..::Football III::..

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Simeone 'happy' with Costa interest

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says he is "happy" with speculation suggesting Diego Costa could move to Chelsea this summer.

The La Liga leaders have lost Sergio Aguero and Radamel Falcao in previous summers, with reports now linking their top goalscorer with the Blues.

The latest round of rumours come after the striker helped fire Atletico to the Champions League final on Wednesday, as he scored a penalty in a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to set up an all-Madrid final against fierce rivals Real.
Simeone said: "It’s important that the powerful teams want players from your own, because it shows you’re doing things right. It makes me happy when this happens because it speaks well of our team.”

Atletico travel to Levante on Sunday knowing that victory will leave them needing just one more win the league title for the first time since 1994 and Simeone says there is no chance his side will be distracted by their European success in midweek.

He added: "We haven’t won anything yet. We’re facing an important situation towards the future to play a final. But reality brings us back to what we always cared about, which is La Liga.

"For us La Liga is our day-to-day and therefore we’ll keep on this match-by-match strategy we’ve devised.”

 

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Leicester City & Burnley EPL 1kata Promote wela

Congratzzzzz for Leicester City & Burnley!

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Fiorentina 1-3 Napoli: Partenopei come out on top in Coppa Italia final

Lorenzo Insigne scored twice as Napoli beat Fiorentina 3-1 in the Coppa Italia final after kick-off was delayed following trouble in Rome.

Saturday's game was put back by 45 minutes as Napoli fans protested in reaction to disturbances in the Italian capital before the match.Flares and missiles were let off in Stadio Olimpico and captain Marek Hamsik spoke to furious Napoli supporters before the game finally got under way.When the players eventually took to the field following a frustrating hold-up, it was worth the wait as Napoli made a blistering start.

Insigne had been criticised by Napoli fans earlier in the season, but having only previously scored five goals all season, he silenced his doubters by scoring twice in the first 17 minutes.

Vincenzo Montella's side then finally got going and Juan Vargas' first goal since February halved the deficit in the first half, but despite Giuseppe Rossi's return from injury as a substitute and Gohkan Inler's late red card, Fiorentina were unable to break Napoli down.

Substitute Dries Mertens sealed the victory with a third goal in stoppage time as Napoli secured a second Coppa Italia success in three years and silverware for coach Rafael Benitez in his first season in charge, while Fiorentina's wait for a first trophy since 2001 goes on.

Napoli's leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain, passed fit after recovering from a shin injury, somehow failed to find the back of the net after a corner caused panic in the Fiorentina defence early on.

Benitez's team were in front just 11 minutes in, though, when Hamsik picked out Insigne with an incisive pass and the forward found the far corner of the net with a measured right-footed finish.

Fiorentina were in disarray and Insigne took advantage with a second goal six minutes later.Higuain was the architect, racing away down the right and cutting the ball across for the onrushing Insigne, whose left-footed strike deflected into the net.

It was hard to see a way back for Montella's team, such was Napoli's dominance, but they were given a lifeline when the leaders were caught napping and Vargas fired home with his left foot 28 minutes in.Alberto Aquilani then had the ball in the back of the net on the stroke of half-time, but the Fiorentina midfielder's effort was ruled out for offside.The Florence club were resurgent and they started the second half on the front foot.

Napoli skipper Hamsik was replaced by Mertens just after the hour mark after picking up a knock to his right shin and Goran Pandev replaced Higuain 20 minutes from time as Benitez looked to close out the win.Fiorentina probed and Pepe Reina tipped over Matias Fernandez's long-range drive, and there was then a huge roar from Fiorentina's fans when Rossi came on with 19 minutes remaining following four months out with a knee injury.

Pandev ought to have settled it when he raced clear but Neto denied him, and Inler's second yellow card for a foul on Josip Ilicic made for an even tenser finale.

Ilicic missed a golden opportunity to equalise six minutes from time before Mertens made sure of the victory with a clinical left-foot finish two minutes into time added on.

 

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Rennes 0-2 Guingamp: Another final of despair for Les Rouges et Noirs

Guingamp shrugged off their Ligue 1 struggles to win the Coupe de France with a 2-0 victory over Brittany rivals Rennes in Saturday's final.

Jocelyn Gourvennec's men are four points clear of the drop zone in the French top flight with three games remaining, but gave their fans a welcome break from relegation concerns by claiming a straightforward triumph in a repeat of the 2009 showpiece.Guingamp were victorious in that clash five years ago and repeated the feat as Rennes - who are not yet safe from the drop themselves - missed the chance to end a 43-year wait for a major trophy.

Full-back Jonathan Martins Pereira emphatically put Guingamp ahead late in the first half at the Stade de France and Mustapha Yatabare added a second a minute after the interval, his third goal against Rennes this campaign.Rennes never looked like mounting a comeback, with Guingamp holding on comfortably to win the trophy for only the second time in their history.

Guingamp made the better start to proceedings and twice spurned opportunities to take the lead in the opening 10 minutes, Christophe Mandanne and Christophe Kerbrat both heading wide in the early stages.Yatabare then headed off target at the near post from Claudio Beauvue's right-wing cross as Guingamp continued to push for the opener.

Rennes looked to have weathered the storm, but eight minutes before half-time Guingamp did take the lead when Martins Pereira struck in sublime fashion.
The defender found the net with a fierce volley from the edge of the area after Rennes goalkeeper Benoit Costil had failed to clear his lines with a punch from Yatabare's header back across goal.

Guingamp started the second half in the same manner as the first and immediately doubled their lead from the restart through the competition's top scorer Yatabare, who netted his eighth of the tournament with a powerful downward header from Steven Langil's pinpoint left-wing delivery.

Rennes almost crafted an instant response, with only a point-blank save from Mamadou Samassa preventing Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik from pulling one back for Philippe Montanier's men after Guingamp struggled to deal with a corner.

Yet it was Guingamp who were the more threatening throughout the contest, and Gourvennec's side would have extended their advantage had Costil not produced a fine reaction stop to deny Yatabare a second.

Yatabare again went close as he broke free of Rennes' defence before flashing an effort across the face of goal, but his profligacy mattered not, Guingamp easily seeing out a third straight 2-0 win over Montanier's charges to regain the trophy.

 

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Pellegrini: The worst thing Man City can do is think we’ve won the title Previous


Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has warned his side the worst thing they can do is think they have won the Premier League after beating Everton 3-2.

The victory moves City top of the table, above Liverpool on goal difference, with just two games of the season left to play.

The Chilean’s side should clinch the league if they win both of their remaining games, against Aston Villa and West Ham, but Pellegrini says the title race is not over yet.

“I think that the worst thing we can do is to think we’ve finished the Premier League now,” he told reporters.

“We have to play games against teams who play with no pressure so it’s important that from tomorrow, we start to think about the game against Aston Villa – we take each game as it comes.

“I think it’s very important to continue in the way we are doing so far – today was the last game away from home and we started this season with four points from the first six away games so I think this team is doing much better in this respect.”

Goals from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko saw City gain all three points against Everton, ending a dismal record at Goodison Park, and Pellegrini admitted it had been a difficult game for his side.

“We’ve won twice in our last ten times here and Everton played really good today – you could clearly see that they wanted to win from the beginning and it was a very tough game for us,” he added.

“We won and that’s the important thing in this moment – the pressure is too high to play our best football but we played well and coped with it.”

“Maybe the team was nervous at 3-2 but we defended well. We started one goal down so it wasn’t easy to recover from that beautiful goal.

“After that we managed the game very well, we scored three and had other chances to score. All of the players played well and all of the team deserve their merits.”

 

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Klopp and Lewandowski in awe of BVB standing ovation

Jurgen Klopp and Robert Lewandowski revelled in the standing ovation the striker received after his last home game for Borussia Dortmund.

The 25-year-old, who will join Bayern Munich at the end of the season, was presented with flowers and a giant poster of himself before Dortmund's 3-2 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday.

An emotional Lewandowski, who fired Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles after joining from Lech Poznan in 2010, then went off to a warm ovation in injury time."Thank you to everyone who participated in that ovation," Dortmund coach Klopp told Sky afterwards. "It was special.

"He’s been a great player for Borussia Dortmund. He deserved that. It was incredible. Thank you to the whole stadium."I'm glad that after four years I can sit back and say, 'Yes, he always gave it everything'."

Lewandowski, a prolific goalscorer during his time at Dortmund, added: "The emotions today were very, very high. I can only thank everyone for this support.
"This is a very, very emotional moment for me. What the supporters did before, during and after the game was incredible. Thank you for this wonderful treatment."

 

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Italy must take Insigne to World Cup, says Benitez

Napoli boss Rafael Benitez says Lorenzo Insigne thoroughly deserves to go to the World Cup following his Coppa Italia heroics.

The attacker, 22, scored twice in the first half as the Partenopei defeated Fiorentina 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday to claim the domestic trophy.
Insigne has been mentioned as a potential pick in Cesare Prandelli's 23-man Italy squad this summer after an impressive season at the Stadio San Paolo and Benitez believes it would be foolish not to take him, as well as stressing how well Napoli played in the cup final.

"There is talk of him going to the World Cup and I say without doubt he should go, as he can make the difference in any game," he told Rai Sport."We knew that we’d all win together or lose together. I am very satisfied with the performance. Fiorentina are a strong side and we worked hard to beat them.

"I think it was a beautiful game. We were in control at the start with 2-0 and it seemed simple, but then Fiorentina got back into it. We could’ve got a third goal earlier, but we also worked well in defence and with 10 men did well as a team with real character.

"I have always said losing wouldn’t change anything, a win would be more positive. The fans saw that the team played 100 per cent and that’s the important thing."

 

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Martinez: Everton tried everything to beat City

Roberto Martinez praised his Everton players for upholding the club's integrity during the 3-2 Premier League loss to Manchester City.Victory for Martinez's men would have handed city rivals Liverpool the initiative in the title race, leading to suggestions of mixed emotions in the Goodison Park stands on Saturday.

There was little evidence of this when the ground erupted to acclaim Ross Barkley's sensational opening goal and, although leaders City took charge through Sergio Aguero and an Edin Dzeko brace, Romelu Lukaku's 65th-minute header set up a breathless finale.

Defeat ended Everton's hopes of Champions League qualification, but Martinez was pleased to end a memorable home campaign with his team's fighting qualities on full display.

"I think everyone that watched the game understood straight away that if anyone questioned our integrity - not just as a football team but as a football club - they had not reason to do it," he told reporters"The effort, the character of the players, the intention of winning the game was clear for everyone to see from the first second until the last.

"The way we celebrated Ross Barkley's goal is as big a roar as you got at Goodison for the whole season. So I'm proud of the football club that we were very much a team wanting to win. I think it's clear that we tried absolutely everything to beat this Man City side."Aguero's goal was his 17th in the Premier League this term and the mercurial Argentine's injury curse struck again in the act of scoring.

He hobbled out of the action to be replaced by midfielder Fernandinho and, paradoxically, Martinez felt City's loss of their talisman had a greater impact on his own side as Yaya Toure was pushed into an advanced role to influence proceedings."I do think that the injury to Sergio Aguero affected us more than it affected them," he explained.

"In many ways it was a fascinating tactical game and we tried absolutely everything. In the last 20 minutes we gave a proper, proper go. We showed an incredible bravery in everything we tried to do from the first second to the last.

"We tried to win a football game and I think it's fair to say that we didn't deserve to lose the game."

 

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Xavi: Barcelona are f****d

Barcelona star Xavi has lamented his side's entire season, declaring that the team are "f****d" and must forget this season and start again.

The Catalans twice surrendered a lead to draw 2-2 with Getafe, meaning they will slip to six points behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid should they beat Levante on Sunday.And Xavi refused to sugar-coat his feelings on Barca's season, insisting they need a miracle if they are to retain the title they comfortably won last year.

"We're f****d," he told reporters . "We didn't have a good season, luck was not on our side and we were not competitive in many aspects. Despite the Supercopa de Espana win, we must wipe this season clear."We have to be self-critical. Except for a miracle, we have lost the league. We have to improve a lot, but from within."

Barca travel to Elche next weekend before their final game of the season at home to Atletico Madrid, although if the Rojiblancos win their next two games then they will be Spanish champions already.

 

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United lacked quality and concentration, says Giggs


Manchester United interim manager Ryan Giggs bemoaned a "lack of quality and concentration" for his side's woeful display in a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at Old Trafford.

The Mackems' travelling fanbase rejoiced in what could prove a crucial victory in their bid to stay in the Premier League while Giggs and United will have to reflect on a seventh home defeat this season - the first time they have managed that ignominious feat since the 1973/1974 season, when they were relegated.

Sebastian Larsson ultimately consigned the hosts to defeat, and Giggs believes his charges were lacking on two fronts in their efforts to break through a resilient Sunderland rearguard.

"[It was] probably a lack of quality in the final third," he told reporters. "The first half we got some decent crosses in from [Ashley] Young but we just didn't get enough people in the box really.

"The second half we had all the possession but just couldn't find that key pass or that bit of quality which would have got us back in the game.

"I'm sure if we had scored, we would have gone on to score a few more but it was a lack of quality and a lack of concentration in the final third."

Giggs was at a loss, however, to explain just why United have found few home comforts from Old Trafford this season.

When quizzed on United's home form, Giggs said: "I don't know, because I still believe there's quality in the dressing room and we showed that last week but we didn't this week.

"Whether that be a lack of confidence or a lack of concentration, I honestly don't know.

"We have shown it away from home, good away form, but Old Trafford seems to have been the problem this year.

"In past seasons, even today, there would be wave after wave of shots and you could always sense a goal was coming but this season it doesn't seem to have happened."

Giggs also added that United would continue to "monitor" Wayne Rooney's fitness, with the striker ruled out due to a combination of a groin injury and illness.

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, meanwhile, was delighted that his side were able to inch closer to survival after a "unique" run of form, but also urged caution despite the seemingly doomed Norwich City's uncompromising fixture list.

"I'm feeling great," he said. "Our idea was always to win four games. We won three and drew one but we need to concentrate on what we do.

"We are in a position where we have two games at home, we win one and we are over the line but, as you know, what we have done in the last four games is unique and special."

 

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I don't deserve to stay at Barcelona - Martino

Gerardo Martino has suggested he does not deserve another season in charge of Barcelona after their 2-2 draw with Getafe on Saturday left their title hopes in tatters.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring on Saturday afternoon, before Angel Lafita made it 1-1 at Camp Nou, but Alexis Sanchez looked to have given the home side the win on 67 minutes.

However, late drama ensued, as Lafita rose highest to head home deep into injury-time to salvage a point for struggling Getafe and all but end Barca's hopes of retaining their La Liga crown.Martino said after the game: "It is not the desired end, is not a good season from a personal point of view, obviously neither for Barcelona, because it isn't what they are used to.

"It has been a difficult season, with many problems off the pitch. We have tried to get over them with football and we were alive in the title race, until today.

"A poor season wasn't what we expected. There was the chance of not reaching the goals, but not due to our own mistakes. Even less after the two previous games in which we had to make comebacks.

"Sometimes the chances are asked when one believes he deserves to reclaim them. And sometimes one feels that his job wasn't good enough and is not necessary to ask for a new chance, because he doesn't deserve it.

"I will analyse what I have in my head. I think that after today we have played everything we had to play for in La Liga. Despite what maths say, now we have done everything and in this competition we have fought until today.

"If we have been unable to win today, we don't deserve to have more chances in La Liga."The players know what is dividing the club and what is the choice. There is still time to tell my future.

"I do not like to avoid responsibilities and feel that I am responsible. During the season we had some shortcomings which we haven't resolved."

 

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Barclays Premier League 2014.05.04 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2014.05.04 Fixtures

Arsenal Vs WBA

Chelsea Vs Norwich

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La Liga 2014.05.04 Fixtures

La Liga 2014.05.04 Fixtures

Almeria Vs Real Betis

Levante Vs Atletico Madrid

Sevilla Vs Villareal

Real Madrid Vs Valencia​

 

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Serie A 2014.05.04 Fixtures

Serie A 2014.05.04 Fixtures

Catania Vs Roma

Chievo Vs Torino

Genoa Vs Bologna

Parma Vs Sampdoria

Udinese Vs Livorno

AC Milan Vs Inter​

 

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Manchester United 0-1 Sunderland: Larsson steers Black Cats closer to safety

Sunderland la patta form eke enne.

 

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Fulham & Cardiff City EPL 1ken relegated!​

Norwich th relegate weyi

 

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Everton 2-3 Manchester City: Dzeko double sends Pellegrini's men top

city la title eka ganyi

 

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Arsenal secure Champions League qualification

 

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Sunderland la patta form eke enne.

Aniwa broSunderland big teams 1kka play karana widiya dakkhama EPL points table 1ke inna position 1ka gananam pudumai bro& anith team 1ka thamai Stoke City.Agolloth godak matches elata play karanawa mid table team 1kak unath​

 

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Chelsea 0-0 Norwich City: Wasteful Blues miss chance to go top

Chelsea and Norwich City's ambitions at opposite ends of the Premier League table hang by a thread after a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

On the back of their midweek semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Chelsea were unable to shake off their malaise against their relegation-threatened opponents.

Andre Schurrle and David Luiz struck the post and crossbar for the hosts either side of half-time and both teams were frustrated by rejected penalty appeals as understandable nerves worked against an engaging spectacle.

Jose Mourinho will see his team's title hopes ended if Liverpool win at Crystal Palace on Monday, while Manchester City - leaders once more having beaten Everton 3-2 on Saturday - will restrict them to third position if they also win their game in hand against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Norwich ended a run of five straight league defeats but Sunderland's 1-0 triumph at Manchester Untied means that Neil Adams' side must beat Arsenal on the final weekend and hope that Sunderland - who hold a vastly superior goal difference - lose their remaining home games to West Brom and Swansea City.

Chelsea attacker Schurrle tested John Ruddy's handling with a speculative third-minute strike, but both teams appeared weighed down by Saturday results that made their respective tasks tougher during a lacklustre opening period.

Adams selected left-back Martin Olsson in an unfamiliar advanced wide midfield role for Norwich, and he had a strong penalty claim rejected in the 11th minute.

Bradley Johnson slipped a pass through as Olsson burst into the Chelsea box, where Ashley Cole was at full stretch to get a faint toe to the ball before home captain John Terry clattered into the former Blackburn Rovers player.

Johnson hacked at fresh air when he might have aimed a diving header at Olsson's searching 20th-minute cross from the right, while Terry found space to thud a Schurrle corner into Ruddy's chest at the other end.

Nemanja Matic produced a wonderfully weighted ball to find Schurrle in the 32nd minute, and the Germany international shot across Ruddy to strike the base of the right-hand post.

Norwich almost had a 41st-minute lead when Johnson's drive clipped Terry and the ball looped agonisingly wide.

Mourinho looked to lift a listless Chelsea display with a double half-time substitution, Luiz and Eden Hazard replacing Frank Lampard and Mohamed Salah.

Luiz almost made an instant impact when he thudded a rising strike against the underside of the crossbar, while Alex Tettey won the benefit of the doubt from referee Neil Swarbrick in the 54th minute when Schurrle went over in the box under a high-risk tackle.

Hazard also started brightly and found himself at the centre of another penalty appeal when he collided with Ryan Bennett - the Norwich defender's initial wild challenge having missed ball and man before an offside flag was raised to end Chelsea's attack.

Robert Snodgrass had Norwich’s best chance on a 71st-minute break but Gary Cahill touched his shot behind, while Hazard called Ruddy into action and Demba Ba headed wide as both sides faced up to a final week in which they will need favours from elsewhere.