..::Football III::..

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Ibrahimovic extends PSG contract until 2016

Paris Saint-Germain have announced that striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has extended his contract with the club by an additional year, tying him to the Ligue 1 champions until 2016.

The Swede joined les Parisiens ahead of the 2012-13 campaign on a three-year deal and notched more goals than anybody else in the top tier of French football as Carlo Ancelotti's side romped to their first title in 19 years.

The Italian coach's departure for Real Madrid in June fuelled rumours that the 31-year-old might depart this summer, but PSG held on to the highly-rated striker, who has now revealed his intention to see out the peak of his career at Parc des Princes.

"I see no greater ambition in Europe than Paris Saint-Germain's," Ibrahimovic told the club's official website.

"I really hope that Paris Saint-Germain are my last big club. This club are like me: just dreaming is never good enough."

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has shared his delight at the ex-Barcelona and Juventus frontman committing for an additional 12 months and insists that the club and Ibrahimovic can conquer the Champions League together.

"The new contract of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the best players in the world, leaves a lasting mark on the history of Paris Saint-Germain and is a very strong signal of intent," he said on Tuesday.

"Together, we aim to lead the club to the European summit."

 

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Cazorla: Ozil has given Arsenal a big leap in quality

Santi Cazorla believes Mesut Ozil has provided Arsenal with a "big leap in quality" and he is hopeful the squad can now challenge for the Premier League title.

Ozil arrived on transfer deadline day for club-record €47 million fee from La Liga giants Real Madrid and has made an instant impact with three assists in his first two domestic games.

Arsenal have responded to an opening day 3-1 loss to Aston Villa with seven straight victories in all competitions, and Cazorla believes the team have enough quality to end their eight-season trophy drought.

"Hopefully we win the title, but it is too early to talk about it," Cazorla told Sphera Sports. "The beginning is very good. After the first loss the team is performing at a good level.

"We are consistent, that is what we lacked last season. Furthermore, the incorporation of Mesut Ozil has given us a big leap in quality.

"Hopefully we can now become one of the great teams and that gives us the chance to fight for the title."

The 28-year-old is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but is hopeful of returning for their upcoming Champions League match against Napoli.

"I hope to be back shortly. Every day I'm feeling better and I'm working on all ways to reduce my downtime," he added.

"It all depends on how I train and strengthen my ankle. As the days go by I am doing more things and if all goes well I will try to return for the game against Napoli, but that's not certain."

 

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Klopp handed Champions League ban

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has been given a one-game Champions League touchline ban by Uefa for his "pathetic" behaviour.

The Dortmund boss was sent to the stands during his side's 2-1 loss at Napoli on matchday one, and will need to assume a similar position when Marseille visit the Signal Iduna Park next Tuesday.

The 46-year-old launched an irate tirade at the fourth official after Dortmund defender Neven Subotic was refused permission to return to the pitch.

Klopp later apologised for his behaviour by saying: "I made myself look like a monkey out there and that's not on.

"I overstepped the mark, and it was really pathetic of me."

Uefa have confirmed they will meet again on October 2 to discuss whether to increase the ban or hand Klopp a fine.

 

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Ancelotti: Isco almost as good as Zidane

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes playmaker Isco can become as good as Zinedine Zidane.

The talented 21-year-old was brought in from Malaga in the summer for a fee of €30 million and has already demonstrated his class with a stunning start to the campaign, with four goals in five Liga matches.

Zidane, Ancelotti's assistant at Madrid, was reowned for his technical ability and Ancelotti insists that Isco is developing into a player of the France legend's ilk.

"Comparing Isco to Zidane is not a bad thing. He is very close to Zidane with their ability," he told reporters.

"They have a lot of similarities. Zidane is obviously in a better position to judge and he said Isco isn't there yet, but said he could come close in the future."

Meanwhile, Ancelotti has also defended Karim Benzema against recent criticism and feels the Frenchman has been playing well of late.

The former Olympique Lyonnais striker was jeered by fans in their 4-1 win over Getafe at the weekend after missing a number of good chances, yet the Italian has insisted that he is happy with the 25-year-old's performances.

"Benzema has put in some good performances," he added.

"I like his hard work on the pitch, regardless of whether he scores.

"I don't think it's a big problem for him that the fans whistled him. Sometimes it can even be a good thing, because it can motivate the players."

Finally, Ancelotti confirmed that Gareth Bale should have recovered from his thigh injury to face Atletico Madrid this Saturday.

"He trained individually today. He should be fit for Saturday's match," the Italian said on Tuesday.

"Atletico Madrid are the team that have surprised me the most. They are playing well."

 

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Walcott out of crucial England World Cup qualifiers

Theo Walcott will miss England's final two World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland with an abdominal injury.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed the Arsenal forward will undergo a minor procedure on Wednesday and be unavailable for "a few weeks".

Walcott missed the Gunners 3-1 win over Stoke City, and will now sit out a crucial Champions League clash with Napoli as well as domestic encounters with West Brom and Swansea City.

"Theo will be out for a few weeks," Wenger told the club's official website. "He has developed some damage to his posterior abdominal wall. It's not a hernia, but it's a little structural problem in his abdomen.

"He will have the procedure in Germany on Wednesday and, because it’s so minor, we can begin his rehab immediately.

"We are pleased it’s being dealt with quickly and he shouldn’t miss too many Arsenal matches. But he will miss the forthcoming international matches with England."

The 24-year-old has started the season in impressive fashion and netted his first goal of the campaign in Arsenal’s recent 2-1 Champions League victory over Marseille.

 

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Moyes asked me about De Rossi, says Capello

Fabio Capello has revealed that Manchester United manager David Moyes asked his opinion about Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi earlier summer, with the English champions were pondering a swoop for the Italy international.

The Red Devils turned their attention to De Rossi after missing out on Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas, but the transfer never materialised as Roma refused to sell the 30-year-old in the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

De Rossi made his official Roma debut under Capello in 2001-02 and the current Russia coach holds his former charge in high esteem.

"David Moyes asked me for my opinion about De Rossi a few months ago and my opinion could only be positive," Capello told Fox Sports.

"If I were De Rossi, I would have gone to Manchester United and join a team where they have a lot of ambition."

Manchester United eventually strengthened their midfield with Marouane Fellaini from Everton on deadline day of the transfer window.

 

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Everton put new Baines deal on hold

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that the club have “put aside” plans to extend Leighton Baines' current deal.

The 28-year-old was subject to interest from reigning champions Manchester United over the summer, now managed by former boss David Moyes, but Baines – unlike Marouane Fellaini – did not make the switch to Old Trafford.

Martinez has previously expressed a desire to tie down the former Wigan defender to a new contract, partly as reward for remaining at Goodison Park, but talks have been shelved for now.

“At the moment, all it is is the games and any individual contracts or situations are put aside,” Martinez told reporters.

“The only thing that concerns me is just to make sure he’s as fit as he can be and gets in a stronger position and balances the demands of England and club level.

“That’s what I’m focused on, that his day to day is perfect.

“Everything else, behind the scenes we’re happy with the situation and we’re making sure he’s happy as well.”

Baines struck twice in Everton's 3-2 victory over West Ham on Saturday, with both goals coming from stunning free kicks, and Martinez believes he is in the form of his career.

“In the last two games, once the window was closed, he could concentrate on his football,” the Spanish boss continued.

“I could be biased and see it from my own eyes, but when we played against Chelsea, it was the best two full-backs in England playing against each other, and then he came up with that sensational role on Saturday.

“He’s in a great moment of his career. In the last two games, Leighton has been sensational, probably because he’s been able to relax and enjoy his football.

“His contribution, to be able to score goals from deadball situations is a massive strength in any team, and he’s in a moment where the next three or four years are the best in his career.”

 

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Ancelotti: Real Madrid don't need Ozil to score goals

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes Mesut Ozil's move to Arsenal has not affected the team's ability to score goals.

Ozil was seen as the creative lynchpin in the Blancos side since his move from Werder Bremen in 2010 and has more assists than any other footballer in the top five leagues in Europe over the last five years.

However, despite the loss of the 24-year-old, Madrid have been in free-scoring form, beating Galatasaray 6-1 in the Champions League and following that up with a 4-1 victory over Getafe, leading to Ancelotti's firm belief his side will not miss the talented German in attack.

"Ozil has great attacking qualities but in the last two games against Galatasaray and Getafe we have played without him and we've had no problem scoring goals; we scored 10 and we could have scored 15," he told reporters.

"We are still very good going forward even without Ozil."

Ancelotti's men face La Liga newcomers Elche on Wednesday and will be able to welcome back Raphael Varane and Fabio Coentrao to the squad.

Elche may be relegation candidates, but the Italian coach insisted his side will be respectful of their opponents, having already faced Villarreal - another newly-promoted club - and drawing 2-2 with them at El Madrigal this season.

“We have to be careful with this game because we have the experience of Villarreal, where we played a very tough game. Teams face us with ambition," he continued.

“They won the Segunda Division last year and will play against Madrid with great determination.

“First-team plans? We have recovered Varane and Coentrao, they are available. The important thing is that they have recovered well.

“We have a lot of competition in every position and I will play the one I believe is best for the game. Marcelo will be available for Saturday.”

Ahead of the first Madrid derby this season, Ancelotti admits he has been surprised by the level of performance shown by their neighbours and believes there is still more to come from his own side.

“Atletico are playing very well. They put in great performances in the Supercopa, and although Barcelona are always competitive, Atletico have surprised me more," he added.

"They have the same spirit as their coach Diego Simeone, a man with a lot of character. We are improving; we've had some good matches, but we need a bit of consistency."

 

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Januzaj targeting regular Manchester United berth

Adnan Januzaj is hoping he can become a regular part of Manchester United's first-team squad under manager David Moyes.

The 18-year-old featured regularly during pre-season matches and impressed when coming off the bench to make his competitive debut in the recent 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

And Januzaj is delighted with the progress he has made so far, but is keen not to become complacent as he looks to establish himself at Old Trafford

"I'm really enjoying myself," he told United Review. "I played quite a few games in the reserves last season and I thought I did well, and from there I had the chance to go on tour in the summer. It was a good opportunity for me to show what I could do for the team.

"That was a great experience for me and ever since then I’ve been working hard. Now the manager has given me my chance in the first team at Wembley and against Crystal Palace.

"That was my first Premier League game for United and my first at Old Trafford, so it felt very special. I was in front of another big crowd and I was shocked to get about 25 minutes. When I got the call to say I was coming on, I was surprised. But I went on and tried to play my game.

"First, I’d like to stay in the squad. I want to play as many games as I can and become the best player I can possibly be. But I know that I need to keep working hard every day to achieve that."

 

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Bale joined Real Madrid on the cheap, says Perez

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez feels that the Santiago Bernabeu side did not pay over the odds to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham.

The Primera Division giants spent a world record €100 million to lure the Wales international away from the Premier League, yet their chief believes they still got their man on the cheap.

"Bale came to Madrid relatively cheap," the Blancos president told Cadena SER.

"Signing the best players out there is Madrid's philosophy and Bale was the best available player this summer. We had been following him for two years.

"Tottenham initially did not want to sell, but when we heard Manchester United made an offer, we tabled a bid ourselves. His childhood dream to play for Madrid eventually proved to be decisive."

The 24-year-old scored on his official Madrid debut against Villarreal, but missed this weekend's win over Getafe due to a thigh problem.

Bale is also expected to miss Wednesday's match versus Elche, but should be match fit in time for the upcoming derby against Atletico Madrid.

 

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Fulham 2-1 Everton: Berbatov & Bent complete second-half turnaround

Fulham came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 to progress to the Capital One Cup fourth round.

Steven Naismith gave the visitors the lead in the first half as they dominated the early proceedings at Craven Cottage. But Fulham progressed to the next stage of the competition thanks to goals after the break from Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent.

Jol made six changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Chelsea on Saturday, with Berbatov returning from a hamstring injury.

Adel Taarabt and Giorgos Karagounis were among the other inclusions, as Aston Villa loanee Bent dropped to the bench, while Everton also made significant alterations to their side, with manager Roberto Martinez making eight changes.

Only Naismith, Coleman and Sylvain Distin retained their place for Everton, as Martinez handed a first start to loan signing Romelu Lukaku.

Everton made the brighter start, with Stockdale needing to save efforts from Naismith and John Heitinga inside the opening eight minutes.

Naismith, after testing Stockdale again a moment earlier, gave the visitors the lead in the 12th minute when he ran on to Gerard Deulofeu's pass and fired through the legs of the goalkeeper.

Fulham's first chance of note fell to Berbatov in the 17th minute but the Bulgarian forward could only head wide from Elsad Zverotic's cross from the right.

At the other end, Distin had a header cleared off the line by Zverotic before Heitinga volleyed over from close range, while Berbatov failed to direct another header on target.

Naismith almost had a second goal on the half-hour mark, but the Scotland international fired into the side netting after combining with Deulofeu again.

The Barcelona loanee was proving a constant menace to the Fulham defence, driving forward before feeding Lukaku, but he saw his effort tipped away by Stockdale.And Deulofeu was in the action again as the half drew to a close, twice drilling low shots that had to be dealt with by the busy Stockdale.

Fulham began the second half with greater urgency and Alexander Kacaniklic tested Everton keeper Joel Robles with a firmly hit drive just after the restart.
Berbatov levelled matters in the 54th minute, tucking home from 10 yards after Coleman's challenge on Taarabt directed the ball into his path.

And Bent fired them in front just four minutes after coming off the bench, collecting Karagounis' disguised free-kick and firing past Robles in the 68th minute.Coleman fizzed an effort just wide five minutes later as Everton searched in vain for an equaliser, while Deulofeu and Lukaku also went close.

And Coleman had another chance to draw Everton level, only for Stockdale to deny him, as Fulham claimed victory.

 

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Lewandowski: I'm signing for Bayern in January

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has ended speculation over his future by revealing that he will join Bayern Munich on a free transfer in 2014.

The forward, 25, was linked heavily with a move away from Signal Iduna Park during the summer but was denied a move by the BVB hierarchy and forced to spend at least one more season under Jurgen Klopp.

The Bavarians have remained the favourites to sign the Pole, however, and following the Schwarzgelben's 2-0 DFB-Pokal second-round win over 1860 Munich, Lewandowski confirmed that the Allianz Arena will be his destination and that he will sign a pre-contract in January to join next summer.

When asked if he would confirm his move to Pep Guardiola's men in January by Sport1, he responded: "Yes, because then I can officially sign the contract."

The Poland international has scored 80 goals in 149 appearances for Dortmund since joining from Lech Poznan in 2010 for an estimated €4.5 million.

 

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'Messi never wants to be substituted' - Martino

Gerardo Martino has defended substituting star player Lionel Messi during Barcelona's 4-1 triumph over Real Sociedad on Tuesday.

The Argentine showed obvious discontent after being replaced in the second half of the Liga win, but the head coach insists that his decision was made in the best interest of the player and the club in the long term, while praising the team's overall performance.

"Messi never wants to be subbed off, but it's my task to take care of him," Martino told reporters after the match. "We need him at end of season as well as now.

"My way of thinking won't change, I repeated the whole time how I want to play, maybe this game helps some to see things clearer.

"We've played a very good game. The way we played in the first half was wonderful - it was a pity we couldn’t score more."

The 54-year-old went on to laud €57 million man Neymar following his debut Liga goal, while insisting that Alexis Sanchez played well despite not scoring.

"Neymar is an exceptional player," the Argentine trainer added. "It has surprised us how hard he wants to work for the team.

"Alexis didn't score, but he worked very hard today, both in defence and attack. He does things that few forwards do."

 

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Klopp hails Dortmund Pokal progress

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hailed a "tough" win as his side booked their place in the third round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday.

Klopp's side were frustrated by 1860 Munich at the Allianz Arena and struggled to break down their lower-division opponents, but extra-time strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan eventually sealed a 2-0 win for BVB.

And Klopp was pleased with number of opportunities his side created against a dogged 1860 side."We must and can win tough games," said Klopp. "We had four great opportunities and hit the post and the crossbar.

"They (Munich) defended very deep, which is not easy for any team. If we had scored early it might have been different."The introduction of Aubameyang sparked Dortmund - who took 15,000 fans with them for the clash - into life and he had a hand in both goals.

Elsewhere in the competition, Bayer Leverkusen had little trouble against second division Arminia Bielefeld as they recorded a 2-0 win of their own.There were also wins for Hamburg, who secured a 1-0 victory at home to Greuther Furth, and Wolfsburg, who beat Aalen 2-0.

Hoffenheim overcame Energie Cottbus in extra time, while Augsburg saw off third division Preussen Muster, 3-0. Second division Sandhausen came from a goal behind to beat fourth tier Widenbruck 3-1.

Second division Cologne caused the upset of the night as they beat Bundesliga side Mainz 1-0.

 

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Balotelli must behave like a champion, not a child - Allegri

AC Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has warned star striker Mario Balotelli to stop behaving like a child and start acting like a champion.

The Italy international was sent off in the Rossoneri's 2-1 defeat against table-toppers Napoli on Sunday which will see him miss the next three domestic matches, including a Serie A clash with Juventus.

Allegri, who told his January signing publicly to "shut up" following the game, has insisted that Balotelli must be given more protection from officials in future but accepted that the striker needs to take it upon himself not to react rashly and cost his team-mates.

"Mario has made a mistake, penalising the team, club and the fans and he must change this," the coach told gathered media on Tuesday.

"Balotelli should help referees to protect him because if another player had suffered the fouls he did on Sunday then they would have whistled. The referees should be left alone because they can be influenced by negative attitudes.

"Mario is 23-years-old, he is no longer a child and to be a champion you have to have a correct behaviour because you are an example for all those who look up to you. I hope for him he benefits from it and realises that he's put the team and the club in difficulty.

"You have to go on the pitch thinking about doing well. When you finish the game you need to go in the dressing room, accept what happened and think of working to do better. The club will decide what to do about Mario."

Milan face Bologna on Wednesday as they bid to bounce back from the defeat which leaves them sat in 11th spot in Serie A.

 

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Manchester United star Van Persie out of Liverpool clash

Robin van Persie is out of Manchester United's Capital One Cup clash with Liverpool on Wednesday due to injury.

The striker picked up a groin problem prior to the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday and did not feature at the Etihad Stadium.

David Moyes has confirmed the Dutchman will not be involved at Old Trafford, but has an "outside chance" of featuring against West Brom in the Premier League on September 28.

Speaking at press conference ahead of the Liverpool match, Moyes said: "I don't think Robin will play on Wednesday. But I think he'll have an outside chance for Saturday.”

Moyes also believes it is time to move on from their convincing derby day weekend defeat and believes he will learn more about his players character in the coming weeks.

He continued: "It's gone now. I can't do anything about it so we move on and get ready for the next game.

“I'm still getting to know all the players. I'll get to know a few more this week and see what they can do."

Finally he talked up the rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool and hinted he will include a number of established players for the Capital One Cup clash, in a match which could mark Luis Suarez's return to competitive action for Merseyside outfit.

He added: “It's a big rivalry and it could take on a bigger significance than people might expect.

"I think it means that Liverpool have a got a really good player. Does it change the complexion? I don't know. I'm not looking at Liverpool too much except that I know the quality of Luis Suarez is very good.

"The cup has been a route to giving young players an opportunity, but obviously this is a really big tie."

Manchester United currently sit in eighth spot in the Premier League, having taken seven points from their opening five league matches.

 

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