..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

I am in no rush to leave Everton, insists 'patient' Fellaini

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini insists that he is not looking for a way out of the club just yet but refuses to rule out a move in the future.


Manager David Moyes recently stated that it would take a significant fee for the club to even consider selling its talisman, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly interested. Fellaini remains focused on the task in hand, claiming that the club can match his ambitions in the short term as Everton enjoys its best start to a Premier League season since 2004-05, when the Toffees finished fourth.

"There is interest in me, but Everton are an ambitious club as well," Fellaini told ESPN. "I don't think they'll let their best players go just like that. I want to play for one of the biggest clubs one day. But I am patient."

Fellaini currently leads the goalscoring charts for the club this season with six goals in his first 10 league games of the campaign, exactly double his tally last season after flourishing in a more advanced forward role behind striker Nikica Jelavic.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez out for four weeks

Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez has been ruled out for four weeks with a foot injury, the club announced on its official website Thursday.

The 23-year old Chilean was forced to be replaced after just 20 minutes of his country's friendly game against Serbia on Wednesday, and the results from the scan have revealed that he is suffering from a sprained lateral ligament in his right foot.

If the injury keeps the attacker out of play as long as the Barcelona staff fear, then it could potentially keep him out for up to eight games for the club, which means he will miss their crucial Champions League matches against Spartak Moscow and Benfica, while also a top-of-the-table clash with Atletico Madrid.

This will not be his first absence from the Camp Nou outfit, as earlier in the season he suffered from a small tear in his thigh, which kept him out for a short period of time. Sanchez also has a history of returning from international duty with injury problems, which Tito Vilanova will be wary of.

Barcelona received good news in that captain Carles Puyol, who missed several weeks after dislocating his elbow, could be ready to return to action against Zaragoza on Saturday evening. Sergio Busquets, however, is suspended for the weekend's clash.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sammer: Bayern craves trophies this season

Matthias Sammer has insisted that Bayern Munich will not settle for another silverware-less season after coming second in the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Pokal last term.

The Bavarians have been in impressive form in the opening months of the 2012-13 campaign, and the club's sporting director has made it clear that the team must keep up its current performances right until the end of the season.

"Last year definitely rates as good, but the fact is we can’t be satisfied with good this season. We're aiming for very good – and that means trophies," Sammer was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "We can't turn round in May and say: Well, we had a very good phase until early November. We'd make ourselves a laughing stock.

"Obviously we can be satisfied up to now. And success will give us confidence for the journey ahead, but we can’t allow ourselves to be affected by satisfaction. We have exams to pass this year, and certificates will be handed out at the end."

Bayern currently sits top of the Bundesliga table with 30 points from 11 games.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dembele to miss North London derby for hobbled Spurs

Andre Villas-Boas says that Mousa Dembele has lost his battle for fitness and will miss Tottenham's North London derby with Arsenal in the Saturday Premier League clash.

The Belgian midfielder is currently suffering a recurrence of a hip injury he had while at Fulham, and the Portuguese manager confirmed his absence for the match between the rivals.

Asked if Dembele would be ready, Villas-Boas replied, "No, not for this game."

Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe may be back in time to face the Gunners, although Villas-Boas admitted Spurs are playing a waiting game regarding the forward duo.

"Lennon had a scan [on Wednesday], and it's fine on his hamstring," Villas-Boas said. "We have to wait and see, because I think today is an important day. They had quite a bit of time to rest, to recover, and we have to wait and see if we are able to give them a session for today.

"[Defoe and Lennon] haven't trained with the team yet, they trained separately yesterday, and on the recovery, on a lighter session basically, on their own, individually. We'll have to see today how they return, see if there's any disturbance."

The 35-year-old boss has been left in no doubt as to the importance of the upcoming game to both the club and its fans.

"I've been getting it for the last two weeks to be fair," Villas-Boas explained. "People have been speaking about it quite often in between us - the staff and the chairman - so you understand the importance of it. The voice out from the fans means this is a game where the passion is extremely high and it's a game that represents three points, but it really represents more in the history of North London derbies."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benzema resumes Real Madrid training ahead of Athletic Bilbao clash

Jose Mourinho has received some encouraging news on the injury front ahead of Real Madrid's league match at home against Athletic Bilbao as Karim Benzema has resumed regular training again after a spell on the sidelines.

The France international picked up a knock after Los Blancos' win over Real Zaragoza nearly two weeks ago, and consequently missed their UEFA Champions League draw against Borussia Dortmund and a hard-fought win at Levante.

Nevertheless, Benzema could make his comeback against Bilbao on Saturday after completing Wednesday's regular training session without any noteworthy problems. The French forward's imminent return will be a big boost for Mourinho, who is still without Argentine stiker Gonzalo Higuain due to injury.

The former Olympique Lyonnais star has scored five goals in 15 official appearances for Madrid so far this term.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi 'disappointed' with Argentina performance

Lionel Messi admitted to feeling frustration after Argentina could only fashion a 0-0 draw with Frank Rijkaard's Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

The star-studded South Americans, who fielded a strong line-up including the Ballon d'Or holder, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria, failed to click against the modest opposition and ultimately had to settle for a draw.

"We didn't do things like we normally do and it wasn't our best day today," Messi told Argentine TV.

"I'm disappointed with how things played out for us tonight, but this year was very positive for our national team," the 25-year-old added.

Messi reflected on the bigger picture, comforted by the knowledge that Argentina currently leads the way in the South American qualification race for the 2014 World Cup, while his club side is setting the pace at the top of La Liga.

"We [Argentina] won important matches this year and things have been great for me at club level and on a personal level too.

"Every match we play is just as important as the others because when you play for Argentina, every match matters."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Navarro apologizes to Ronaldo via text message

Levante’s David Navarro has revealed that he sent Cristiano Ronaldo a text message to apologize for splitting the forward’s eyebrow open on Sunday.



The defender caught the Portuguese with his elbow when challenging for a header during the first half of the game between the two teams, and this resulted in the former Manchester United attacker leaving the field with a gushing wound.

Ronaldo had the opening glued shut and returned to score midway through the first half, but was eventually substituted at the break after complaining of dizzy spells,Navarro decided to apologize about his action and said that he sent the Portugal international a text message to say sorry after the game.

“I saw I really hurt you, I apologize,” read the text message, according to Intereconomia.
It is believed, however, that Ronaldo is yet to reply to the apology.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Granero: Madrid did not fail me or Mata

QPR midfielder Esteban Granero has stressed that Real Madrid is not to blame for the departure of players such as current Chelsea star Juan Mata and himself.


Jose Mourinho has received plenty of criticism in recent weeks for his alleged reluctance to use youth players, but Granero has insisted that only the very best succeed with los Blancos right away, and players sometimes need a spell elsewhere to make the final step up.

"Of course Real Madrid would love to have many players in their first team from the academy," Granero told Revista. "You have to be one of the greatest players in the world to play in the first team, though, and sometimes there is a player who is able to do it and sometimes there's not.

"The important thing is how Real Madrid has helped all their players who now are in the first team, like Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa - there are many - and how Real Madrid has helped the players who now are not in the first team like me and Mata. This is not the failure of Real Madrid. If you are not good enough, you have to try and find your way abroad. If you can find your place in the first team and you are good enough, great.

"Real Madrid are the greatest team in the world and playing for them - especially for the people in the academy - cannot be easy. If it was easy the team wouldn't be that big and that good."

Granero left Madrid for Loftus Road on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window, while Mata said farewell to the Santiago Bernabeu side in 2007 when he joined Valencia before departing for Stamford Bridge last summer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic ge Bicycle Kick Goal 1ka Patta neh!

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[charitha chandi]

I am in no rush to leave Everton, insists 'patient' Fellaini

Come to Chelsea..!

 

[charitha chandi]

Sweden 4-2 England: Inspirational Ibrahimovic sours Gerrard’s big night

Imbra num supiri...! last goal eka pissuma kora..!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Imbra num supiri...! last goal eka pissuma kora..!

Aniwa aiya Pattama goal 1ka

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Alex tips Ibrahimovic for Ballon d'Or crown

Alex is hoping Zlatan Ibrahimovic's international exploits on Wednesday evening help him to land the Ballon d'Or.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker scored four times to lead his country to a 4-2 victory over England, with his final goal of the evening - a long-range overhead-kick - earning plaudits from far and wide.

And his club teammate believes that individual display could swing the voting in his favour, even though he admits he is yet to see the goals himself.

"I hope that his performance can help him in the race for the Ballon d'Or," Alex told reporters. "But at the same time, it is a bit risky to say that he will win the competition with exceptional players like [Lionel] Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo up against him. But it is certain that his performance will inevitably be a strong argument and should help.

"In fact, I have not seen his exploits. But everyone is talking about them, including his last great goal. It proves once again that he is a player that makes a difference wherever he goes. We hope he will continue to make the difference with us at PSG."

Ibrahimovic has been in fine form at club level, too, scoring 12 times for les Parisiens in all competitions.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Alves: Barcelona players responsible for Guardiola exit

Barcelona defender Dani Alves believes Pep Guardiola left the club because the players "were no longer responding to him as he desired".

In the space of four years Guardiola quickly became the most successful coach in the Catalan club's history.

But, at the end of last season he made the shock decision to step down as boss and Alves feels that was because of him and his team-mates.

"Pep said that he would only leave when we were no longer responding to him," Alves said in an interview with Le Buteur. "We did not respond to him on the field as he would have liked and this is why the players feel responsible for his departure."

The Brazil international also spoke of his highly-rated compatriot Neymar and spoke of the differences between him and Blaugrana team-mate Lionel Messi.

"The difference between Messi and Neymar is that Messi plays in Europe, while Neymar is still in Brazil," he continued. "Even without tactical discpline, what is important for a team is having players with maturity and a sense of responsibility.

"To further his career, Neymar must come to Europe and preferably to Barcelona."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Isla: I chose Juventus over Inter

Mauricio Isla has revealed he chose to join Juventus ahead of Inter over the summer.

The former Udinese man says he had the option of signing for the Nerazzurri, but moved to Turin on the advice of Bianconeri and international teammate Arturo Vidal.

"I spoke with my agent and he told me that two of the biggest Italian teams, Juventus and Inter, were trying to sign me," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"I joined Juventus for two reasons. Firstly because Arturo told me lots about this club and said it was a wonderful group full of friendships. Secondly, they also bought [Kwadwo] Asamoah. I'm good friends with him and to have him here is a pleasure."

The Chile international has been impressed with his new boss Antonio Conte, and compared him to two of his former coaches.

"Conte is very similar to [Marcelo] Bielsa, because he always works 100 percent tactically. This is very nice for a player," he continued.

"Both Conte and Francesco Guidolin are two coaches who work so hard, are hungry to win and talk lots with young players. It is good for a young man when the coach talks to you. I think they are almost equal."

Isla then spoke about his relationship with Vidal and says the midfielder has become as important to Chile as Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez.

"I've always got on very well with Arturo. When I play on the pitch with him it is a pleasure. It's wonderful that he is Chilean and remains a key player," he added.

"He is as important as Alexis Sanchez for Chile - a warrior, someone who always eats the opponents' ankles."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pele leaves hospital after successful operation

Pele thanked supporters in his homeland for their concern after he was discharged from hospital on Thursday.

The 72-year-old underwent hip replacement surgery at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo and was allowed home following the completion of a successful procedure, before expressing his thanks to the general public.

"I never imagined that the Brazilian people had so much concern for me," he told Folha de Sao Paulo.

Pele left hospital in a wheelchair and will need the assistance of a cane in the coming days while the incision heals. He has also been advised to take a rest from physical activity for the next few months.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal can compete with world's best - Gazidis

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis insists the club is well-placed to compete at the highest level of the European game in the coming years despite a torrent of fan criticism.

The Gunners have made their worst start to a campaign in the Premier League era and their last piece of silverware was an FA Cup triumph back in 2005.

But Gazidis has urged fans to be patient, revealing the club's hierarchy has plans in place which will catapult Arsenal back to the top table of domestic and continental competition.

He told BBC Sport: "As we look to the next two, three years we will have an outstanding platform on which to compete with any club in the world."

Since moving from Highbury to the Emirates in 2006, Arsenal has increased its turnover from 65 million pounds to 243 million pounds and is hoping to pull off major commercial deals that will strengthen its finances.

The Gunners' shirt sponsorship and manufacturer deals are up for renewal next season - something Gazidis believes will help further improve the club's financial standing.

"Now we are in that stadium, the first part of our vision has been realized," he said.
"Now we are at the stage where some of the commercial deals that were tied into the construction of the stadium, and enabled us to take that first big step, will be renegotiated.
"When that happens, we will take the second big step forward and that will be comparable in magnitude to moving to the stadium itself."Very clearly, it will push the club forward and put us into the top five clubs in the world in revenue terms, which will be a fantastic position to be in."

Gazidis also feels UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations - which will come into play next season - can only improve Arsenal's ability to compete with Europe's best on a financial level.

"As our financial capability develops, as economic rationality enters the world of football, our ability to compete at salary levels for the very best talent will be enhanced," he continued.

"UEFA are under tremendous scrutiny and pressure. Every indication we have ever had from UEFA is that they are very serious about this.

"Michel Platini has created this as his platform and if they don't enforce FFP well and strictly, their credibility will be shot and they are very well aware of that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luis Suarez commits future to Liverpool amid Manchester City talk

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has reiterated his desire to stay at the club, amidst rumored interest from Manchester City.

The Uruguayan has been in fine form so far this campaign, notching 11 goals in 16 appearances, despite Brendan Rodgers' men suffering a mixed start to the season.

Suarez's recent performances had led to suggestions that Roberto Mancini was set to test the Reds' resolve with a January bid of 40 million pounds, but the forward has now underlined his commitment to the Anfield outfit.

He told the club's official website: "I have a very long contract here and it's a dream come true to be playing at a club like Liverpool because, as I've said, as a boy I dreamt of playing for a team like this.

"Now I'm here, it's all about enjoying myself and trying to be here for as many years as I can, because I'm at a club where I'm very happy, my family is happy, I've got fantastic teammates and a manager from whom I'm learning so much.

"As a player, it's vital to have the backing of your manager and so I think that the confidence Brendan is showing in myself and the team as a whole is very important and it's down to us to repay that trust out there on the pitch.

The 25-year-old has regularly been subjected to booing from opposition supporters, largely due to his eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra last season.

But he insists that such things do not affect him and went on to hail the support he has received from Liverpool fans since joining the club.

"I think you need to really know a person before you criticize them or speak out about them," he told the website. "I think sometimes the opposition fans are more interested in booing Luis Suarez for the problems he had or because he's gone down for something than they are in their own team!

"I think that each set of supporters should just worry about their own team and leave their opponents well alone, just like the Liverpool fans do."

The Salto-born forward scored the equalizer in the Reds' 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday but insists nothing but three points will do when Liverpool take on Wigan at Anfield next time round.

"Chelsea was a result that was neither good nor bad," he added. "I guess we really need to be picking up as many points as we can, given that we haven't got as many points on the board that a club like Liverpool would expect to have at this stage.

"Wigan is an absolute must-win fixture. It's a very important game for us to gain in confidence for the matches ahead and to get stronger here at Anfield, which is where we need to make the difference."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cristiano Ronaldo voted 'sexiest' athlete of 2012

His club may be lagging eight points behind pace-setter Barcelona in the Liga standings, his country may have stumbled to a draw with unfashionable Gabon on Wednesday, and to rub salt into the wounds, he was on the receiving end of David Navarro's elbow over the weekend.

But it seems Cristiano Ronaldo does have something to cheer about, after all.

In a recent poll conducted by American celebrity weekly People Magazine, to discover the 'sexiest' athlete of the past year, the Real Madrid and Portugal ace ranked first.

In a star-studded list, the 27-year-old trumped the likes of U.S. Open tennis champion Andy Murray, swimming posterboy Ryan Lochte, Miami Heat star LeBron James and New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.

The recipient of the 2012 Ballon d'Or is also due to be announced, so it could yet be a sweep of individual honors for Cristiano this year.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas hails 'great' Panama victory

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has shared his delight over Spain's 5-1 thumping of Panama which ensured La Roja would end the year undefeated in 16 matches.

The game took place in Estadio Rommel Fernandez Gutierrez in Central America, and it was a comfortable victory for the 2010 World Cup winner, with Pedro, David Villa, Sergio Ramos and Markel Susaeta getting among the goals.

Although Panama is rated 46th in the FIFA world rankings, some 45 places below the Spaniards, Casillas was pleased with the display from his teammates.

"It was great," he told reporters. "The Panamanians celebrated their goal like they had won the World Cup, they really are wonderful people."