Lets Talk Football

Ronaldo to appear on Celebrity Fit Club

Football legend Ronaldo is to appear on a Brazilian version of Celebrity Fit Club in a bid to get back into shape.

The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker has ballooned in size since retiring last year but will appear in the "Medid Certa" section of the "Fantástico" television show to try and get back into shape.

Ronaldo has already started filming with the programme's presenters and he will be followed for three months with the first episode being broadcast in Brazil this weekend.

Ronaldo said he agreed to deal with his weight issue on television as the extra pressure would keep him motivated.

"I'm enjoying participating in the program, because it is an incentive for me to lose weight," he told iG Gente.

"Maybe if I didn't have the pressure of everybody watching me trying to lose weight then I wouldn't be able to do it.

Marcio Atalla, who has been tasked with whipping Ronaldo into shape, said that former superstar's case would be an important lesson to viewers.

"The idea of choosing Ronaldo came mainly because we wanted to show that people cannot stand still," he said.

"You may have had a physically active job but if you stop and adopt a new lifestyle then your body will feel it and react to it.The exercises that keep you in shape need to be part of your routine forever."

In the first episode of the show the presenters do a complete evaluation of Ronaldo through blood tests, body measurements, electrocardiography, an exercise test and measuring the percentage of fat and muscle in the body of the former star.

"All I can say is that I will work hard, be persistent and not give up until I reach my recommended weight," said the three time FIFA World Footballer of the Year.

"I want people to be inspired by me."

Footballer fined €100,000 for drinking can of beer

Croatia champions Dinamo Zagreb have ordered defender Domagoj Vida to pay a 100,000 euro (Ł79,717) fine for opening a can of beer on the club's bus en route to a game.

"It was the most expensive beer Vida has ever had," the Jutarnji List newspaper joked.

Coach Ante Cacic immediately ordered Vida, 23, to leave the bus, which left on Monday for a cup game against lower flight side NK Vrsar later on Tuesday.

"The Dinamo management has decided to punish Vida, a Croatia international with 14 caps, with a financial penalty of 100,000 euros for his behaviour," the club, which have won the last seven Croatian championships, said on their website.

In August, Brazilian-born Dinamo midfielder Sammir was fined 270,000 euros for partying in a Zagreb night club on the eve of a Champions League qualifying match against Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol.

The average monthly salary in Croatia is around 750 euros.

Football team demands players take polygraph

Players and coaches at Bulgarian first division club Lokomotiv Plovdiv have been told to take lie detector tests after their surprise 1-0 loss to basement side Botev Vratsa on Saturday stoked concerns about match-fixing.

Lokomotiv, Bulgarian champions in 2004, suffered their first loss of the season to lowly Botev Vratsa, who had been bottom of the table after a run of five consecutive defeats.

Lokomotiv's owner Veselin Mareshki told local media on Tuesday he had to be sure there were no other factors behind the team's loss.

"Nobody is insured against defeats but this loss is very strange," Mareshki said.

"The fair play principle is the most important thing for me and all players and coaches will take lie detector tests."

Earlier this month, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) said a prosecutor has opened an investigation into claims of match-fixing in four domestic games this season.

Spartak Pleven's junior team have been expelled from the domestic U-19's championship for match-fixing even before the results of the investigation have been announced.

Most games in the Balkan country's junior championship are included on bookmakers' betting coupons.

Media reports have claimed match-fixing and corruption have been rife in Bulgaria for years, but no one has been brought to trial with the European Commission criticising the authorities for doing little to fight the problem.

Reuters

Premier League - Premier League secures huge US TV deal

NBC Universal has won the US broadcast rights to England's Premier League for the next two seasons, beating current rights holders Fox.

The deal raises major questions over the future of Fox’s football coverage on Fox Soccer Channel, which has now lost rights to North America's Major League, Italy's Serie A and its flagship English league but retains rights to UEFA's Champions League.

The Premier League statement did not give financial details of the deal but Sports Business Daily cited sources saying NBC's bid equates to more than triple the $23 million (Ł14.3 million) per year Fox is reportedly paying.

ESPN, who sub-licence games from Fox, will also be without the Premier League after making a strong effort to promote Saturday morning games on their network.

The Premier League has grown in popularity in recent years with viewing figures rising significantly.

Last season a tape-delayed broadcast of Chelsea v Liverpool in November drew a US record 1.7 million total viewers on Fox's free-to-air channel.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, said that by using multiple channels the Premier League would get unprecedented exposure in the US.

"The Premier League is the pre-eminent football league in the world and is on the cusp of exponential popularity growth here in the US," Lazarus said.

"NBCU will provide the broadest programming and promotional commitment that the league has ever experienced here in the US. The Premier League provides NBCU with best-in-class content for 10 months of the year across our far-reaching broadcast, cable and digital platforms. This is a perfect match."

The Premier League said that NBC, NBC Sports Network and NBC online will all be used to present live Premier League coverage, as well as Telemundo and mun2 channels for Spanish-language coverage.

The channels that will be used have a combined reach of 95 per cent of the US viewing public each month, the league said.

"The NBC Sports Group has an excellent track record in sports broadcasting and will showcase the Premier League to fans across the US through its extensive network of channels and high-quality production," said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore.

Premier League teams have taken advantage of their growing profile in the US, with many of them holding pre-season friendlies there which have drawn large crowds.

The deal is the latest major change in the football television market in the US coming after Al-Jazeera-owned BeIN Sport grabbed the rights to Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga from Fox and Gol TV.