..::Football III::..

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Alba: Barcelona must learn from mistakes

Jordi Alba says Barcelona need to learn from their mistakes they have made previously if they are to be successful in the Champions League this season.

The 2011 European champions contrived to throw away a lead against 10-man Chelsea at the Camp Nou in 2012, and were hit for seven against Bayern Munich over two legs last spring.

But Alba says those disappointments have made Barcelona stronger, and wiser.

“The Champions League is very difficult but we have to play our own game and not make the same mistakes,” the 24-year-old told reporters.

Gerardo Martino’s men will be amongst the favourites to win this year's competition, even despite a tricky group draw.

The Blaugrana have been paired against AC Milan, Ajax and Celtic in Group H, but Alba is confident of progression.

“It’s a difficult group. Ajax, Milan and Celtic all have great players," he added.

“We have played these teams before so that makes it tough, but I have not won this trophy before and at Barcelona we want to win everything.”

 

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Chelsea trio omitted from Spain squad

Chelsea trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Juan Mata and Fernando Torres have been omitted from Vicente del Bosque’s latest Spain squad.

The reigning world and European champions have a World Cup qualifier away to Finland next Friday, then travel to Geneva for a friendly with Chile on Monday.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho has used the three Spaniards sparingly so far this term following a disrupted pre-season, but even though the Chelsea contingent were not called up, Del Bosque said it was not because of a lack of action.

"There should be no excuses that players aren’t playing,” he told reporters.

“Certainly there are players they are playing less than usual, but everyone has had their fair share of pre-season practices and games.”

The Spanish coach hands call-ups to Atletico Madrid midfield duo Mario Suarez and Koke, whilst Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez gets the nod due to Gerard Pique’s suspension.

Del Bosque must also do without the central midfield pairing of Xabi Alonso and Javi Martinez, although there are places for Manchester City’s new recruits Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo - alongside team-mate David Silva.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2013.08.31

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2013.08.31

Manchester City Vs Hull

Cardiff City Vs Everton

Newcastle United Vs Fulham

Norwich City Vs Southapmton

West Ham United Vs Stoke City

Crystal Palace Vs Sunderland

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La Liga Fixtures 2013.08.31

La Liga Fixtures 2013.08.31

Celta Vigo Vs Granada

Real Valladoid Vs Getafe

Osasuna Vs Villareal
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Serie A Fixtures 2013.08.31

Serie A Fixtures 2013.08.31

Chievo Vs Napoli

Juventus Vs Lazio
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Falcao: There's no rivalry with Ibra

Monaco star Radamel Falcao has moved to dismiss claims that he and Paris Saint-Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic` are involved in a personal battle to be crowned Ligue 1's best striker.

The Colombian made the move to the Stade Louis II this summer from Atletico Madrid and many have tipped him and the Swede to shine in the forthcoming season.

And while Falcao is looking forward to going head-to-head with the former Barcelona striker, he insists that he is not out to prove a personal point.

"There are no duels between players," he told L'Equipe.

"Battles exist between teams. Though, on a personal level, knowing that you are going to face some of the best players in the world is always a motivation.

"They're the kind of games everyone wants to win. I'm not going to play against Ibrahimovic, I'm going to face PSG."

The 27-year-old went on to dismiss claims that he joined Monaco due to their money and virtually tax-free status, stating that he does not listen to criticism.

"Everyone makes decisions that seem best for themselves. I signed to Monaco without listening to what people say."

Monaco face Olymique de Marseille at the Velodrome on September 1 and travel to the capital to face PSG three weeks later.

 

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Celtic sign Pukki from Schalke

Celtic have completed the signing of Teemu Pukki from Schalke.

The 23-year-old forward, who scored three goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances last season, has signed a four-year deal with the Scottish champions for a fee around €3.5 million.

The Finland international is Celtic's second completed transfer within the space of 24 hours following the arrival of Israel midfielder Nir Biton from Ashdod on Friday.

Despite featuring in the Champions League play-offs for Schalke, Pukki is eligible to play for Celtic in the group stages.

Pukki started his career at FC KooTeePee before moving to Sevilla in 2008. The forward returned to Finland in 2010 with HJK Helsinki and was signed by Schalke just over a year later.

 

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Pep couldn't cope with me - Ibrahimovic

Former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says that coach Pep Guardiola "could not cope with him" during his solitary season at the club.

The Swedish star completed a hotly-anticipated €70 million move to Camp Nou in 2009 but left a year later for AC Milan amid rumours of a bust-up with his boss.

He has since voiced his dissatisfaction with Guardiola's coaching and has now claimed that the Spaniard could not handle his "original" personality.

"In my first days, I was told by Guardiola that Barcelona players do not drive fast cars; that they keep a low profile," he told The Times.

"He wanted me to think of myself as just an ordinary guy. But I am Zlatan: I like to be different, to be an original. Guardiola couldn’t cope with that.

"Every time I walked into the coffee room, he walked out. When he went past me in the corridor, he looked at the floor. He is not a man. He can be the best coach in the world, but I don’t care.

"One day, I exploded at him in the dressing room. Even then, he didn’t speak to me.”

Ibrahimovic, now at Paris Saint-Germain, went on to slam Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for their conformist attitudes.

“Don’t get me wrong: I like Messi and Iniesta. What they can do with the ball is unbelievable," he added.

“But they are so sensible, so quiet. They did exactly what they were told and never complained about anything."

 

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Liverpool agree €17m deal for Sakho

Liverpool have reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to sign centre-back Mamadou Sakho.

The Reds will pay the Ligue 1 champions a €17 million fee for the 23-year-old defender as Brendan Rodgers looks to improve his defensive options for the 2013-14 campaign.

Sakho has played over 150 league games for PSG, with the Frenchman having been capped 14 times by his country, and he will compete with Daniel Agger and Kolo Toure for a place in Rodgers's starting XI.

Liverpool are also close to agreeing a deal for Sporting Lisbon youngster Tiago Ilori, with the Reds having tabled a €7m offer plus performance related bonuses to sign the 20-year-old.

Rodgers has felt the need to dip into the market for defensive reinforcements with the future of Martin Skrtel remaining up in the air, with Napoli strongly linked with a move for the Slovakia international.

The Anfield manager's options have been further limited with Sebastian Coates sidelined with a long-term knee injury, while Andre Wisdom's patchy pre-season performances have done little to convince Rodgers that he is ready for a regular first-team berth.

There is better news regarding Kolo Toure's fitness, however, with Rodgers revealing on Friday that the Ivorian could recover from a groin problem in time to face Manchester United on Sunday.

 

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Tottenham renew Coentrao talks

Tottenham intend to continue their summer spending splurge and hope to complete a deal for €17.5m-rated Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao before the transfer window closes on Monday.

The north London club are also exploring further attacking options, although they have cooled their interest in Zenit forward Hulk as a result the club's fee demands.

Spurs announced the arrival of three new signings on Friday as Christian Eriksen joined from Ajax for £11.5m to join £26m winger Erik Lamela from Roma and Vlad Chiriches, the Romanian centre-back who cost £8.5m from Steaua Bucharest.

They join fellow summer signings Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli and Etienne Capoue in a summer revolution at White Hart Lane that has seen the club spend around £100m on new players.

Andre Villas-Boas, the Tottenham manager, is determined to emerge from the transfer window with a squad ready to finish in the top four despite the imminent departure of star man Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world-record £86m fee.

Many of the discussions between the two clubs over Bale this summer have focussed on the inclusion of players as makeweights in the transfer but both teams have now settled on a straight cash deal.

Spurs, however, have not dropped their interest in Coentrao, with the Portugal international hoping to leave the Santiago Bernabeu before the window closes.

The 25-year-old has not featured in either of Madrid's league matches so far this season and is keen to link up with compatriot Villas-Boas at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham can offer Coentrao a regular starting spot in a World Cup year but have so far been unable to agree either a transfer fee or personal terms to land the former Benfica man.

The Londoners hope they can push through a deal in the final days of the transfer window, while they are also looking at attacking options including Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo.

Spurs' business in the remainder of the transfer window is likely to be dependent on outgoings, with a number of players set to leave north London.

Villas-Boas hopes to sell both Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Emmanuel Adebayor before Monday night's deadline while the club will listen to offers for England striker Jermain Defoe if they can sign a replacement.

Players are also expected on loan, including highly rated midfielder Tom Carroll, who is a target for newly promoted Crystal Palace.

 

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Messi: I was afraid of broken bones

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has admitted that he was afraid that he had sustained broken bones during his recent injury woes.

The Argentine was forced to miss the recent win over Malaga due to a knock picked up in the first leg of the Spanish Supercopa against Atletico.

However, he returned soon after and has stressed that the club did not hide anything about the nature of the injury.

"It was nothing more than a knock," he is quoted as saying by Marca.

"I couldn't see what it was properly in the picture, whether it was broken or not. Luckily it was just a knock. Many things have been said.

"I've heard that the club and I were hiding things. I did not hide anything. I'm coming back from an injury, it was tough because I relapsed and that made me more careful and recover better."

Messi missed a penalty in the return leg against Atletico as Barca edged an away goals victory to claim the trophy and the 26-year-old has voiced his delight at overcoming a tough team.

"I'm happy to have won the title," he continued.

"We played against a team who made things very difficult, who are closed off and do well on the counter, leaving no space. The truth was that it was a tough tie."

Barcelona travel to Valencia on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00CET.

 

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Pique revels in Guardiola success over Mourinho

Gerard Pique hailed Pep Guardiola's victory over Jose Mourinho after Bayern Munich defeated Chelsea on penalties to lift the Super Cup.

The two coaches were bitter rivals during their respective spells in charge of Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and renewed their rivalry on Friday night.

And Pique took to Twitter to express his delight moments after Javi Martinez's strike for Bayern made it 2-2 in extra time and took the game to a penalty shootout.

He tweeted: ""Football is the best!! Orgasmic!!".

After the game the Barca defender added: "Congratulations to Bayern München and Pep Guardiola for winning the European Super Cup!"

Fernando Torres opened the scoring for Chelsea on the night before Franck Ribery made it 1-1 and ensured the two sides battled it out for another 30 minutes of extra time.

Eden Hazard's strike looked to have given Chelsea the win but a last-gasp goal from Martinez meant penalties ensued, with Bayern prevailing 5-4 after Romelu Lukaku's miss from 12 yards.

David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Ribery and Xherdan Shaqiri all held their nerve to give Guardiola a win over his old adversary.

 

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Kondogbia completes Monaco move

Monaco have announced they have completed the signing of free agent Geoffrey Kondogbia after he chose to terminate his contract at Sevilla.

Kondogbia, 20, agreed a five-year deal with Claudio Ranieri's men on Friday after a week of speculation linking him with a move to Stade Louis II.

Sevilla released a statement on Tuesday stating that Kondogbia "was history at the club", with reports tipping Monaco to buy out his €20 million release clause.

Kondogbia helped the France Under-20 side win the World Cup this summer before going on to make his full international debut with the national team in August against Belgium.

The former Lens man had been linked with a number of top European clubs including Real Madrid, Juventus and Arsenal last season and in the summer, but the Ligue 1 side have won the race for the youngster's signature.

Kondogbia made 40 appearances last year for Sevilla, scoring one goal.

 

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Rooney 'mentally in good shape' for Liverpool clash, says Moyes

Manchester United manager David Moyes has reiterated the club's stance on in-demand striker Wayne Rooney and claims that the player is "mentally in good shape" ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool.

The England international has been the subject of two rejected bids from title rivals Chelsea and received a rapturous reception from home fans during a 0-0 draw between the two sides on Monday.

Moyes is gearing up for another crunch match at the top when he takes his side to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday and is happy that his headline-grabbing forward is focused on the job.

"I felt he played very well the other night [against Chelsea] and he's looking in good condition and is mentally in good shape too," the Unietd boss told reporters at a press conference.

"We'll do everything we possibly can to keep that going and need him to keep performing well. At the moment he's in good shape."

The former Everton manager believes that the 27-year-old has lived up to the potential shown in him from an early age and repeated the club's stance that the striker – who he labelled as a "great player" – is not for sale.

He continued: "We told you and everybody else from day one [that the player is not for sale] so I don't think there's anything else to add.

"Wayne Rooney has been a great player for many years for Manchester United. He was an up-and-coming great player as a young boy at Everton and his career has gone the way that people expected it to go."

 

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'The referee would have played all night' - Cahill blasts officials after Super Cup defeat

Gary Cahill believes that referee Jonas Eriksson "would have played all night" to get Bayern Munich an extra-time equaliser after the German giants beat Chelsea on penalties to claim the Super Cup.

The Blues were seconds away from securing Jose Mourinho's first trophy since his return to Stamford Bridge but Javi Martinez scored with the last kick to send the match to penalties.

Frank Ribery had earlier cancelled out Fernando Torres's eighth-minute opener to ensure tthat he sides finished level after 90 minutes, despite Ramires seeing red for a lunge on Mario Gotze, while Eden Hazard capped a superb individual display by putting the west Londoners back in front before Martinez equalised and Romelu Lukaku missed the only penalty of a high-quality shootout.

And Cahill argues that some of Eriksson's key decisions tilted the momentum of the match decisively in Bayern's favour, telling repoters: "Whether [Martinez's equaliser] was over the time or not, I don't know, but I'm sure the ref would have played all night.

"A lot of decisions didn't go for us but we thought we'd seen it out. I went up for one header and got booked straight away, so you can't even make any contact with players. In that sense it was difficult for us but I thought we did enough to win.

"Football is cruel at times. We dug in, especially in extra time. Going down to 10 men was always going to be difficult but I thought we'd done enough. Especially to concede like that, as well ... you'd rather he cut inside and whipped it into the top corner and you think: 'What a goal that is'.

"Instead it was a bit of miscontrol, a ricochet and it's just fallen into his path. On another day that would have just gone out of play."

Bayern battered Chelsea in search of an equaliser in extra time and Cahill admits that it conjured memories of the siege that the Blues survived in Munich just over a year ago in the 2011-12 Champions League final.

"Very much so. That's always going to happen [after a red card]," he added. "They had their goalie on the halfway line! I'm sure, if the shoe had been on the other foot, we'd have attacked them and done things a lot differently to the way we did.

"I thought we defended well. I thought the team spirit and togetherness were there and we were seconds away from winning."

Before the match Petr Cech claimed that Chelsea are one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season and Cahill feels that their performance ensures that they will be taken seriously.

"The squad's definitely stronger," the defender continued. "We've got a great manager and everyone's pushing in the right direction. I'd have loved to see what would have happened if it were 11 v 11, because the gameplan was going in our favour.

"We put up a tough test for Bayern, a team that were devastating in all competitions last season, and I'm sure they're going to be one of the favourites again but I'm sure, if you ask their players, they'll say they had a tough night."

 

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Blanc: PSG lucky with Champions League draw

Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has admitted that his side got lucky with their Champions League group stage draw.

The French champions will face Olympiakos, Anderlecht and Benfica in the opening phase of the competition and while the 47-year-old has respect for the opposition, he feels his side stand a good chance of progression."We could have drawn more prestigious teams and maybe teams that are more difficult to play but we will play against these teams and they will be a challenge," he told reporters..

"With any other group, it's always the same thing; we have to qualify, we have to get past the group stages, regardless of the opponents."It will be a Champions league game, so a game with a very high level of opposition. I think the draw is satisfactory for us but we have a lot of respect for the other teams in our group.

"Talking about it is good but to win these games on the pitch is even better. Yes we are satisfied with the draw but we have a lot of respect for Olympiakos, Anderlecht and Benfica."

 

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Bendtner part of my plans, says Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Nicklas Bendtner will remain a part of his first-team plans for the season.

The Denmark international has been linked with a move to Hull City Tigers, although Steve Bruce admits the striker's wage demands are a stumbling block in any potential move.

Bendtner made 10 appearances for Juventus last season but failed to score a goal during his loan spell with the Serie A champions.

However, Wenger says the 25-year-old is likely to remain at Arsenal this term and could challenge Olivier Giroud for a place in attack.

"The chances for him to leave now are very small. If he doesn’t leave, prepares well and is fit, really fit, I will use him," Wenger told reporters.

Arsenal have submitted a £25.6 million bid for Angel Di Maria and are waiting for a response from Real Madrid.

They also confirmed that Mathieu Flamini has rejoined the club on a three-year deal on the same day, with the midfielder becoming the club's second acquisition of the summer following the arrival of Yaya Sanogo on a free signing.

But despite pressure to bolster his squad with further signings, Wenger insists he will not rush any decisions regarding transfer targets.

"We will not panic buy, that is for sure," the Arsenal manager said. "You can believe me. It is not my strength to panic."

 

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Adams: Arsenal wasting their time with a marquee striker

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams believes Arsene Wenger should prioritise signing a new defender over buying another striker before the transfer window closes on Monday.

The Gunners have been involved in failed pursuits of both Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain this summer, but Adams believes Wenger would be wrong to bring in a big-name forward as he thinks defensive worries are the biggest problem within the current squad.

"This team is so gung-ho and they are so open that the balance is not right," Adams told reporters.

"They are too susceptible to the counter-attack and they never look like keeping a clean sheet.

"It’s so scary; I sit there holding my breath every week. So to try to shell out £40m on Suarez or Wayne Rooney would be money badly spent on yet another player who can open doors in the attacking third while the back door remains wide open.

"Arsenal have not got a problem scoring goals because Giroud scored 17 last season, they have got the pace of Theo [Walcott], Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Jack] Wilshere, [Aaron] Ramsey. They can score from all over the pitch.

"They need someone to lock it up when it breaks down and I would be scouring Europe for the next Gilberto [Silva].

"I must have been the only person in the country doing somersaults watching Manchester United and Chelsea keeping clean sheets the other night – two fantastic, organised, solid sides giving nothing away.

"That wasn’t a boring game for me, because I was wishing Arsenal could do that more often."

Wenger's side host Tottenham on Sunday and Adams believes the north London derby will provide a difficult test for the Gunners – especially in light of Spurs’ heavy summer expenditure.

He added: "There’s not going to be a lot in it on Sunday. Tottenham have spent a lot of money, they have got better and Arsenal have not been challenging for trophies, while too many big players have walked out of the door, which has been galling for the supporters.

"Tottenham have come back to Arsenal in recent years and north London derbies have certainly changed a lot since my first one, when Stewart Robson kicked Glenn Hoddle all over the pitch and we could have a good fight."

 

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Heynckes: I threatened to bench Ribery

Former Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes has admitted that he used to have to threaten Franck Ribery with the bench in order to get the winger to track back.

The Frenchman received Uefa's Best Player in Europe Award on Thursday, beating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the prestigious prize.

Heynckes felt that Ribery's triumph was fully merited, given the way in which the attacker has transformed himself into the ideal team player since Bayern's devastating 2012 Champions League final defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

"You fully deserve to be European Footballer of the Year for 2013," the 68-year-old wrote in an open letter to Ribery in Kicker. "You were the best! I'm so happy for you and I congratulate you with all my hear.

"We worked together every day in recent years and have built up a special relationship. I always knew that you are a feel player who needs the confidence of the coach.

"During this time you have developed yourself tremendously as a person, and especially as a professional footballer.

"Sure, we had our fights. After the defeat in the Champions League final in 2012, I told you - just as I said to Arjen Robben - that you needed to work back more if we were to achieve something great. I threatened you with the bench.

"But you have proven that you are a team player. You wanted success for the entire team and have invested your great individual skills in the success of the overall plan.

"So, after the success of the collective you have reached this personal triumph. For your unselfish attitude, you have been rewarded."

Ribery played a key role in Bayern's treble triumph last season and will be hoping to help the Bavarians pick up another trophy when they tackle Chelsea in the Super Cup in Prague on Friday.