..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City submit formal complaint to Uefa over racist abuse

Manchester City have submitted a formal complaint to Uefa regarding the alleged racial abuse directed at Yaya Toure during Wednesday’s Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow.

The Ivory Coast midfielder complained of offensive chanting during the 2-1 win at the Arena Khimki, while manager Manuel Pellegrini demanded action be taken against the Russian club.

Uefa have confirmed an investigation has been opened into the allegations, which have so far been denied by CSKA.

A statement on the club’s official website read: "Manchester City FC can confirm that it has today issued a written formal complaint to Uefa regarding the events of last night’s game against CSKA Moscow.

"It follows the complaint which was raised to the UEFA delegate immediately after the conclusion of the game.

"It is noted that Uefa have opened proceedings into the matter and we await the findings in due course."

 

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Bayern suffer Pizarro blow

 

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Bayern suffer Pizarro blow

Bayern Munich have been dealt a fresh injury blow with the news that Claudio Pizarro will miss up to six weeks of action with a muscle problem.

The veteran striker, who has been used sparingly this season, joins the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Holger Badstuber on the slidelines and is set to miss the showdown with Borussia Dortmund next month.

That leaves Pep Guardiola with only one orthodox striker at his disposal, Mario Mandzukic, though the Spaniard has deployed Thomas Muller up front.

However, summer signing Thiago Alcantara, who has been missing since the opening weeks of the season, has returned to training following an ankle injury.

Bayern Munich, who overcame Viktoria Plzen 5-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, entertain Hertha Berlin this weekend.

Pizarro, 35, who is currently enjoying his second spell with the Bavarian club, has scored three goals in his six appearances this term.

 

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'I'm not happy with Champions League money' - De Laurentiis calls for European Super League

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has advocated the idea of forming a lucrative European Super League featuring the biggest teams from across the continent.

The film mogul, who has overseen the Partenopei's rise from the Italian third tier to the Champions League, believes clubs would be able to earn far more from the proposals.

“I want to reduce the league to 16 teams and to create a large European Cup that would bring together the five biggest teams from the five best European leagues," the 64-year-old told L'Equipe.

"One week would be devoted to the national championship, the other to the European championship with teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern, AC Milan.

"It would be crazy, the end of the world! This competition could generate €5 billion – a revolution.

"Everyone seems happy to earn €40 million per season in the Champions League. I’m not. I want to earn €150m or even €200m.”

 

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Germany aim to host Euro 2024

The president of the German Football Federation (DFB) Wolfgang Niersbach has revealed that Germany will bid to be the host nation for the European Championship in 2024.

On Wednesday the presidential board of the DFB voted unanimously in favour of staging the event in 11 years, before Uefa president Michel Platini was informed of the motion at its congress meeting on Thursday.

The country are yet to host a European Championship as a united nation after West Germany were awarded the competition in 1988 and, having staged the World Cup in 2006, Niersbach believes it is time to plan for another "summer fairytale".

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, the 62-year-old said: "Eighteen years after a unique World Cup in 2006, the time has come for a new summer fairytale in Germany.

"The DFB has organised a Euro Cup in 1988 the last time and we fancy our chances again because the DFB have made a good impression for both Fifa and Uefa in the past.

"We cannot apply yet but Uefa should know that they can count on us doing so."

The host nation will not be determined until seven years before the tournament in 2017 while Munich have also bid to be involved in Euro 2020 - which will be held across 13 European cities.

Germany last won the competition at Euro '96 where Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal secured a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic.

 

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Arbeloa: Benzema will prove fans wrong

Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa is convinced that team-mate Karim Benzema will rediscover his best form and silence his detractors at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The France international has struggled this season, with his woes in front of goal compounded by the two-yard miss in the 2-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old has come in for criticism from his own fans, but Arbeloa believes the goal-shy striker will prove them wrong.

"Karim is important to us and that is why he has to keep working as he is," the 30-year-old told reporters.

"Benzema’s chance? It was a very difficult chance. He went in very strong and nearly scored. He is a great player that helps us a lot. Benzema will show people what he's worth and the fans will cheer for him."

Saturday will see the first Clasico of the current campaign take place in Catalunya, with Barcelona knowing victory would establish a six-point margin between Madrid and themselves.

The clash is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 CET.

 

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Arsenal must improve defence to win Premier League - Mertesacker

Per Mertesacker insists Arsenal need to defend better if they are to maintain the fine form that has taken them top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners have scored 18 goals in their opening eight league fixtures but nine conceded is joint-worst defensive record in the top six, and their German defender insists they need to tighten up at the back.

"We know we are on a good run, but we know it needs more than just playing with full freedom and vision - we need to defend first and then we can switch the rest on," he told the Evening Standard.

"You have seen what can happen after that.”

Last weekend’s win over Norwich saw Jack Wilshere score one of the best goals of the season following some intricate interplay on the edge of the box, and Mertesacker admits he is excited by the attacking options at Arsene Wenger’s disposal.

"We have players who can play so quickly together," he explained. "Tomas Rosicky came in and fitted into everything as well as Mesut [Ozil] or Jack [Wilshere].

"When those three combined together, you could feel some magic in the air, a real chemistry.

"Mesut does not need to adapt to our style because he is a natural talent. You could see that against Norwich, when we played such good football."

 

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Neymar: I studied Pepe video to prevent him provoking me

Barcelona star Neymar says he knows how to handle Pepe after being shown a video tape of the Real Madrid defender.

Neymar, 21, could make his Clasico debut on Saturday and is likely to face the rugged centre-back, who he was up against in September's friendly between Brazil and Portugal, which the Selecao won 3-1.

But the attacker says he will not be "provoked" as he knows how to deal with the controversial Portuguese's style of play following a tape sent by the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) before the friendly.

“They sent me a video and they also sent one to [fellow Brazil international] Thiago Silva so that we didn’t get provoked," he told Globo TV.

“It wasn’t just for my sake, it was for the sake of my team-mates too."

Neymar has scored two goals in eight league games for Barcelona this season.

 

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Figo: Quitting Barcelona for Real Madrid was easy

Luis Figo has claimed that he "did not think twice" in his decision to leave Barcelona for Real Madrid in 2000.

The former Portugal international infuriated the Blaugrana supporters when he elected to swap the Catalans for their arch-rivals for a then world-record fee of €62 million, culminating in one fan hurling a severed pig's head in his direction on his return to Catalunya in 2002.

Despite the sensitivity of such a transfer, though, the 40-year-old says that the decision to leave was straight-forward due to the belief that he was under-appreciated at Camp Nou.

Speaking to Grada360, Figo said: "At that moment [when at Barca], I was not satisfied with how I was valued, I had the opportunity and did not think twice.

"I did not always feel valued for what I had given to the club. For so much time I gave everything that I could and in the end my desire [to leave] became a reality.

"It is so in any profession, if your boss does not appreciate you and if you have another opportunity certainly you will consider it. And that was so."

Saturday will see the first Clasico of the current campaign take place in Catalunya, with Barcelona knowing victory would establish a six-point margin between their bitter rivals.

The clash is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 CET.

 

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Hughes: Stoke can beat struggling Manchester United

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes is looking forward to facing Manchester United on Saturday and insists there is no reason why his side cannot pick up all three points.

Having previously guided Blackburn to victory at Old Trafford, the former United striker has set his sights on ending the Potters’ 30-year wait for a win over the champions, who have won just one of their four home games in the Premier League this season.

"It will be nice to go back to Old Trafford," he told reporters. "I've been back as a manager on a few occasions and managed to win there too. Hopefully I can do that as Stoke manager, because it would give me great satisfaction.

"Historically, Stoke's record hasn't been great at Old Trafford, but sooner or later that has to change.

"West Brom and Southampton have gone there and caused problems, and given the way we are playing away from home I fully expect us to worry them.

"We have played better away from home than we have at home this season, and we want that to continue at the weekend.

"You can't go to Old Trafford and be apprehensive, you have to go there and give it a real go - and that is what we will do.

"There are areas for us to exploit, and if we can do that and restrict them at the other end, I am sure that we can get a result."

Despite their hosts' difficult start to the season under David Moyes, Hughes insists his team cannot afford to underestimate the quality they are up against.

"They are a little bit adrift at the moment, but if you ever question Man Utd, more often than not they will hit back with the answers," he continued.

"The likes of Rooney and Van Persie can win game on their own, so we have to look to keep them quiet, as we do with a number of others."

 

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Stoke lath balagena inne Manchester United paraddanna wageLet's see.

 

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Chicharito should reject Mexico to save Manchester United career - Ferretti

Tigres UANL coach Ricardo Ferretti feels Chicharito should quit Mexico in order to boost his chances at Manchester United.

Despite his hero status in his homeland, the 25-year-old was criticised for his performance in El Tri’s 2-1 World Cup qualifier loss against Costa Rica earlier this month after missing a number of chances.

Ferretti has defended Chicharito, claiming that he has every right to reject his national team in favour of fighting for his place at Old Trafford.

"It's his right [not to attend]. How many lost opportunities has there been for Chicharito in being a starter for Manchester United?" the Brazilian told Record.

"He can make that decision to refuse and to say 'I've almost lost my chance of being a regular in Manchester, and for this'."

The forward has featured intermittently under David Moyes this season, making only four appearances and scoring one goal.

 

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I'm ready to face Real Madrid, insists Puyol

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol says he is ready to face Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season on Saturday, despite returning from a long-term knee injury only last week.

The Barca captain made his comeback from a seven-month injury lay-off in his side’s 0-0 draw with Osasuna last weekend.

And, although the 35-year-old never featured against AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, Puyol hopes to be in contention for his first appearance at Camp Nou since March, with Gerard Pique struggling with a hamstring strain.

“Just to return to training with my team-mates and to be feeling good is a great joy for me, so imagine what it would be like to be involved in a Clasico,” Puyol is quoted as saying to Fifa.

“It’s a game that everyone wants to play in. I just have to prepare myself and wait to see what the coach decides.

“During the Osasuna game I felt very good sensations. Afterwards, I had my doubts as to how the knee would react, but in the recovery sessions everything went well.”

Although it is early in the season, Barcelona have gained three more points than Madrid, and a win on Saturday will give the Blaugrana breathing space at the top of the table.

However, Puyol believes the result of the Clasico will not decide the league title.

“There is a long way to go and the league will not be resolved in the Clasico, but it is a good match to gain confidence," he said.

“People speak about the game a huge amount before, [and] after they analyse everything, but in the end it is another game of football with three points up for grabs.

“Madrid are always a team that demands the most of you. They have great players and they arrive with confidence."

 

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Pique doubtful for Madrid clash

Gerard Pique could miss Barcelona's clash with Real Madrid on Saturday after suffering a hamstring strain in his side's 1-1 Champions League draw with AC Milan.

The Spain international, who played the entirety of the Group H clash at San Siro on Tuesday, felt discomfort in his left leg towards the end of the match and has since undergone tests to diagnose the problem.

Further examination has now revealed that Pique could be a doubt for this weekend's Clasico, with Barcelona confirming on their official website that the 26-year-old will follow a specific workout regime on Thursday and Friday.

In a double blow for Barcelona, the club also confirmed that Jonathan dos Santos suffered an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during training on Wednesday.

It is not yet clear how long the Mexican midfielder will be sidelined, but the issue is being monitored by the club's medical staff and is set to be the subject of tests in the coming days.

Dos Santos has made just three league appearances for the Camp Nou side this season.

 

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Casillas: Juventus win sets us up for Clasico

Iker Casillas already has one eye on Saturday's Clasico following Real Madrid's 2-1 home triumph over Juventus on Wednesday.

Casillas, 32, is unlikely to start ahead of Diego Lopez against Barcelona this weekend, but that has not stopped him dreaming of going level at the top of La Liga with a win.

"A victory on Saturday will carry us to the top of the table with Barcelona," he told Canal Plus. "We have to go to Camp Nou keeping in mind this victory."

Two first-half goals on Wednesday from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Madrid maintained their commanding position at the top of Group B.

Juve had equalised through Fernando Llorente, but the Portugese added a second from the penalty spot after Giorgio Chielllini had hauled down Sergio Ramos in the box.

It was to get worse for Chiellini as he was shown a straight red for a controversial block on the Portuguese in the second half.

Casillas believes the victory was fundamental to their last 16 aspirations as they only need a point when they visit the Bianconeri on matchday four to go through.

But says the win did not come easy despite playing against 10 men for the majority of the second half.

"We have taken a very important step," Casillas said. "It was not easy even when they were down to 10 men for almost the entire second half. Now we go to Turin, aware that even a draw could lead us to the knock-out stages."

Casillas has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu due to being out of the regular starting line-up for around 10 months.

But he insists that claims he has made demands to the club are fictional and borne out of false rumour-mongering.

"Regarding my future, I didn't give an ultimatum to Real Madrid," the Spain international added.

"Unfortunately, my name is always in the media and some people do nothing but talk about what I say, when I say it and why I say it."

 

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Juventus are not in crisis, insists Conte

Juventus coach Antonio Conte has insisted that the Serie A champions are not suffering a crisis following their 2-1 Champions League defeat at the hands of Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.

The Bianconeri are yet to record their first win in Europe this season, but Conte feels that his men showed at the Santiago Bernabeu that they have what it takes to compete with the very best, regardless of the final result.

"Last year we were outclassed by Bayern while this season we played a great game against a team who are more or less at the same level as the European champions," Conte said at a press conference.

"So I don't think we are in crisis as many said on the eve of the game – quite the opposite actually.

"We played at the same level as Madrid and we could even have won. Now everything is certainly more difficult but we proved we can be competitive against any opponent.

"We proved we can play at this level if we really want to. We only lost due to a couple of small details, a couple of things that did not go our way."

Conte then went on to discuss referee Manuel Grafe's performance after the German awarded Madrid a penalty and dismissed Giorgio Chiellini and he was not impressed with the official's display.

He added: "The referee certainly affected the game with some dubious decisions, such as Chiellini's red card and the penalty call.

"I can only laugh about it. It was definitely not an elbow and it can't be considered a clear goalscoring opportunity either. If that was a clear goalscoring opportunity, then anything is..."

Juventus sit third in Group B with two points from three games.

 

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Mysterious messages at Times Square

Times Square became the third venue to be struck by mysterious signs and symbols this week when a series of unidentified images flashed on the commercial intersection's digital billboards.

Witnesses reported seeing a sequence of blinking lights and streaming codes on Tuesday night that left New Yorkers scratching their heads at just what they were watching.

Strange symbols | The mysterious shapes stand out next to the advertisements

Alongside advertising for animated film characters and basketball stars, an electronic billboard suddenly revealed the illuminated image of a giant circle with a football shape carved into the centre. The hashtag #WINNERTAKESEARTH soon followed.

"The images reminded me of a science-fiction movie," said bemused Dutch tourist Michael Stupp from Rotterdam.

Andrea Costa from Mexico added: "At first I thought it had something to do with computers because of the glitches and the codes, but then when you see the football sign and the hashtag you start opening up your mind and asking who is out there trying to challenge us."

Sign of the Times | Baffled onlookers watch the cryptic messages in New York

On Sunday a mysterious hologram of the same symbol was projected on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf mountain, while London sports venue Hackney Marshes was gouged by a three-metre football the following day. The hashtag #WINNERTAKESEARTH was spotted at all three venues.

 

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Mourinho hit with FA fine

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been hit with an £8,000 fine by the Football Association after being sent to the stands against Cardiff City.

The Portuguese coach was sent to the stands after berating referee Anthony Taylor for warning Branislav Ivanovic over time-wasting.

Mourinho was forced to watch the remaining 20 minutes from the East Stand amongst Chelsea fans, but has avoided a touchline ban after accepting the FA's decision to fine him.

The statement read: "Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been fined £8,000 after he admitted a breach of FA Rule E3 in that his behaviour in or around the 69th minute of his side's game against Cardiff City on 19 October 2013 amounted to improper conduct.

"The fine is the standard penalty for the offence."

 

[unicornx]

Mysterious messages at Times Square

Times Square became the third venue to be struck by mysterious signs and symbols this week when a series of unidentified images flashed on the commercial intersection's digital billboards.

Witnesses reported seeing a sequence of blinking lights and streaming codes on Tuesday night that left New Yorkers scratching their heads at just what they were watching.

Strange symbols | The mysterious shapes stand out next to the advertisements

Alongside advertising for animated film characters and basketball stars, an electronic billboard suddenly revealed the illuminated image of a giant circle with a football shape carved into the centre. The hashtag #WINNERTAKESEARTH soon followed.

"The images reminded me of a science-fiction movie," said bemused Dutch tourist Michael Stupp from Rotterdam.

Andrea Costa from Mexico added: "At first I thought it had something to do with computers because of the glitches and the codes, but then when you see the football sign and the hashtag you start opening up your mind and asking who is out there trying to challenge us."

Sign of the Times | Baffled onlookers watch the cryptic messages in New York

On Sunday a mysterious hologram of the same symbol was projected on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf mountain, while London sports venue Hackney Marshes was gouged by a three-metre football the following day. The hashtag #WINNERTAKESEARTH was spotted at all three venues.

Meyalage wadak da danne na

 

[unicornx]

Neymar: I studied Pepe video to prevent him provoking me

Barcelona star Neymar says he knows how to handle Pepe after being shown a video tape of the Real Madrid defender.

Neymar, 21, could make his Clasico debut on Saturday and is likely to face the rugged centre-back, who he was up against in September's friendly between Brazil and Portugal, which the Selecao won 3-1.

But the attacker says he will not be "provoked" as he knows how to deal with the controversial Portuguese's style of play following a tape sent by the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) before the friendly.

“They sent me a video and they also sent one to [fellow Brazil international] Thiago Silva so that we didn’t get provoked," he told Globo TV.

“It wasn’t just for my sake, it was for the sake of my team-mates too."

Neymar has scored two goals in eight league games for Barcelona this season.

Pepe is unlikely to start against Barca. Varane will make it..Lol...Poor Neymar..kata tiagena inna ba gon katha kianawa whole sale