Sunderland snap up veteran SA midfielder
LONDON: Sunderland have signed South African midfielder Steven Pienaar on a short-term contract until the end of the season, reuniting him with manager David Moyes, who brought him to England from Borussia Dortmund in 2007.
The 34-year-old was a free agent as his contract with Everton, who Moyes managed until 2013, expired at the end of last season.
Pienaar made more than 200 appearances over two spells at the Merseyside club, but managed just 13 Premier League appearances over the past two seasons.
Sunderland, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, lost their Premier League opener against Manchester City last weekend and play promoted Middlesbrough tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s new manager, Antonio Conte, has no intention of diluting the passion that caused him to leap into the crowd to celebrate a late winning goal in his first Premier League game on Monday.
He is taking the same attitude to volatile striker Diego Costa, scorer of that goal, who some observers felt should have been sent off earlier in the game.
“Football is passion,” Conte said ahead of today’s visit to Watford.
“If you have this every day you can work very well. When you put a lot of time into your work, it’s good to show passion. At Chelsea they are starting to know this part of me.
“I am a passionate man. I live the game with great passion. I play with my players and I want to feel this from them. Sometimes when you score an important goal and you win, you can celebrate. I cannot hold my emotion.”
Spanish i n t e rnational Costa, who was twice suspended for three matches last season, had already been given a yellow card when he lunged in on West Ham goalkeeper Adrian, but escaped without further punishment.
“I am happy with his attitude and his behaviour,” said Conte, who joined Chelsea after Euro 2016, when his emotional touchline antics were a highlight of the tournament.
“We all know Diego. He is a passionate footballer and sometimes it can seem he’s on the edge, but he’s a good guy and a good player.”
Chelsea and Conte are both familiar with Watford’s new manager ,Walter Mazzarri, from his time in Italy with Napoli.
The London club recovered from a 3-1 deficit to knock his team out on their way to winning the Champions League in 2012.
Conte came up against him regularly while in charge of Juventus.
Last season the teams drew both their league meetings, 2-2 at Stamford Bridge and 0-0 at Watford.
Meanwhile, West Ham United will decide shortly whether record signing André Ayew has an operation on his thigh, manager Slaven Blic said yesterday.
The Ghanaian striker, signed for just over £20 million from Swansea City earlier this month, was injured during the opening Premier League game of the season, a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Monday.
“For André Ayew, there are two solutions, one with surgery and one without. We are going to decide which one soon,” Bilic says.
“He could be out for two and a half months or up to four. It shouldn’t be more. He could be back this year, and we just have to hope.”
Tomorrow West Ham face Bournemouth in their first home league game at their new ground, London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium. – Reuters