Friday Fulham Stuff (07/12/12)...

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Alex Aids Orient's Progress

Fulham youngster Alex Smith stepped off the bench to help Leyton Orient into the Southern Section Semi-Finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Wednesday night.

Smith entered the fray on 82 minutes at Northampton Town with Orient already three goals to the good.

Orient return to npower League One matters on Saturday (3pm) when they head to Bury.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/06/alex-aids-orients-progress?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham playmaker Bryan Ruiz suffers setback in recovery from injury
Cottagers have missed the forward's inventiveness



Fulham's Bryan Ruiz faces at least four more weeks on the sidelines after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old has been missing since the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland three weeks ago and was expected to return against Newcastle.

However, Fulham manager Martin Jol has confirmed Ruiz will miss Monday's match and will be out until the New Year after suffering a setback.

"He came back on Monday then he had a setback and he will be out for at least four weeks," Jol said.

"It is the same injury. He was in the final stage of his rehabilitation and he aggravated his hamstring muscle again.

"He has had intensive screening and that highlighted some problems."

Jol has voiced his frustration in the past at the number of injuries Ruiz has picked up, especially when he has travelled back to his native Costa Rica for international duty.

The Dutchman, though, insists the hamstring complaint has nothing to do with that.

"He had this hamstring injury before, now we've found out it is a structural thing," Jol said.

"We had a second opinion and hopefully we found a solution now, but he needs treatment and he will be out for the next four weeks.

"Maybe before he went back to his country and then he came back with a different injury, but as it is now it is the same injury all the time. The same area.

"Hopefully we have found a solution. We sent him to Germany with our people and Doctor [Hans-Wilhelm] Muller-Wohlfahrt is a specialist I know from my time there.

"Hopefully he will be fine in four weeks now but of course it is a big disappointment.

"As you know, Bryan was a vital player for us and every time he played, like against Arsenal, Southampton and Wigan, he was quite important, but we've got other players. Good luck to him and he will be back after Christmas."

There has also been bad news in regards to the fitness of Zdenek Grygera, who has chosen to bring his career to an end.

The 32-year-old joined Fulham in the summer of 2011 but did not have his contract renewed at the end of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

Grygera has been continuing his rehabilitation with the Cottagers in the hope of earning a new deal, which had looked likely until a number of problems saw him rethink his playing career.

"Grygera told me that he will quit," Jol said. "He will stay with us until the December 15.

"He is retiring as it is now as he first wants to be healthy, sound and get back to his fitness because he has a few problems with his hip and his knee.

"He was probably never 100 percent, not even 90 percent, but he is an unbelievable character.

"He started two weeks ago but then after 10 minutes he had to quit again so he made the decision to call it a day for now, but you never know,

"If he feels fine in the summer, maybe he could start somewhere in Austria or in his country, the Czech Republic.

"It is a shame and it was hard for him, but he was very realistic and of course he was not under contract here because he never played games.

"I feel for him because it is tough because I think there was another two or three years in him, but it was his decision.

"He is retiring from Fulham and England. He wants to be fit, he doesn't want to end up in a wheelchair. That is actually what he said and I know what he means."



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-playmaker-bryan-ruiz-suffers-setback-in-recovery-from-injury-8389219.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Martin Jol confirms defender Zdenek Grygera has retired from football


Zdenek Grygera: Retiring from football but not ruling out return in Czech Republic

Fulham defender Zdenek Grygera has retired from football, manager Martin Jol has confirmed.

Grygera, who joined Fulham in 2011, did not have his contract renewed at the end of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

The 32-year-old, who has earned 65 international caps for the Czech Republic, continued his rehabilitation in the hope of earning a new deal but has now called time on his playing career.

"Grygera told me that he will quit," said Jol.

"He will stay with us until the December 15. He is retiring as it is now as he first wants to be healthy, sound and get back to his fitness because he has a few problems with his hip and knee.

"He was probably never 100%, not even 90%, but he is an unbelievable character.

"He started two weeks ago then after 10 minutes had to quit so he made the decision to call it a day for now.

"If he feels fine in the summer, maybe he could start somewhere in Austria or in his country, the Czech Republic.

"It is a shame and it was hard for him, but he was very realistic and of course he was not under contract here because he never played games.

"I feel for him because I think there was another two or three years in him but it was his decision.

"He's retiring from Fulham and England. He wants to be fit and not end up in a wheelchair. That is actually what he said and I know what he means."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8312625?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol to be creative in search for January transfer targets

Martin Jol is ready to get creative in his search for January acquisitions.

Fulham have not won a Premier League game since October and have failed to score in their last three games, with some suggesting the Cottagers could be dragged into the relegation battle.

Jol lost influential pair Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele to Tottenham in the summer and his squad has been badly disrupted by injuries and suspensions to key players this season.

And the manager has revealed that he will be in the market for new faces when the transfer window opens next month - although he says the search will not be straight-forward.

"We will always look to strengthen but January is not ideal because good players will stay and others you can't afford them," he said.

"But we will come up with something. We always look to strengthen."



http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/121206/jol-be-creative-search-january-transfer-targets-186902?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol's Newcastle Preview

Martin Jol revealed the disappointing news in his press conference on Thursday morning that Bryan Ruiz had suffered a setback in his injury rehabilitation.

The Costa Rican playmaker was expected to be available for selection for Monday's clash with Newcastle United at Craven Cottage (8pm), but an aggravation of his hamstring complaint means he will be out until the New Year.

"He came back on Monday and then he had a setback," Jol explained. "He will be out for at least four weeks. It's the same injury; he was in the final stage of his rehabilitation and he aggravated his hamstring muscle again.

"He has had intensive screening and that highlighted some problems. That occurred in his final training session before he was due to join us.

"He had this hamstring injury and we've found out it was a structural thing so we got a second opinion and hopefully we've found the solution now, but he needs treatment and he will be out for the next four weeks. We've sent him to Germany with our people to see a specialist I know from my time in Germany and hopefully he will be fine but, of course, it's a big disappointment because Bryan is a vital player for us.

"Every time when he played – against Arsenal, Southampton, Wigan Athletic – he was quite important. But we've got other players to replace him so good luck to him and he will be back after Christmas."

There was more positive news regarding the fitness of two other First Teamers, though, with Jol optimistic that both Sascha Riether and Alexander Kačaniklić will be available for selection against the Magpies.

Jol also confirmed that Simon Davies is back in training and expressed his pleasure at once again being able to call upon Brede Hangeland now that the defender has served his three-game ban.

"Sascha picked up a knock [against Tottenham Hotspur]," Jol explained. "It's a minor knee sprain so he could join us for training on Saturday, hopefully.

"Alex Kačaniklić is back, although in that position we were okay because I still had Kerim Frei and Hugo Rodallega. Kieran Richardson came back too and now, of course, we have Kaca as well.

"Simon Davies is back in training which is nice to see. I asked him on Wednesday and he said he loved being out there with the boys again, because it has been a long time.

"Brede is back on Monday. If you saw, for example, against Chelsea it was okay but against Stoke City we missed him and also against Spurs, although the other players did okay. For us he's a very important player – he's my Captain."

The game against the Tyneside club pits 13th versus 14th in the Barclays Premier League table and Jol is keen to see his side get back on track, although he was quick to point out that the performances have not been as bad as our winless run suggests.

"We've have to pick ourselves up and pick some points up," he admitted. "Although, in the first half against Spurs we had three or four chances more than they had, more attempts on goal.

"Against Sunderland, for example, before the red card we were the better team and that was probably the biggest disappointment because the three points would have put us almost on 20 points. We had injuries on that day as well with Bryan and Alex so I feel that we are good enough to come up with a solution.

"We feel that we will be fine but we know that we have to work hard and that is what we are doing this week ahead of our match with Newcastle."

Match tickets for the Newcastle game are still available on General Sale, priced from £40 for Adults and £20 for Juniors.

Supporters can buy online from fulhamfc.com/tickets or by calling 0843 208 1234.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/06/jols-newcastle-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM'S RUIZ BLOW

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz has been ruled out for four weeks with a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old sustained the problem while on international duty with Costa Rica which he then aggravated in the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland last month.

He was expected to return for next Monday's clash with Newcastle but will now be out until the new year.

The former FC Twente star is expected to miss the Cottagers next six Premier League games and possibly the FA Cup tie at home to Blackpool.

Ruiz, who moved from Holland for £10.6m in 2011, has scored four goals in 39 appearances for the West London side.



http://www.shoot.co.uk/news/latest_article/C52/latest_news/fulhams_ruiz_blow/?

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MOTD Foundation Feature

Fulham FC Foundation's 'My Future Goal' project, which is delivered in partnership with Barclays Spaces for Sports, has just seen another successful cohort of young people complete their 10-week programme.

The Foundation wanted to highlight the project's achievements and congratulate the young people by inviting Fulham defender Aaron Hughes and Match of the Day to join them at Craven Cottage.

'My Future Goal' is a sport and employability project for local NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) young people in Surrey, South West and Central London. Young people, aged 16-25 years old, are invited to take part in a 10-week programme which provides the opportunity to improve employability skills and confidence, as well as to gain accreditations to help them enter or return to employment.

Match of the Day were hugely impressed with the young people, who were filmed practising their newly learnt coaching skills in Bishops Park, and in a classroom-based activity, where the youngsters discussed workplace values and expectations. Hughes was able to get involved in discussions and talk about how he embraces and respects the values at Fulham and how he puts them into practice as a professional footballer.

Hughes commented: "It's important for players to support these types of projects to promote work related training and give participants the confidence and motivation to seek employment. Some participants have already been employed by the Club, which is wonderful to see."

For more information on the 'My Future Goal' project or being a part of it, please contact Fulham FC Foundation on 0870 442 5432 or visit www.fulhamfc.com.

You can view the Match of the Day feature below:



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/06/foundation-spaces-for-sport?

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Fulham in advanced talks to sign Derek Boateng in January
Martin Jol wants to capture the experienced midfield anchorman from Dnipro in the forthcoming window after failing to land him in the summer


Getty Images

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey and Liam Twomey

Fulham are in advanced talks to sign midfielder Derek Boateng in January, Goal.com can reveal.

Boateng and his representatives were at the west Londoners' Motspur Park headquarters on Wednesday to negotiate a deal to join in the forthcoming window.
The midfield anchorman is out of favour at Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, who are managed by former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos, and could be available for around £2 million.

The Ghana international, 29, was close to joining Fulham in the summer but the deal fell through on deadline day.

Martin Jol remains a big admirer of the power and energy of Boateng, who can also play at centre-back, and is keen to beef up his midfield after losing Mousa Dembele, Clint Dempsey, Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu in the summer.

Jol's plan is for Boateng to compete with Mahamadou Diarra, Steve Sidwell and Chris Baird for a central midfield role.

The much-travelled Boateng's previous clubs include Cologne and Getafe, while he is also a regular in the Ghana national team.

He signed a four-year contract when he joined Dnipro for around £4.8m in the summer of 2011 but Ramos is ready to sell the player, who is no longer a regular in the team.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/12/06/3582825/-?

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Fulham wait on defender ahead of Newcastle United clash


Sascha Riether

Fulham v Newcastle United

FULHAM are sweating on the fitness of Sascha Riether ahead of Monday night's clash at Craven Cottage.

The German defender suffered a knee injury in last weekend's defeat to Spurs and faces a race against time to be fit to face the Magpies.

Riether is due to train on Saturday, but Stephen Kelly is on stand-by if he fails to pass a fitness test.

Meanwhile, boss Martin Jol has been dealt a massive blow after Bryan Ruiz was ruled out for another four weeks as he struggles to overcome a hamstring problem.

Jol had hoped the Costa Rican would be able to return after three weeks out, only to suffer a setback in training this week that will sideline him until January.

Fulham are boosted by the return of Alex Kacaniklic after injury, while Brede Hangeland is available again after completing a three-match ban.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/12/06/82029-32375662/?#ixzz2ELp6RDnT

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U21s 1-2 Liverpool

Our Development Squad pushed a strong Liverpool side on Monday but slipped to defeat by the odd goal in three. Watch the goals.


Fulham Under-21s lost to a strong Liverpool outfit at a chilly Motspur Park on Monday afternoon.

After Cauley Woodrow had cancelled out Adam Morgan's early opener, the game could have gone either way but it was the visitors who took the spoils when Krisztian Adorjan fired home after Neil Etheridge had spilled Danny Pacheco's effort.

Liverpool took the lead with the first chance of the game with less than four minutes on the clock. A diagonal ball found Morgan in space down the right and the winger cut inside Matthew Briggs before firing beyond Etheridge to give the boys from Merseyside an early advantage.

Fulham responded three minutes later when Pajtim Kasami saw his drive comfortably gathered by Peter Gulacsi after playing a neat one-two with Captain Lasse Vigen Christensen.

Chances were rare and it took a moment of brilliant skill to see one of the goalkeepers tested again when Briggs powered past five red shirts before seeing his right-footed strike smothered by Gulacsi on 19 minutes.

In what was turning out to be a largely uneventful game, we had to wait until the 33rd minute for the next shot, but Morgan's sliced effort ended up nearer the corner flag than the goal, before Charles Banya saw his shot deflect wide at the other end.

The home side drew level with five minutes left of the half through an outrageous Woodrow strike. Alex Brister showed good footwork down the right flank before sending Woodrow in down the channel and, with the angle massively against him, the striker managed to lob Gulacsi at his far post. Cynics may say it was a wayward cross by the man who celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday, but you can bet Woodrow will be saying he meant it.

And he could have doubled his tally for the afternoon on the stroke of half-time after being found in space by Kasami, only to see Gulacsi beat his fierce shot away.

Fulham started the second period strongly and Mickael Tavares connected with a loose ball in the area within three minutes of the restart but his powerful effort was too close to Liverpool's Hungarian goalkeeper.

The away side responded through a Conor Coady effort but, as was the pattern of the game, the shot was too close to Etheridge who caught comfortably.

The Reds should have retaken the lead on 53 minutes when Michael Ngoo found himself put through one-on-one with Etheridge but the Philippines international made himself big and smothered the shot.

The Fulham stopper couldn't cope as well with the visitors' next effort though as he could only parry Pacheco's shot, with Adorjan poking home the rebound to make it 2-1.

Kit Symons went about switching things round just past the hour mark when he withdrew Vigen Christensen and Banya and replaced them with Josh Pritchard and former Everton man Tom Donegan.

The Merseyside team should have been out of sight on 68 minutes but Morgan dragged his shot wide after Etheridge had spilled another speculative effort from range.

Symons then played his final card as Ronny Minkwitz entered the action as he replaced Brister.

Another confident run by Briggs on 76 minutes saw the full-back wiped out but the referee played advantage as Woodrow took over, but the striker's curling drive landed in the grateful arms of Gulacsi.

A scramble in the area minutes later culminated in a Woodrow overhead kick that flew a yard or so wide – the striker was enjoying a lively game for the Under-21s, with his confidence brimming, although he couldn't add to his tally as the Whites searched for a way back into the match, to no avail.

Fulham: 1. Etheridge, 2. Brister, 3. Briggs, 4. Tavares, 5. Arthurworrey, 6. Grimmer, 7. Vigen Christensen (c), 8. Kasami, 9. Woodrow, 10. Altman, 11. Banya

Subs: 12. Bettinelli, 14. Pritchard, 15. Minkwitz, 16. Donegan, 17. Islamovic

Liverpool: 1. Gulacsi, 2. Flannagan, 3. Robinson, 4. Sokolik, 5. Sama, 6. Coady, 7. Pacheco, 8. Roddan, 9. Ngoo, 10. Adorjan, 11. Morgan

Subs: 12. Pelosi, 13. Ward, 14. Huertas, 15. Teixeira, 16. Smith


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/06/u21s-12-liverpool?

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Tottenham and Fulham target keen to stay at Anderlecht



Fulham and Tottenham target Dieumerci Mbokani insists it will take an "exceptional offer" to prise him away from Anderlecht next month.

The DR Congo international, who joined Anderlecht from Standard Liege in 2011, is in red-hot form  having already matched his tally from last season of 16 goals.

The 27-year-old is on the radar of Fulham, Tottenham and Juventus but has pledged his immediate future to his current club - unless an extraordinary bid surfaces during the January transfer window.

Speaking to Sporza.be, the forward said: "Unless an exceptional offer arrives in January, I will remain here until the end of the season. I am doing well at Anderlecht and I will leave soon for the African Cup of Nations."



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/121206/tottenham-and-fulham-target-keen-stay-anderlecht-186924?#ixzz2ELpn99ZC
Follow us: @talksport on Twitter
Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/121206/tottenham-and-fulham-target-keen-stay-anderlecht-186924?#c38Qb5uhPJzSjpFQ.99

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Fulham boss Martin Jol blames poor run on tiredness

Fulham boss Martin Jol says he thinks the Cottagers' recent struggles may be down to mental and physical fatigue.

Jol explains he has not had "the opportunity to rotate" his squad in recent matches due to injuries but believes Fulham will "be fine" as long as they "work hard" and indicates he will also seek to reinforce his squad in the January transfer window.

The Cottagers are bottom of the Premier League form table after taking just three points from their last six matches.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20630739?

[WhiteJC]

 
Grygera: "Thank You"

On 6th December 2012, Fulham Manager Martin Jol told the gathered press that Zdenek Grygera had made the decision to retire from English football, exactly one year and one month after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in a match with Tottenham Hotspur.

The defender has worked tirelessly in his bid to get back to fitness and managed to play for the First Team in pre-season, as well as a handful of matches for Kit Symons' Under-21 side. However, two quad injuries set his progress back before he came to the conclusion that playing Barclays Premier League football again would be a step too far.

Being the popular and jovial character that he is, though, Zdenek continues to focus on the positives and was full of praise for the Club and the support he has received since moving to SW6.

"I have to say thank you very much to Fulham," he told the official website. "Thank you to the medical staff and to everyone. I felt that there was a family atmosphere here and everyone was very friendly towards me and that made things a lot easier for me because I have been injured for more than one year and sometimes that can be hard.

"So for this I would like to thank everyone; the Manager, the Club, the Directors. I hope to come back to visit Fulham in the springtime and many times after that to see everyone. I will go on being a supporter of Fulham.

"Also, I want to say thank you to the fans. Every match when I come to Craven Cottage, the people stop me on the street and ask me how my recovery is going and how my injury is and whether I am close to signing a new contract.

"I told them that I was doing well but I needed time. So I am disappointed and my supporters will be disappointed but, for me, the important thing now is to be fit. I'm still young; 32, almost 33, so my fitness is important for the rest of my life. I don't want to take the risk of playing one or two games when my legs are not ready, which is the case at the moment.

"I think the best match for me in a Fulham shirt was the League Cup against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, although the 6-0 against Queens Park Rangers was obviously a better result. From every match I played for Fulham, though, I had a good feeling and that's why I was happy here."

Grygera admits that the decision to leave the English game has been one that he has been thinking about for a while and, as the former Czech Republic international prepares to return to his homeland, he believes that there may be some football left in him yet.

"In my head, I was already prepared for this moment," he said. "It's not like my career finished in one day. I played three or four games for the Reserve team but, while I felt good at that level, the Premier League requires another level of fitness.
"First, I need some rest for my head and that will be perfect now as it's Christmas time. I asked the Club if I could stay here until the 15th December because I want to be fit, and I want to keep getting fitter in January and February. Maybe I can play in the Czech Republic or Austria where the level is not so high – maybe.

"All my family is back home so, of course, it will be nice to spend time with them. For the future, I don't want to do nothing and I will think about my career next year."

Jol respected the former Juventus man's decision, and paid tribute to one of his first signings as Fulham boss.

"He's an unbelievable character," the Dutchman said. "It's a shame and it was hard for him, but I have to say that he was very realistic. I feel for him because it's tough; I thought there was another two or three years in him. But it was his decision.

"He's retiring from Fulham, from England, and will return to his native country and then maybe, if he feels 100 per cent [he will play again], but the first thing is he wants to be fit and sound."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/06/grygera-thank-you?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol gives green light for Fulham Christmas party

MARTIN Jol has given permission for Fulham's players to have a Christmas party.

Footballers' festive knees-ups are a tradition in England, but have become more discreet in recent years after some star names have landed themselves in hot water.

West London rivals QPR have already cancelled their party due to their perilous position at the foot of the Premier League table.

But Whites boss Jol sees no reason why his squad shouldn't be allowed a celebration after a decent start to the season.

He said: "We will have a Christmas party, but we will do it early.

"I feel our players are responsible and real pros who will come up with a good date - it won't be the 23rd December, believe me!"

However, Jol insists he won't be joining the rest of the team for the annual festivities.

He said. "The staff had a nice Christmas party on Monday on a boat on the Thames."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/12/06/82029-32377716/?#ixzz2ELqlSWPL

[WhiteJC]

 
The end of CCN

That's all folks.

We mean it this time.

You can find us on facebook, twitter, wherever you like.

Thanks for reading.  It's been epic.

Rich

(Merry Christmas!)



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/the-end-of-ccn/?

[WhiteJC]

 
LAWRO'S PREDICTION


Fulham are having a wobble. They have gone seven games without a win and have lost three out of their last four.

Newcastle know that feeling too, having ended their four-game losing streak with a much-needed victory over Wigan last Monday.

The good news for the Cottagers is that Brede Hangeland will be back from his suspension and I think they might just get the result they have been waiting for.

The Magpies are beset by injuries and it has been a difficult season for them so far.

They will start to pick up points soon, when players return to fitness, but the silver lining for Alan Pardew is that his shortage of players might mean they buy one or two more players in January than they were going to.

Like Fulham, I think Pardew's side are looking at a mid-table finish. It might not be the giddy heights of last season but they can still end up in the top half.

Prediction: 2-1


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20618151

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham close on £2m-rated Dnipro midfielder Boateng

Fulham have revived their interest in Dnipro midfielder Derek Boateng.

A loan deal for the Ghana international fell through on August 31 but Fulham are looking to make the deal permanent for around £2million next month.


Talks: Fulham target Derek Boateng

Boateng's representatives were understood to be at the club's Motspur Park training ground on Wednesday in a bid to iron out the terms.

Boateng, 29, signed a four-year contract when he joined Dnipro for around £4.8m from Getafelast year but former Tottenham coach Juande Ramos, now in charge of Dnipro, is ready to sell.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2244224/Fulham-close-2m-Dnipro-midfielder-Derek-Boateng.html#ixzz2ELt8nDLe
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