..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona say all Cesc Fabregas bids will be rejected

Barcelona have announced that Martino has signed a two-year contract to replace Tito Vilanova and the new man has wasted little time in making it clear that he will be retaining Fabregas.Although Manchester United have already had two bids for the Spanish international rejected, manager David Moyes said on Thursday that their attempts to sign the 26-year-old were "ongoing".

However, Martino said: "Fabregas is a top player, we are proud to have him here. It doesn't matter what the offer from United is, we are counting on him.

"I'm not going to get into the economic interests. If the club rejected it twice, I add a third one right now."It is normal that many clubs are interested in our player Cesc. That is a source of pride for us, but we'll reject all bids."

Vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu added: "It's logical that we've had offers for Fabregas because he is a quality player but he is not for sale."

 

[Persius]

mama barcelona VISCA EL BARCAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FAB gana balagena inna 1kanam therumakma nathi wadakOken wenne 1ka deal 1kakwath karaganna bari wena 1ka

 

[Persius]

mcn man united kiyanne honda club eka .. but transfer market eke man united kammali wa thama hasirene, OITA kalin RONALDHINO/ ZIDANE/ wage players lawa sign karaganna thibba chance manga ai zidane wa sign karagtte nethi eka nm SAF ge waradda..oya club eke adatath KING ERIC Kiyala minissu kiyana ERIC CANTONA.................KIWAA SAF Ta zidane kiyanne puduma talent ekak thiyena porak kiyala , eth ahuwe ne.. eka thama SAF karapu lokuma mistake eka

 

[Persius]

 

[Wolverine GTR]

mcn man united kiyanne honda club eka .. but transfer market eke man united kammali wa thama hasirene, OITA kalin RONALDHINO/ ZIDANE/ wage players lawa sign karaganna thibba chance manga ai zidane wa sign karagtte nethi eka nm SAF ge waradda..oya club eke adatath KING ERIC Kiyala minissu kiyana ERIC CANTONA.................KIWAA SAF Ta zidane kiyanne puduma talent ekak thiyena porak kiyala , eth ahuwe ne.. eka thama SAF karapu lokuma mistake eka

1kanam sahathika attha bromeh season 1keth react karanawa godak slowTarget mark karanawa witharai nehHoda signs tikak karagatthe nathnam defa kamak thamai mehpara

 

[Persius]

yep keep calm and believe in David Moyes .. Rooney chelsea hari arsenal hari yai....wage. barcelonath kiyanna be.. John Terry inna nisa kiyannth be..

 

[unicornx]

Mama Manchester United!

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Ada nuulen beerune...Torreswa mata godak matak una RVP gahapu hati dakkama...RVP neme tawa podden RIP MU

 

[unicornx]

This person and RVN

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Ronaldo is one of the best - not the best' - Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has branded Cristiano Ronaldo one of the best players in the world, but stopped short of suggesting he is the game's finest footballer.

Paris Saint-Germain have repeatedly been linked with a move for the Real Madrid forward, whose contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs out in just under two years' time.

And ahead of a friendly between the European giants on Saturday, the 31-year-old claimed it makes sense for a top club like les Parisiens to be associated with the former Manchester United man, who he categorises as among the greatest in the game.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world," he told reporters on Friday at a PSG press conference.

"The fact that he is often linked to PSG, this is normal, because the project of the club is to become the best in Europe and therefore attract the best players."

When the translator for the press mistakenly said Ibrahimovic had called Ronaldo "the best in the world", the former AC Milan and Barcelona forward added in English: "No, he's one of the best - not the best."

The clash between the Blancos and PSG kicks off at 20:00CET on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ribery and Neuer to miss Super Cup

Bayern Munich will face Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup without Manuel Neuer and Franck Ribery through injury.

The Bavarians swept all before them last season, lifting a treble of major honours and beating BVB to both the Bundesliga and Champions League.The two sides face-off again on Saturday as Pep Guardiola looks to get his hands on his first piece of silverware at the Allianz Arena, but he will have to do so without two of his key men.

Neuer and Ribery both picked up knocks in Bayern's 2-0 friendly win over Barcelona on Wednesday and Guardiola has opted to take no risks with either ahead of the new campaign.That means second-choice keeper Tom Starke is likely fill in for Neuer, while FCB's plethora of midfield options should mean Ribery's absence is adequately covered.

Dortmund have their own share of injury concerns to deal with, as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and full-back Lukasz Piszczek have both already been ruled out and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jakub Blaszczykowski remain doubts.Bayern are the current German Supercup holders having beaten Dortmund 2-1 in last season's clash.

 

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'Draxler could stay past 2014' - Schalke

Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt says it is not beyond the realms of possibility that star Julian Draxer will opt to remain at the club beyond next summer.

The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea during the off-season, before the Germany international drew a line under his short-term future by inking a contract extension until 2018 with the German outfit.

And Heldt is increasingly optimistic that the teenage prospect could even snub the advances of some of Europe's biggest clubs next summer as well.

He told Bild: "It is definitely possible that Draxler could stay with us for another season.

"He can get better, and of course he is in great demand, but Schalke also have the potential to improve. I don't think a 2014 is certain."

Draxler himself, though, admits he will carefully consider his future next summer should clubs prolong their interest in him.

"If there are any offers next summer I will look at them and decide what is best," he said.

"I know what I have got from my time with Schalke, but anything is possible - even a poor season."

The youngster helped his club reach the qualification stages of this season's Champions League after netting 10 times in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season.

 

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Mascherano plays down Martino's lack of European experience

Javier Mascherano has played down Gerardo Martino's lack of experience in European football after his appointment as Barcelona coach.

The 50-year-old was unveiled to the Spanish media for the first time on Friday having being named Tito Vilanova's successor earlier this week.

However, Martino, who joins the Catalans from Newell's Old Boys, has yet to coach a club outside of South America, but Mascherano believes the trainer has a universal blueprint for success.

He told reporters: "I did not know much about Martino, but he has a 15-year coaching career, most of the time spent with the Paraguay national team – and he achieved good results there.

"I have never worked with him, so I do not know what to expect, but from what I've seen he has changed the way Newell's play.

"Martino plays the same system that we play. Each coach has their nuances, but the idea is the same.

The Blaugrana's rivals, Real Madrid, have added Isco and Asier Illarramendi to their ranks during the off-season and the Argentina international believes further reinforcements are essential, despite the club's €57 million recruitment of Neymar.

He added: "We have done some good with the likes of Neymar, but we should improve further.

"We have to create competition within the squad, with new people coming in wanting to compete and win things.

"It is logical and understandable that the club would want reinforcements because last year we suffered when our defenders got injured."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

We think of Tito every day - Adriano

Barcelona defender Adriano has stressed that former coach Tito Vilanova is still in the hearts and minds of the entire squad.

The 44-year-old was forced to step down from his post last week as he continues his treatment for cancer and while he may be gone, he is has not been forgotten by his players.

"We're trying to raise our heads. We tried to do things to put it past us, but it's impossible. We think of Tito every day," Adriano said.

"Now the staff are in a climate of uncertainty, we don't know whether they'll stay or go. These are matters for [sporting director Andoni] Zubizarreta and the management."

Adriano's fellow Brazilian Neymar sealed a big-money move to Camp Nou this summer and the 28-year-old says his compatriot is delighted to be at his new club.

"I had a word with him during his presentation and he is happy. For the last two years, he's been asking me what the atmosphere is like at Barca in the national team.

"He had a dream to play at Barcelona, he'll grow here as a person."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern membership numbers hit record levels

Bayern Munich have announced a rise in membership numbers during 2012-13 that sees their fans now own 81.8 per cent of the club.

The German treble winners saw their total increase by almost 30,000 last season to 217,241 registered members, moving them closer to Benfica, who boast the most affiliates in Europe with 224,000 members. Bundesliga rules state that all league clubs are required to have at least 51% fan ownership, but the recent rise makes Bayern the first German outfit to pass the 200,000 member mark.

Club president Uli Hoeness spoke of his pride at the progress the club have made and predicted that they will soon move above Benfica."We at FC Bayern are very proud of this sensational growth in membership in the space of just one year," he told the club's official website.

"If it carries on like this, it’s only a small step to becoming the biggest club in the world by membership."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gomis misses talks with Lyon chief

Olympique Lyonnais striker Bafetimbi Gomis has failed to attend a meeting over his future with the club's president Jean-Michel Aulas.

The 27-year-old has been targeted by Newcastle United, who have been urged by their manager Alan Pardew to complete a transfer for the France international this summer.

Gomis, who scored 16 goals in Ligue 1 last season, has a year remaining on his current contract with the French club and was scheduled to meet for talks with the Lyon president on Thursday, but did not show up.

"We gave him a letter by hand but he did not come," Aulas told L'Equipe.

On Thursday, Magpies boss Pardew revealed he was pushing for the board and director of football Joe Kinnear to make Gomis' signature a priority, with the Tyneside outfit yet to make a signing this summer.

"Gomis is a player who would suit us, and we should pursue it as strongly as we can," Pardew told The Daily Mirror.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benitez: Higuain will be a big hit for Napoli

Napoli boss Rafa Benitez is backing Gonzalo Higuain to hit the ground running at the San Paolo when the striker finalises his move from Real Madrid.

The 25-year-old is expected to complete a €37 million deal to the Partenopei in the coming days having passed his medical with the Naples-based club earlier this week.

And Benitez is confident his acquisition will enjoy a fruitful first season at the club.

"Higuain is very strong and was a key player in a team like Real Madrid. I know him well and the staff at Real speak very highly of him," he told reporters.

"It is important to sign players like this if Napoli continue to progress and I am convinced he will score more goals than anybody else we have this season."

The Spaniard went on to state he would be happy to see Juan Zuniga - whose contract expires in 2014 - remain at the club this summer amid speculation Juventus are lining up a swoop for the Colombia international.

He added: "For me the situation is very clear. He is important for us and I would be happy if he could stay."I will speak to him and figure out what is best. We are working hard to get him to stay."

Meanwhile, Benitez admitted he was pleasantly surprised to see Liverpool sanction the on-loan signing of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, whom the coach previously brought to Anfield.

"We worked on Julio Cesar but we could not get him, but Reina was a big surprise for us," he said.

"We made Liverpool an offer and they agreed."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Napoli confirm Martinez interest

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has suggested Porto striker Jackson Martinez could follow Gonzalo Higuain to Stadio San Paolo this summer.

The Partenopei are set to officially announce the arrival of the Real Madrid forward on Friday after the Argentine completed a medical ahead of a €37 million move to Serie A.

However, De Laurentiis, who has pledged €124.5m to Napoli's transfer kitty following the sale of Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain, has hinted that coach Rafa Benitez's activity in the market could yet continue.

"Regarding another forward, we have to analyse the strength and quality of the players we already have," he wrote on Twitter.

"We could add Martinez to the team, or it could be a lot of other players. Benitez will make the final decision."

Benitez himself was tight-lipped on the speculation linking the 26-year-old with a switch to Stadio San Paolo, telling reporters at a press conference: "We talk about three, four or five players and we then decide which one is the best for us but we do not talk about individuals."

De Laurentiis went on to refute a recent report that he had tabled a "monstrous offer" for PSG midfielder Marco Verratti, insisting the player's agent fabricated the rumour.

He added: "Verratti is not for sale. Agents, through the media, are trying to put pressure on PSG in order to get the player an increased salary.

"We are friends of PSG and we are not taking part in this game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ba vows to fight for Chelsea place

Chelsea striker Demba Ba wants to fight for a first-team place at the club, rejecting any notion that he could leave.

The Senegal international will vie for a role up front at Stamford Bridge next season with the likes of Fernando Torres, Andre Schurrle and Romelu Lukaku, while Chelsea have also seen a bid rejected for Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney.

However, the former Newcastle forward insists he is not ready to leave the club just yet and believes more competition for places can help the Blues this coming season.

"I will stay," Ba told reporters.

"I think we need competition and we welcome the best players in this club.

"More competition is going to make me better anyway. All players want to play, not only centre forwards.

"We will all work in the same direction, for the club, to try and win the games."

Ba, who bagged just two goals in 14 Premier League apperances for Chelsea last season, was on the scoresheet during the Europa League winners' 8-1 win over Indonesia All Stars on Thursday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Defeat to Dortmund would be inexcusable, claims Guardiola

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola says he will have no excuses if he fails to beat Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup at Signal Iduna Park this weekend.

The former Barcelona coach will secure his first piece of silverware as the Bavarians with a triumph over last season's Bundesliga runners-up, but although the tie is on Dortmund home turf, Guardiola insists a defeat would be inexcusable for a club of Bayern's standing.

He told reporters: "It is the first time I will coach in Signal Iduna Park. I have been told it is a very special experience, but a final is always special.

"It is a title and a title is always important. It is an honor to challenge for this trophy but if you are Bayern coach, you have no excuses or apologies if you lose."

Bayern edged out BVB in last season's Supercup before beating them in both the DFB-Pokal last eight and Champions League final, but Guardiola is under no illusions as to how tough it will be to beat Jurgen Klopp's men this weekend.

"Klopp has done a super, super job with BVB. They are two-time Bundesliga winners and it is a good experience for me to play against his team," he continued.

"Dortmund have a very good goalkeeper with [Roman] Weidenfeller. [Mats] Hummels and [Neven] Subotic will be excellent like they were before and [Marco] Reus is very intelligent.

"They also have danger on the flanks, and up front there is a very good striker in Robert Lewandowski."

Much has been made of Mario Gotze ahead of the tie after his €37 million switch from Dortmund to Bayern, but Guardiola has confirmed the Germany starlet is part of a group of stars sidelined through injury.

"Manuel Neuer and Franck Ribery are injured so they will not play," he said.

"Bastian [Schweinsteiger] has barely played. We are also missing Mario Gotze and Holger Badstuber."

Saturday's Super Cup clash is scheduled to kick-off at 20:30 CET.