Friday Fulham Stuff (01/08/14)...

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Hull reportedly lining up a deal for former Fulham defensive stalwart

According to the Daily Mail, Hull City are considering a move for former Fulham captain Brede Hangeland. The 33-year-old is a free agent following his release from the London outfit at the end of last season.

The experienced Norwegian made 267 appearances for the Cottagers, having arrived in 2007. However, towards the closing stages of the previous campaign, during the club's unsuccessful fight to avoid relegation, he was unable to maintain the faith of his team-mates, resulting in his eventual departure.

Bruce regularly opted for a three-man central defence last season, favouring a 3-5-2 formation over the more conventional 4-4-2. Consequently, James Chester, Alex Bruce and Curtis Davies played starring roles as the Tigers achieved a 16th placed league finish and an FA Cup runners-up medal.

If Hull persist with a similar set-up this term, Hangeland would slot in nicely alongside Chester and Davies, forcing the less convincing Bruce to spectate with his dad from the side-lines.

The imposing centre-back would be an astute addition to Steve Bruce's side. His aerial ability and leadership qualities are all welcome attributes for a defender, whilst his top flight experience, especially when it comes to beating the drop, will be invaluable.

   Team   Pos   Tackle Succ (%)   Aerial Succ (%)   Pass Succ (%)   Effective Clear / apps   Intercep Won / apps   Block / apps   mins / Defensive Error    Apps   Mins
Brede Hangeland   Fulham   DF   83.33   67.86   82.40   7.96   1.61   0.70   953.00   23   1,906
Curtis Davies   Hull   DF   76.71   64.04   78.93   8.78   2.81   0.86   3,326.00   37   3,326
James Chester   Hull   DF   69.77   50.55   80.76   4.38   1.96   0.88   1,868.00   24   1,868
Alex Bruce   Hull   DF   63.64   55.26   78.91   5.50   1.30   0.85   0   20   1,594

Last season's statistics highlight the impact Hangeland could have upon arrival at the KC Stadium. The Norwegian would provide a significant upgrade in terms of his passing, tackling and ability in the air. He is, however, more susceptible to errors and completes fewer blocks than any current Hull first-team defender.

After completing deals for Harry Maguire and Andy Robertson on Tuesday, Hangeland would become Hull's third defensive addition of the summer window.

However, the Tigers could face competition for the 33-year-old's signature, with West Ham United and Stoke City also showing an interest in acquiring his services.



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/30/cl-hull-reportedly-lining-up-a-deal-for-former-fulham-defensive/?

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Why Huddersfield Town's Oliver Norwood could be the perfect fit for Fulham

Huddersfield Town's Oliver Norwood has been linked with a summer move to Fulham (Picture: AP Photo)

The way in which the rumour mill dries up once you're out of the Premier League is a strange phenomenon.

For 13 successive years, a Fulham fan's morning coffee would be greeted with a, most likely, falsified transfer story linking every Tom, Dick and Harry with Craven Cottage.

But now, thanks to our disastrous demotion, transfer links are becoming more and more hard to come by, and we are left picking at scraps.

One that has flown under the radar, as it were, is a proposed move for Huddersfield Town midfielder Oliver Norwood. A bid in the region of £1million, reportedly, would suffice to tempt Mark Robins' hand.

As a central midfielder, he is very much the type of player we are after, yet, if you take in the views of a smattering of Terriers fans, Norwood is a man they are quite content to let go.

It's a strange one, because since leaving Manchester United in 2011, to join Coventry City on loan, he has carried an aura of mediocrity, in the realm of other United academy products like Tom Cleverley or Darron Gibson.

Yet, and this is not just for the sake of being positive, Norwood could be exactly what Fulham need in their ever-shrinking midfield.

At 23 years of age, he'll have the legs to complement a weary Scott Parker and the potential to blossom into a perfectly rounded, Felix Magath-moulded central midfielder.

He's a fantastic passer of the ball and is creative to match, while his set piece delivery could easily outdo that of one of our best, Chris David.

Naturally, at that price and with his chequered history, he does not possess gleaming attributes and nor will he set the Championship alight.

With the more flashy, potent players in front of him, though – perhaps Bryan Ruiz, possibly David – he is the perfect blend of defensive solidity and offensive creativity, someone who can shore up our midfield and link our back line to our forwards.

As with any transfer, he could flop. At only £1m, and with ample Championship experience behind him, however, it's clear the risk is only slight.

And given the paucity of central midfielders we currently possess, perhaps a small risk would really be worthwhile.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/31/why-huddersfield-towns-oliver-norwood-could-be-the-perfect-fit-for-fulham-4815955/?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Craven Corner: Why the signing of ex-Arsenal man makes Fulham's season more exciting

Our Fulham blogger is looking forward to the new season and has been impressed with the club's summer transfer business.

If you've been reading this blog, you will have read my fears about Felix Magath taking over at the beginning and how I believed he was the wrong man for the job. But since the summer has started, Felix has changed my opinion of him.

Not only does the squad look happier and the football on show is much more attractive, he has continued to rebuild the squad full of younger and creative players.

Since the last blog, we have signed Thomas Eisfeld, a player with a great reputation and high expectations. Many Arsenal fans were sad to see the youngster leave and Laurent Koscielny even claimed Thomas Eisfeld was the player to watch out for this season (Decent review aye?)

I expect that young Eisfeld will play a key role in our team next season as we seek to bounce back to the Premier League.

Eisfeld has the ability to play in a range of different central roles which will make him the number one candidate to partner Scott Parker should Felix like to play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2. Alternatively, if Felix decides to play Chris David out wide in a Diamond system, then Eisfeld could easily play in the role behind the two strikers.

How the board managed to keep this deal quiet and sign him for around £1m is quite the steal and probably the best signing for us this summer.

Felix has also convinced Kostas Stafylidis to sign on loan this season, with a view of a permanent deal should we get promoted. Another Greek to join Fulham and once again, a player who comes with a strong reputation.

Stafylidis is primed to be the next long-term national left back for Greece with Holebas getting older. Kostas earned a move to Bayer Leverkusen at a young age and at only 20 years old has come to join us on loan.

This is great news, after the amount of different left backs that were linked with us we have managed to sign the best one available. As we have already seen in the pre-season friendlies, Kostas loves to bomb forward but due to his hard-work and speed is more than comfortable with the defensive aspects of his role.

He's already scored more goals than John Arne Riise has for us, but then again that wasn't hard. A player who I wish we could sign on a permanent deal already, but if we are to achieve our objectives this season the Greek could become a permanent fixture at left back for years to come.

Lastly, we have signed one of the trialists in Adil Chihi. An attacking midfielder and winger from Morocco who was once tipped to be the next big thing during the earlier days of his career at FC Koln.

Felix Magath knows the player well from his time in charge of numerous clubs in the Bundesliga and whilst he has only signed a one-year deal, I can't imagine Adil playing many games next season except to cover for an injury.

It seems that the squad numbers have also been released for the upcoming season and strangely Larnell Cole has not been assigned a number. It could well mean that the youngster is off on loan in the next coming days or potentially could be sold.

I'm sure we will find out more about this soon. I want to wish David Stockdale all the best in his move to Brighton, a poor decision by the board to sell the goalkeeper but it's time to move on.

Strangely, Maarten Stekelenburg has been assigned the number one jersey, and it would be a coup to keep the Dutch shot stopper for next season, but I doubt that very much due to interest from Ajax and Sevilla.

But with a new and improved back four in front of him, our defence would be incredible should Maarten stick with us.

I'm still excited to see how the time remaining in the transfer window pans out for us as a club.

We have been linked with Lamine Sane of Bordeaux who can play as a defensive midfielder and as a centre back. He would be a big signing should it happen, but there is plenty of interest in the Senegalese enforcer.



http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/fulham/the_craven_corner_why_the_signing_of_ex_arsenal_man_makes_fulham_s_season_more_exciting_1_3707901

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Kostas Mitroglou or Ross McCormack: Who will lead the line for Fulham?

With two international strikers on their books, how will Fulham incorporate the attacking talent of Kostas Mitroglou and Ross McCormack into their team?

Head coach Felix Magath has a varied history in terms of how he uses his forwards. His spell with Stuttgart saw a lone striker used, with an alteration between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, before settling on a lopsided 4-4-2 - with one striker sitting deep as a playmaker.

Whilst leading Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in 2005, he deployed a striking partnership of Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro in front of a four-man midfield diamond - a formation he then continued to use at Wolfsburg.

However, by the close of the 2011/12 season, the German coach had turned Wolfsburg completely into a 4-2-3-1 outfit - preferring the tactical solidity that one out-and-out striker brings.

He carried his modern day preference for a lone striker into his regime at Fulham. Since taking over in February 2014, Craven Cottage has witnessed a mixture of 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-1-1 used exclusively - with Darren Bent or Hugo Rodallega leading the line.

The Cottagers defeated East Fife 3-0 on Saturday in their first pre-season friendly, and they once again used only one striker - with 17-year old academy prospect Moussa Dembele sitting ahead of an attacking midfield two.

Considering the low level of opposition, and Magath's desire to hold the same defensive shape, it appears apparent that the 60-year old German has no intentions of switching back to a striking partnership for the upcoming Championship season. Whilst using only one striker is commonplace nowadays, it throws up something of a conundrum for Fulham - who have recently signed last season's top scorer Ross McCormack for a fee believed to be of around £11 million.

For the fee paid, many believe that McCormack - who netted 28 times in the Championship last season - should be a guaranteed starter as the Cottagers search for an immediate return to the Premier League. However, Greek international Kostas Mitroglou - who has suffered a period of ignominy since signing in January - will be looking to kick-start his career with a successful season in the second division.

If one is to argue that the Greek Super League is of a higher quality than the Sky Bet Championship, then it is hard to see past 26-year old Mitroglou as deserving the starting role in Magath's team. In 12 games last season for Olympiakos, Mitroglou scored an incredible 14 goals - a record that takes his career tally for the Greek club up to 41 goals in 86 games. It was this scoring record that piqued the interest of a host of Premier League clubs - and had Fulham fans fawning upon his arrival.

However, his career in West London was blighted by injury, and in the three Premier League appearances he made last season - two of which were as a substitute - he failed to score. He registered just 7 shots on target - 2.3 per game - and failed to play a single key pass or complete a successful dribble.

Former Leeds captain McCormack showed the same form in Yorkshire last season as Mitroglou did in Greece, scoring regularly for a struggling Leeds side. His 28 league goals totalled 47% of the Whites entire output, and even when not scoring, he was proving a valuable creator - assisting a further eight goals.

The 27-year old found ways to impose himself upon every match, recording 3.1 shots per game, as well as playing an incredible 2.3 key passes per game - the third highest in the entire division.

Despite being able to also feature in an attacking midfield role, as well as on the left side of midfield, McCormack's greatest contributions come when playing as an out-and-out striker - and it is unlikely that he would be happy to sit on the bench following his high profile move.

Both Mitroglou and McCormack offer an exciting prospect to Fulham fans for the upcoming season, who will believe that the striking talent in their team will be enough to secure an immediate return to the top flight. However, with Felix Magath's devotion to a lone striker, it appears as if one may miss out on a spot in the first-team. Although rotation is an option, neither player will be happy with no guarantee of their importance to the team, and an unhappy player never performs to the top of their abilities.

Whatever the answer to fill the team with the striking talent on offer, Magath has surely got a tough, problem filled month ahead of him.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/09/bhkostas-mitroglou-or-ross-mccormack-who-will-lead-the-line-for/

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Eisfeld Settling In

Fulham new boy Thomas Eisfeld is already feeling like part of the team following his move from North to South-West London last week.

The German youngster arrived from Arsenal to bolster Manager Felix Magath's options ahead of the 2014/15 campaign, and he told fulhamfc.com that he already feels like one of the boys.

Speaking from the squad's hotel in Innsbruck, Eisfeld said: "I think I'm settling in very well. The lads have been very nice to me, and there are a lot of Germans around as well which has been good – the Manager and most of the coaching staff are German so that makes it quite easy to settle in and I think I'm fitting in quite well."

He may not have been at the Club for too long, but Eisfeld has already clocked up his share of air miles in Fulham colours. A trip to Jacksonville was immediately followed by the current stay in Austria, with the players' fitness of prime importance ahead of the big kick-off on August 9th.

"I've done about a week and a half of pre-season with Fulham and it has probably been one of the hardest I've ever done," the 21-year-old admitted. "We've had some really tough training sessions – there's playing football, doing possession work and playing games, but I've been doing some extra running and some extra fitness work so it's quite tough but I'm going to be better for it. I'm going to be fitter after, and stronger."

Eisfeld will be operating with number seven on his back this season, and the versatile playmaker is raring to pull the Whites shirt on for the first time in a competitive game when we travel to Ipswich Town in little over a week.

"I'm looking forward to wearing it, obviously it's a very good number," he stated. "The Manager said I could play as a 10, I could play on the left side, I could play on the right side, so we will see.

"Everyone is looking forward to the first game. We want to do well this season and I think we are going to do well."

Tickets for next Saturday's game at Portman Road are still available for fans to buy, so grab yours today to ensure you're there to back the Whites as the new campaign gets underway!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/31/eisfeld-settling-in?

[WhiteJC]

 
New quids on the block: Why financial disparity is threatening to ruin the Championship

You only have to glance at the deals made so far by the three relegated Premier League clubs to notice the gulf in monetary terms

Ross McCormack's blockbuster £11m move from Leeds United to Fulham has raised eyebrows

When news emerged at the tail end of June that Leeds United were set to bank a staggering £11m for star striker Ross McCormack from Fulham, eyebrows around the Championship were raised as one.

How could a team in the second-tier of English football finance a move of such monstrous proportions having suffered relegation from the top flight?

The Cottagers hardly boasted a meagre wage budget last season either before their demise, with Maarten Stekelenburg, Brede Hangeland, Jonny Heitinga, Scott Parker, Bryan Ruiz and others all sure to have been sitting on a hefty wage packet.

Granted, many of their highest earners have since been moved on as manager Felix Magath launched a mass exodus of the flops which had been unable to preserve their status as a Premier League club.

And by offloading so many underperformers, it has gone some way to offsetting the deal for McCormack, but it also emphasises the disparity which has formed in the Championship thanks to parachute payments.

The competitive nature of this league is at risk of eroding in the face of relegated top-flight clubs seeing their coffers swelled to the tune of a neat £60m, spread across four years.

While Huddersfield Town are sensibly adhering to the measures set out by Financial Fair Play, evidenced by the free signings of Joe Murphy and Lee Peltier and a loan deal for Radoslaw Majewski, the relegated trio's increased transfer budgets are aiding their cause.

Norwich City and Cardiff City - the other two teams to have dropped into the Championship - have also spent heavily, with the Canaries' two additions Lewis Grabban and Kyle Lafferty both arriving for fees.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been slightly more frugal in terms of the cost of their transfers, but the fact they have brought in five players this summer suggests the windfall the respective relegated clubs have received is arming them with funds which the rest of the division can only dream of.

That is illustrated most by the way the others have conducted themselves in the market so far this summer.

Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Charlton Athletic, Derby County, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United, Watford and Wigan Athletic are the only other teams to have spent a fee.

Within that, there are noticeable caveats, with Bournemouth's move for Callum Wilson a direct consequence of Lewis Grabban's move to Norwich from the Cherries for instance.

Likewise, Sami Hyypia has spent a chunk of the money he accrued from the sale of Leonardo Ulloa to promoted outfit Leicester City on drafting in Chris O'Grady and Fulham's David Stockdale.

And just seven of those clubs have purchased more than one player during the close season. Rotherham United have been the most notable exception to the rule by being the busiest club in the window but they themselves have profited from a cash injection due to their play-off final win last term.

While not rating quite as highly as the Championship play-off final's sum of prize money, the Millers were able to enjoy a total of around £4m for their ascent to the second tier as various revenue payments rise.

But that pales into insignificance when you assess the money being bandied about at the top end of the league.

It emerged in May that Premier League clubs are attempting to alter the way in which parachute payments are staggered, with the four-year plan supposedly flawed by the lofty wages that Premier League footballers command.

Teams want this shortened to two years to equip them with the requisite funds to compensate for an increase in wages but there must surely be a real fear amongst Championship clubs about what this means for them and the gulf it is creating.

Payments across two years would supply the three relegated sides with £30m immediately and what is considered an insurance policy against freefall down the footballing ladder may soon be about to swing back the other way and allow clubs an easy ride of it in the Championship.

As recently as 2012, clubs were receiving £48m across four years, so the calls for a two-year plan seem audacious in the extreme.

Signings like McCormack, Grabban and Adam Le Fondre are byproducts of such lavish parachute payments and they are increasing the disparity between those operating sensibly in the transfer market and those who are being effectively rewarded for failure.


http://www.examiner.co.uk/sport/football/news/championship-new-quids-block---7543268?

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Crystal Palace to secure signing of former Fulham captain Brede Hangeland on Friday
Towering 33-year-old spent six-and-a-half years with the Cottagers
Tony Pulis will pair the Norwegian with Scott Dann next season
The opportunity to stay in London played a part in defender's decision
Hull were also interested in bringing in his experience

Crystal Palace are poised to win the battle to sign Brede Hangeland on Friday.

The towering 33-year-old was released by Fulham via email at the end of the season and has held talks with Hull City with Steve Bruce keen to add experience alongside Curtis Davies and new signing Harry Maguire.

However, Tony Pulis has managed to convinced the experienced Norwegian to stay in London and form a partnership with Scott Dann for next season.


Target: Former Fulham defender Brede Hangeland is on his way to Crystal Palace

Hangeland left Craven Cottage under a cloud after six-and-a-half years in west London.

He said he would have been willing to stay with Fulham in the Championship had he received assurances about the future direction of the club


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2712580/Crystal-Palace-secure-signing-former-Fulham-captain-Brede-Hangeland-Friday.html#ixzz397upmNhL
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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Albion keeper Stockdale sees positives in defeat

David Stockdale insists there were plenty of positives in defeat for Albion against Southampton.

The £1 million goalkeeper from Fulham conceded three goals on his debut against the classy Saints but refused to be downhearted.

Stockdale said: "It was against quality opposition. It wasn't so much a gulf in class but you could tell the quality tactically they had and I don't think there are many teams that could match that in the Championship.

"I don't think we were disgraced at all. Obviously it was a pre-season friendly, they were changing things around and so were we.

"There are plenty of positives to come out of it if you look at the opposition we will come up against and how we know we can play. At times we played out really well from the back. We'd like to get a few more shots on goal but it's not easy against Southampton. The difference in class is pretty big."

Stockdale, rusty after a lack of pre-season action with Fulham, accepted blame for Southampton's first goal struck from 20 yards by Serb midfielder Dusan Tadic.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "My position was a little bit wrong. I'm the first to tell anyone. I went in and told the lads it was down to me and it certainly won't happen again. It was just about getting my positioning. When you haven't played for a long time you don't lose it but it's just sharpness at times."


http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/11380804._/?

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Mitroglou to sign for Bordeaux

After what seems an eternity of rumours linking Kostas Mitrglou with a move away from Fulham to clubs like Trabzonspor & Bersitkas, Eurosport Turkey are claiming this morning that Fulham and Bordeaux have agreed a fee of EU7 million for his transfer.

The article continue that Trbzonspor have learned of the agreement and will confirm that he won't be signing for them after all the parties agreed terms.

After the move in January, the transfer to Fulham has been far from successful for both parties with Mitroglou being injured when he joined. After Magath arrived, we then had to suffer the weekly press conference being told that he hoped he would be fit the following week to play. Whether this was because he was genuinely unfit or Magath didn't want to play him I guess we'll never know.

At least it appears the daily rumours are coming to an end and Mitroglou will join a club who finished 7th in Ligue 1 last season. We hope the transfer fee will now help to fund the squad to bring in some experienced players in key positions.



- See more at: http://www.vivaelfulham.co.uk/news/mitroglou-to-sign-for-bordeaux-13-461.html?#sthash.oSdZIeDs.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Rizespor Factfile

After Wednesday's game against Simurq was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch, Fulham will be hoping for better luck at the Jenbach Stadium on Saturday when we're due to face Turkish outfit Çaykur Rizespor.

Location

The club can be found in Rize, a coastal city by the Black Sea in the north-east of Turkey. Like Simurq, the border of Georgia is not too far away, while the distance from Craven Cottage is approximately 2,050 miles.

Nickname

Heavily influenced by their location, Rizespor's nickname is the Black Sea Sparrowhawks.

History

Formed in 1953, the club was known simply as Rizespor for decades until – ahead of the 1990/91 campaign – they adopted the name Çaykur Rizespor. This is due to their sponsorship by Çaykur – Turkey's national tea company who harvest their produce in Rize.

Rizespor have been something of a yo-yo club in recent years, having spent considerable time in both Turkey's Süper Lig, as well as the division below. They are currently preparing for their second consecutive season since their return to the top flight, having endured a five-year absence.

Last year saw them secure a respectable 13th position in the Süper Lig, although their campaign would have been markedly stronger had they not gone on a barren 15-game winless run in the league from September until February.

Manager

After impressing as a youngster at first club Kahramanmaraşspor, Mehmet Özdilek was picked up by Turkish giants Beşiktaş where he went on to earn legendary status.

During a 13-year career with the Istanbul club, he won 14 trophies – including four league titles – and scored 130 goals in less than 400 games, despite the fact he operated as a midfielder. He also secured a couple of personal accolades: the league's top goalscorer in 1987, and the Turkish Player of the Year award four years later.

Since hanging up his boots, Özdilek had been in charge of several teams in his homeland before taking over at Rizespor last summer. He also took in a spell as assistant coach with the national side.


Star man

Lomana Lua Lua: Well known to fans of English football, Lomana Lua Lua made his name with Colchester United in the late 1990s, with his form prompting Newcastle United to bid £2.25m for his services.

His time in the north-east was a bit stop-start and he moved onto Portsmouth – after a successful loan spell – in 2004. The Congolese forward enjoyed a more prosperous period in Hampshire during his three years at the club, including two goals in seven appearances against Fulham.

He has since been something of a nomad, taking in spells as Olympiakos, Al-Arabi, Omonia, Blackpool and Kardemir Karabükspor, before joining Rizespor at the start of the year.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/01/rizespor-factfile?

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Nikolai Bodurov to transfer to Fulham

Team Litex can make their next big move.

According to "24 Hours" Nikolai Bodurov is very close to passing the former team of Dimitar Berbatov Fulham. Currently "Cottagers" compete in the second level of English football Championship once relegated last season. The news was reported by fan site team and argued that the Bulgarians had already joined the training camp of Londoners.

Bodurov expected to sign his contract without going broke. If this happens it will debut on Saturday against Turkish Rizespor.


http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=bg&u=http://www.bgsport.bg/nikolay-bodurov-pred-transfer-vuv-fulham-050108140836/&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25D0%259D%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9%2B%25D0%2591%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B4%25D1%2583%25D1%2580%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%2B%25D0%25BF%25D1%2580%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B4%2B%25D1%2582%25D1%2580%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BD%25D1%2581%25D1%2584%25D0%25B5%25D1%2580%2B%25D0%25B2%25D1%258A%25D0%25B2%2B%25D0%25A4%25D1%2583%25D0%25BB%25D1%258A%25D0%25BC%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den