..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

'Saying my son wants to play for Real Madrid is not a sin' - Falcao's father reaffirms transfer comments

Radamel Garcia, father of Radamel Falcao, has once again risked upsetting Atletico Madrid fans by reaffirming that his son dreams of playing for rival Real Madrid.

Radamel Senior told Colombian radio station Todelar on Wednesday that his son had his heart set on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, and would look to pursue a move at the end of the current season.

The striker, who scored a hat trick in Atletico's 4-1 Super Cup victory over Chelsea last Friday, was then moved to pledge his commitment to the Vicente Calderon outfit on Twitter.

However, speaking to Colombian radio station Antena 2, his father again confirmed his son's desire to wear the Blancos jersey.

"Saying my son wants to play for Real Madrid is not a sin. He always wants to play in the best teams in the world. The next club is for him to decide," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Goal.com exclusively revealed that Manchester City lead the race to sign the 60 million euro-rated former Porto hit man, something that was alluded to in Radamel Senior's original comments.

"His dream has always been to play for Real Madrid, even though clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea have shown an interest," he had said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lloris focused on France despite recent Tottenham move

Hugo Lloris has insisted that he focused on his duties for France ahead of Les Blues’ opening World Cup 2014 qualifiers, despite his recent move to Tottenham.

France face Finland and Belarus during the international break, and the national side’s captain has dismissed claims that his deadline-day move to White Hart Lane has hampered his preparation after a summer of uncertainly over his future.

Lloris told France Football: "About my personal situation, it is neither the place nor the time to discuss this. I think I'm professional enough to make sense of things.

“Throughout the preparation [with Lyon], there was a lot of noise and a choice has been made [to sell], but I prepared myself the best ways with OL to deal with this qualifying phase. I have much desire to start this phase and I've lived a few games that can help me."

Lloris, who has made 38 appearances for France since making his debut in 2008 against Uruguay, moved to Spurs for a fee rising to 12.3 million pounds after a drawn-out transfer saga which prompted Lyon president to hit out at the north London outfit’s chairman and his handling of the negotiations.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Prandelli: Qualification is the most important, then Italy can worry about performances

http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/italy/13/italyItaly coach Cesare Prandelli has revealed that he is more concerned about qualifying for the 2014 World Cup than how well his team play.

The Azzurri won many plaudits for their performances at Euro 2012 before they were comprehensively defeated by Spain in the final, and Prandelli hopes that his players have learned from that experience as they embark on the road to Brazil.

"The key word is qualification," he said. "Then we have to worry about quality of play. The Euros gave us important experience," he told reporters at a press conference. There's a little bit of worry because everyone expects a win. However, we give our best when we are a little afraid."

The Italians travel to Sofia to face Bulgaria on Friday night, and the former Fiorentina coach believes that Kuban Krasnodar forward Ivelin Popov is a player that could do his side some damage.

"We'll find a tough atmosphere tomorrow [Friday], we are one of the teams to beat. I'm afraid of their striker Popov."

Prandelli had earlier hinted that the Azzurri would field a 3-5-2 formation with Pablo Osvaldo and Sebastian Giovinco leading the line, and the coach once again stated that both men are ready to be called upon.

"They [Osvaldo and Giovinco] are in excellent physical condition, more so than the others, who are also in good condition.The only question is De Rossi, but the situation is more yes than no."

Following the trip to Sofia, Italy will host Malta in Modena on Tuesday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lahm: European Championship disappointment has made Germany hungry

Captain Philipp Lahm is hoping Germany can put its Euro 2012 heartache behind it by kicking off its World Cup 2014 qualification campaign with maximum points.

Die Mannschaft face the Faroe Islands on Friday and Austria on Tuesday as they look to make amends for their semi-final defeat at the hands of Italy this summer.

And the Bayern Munich defender, who will make his 92nd appearance for his country against the Faroes, admitted that previous disappointments will spurs them on this time around.

"Of course, we are hungry. The exit at the European Championship was bitter, but waiting for us is a World Cup," he told reporters at a press conference. "We made mistakes against Italy. Now we have two years in which to remedy them. We want to take the next step and it is important to develop.

"We have to be organized, only then can we attack. We have practiced, but whether it works out 100 per cent tomorrow [Friday] is another matter."

Bundestrainer Joachim Low had recently revealed that Lahm will line up on the right-hand side of defense for the first qualifying fixture game, a move that is welcomed by the 28-year-old.

"I feel more comfortable on the right than on the left, so I'm glad that I can play there now," he added.

Meanwhile, Low himself was under no illusions as to what is expected from his side, especially after it notched up 10 wins from 10 in qualifying for the Euros.

"We are facing a new round of qualification matches," he said. "The last time we passed with flying colors, but I think it will be harder this time. Sweden, Ireland and Austria will demand something from us and clear victories are expected against the Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan.

"We want to win both our opening games to give us a good foundation to build on."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gerrard: England must be patient against Moldova

Captain http://www.goal.com/en-us/people/england/1902/steven-gerrard/nationalGerrad has called for England to be patient in their opening World Cup 2014 qualifier against Moldova on Friday.

Despite being positioned 138 places below them in the FIFA world rankings, the Liverpool midfielder has insisted that Ion Caras' men will pose a threat to the Three Lions as they will likely "put 11 men behind the ball".


"It can be difficult to break sides down," Gerrard told reporters. "But the good thing is that in our squad we've got players who are used to that in the Premier League - we play for top teams and you come up against teams that put 11 men behind the ball.


"As long as we're patient and don't force the issue, it doesn't matter when we score or how we win - as long as we do."The skipper is setting his sights on maximum points from England’s opening two games, with Ukraine traveling to Wembley on Tuesday.


"It breeds confidence for the team and the squad," he continued. "The idea this week is to get six points [with a game against Ukraine to come] but the important thing is to focus on Moldova. We are confident we have the players who can get the three points."


Gerrard also welcomed the inclusion of Michael Carrick back into the squad after opted to remove himself from selection for Euro 2012 due to Roy Hodgson being unable to guarantee him a regular starting berth.


"Michael is a quality player, I've played with him in a few England games," he added. "It's great to have him back available, he'll certainly make the team and the squad stronger."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Owen 'delighted and excited' by Stoke City move

New http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/england/717/stokeStroke City signing Owen has likened his move to the club to starting school again after a long summer break.

The 32-year-old was released by Manchester United this summer following the expiry of his contract, after making just 31 Premier League appearances over three injury-hit years.
Owen had been linked with moves to former club Liverpool and their Merseyside rival Everton before signing a 12-month deal at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday.


“It’s been a long summer, but I’m delighted and excited to be here,” he told the club's official website. “I was taking my son back to school today, and one of my daughters was going to school for the first time, so I said to them ‘It’s like we’re all going to school for the first day today!’


“That’s certainly how it feels when you’re meeting a lot of new people. It’s only normal though, I’ve done it before and many players have done it before.“It will take me a while to meet everyone and to bed in, but I’m certainly looking forward to it.”


The former Liverpool and Real Madrid man, who has been plagued by injury in previous seasons, also admitted he is unsure how fit he is compared to the rest of his new teammates after missing out on preseason.


“I know how I feel, but in many ways I’m unsure in terms of exactly what stage I’m at compared to the rest of the squad,” he continued. “They’ve had a long preseason, so it might turn out when I do a few tests that I’m quite a bit behind or it might be that I’m further forward than I thought – I just don’t know.“I’ll have some tests over the next few days and gauge where I am, and hopefully I’ll be out there as soon as possible.”


Owen went on to praise the Stoke City fans, who regularly top surveys as the loudest supporters in England, and admitted he cannot wait to play at the Britannia Stadium.
“Obviously they don’t get 70,000 here, but it’s full every week and pound-for-pound is definitely one of the noisiest in the country," he added. “I can only speak for when I’ve played here, but it’s always been like that. That’s certainly part of the challenge for me here and something I’m looking forward to.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Bould can make Arsenal's defence the best in the Premier League

http://www.goal.com/en-us/people/france/2843/arsene-wengerArsene Wenger has hailed the impact of new assistant manager Steve Bould in helping to shore up Arsenal's previously shaky defense.

The former Gunners center back left his post as youth team coach to replace the long-serving Pat Rice as Wenger's right hand man in the summer, and has widely been credited with helping the north London side keep three consecutive clean sheets at the start of the new season.

Arsenal conceded a club record 49 Premier League goals last season, but have kept out Sunderland, Stoke and Liverpool already this campaign.

And the Frenchman was quick to praise Bould's impact, and set his sights on maintaining their record as the country's meanest defence for the whole season.

Speaking at the UEFA elite club coaches forum in Nyon, Switzerland, the Arsenal manager said: "We have played two teams who didn't really attack, but he [Bould] is doing a good job.

"We continue our training regime. He has taken over from Pat Rice for the defensive job where he is doing very well. Will we finish with the best defence in the league? I hope so."

However, Wenger was quick to assuage fears that the appointment of Bould might see a return to the George Graham days of racking up 1-0 victories.

"No, no, we want to score goals, but Steve Bould is doing very well and I am confident we will have a good defensive record at the end of the season," he concluded.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Giroud out of France's World Cup 2014 qualifier with Finland

http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/france/17/franceFrance boss Deschamps has announced that Giroud will not be available to him for Friday's World Cup 2014 qualifier against Finland.

The French forward, who joined Arsenal this summer from Ligue 1 champion Montpellier, has been struggling with a muscle injury since joining up with the international squad.

However, Deschamps is hopeful that the 27-year-old will be fit for Les Bleus' subsequent match against Belarus on Tuesday.

“He will work apart [from the squad], which will allow him to play the next match [against Belarus]," the former Marseille coach told reporters on Thursday afternoon. “Considering it’s a muscle problem, it is better to give him more time. I would have preferred Olivier at full fitness, but [football] is like that.”


Real Madrid attacker Karim Benzema is expected to start as the lone striker against Helsinki without Giroud as competition for a starting berth in France's opening World Cup qualifier.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Podolski loving life alongside fellow Arsenal new-boy Cazorla

Arsenal forward Podolski claims that he is loving playing alongside fellow new signing http://www.goal.com/en-us/people/spain/7632/santi-cazorlaSanti Carzola,and insists that their promising partnership in Sunday's win over Liverpool is just a sign of things to come.

The German international scored his first goal for the club thanks to an assist from Cazorla on the half-hour mark at Anfield, and he duly returned the favor in the second period to give the Gunners their first win of the season.

The 27-year-old believes that his style of play is perfectly suited to Arsene Wenger's philosophy, and suggests that his understanding with Cazorla will only improve with time.

“I like Arsenal’s style of football and Santi’s as well - I love his style of football, with one or two touches,” he told the club's official website. "We play [well] together and you could see it here - he passed for me for the first goal, I passed to him for the second goal.

“But we are only three matches in. We have 35 matches more so we must keep going.”

The man from Koln explained that he has had to adjust his position slightly since arriving at the Emirates this summer, but insists that he is relishing the challenge.

“I play on the left side but you see at Arsenal it is different from the [German] national team,” he continued. “At Arsenal, it’s a three-point position. I not only play on the line but I can go in the middle and play with Santi and Abou Diaby and Mikel Arteta.

“This is my style of football. I like this but it’s not only about one match - I want to play more of these matches.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dortmund striker Lewandowski open to Bayern move

http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/germany/160/borussia/newsDortmund attacker Robert Lewandowski has admitted that he would be open to a move to http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/germany/148/fc-bayern-munich-newsBayern Munich if the opportunity arises.

The Poland international was linked with the Bavarians earlier this year, but a transfer never materialized as the club opted to sign Mario Mandzukic from Wolfsburg instead.

Nevertheless, Lewandowski has refused to rule out a move to the Allianz Arena side in the future.

"I do not know what will happen after this season. I can not and will not rule anything out. That would not be professional," Lewandowski stated to Sport Bild. "Bayern Munich? They are always an interesting option and one you can not just ignore. They are such a big club.

"However, I am completely focused on Borussia Dortmund for now."

Lewandowski has a contract with Bayern until June 2014.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: I joined Real Madrid in order to challenge Barcelona

http://www.goal.com/en-us/people/portugal/2852/josé-mourinhoJose Mourinho has revealed that the chance to challenge Barcelona was one of the main reasons for him to join http://www.goal.com/en-us/teams/spain/124/real-madrid-newsReal Madrid in the summer of 2010.


The flamboyant coach feels that La Liga is arguably the best competition in the world when it comes to the top teams, and believes the rivalry between both clubs is pushing them to new heights.

"We are talking about Barcelona and Real Madrid, two great teams. Pick any other team in the world, and they would not finish in the top two in La Liga," Mourinho told AS. "And that's exactly why I joined Real Madrid. Because it's not easy to challenge Barcelona. It's very hard to be successful in this competition.

"Life's much easier in any other league. Any league where you are not locking horns with Barcelona is easier. Barca are the main reason why Madrid got to where we are now, because they set the bar very high. Barcelona's era of winning consecutive Liga titles is over, but their cycle has not come to an end yet. They are still a great team and so are Madrid. The rivalry between Madrid and Barcelona is a blessing for football. I don’t have any figures but I’m sure the Spanish Supercopa had a bigger audience than many Champions League games last term."

Madrid won the Supercup on the away-goals rule after recording a 2-1 win at home following a 3-2 loss in the first leg.

 

[zome]

Manchester City make mega Ronaldo offer

Manchester City made a €200 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Spanish newspaper AS. The Portuguese winger revealed he’s ‘sad’ with life at Real Madrid after not celebrating his two goals against Granada at the weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City make mega Ronaldo offer

Manchester City made a €200 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Spanish newspaper AS. The Portuguese winger revealed he’s ‘sad’ with life at Real Madrid after not celebrating his two goals against Granada at the weekend.

OMG!€200?

 

[Wolverine GTR]

@ Zome

Kohomada bro........Kalekin dakke

 

[rcccc]

Manchester City make mega Ronaldo offer

Manchester City made a €200 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Spanish newspaper AS. The Portuguese winger revealed he’s ‘sad’ with life at Real Madrid after not celebrating his two goals against Granada at the weekend.

budu ammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmo

 

[panchaz]

Manchester City make mega Ronaldo offer

Manchester City made a €200 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Spanish newspaper AS. The Portuguese winger revealed he’s ‘sad’ with life at Real Madrid after not celebrating his two goals against Granada at the weekend.

 

[hansa1018]

elaazz..............

 

[rcccc]

Zenit bid for United's Nani

Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed they are negotiating for the £25 million capture of Manchester United winger Nani.

The Russian transfer window closes on Thursday, and Zenit are determined to add a couple of big names to their squad, with Nani and Joao Moutinho their two top targets.

Zenit recently acquired Hulk and Axel Witsel for a combined €80 million, and the spending will not stop there if Nani can be tempted from Old Trafford.

The Portugal international did not enjoy the best of starts to the new Premier League season, turning in a poor display at Everton that saw him subbed and then dropped from the next game.

With United looking blessed for midfield options with Shinji Kagawa settling in quickly at the club, Nani could be tempted to move to Russia, particularly if it is to join countryman Moutinho.

Zenit general director Maxim Mitrofanov said on Thursday: "It's true we are negotiating for Nani and Moutinho, but Hulk and Witsel were our top priorities."

Should Nani leave, his final appearance at United will be Sunday's 3-2 win over Southampton, when he came on for the final 29 minutes to help inspire a comeback.

මුව වික්කොත් නම් හෙන පාඩුයි

 

[zome]

@ Zome

Kohomada bro........Kalekin dakke

හැමදාම වගේ ඇවිල්ලා බලලා ගියාට Post කරන්න මුකුත් සෙට් උනේ නෑ බන්.....

 

[Wolverine GTR]

මුව වික්කොත් නම් හෙන පාඩුයි

Mamath Kiyanne 1kama thamai bro.....Karana Lokuma moda wadak Nani wa sell kaloth nam