Galliani: Kaka can leave Milan in the summer

With elite European qualification well beyond the Rossoneri this season, the club chief revealed that the Brazilian midfielder is allowed to depart this year

Adriano Galliani has revealed that Kaka can leave AC Milan in the summer due to a clause in the midfielder's contract regarding Champions League football.

The Brazilian only returned to San Siro last summer having spent four years at Real Madrid, where he had fallen into obscurity alongside the likes of Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric

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Kaka's comeback season happens to have coincided with the worst Milan season in recent memory as Massimiliano Allegri was axed in January with the Rossoneri languishing in midtable while Clarence Seedorf's arrival has not heralded the instant turnaround some fans might have hoped.

Galliani, who himself has been under pressure from fan groups to step down over poor signings in recent transfer window, admitted that the 31-year-old is permitted to leave as bagging elite European football is well beyond Milan this campaign.

"It’s very simple," the club CEO told Sky Sport. "Kaka has a contract until June 30 in 2015, but if we don’t qualify for the Champions League then he has a clause allowing him to leave.

"We will discuss it, but I firmly believe he will stay."

Before Milan's clash with Chievo on Sunday, Kaka insisted that he has no plans to leave the Rossoneri in the summer by suggesting his 300th game for the club will be far from his last.

"There is always so much talk about the future," the Brazilian told the club's website. "I said I’d like to play in America, but there is time. I see myself in the Rossoneri shirt and hope to continue for a long time.

First competitors, now co-stars: Aishwarya, Sushmita may be seen together in film

Having been part of the Miss India 1994 contest, Sushmita beat Aishwarya and was selected for the Miss Universe contest and the latter, for Miss World. PHOTOS: FILE

After a long hiatus, former beauty queens and actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sushmita Sen may finally be out of the doldrums.

Once competitors in the Miss India 1994 beauty contest, Aishwarya and Sushmita were selected to represent India in the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants respectively, which they also won.

Now, the two former beauty queens may be sharing the screen together. Following the birth of Aishwarya’s daughter Aaradhya, the rumour mill was churning out that the Devdas diva will be making a comeback, reports the Times of India.

According to reports, she has shown interest in Prahlad Kakkad’s directorial debut film Happy Anniversary, where, if the deal is sealed, she will be seen opposite husband Abhishek Bachchan. The couple is presently going through the script of the film, which will be produced by Gaurang Doshi.

Recently, Kakkad approached Sushmita to play an important supporting role in the film. Sources said that he met the actor and when offered the role, she reportedly loved it. Kakkad confirmed, “If all goes well, we should have Sushmita in Happy Anniversary. It will be a pleasure to work with her.”

Earlier in the day, Aishwarya and Sushmita were said to share cold relations. Having been part of the same competition, Sushmita beat Aishwarya in the running to be chosen as Miss Universe and subsequently, the latter, who was the first runners-up, was chosen for the Miss World contest.

In an interview with indiatoday.in in 1994, Aishwarya said, “The Miss India contest was very narrow between Sushmita and me, so the [judges] thought if she could get Miss Universe, I could bag Miss World.”

However, according to a source close to the film, the rivalry between the two ladies is long over. “If both are satisfied with the length and quality of their respective roles, they won’t allow their personal equation to come in the way,” the source said.

Kakkad will share the script with Sushmita next week. “She wants to read it and judge the role for herself. Fair enough.” He commented. Her character is that of a woman who is stuck in a bad marriage and eventually breaks free.

Aishwarya’s character begins with a 21-year-old version of her and the story unfolds over the next eight years. She will later be seen pregnant with twins.

Happy Anniversary deals with the topic of marital problems and will be mainly shot in South Africa.

Aishwarya, who was panned for gaining weight post-pregnancy, is currently losing a few more kilos before she is seen on reel. A friend of hers shares that she may possibly start shooting for a Mani Ratnam film soon.

We can’t wait to see the former queens who reigned over our hearts together on the big screen.

Back to what he does best

Schwarzenegger feels action scenes aren’t as easy for him to perform now due to his age. PHOTO: FILE

LOS ANGELES: Veteran actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is reprising his role asTerminator in the fifth installment of the namesake franchise, finds action scenes physically demanding, but promises to surprise the audience with interesting twists inTerminator: Genesis.

The actor was merely 37 when he first played the character in the classic 1984 movie. Now, at the age of 66, he found the action scenes taxing on his body, but he says that the context of the story still has relevance.

“The way that the character is written, it’s a machine underneath,” Schwarzenegger told MTV News, reports contactmusic.com.

“It’s this metal skeleton. But above that is human flesh. And the Terminator’s flesh ages, just like any other human being’s flesh. Maybe not as fast, but it definitely ages,” said the actor-politician.

Talking about the action scenes, he said: “Sometimes it does get more difficult when you’re 66 years old and doing this kind of action, versus when you’re in your 30s or in your 40s.”

“Terminator deals a lot with time travel, so there will be a younger T-800, and then what that model does later on when it gets reprogrammed, and who gets a hold of him. So there will be all kinds of interesting twists in the movie, but I feel so good.”

Schwarzenegger wasn’t a part of the fourth Terminator movie released in 2009, but he doesn’t plan to miss out on any more of them.

“I was upset that I couldn’t be in the fourth Terminator, because I was governor (of California) so they did the fourth one without me. It made me cry a little bit. But I did say, ‘I’ll be back,’ so now I’m back again and it’s going to be really terrific,” he added.

The movie will release July 1, 2015.

A parting gift

Scott has left her entire estate to Jagger, ruling out all blood relatives, including her siblings. PHOTO: FILE

NEW YORK: Fashion designer L’Wren Scott, who committed suicide earlier this month, has left her entire estate of $9 million to her long-time boyfriend, Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, according to a will filed in New York court.

Scott, 49, a favorite designer of Hollywood stars such as Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams, left jewelry, clothing, furniture, automobiles and property to Jagger, whom she had been in a relationship with since 2001.

She omitted her two siblings in the will, which was signed on May 23, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.”I give the rest and residue of my estate to Michael Philip Jagger,” the will said. “Except for otherwise provided in this will, I have intentionally omitted to provide herein for any of my heirs at the date of my death.” Court papers estimated the value of her personal estate at $9 million.

Scott was found dead in her New York apartment in Manhattan’s upscale Chelsea neighborhood on March 17. The medical examiner’s office ruled that the former fashion model and stylist had committed suicide by hanging.

At the time of her death, Scott’s company, LS Fashion Limited, was thought to be facing mounting debt. Company accounts filed in London reported a loss of 4.3 million euros ($5.99 million) in 2012, an increase from a 3.0 million euro loss the previous year.

However, her New York representatives, PR Consulting, described the reports as “misleading and inaccurate,” and said Scott had been considering a restructuring of her global business. This new information regarding Scott’s financial affairs rules out money woes as a motive for suicide. It is still uncertain as to why the designer, who seemed to be doing well for herself both personally and professionally, chose to end her life in such an abrupt manner. 

Annie Khalid is letting go and moving on

Despite her bad experience, Khalid is still a firm believer in love and relationships. PHOTOS: FILE

LAHORE: 

“There were ups and downs in my personal life, so I decided to go home, rebuild and restructure,” says Annie Khalid. The singer’s career had been on hold for the past year and half or so, as she was focusing on her personal life, which included a very public divorce to businessman Malik Awan. You could call it a comeback on many levels, but her return to Pakistani music is more of a rebirth.

“I was going through the frustration of a divorce, which turned into a bit of media circus. It was not exactly what I had in mind, but it is what it is, people may assume that I am out of love or do not want to get married again, but that’s not true, I still believe in love and relationships; I am a hopeless romantic,” says Khalid.

“I think before all of this happened I was living in a bubble, but in the past year I have had to grow up at five hundred miles per hour! I had no choice, so I am better not bitter, and happier, I don’t take anything for granted anymore, and enjoy every second of my life.”

Back on the road and touring in Pakistan, Khalid is looking to come back big. While in England, she continued recording and released a track with famed British singer Rishi Rich titled Tera Yaad Kiya which made its debut at number three on iTunes. Khalid says the success of the British scene was exciting, but she missed Pakistan. She returned to the country in February and opened for the Sindh Festival.

“As much as I love the British Asian music industry, I don’t think it is as vast as you would assume it to be. I have worked both here and there. To be honest it’s an amazing industry to be in, but I feel there is a lot more activity here (in Pakistan),” says Khalid.

“For instance, the gigs in England are more intimate, with a couple of hundred people in the audience, whereas I am used to performing in Pakistan for a thousand to two thousand people.”

Annie is looking to work on a lot of new music in Pakistan, and says that her personal experiences over the last year and half have changed her approach to music. She is taking more of an active role in her lyrics and music. Her goal is to experiment and try new things which will be relevant to her music and her following.

“I had kind of lost what had made me so unique, so I want to go back to being Annie Khalid, which means different music, different songs, different lyrics and videos; so that’s what’s planned right now,” says Khalid. She also disclosed to The Express Tribune, that she will be releasing a single titled Tharki Saala, which hopes to be a bold and exciting pop song.

Khalid maintains a keen eye on a music trends and her decision to play a more active part in her lyrics is derived from need to make sure the music comes from her heart. She says she has been writing poetry since she was seven, and sometimes adds ideas to her songs from there.

“Sometimes, I open my journals and diaries and get some material from there, or if I get a random idea, I will write it in my phone or iPad, and I take to my lyricist. I have such an amazing team here in Pakistan because I am not well-versed in Urdu, so we work on it together.”

She says that the coming year will be one filled with excitement, and now that she is back in Pakistan, her goal is to enjoy every moment and make sure she provides her fans with something unique and diverse.

“There is a lot of good music that I am working on. I like to enjoy life and not things too seriously; you will see that in my music.”

English Premier League: City take aim at fragile Arsenal

City narrowed the gap on leaders Chelsea to three points thanks to their resounding 3-0 win over faltering champions United on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON: Manchester City will look to kill two birds with one stone this weekend by keeping the heat on Premier League leaders Chelsea and definitively dashing Arsenal’s title hopes.

City’s 3-0 win at Manchester United on Tuesday took them to within three points of Chelsea and with two games in hand; they are the bookmakers’ favourites to finish the campaign on top of the pile.

Arsenal are only three points behind Manuel Pellegrini’s side, but having played two games more, they cannot afford to lose when the teams meet at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Humiliated 6-0 by Chelsea last weekend, Arsenal conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to Swansea City on Tuesday, and defeat by City would likely end their title challenge for good.

Arsenal Midfielder Mathieu Flamini says they cannot afford another sloppy start.

“We have to be strong defensively; first of all because that is very important when you play against a big team who are a very offensive side,” the Frenchman, whose own goal handed Swansea a share of the points in mid-week, told the Arsenal website.

“When you play a big game, you cannot lose it in the first 10 or 15 minutes because it is not good for the rest of the match. So we have to be focused and be ready because these kinds of games are battles.”

City’s win over United will give them a spring in their step as they head to the Emirates, but with a trip to second-place Liverpool coming up in a fortnight, captain Vincent Kompany is not getting carried away.

“We have momentum, but who doesn’t have momentum at the moment?” he said. “Liverpool have momentum and Chelsea have momentum, too.

“We have a game against Arsenal and that’s good in a way because you don’t have to make a big effort to get the lads focused again.”

Chelsea look to flex muscle in Palace trip

Having decided to contest a Football Association charge of improper conduct, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho turns his attention back to preserving his side’s lead in the Premier League this weekend when they take on Crystal Palace.

The recent 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa – during which Mourinho was sent to the stands, for which he received his FA charge – confirmed that the leading teams can take nothing for granted.

And Andre Schurrle, the Chelsea attacking midfielder, has warned against complacency if Chelsea are to maintain their challenge.

“When you want to be champions you have to win every match; not only against the top teams,” said the Germany international.

Meanwhile, Manchester United manager David Moyes will hope the faltering English champions can stem the rising tide of criticism coming his way against Aston Villa in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday

Aussies flattened by Sammy’s brutal knock

Sammy plundered 19 runs off paceman Mitchell Starc in the penultimate over and then hit two sixes in James Faulkner's final over to seal a six-wicket win with two balls to spare. PHOTO: AFP

DHAKA: 

West Indies captain Darren Sammy smashed an unbeaten 34 off 13 balls to virtually knock Australia out of the World Twenty20 with a dramatic last-over win in Dhaka on Friday.

The West Indies, chasing Australia’s challenging 178 for eight, appeared headed for defeat when they were 148 for four in 18 overs, still needing 31 runs from the last two overs.

But Sammy plundered 19 runs off paceman Mitchell Starc in the penultimate over and then hit two sixes in James Faulkner’s final over to seal a six-wicket win with two balls to spare.

It was the second win in three games for the defending champions in Group Two of the Super-10s. Australia’s second successive loss meant they may not qualify for the semi-finals even if they beat India and Bangladesh in their remaining games.

Sammy and Dwayne Bravo (27 not out) put on a match-winning stand of 49 in 19 deliveries after opener Chris Gayle had hammered 53 off 35 balls at the start.

Faulkner, who had annoyed the West Indies players before the match by saying he did not like them, was at the receiving end of barbs by Gayle and Sammy after the match.

“When you come to shoot – shoot, don’t talk,” Gayle tweeted.

Meanwhile Sammy said: “We were pumped up for this game. It was really nice to see Faulkner bowling the last over. A lot of things were said before this match and you never wake up a sleeping lion.”

We didn’t bat too well: Bailey

Australian captain George Bailey said he had hoped for a bigger total by his team.

“I don’t think we batted particularly well” he said. “We lost too many wickets in the middle. But the West Indies bowled really well. And Sammy stuck to his plans. He hit it nice and hard.”Gayle and Dwayne Smith put on 50 for the first wicket by the fifth over when Starc broke through by forcing Smith to edge a catch to wicket-keeper Brad Haddin.

Gayle, who began with four consecutive boundaries off Starc, was dropped by Haddin off Glenn Maxwell when he was on 26.

The left-hander hit six fours and two sixes when he fell in the 13th over, pulling 20-year-old leg-spinner James Muirhead to Maxwell on the deep mid-wicket fence.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2014.