, such as the Kentucky Derby, rank among the most iconic sporting events in the world.

There are numerous ways to gamble on horse racing. The most common form is "win" bet in which the gambler simply bets on the winner of the race. Just like sports teams, however, not all horses are created equal. Because of this horses are assigned odds based on how likely they are to win. For example, a heavily favoured horse might be given the odds of 1 to 9, meaning that for every 2 dollars bet, the winner will take home 2.10 dollars. A heavily unfavoured horse, however, might be given odds 50 to 1, meaning that the winner will collect 102 dollars for every two dollar s/he bets. Most horse race tracks place a two dollar minimum on a "win" bet.

There are numerous other types of bets, such as "Trifecta Box" in which you must correctly guess which three horses will finish in first, second, and third (in any order). If you want to learn more about horse betting you should visit your local race track and learn about all the different forms of gambling.

Is It Curtains for Frank Lampard, or Can Jose Mourinho Prolong His Career?

"Don't know when this chance might come again, good times got a way of comin' to an end."

With a back catalog including such hits as "Born to Run" and "Dancing in the Dark" to name just two, it's not the most inventive or insightful chorus you will hear from Bruce Springsteen.

Chelsea fans, however, would have found more meaning last season in the relatively unknown "Let's Be Friends" from the 2002 album The Rising than any other of The Boss' songs.

This personal indulgence in Springsteen's lyrical genius has a point, as for long parts of 2012-13 it seemed Frank Lampard's time was up at Stamford Bridge, with the club appearing adamant he would not receive a new contract at the end of the campaign (via the Guardian).

Good times do indeed have a way of comin' to an end, but for Lampard, a return of 17 goals that saw him surpass Bobby Tambling as the club's all-time goalscorer has prolonged the party somewhat, eventually earning him a reprieve. He signed on for one more year at Stamford Bridge in May.

It was some turnaround, and as Blues fans rejoiced, Lampard himself struggled to hide his delight at being given one more shot at lifting even more silverware at the club he has served for well over a decade.

"Everybody knows I always maintained the dream was to stay at Chelsea," he told ChelseaFC.com. "I love this club, the staff, the players and especially the supporters, who have treated me fantastically since the day I arrived.

"The thought of helping the club to more success in the forthcoming years is all I ever wanted. I couldn't be happier."

How he is feeling now, though, is anyone's guess. For a player once lauded for his fitness and ability to avoid the treatment table, a troublesome Achilles injury during preseason is slowly becoming an alarming sign for Lampard.

He said so himself—this one-year contract isn't a temporary thing, he's looking beyond 2013-14, wanting to bring Chelsea "more success in the forthcoming years."

Will his body allow him to, though?

When Jose Mourinho first arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004, he was tasked with making Lampard the world's best midfielder. He duly succeeded. Now he has to prolong his career.

In more recent seasons it's been the odd thigh strain here and there that has kept the Englishman away from action, but other niggles are now beginning to raise questions as to his physical ability.

The new season is just a fortnight away, and Lampard is yet to get any serious game time under his belt as he struggles with injury. That's got to be a concern for Mourinho. It will be a concern for Lampard, also.

At 35, suggesting his body is struggling or will struggle to hold up to the Premier League's physical demands is an easy assumption to make, but now more than ever, the questions about Lampard's durability are being asked.

Mourinho remains calm over the situation, saying in the Daily Mail this week that he expects Lampard to return to action soon while the club is on tour in the U.S. for the Guinness International Champions Cup.

"Hopefully he plays [on the tour], I won't say the second match but maybe the third or fourth," he commented.

Perhaps Mourinho knows something we don't. After all, he is the man who helped prolong the career of Javier Zanetti, who at almost 40 years old is still going strong at Inter Milan.

Whatever magic the Portuguese worked with Inter's Argentinean, Lampard knows he's going to need a similar intervention from Mourinho if the curtain isn't going to fall on his Chelsea career this season.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo Overpaid or Underpaid?

Just like most football superstars in the modern game, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is handsomely rewarded for his efforts on the field. The Portugal international became one of the richest players in the world upon moving to Spain, earning millions of dollars a year. 

But as rumours mount that Madrid's man is keen to see his salary increase once again to commit his future to the Bernabeu, are his club getting value for money out of him?

Even before any projected pay increase, Cristiano finds himself amongst the richest in the game. A recent study by renowned financial magazine Forbes placed the forward at 31 in their list of the 100 richest celebrities, in the middle of an unlikely sandwich between Donald Trump and Jay-Z. 

According to the magazine, Ronaldo earns a staggering $23m a year from salary and bonuses alone, a figure that rises to a total of $44m when including endorsements and sponsorship. The Sun furthermore reports his current base salary as £200,000-a-week.

Lionel Messi, just out of interest, enters the same list at 39, between David Letterman and Adam Sandler, with an income of just over $41m. 

According to The Sun, however, this amount is not enough for Madrid's star. According to the newspaper, Ronaldo wants a substantial improvements in his terms in order to stay put: 

First up he wants an annual wage of £17m from Madrid, which works out at about £345,000 per week.

But he is also demanding 100 per cent of his image rights contract from the club, which could be worth as much as £15m per year.

But does he merit almost double his current, arguably already inflated salary? Statistics are certainly on his side. Ronaldo has scored over a goal a game for Madrid, a outstanding 201 in just 199 appearances. Such a record outstrips easily anyone on his own side, and on a world level only Messi in recent seasons has been able to compete against such prolific scoring. 

From the rangy winger that began at Sporting, Ronaldo has developed into a strong, lightning quick forward adept at finishing with both feet and his head. His wages may not come cheap, but it is hard to see who, short of a highly improbable move for Ronaldo's Argentine rival, could even come close to such numbers. 

But do the records tell the whole story? In that same four-season spell that has seen his goal totals reach extraordinary heights, Ronaldo has lifted a paltry two major trophies: a Liga title in 2011-12 and the Copa del Rey from the previous season. 

In three of the four years Madrid have been outgunned by Barcelona to the title, while their Champions League quests have never advanced past the semi-finals. The team has been built around the scoring talents of Ronaldo, further exaggerating his ability in front of the net; but could this be what is holding one of the richest, most powerful clubs in the world back from glory?

Ronaldo's latest alleged complaints over remuneration, combined with the furore unleashed last season when he declared himself "sad" and refused to celebrate his goals, as reported by the Telegraph, point to a player who believes himself above the team. His talent is beyond question, but it may be that Madrid now need someone whose first priority is not how many mediocre defences he can destroy in order to boost his own figures. 

It may be that a team figurehead who plays with the team, and for the team, is what is necessary to reverse the last five years of underachievement. And if so, it may be that Ronaldo, more than ever, is becoming an expensive luxury at the Bernabeu.