..::Football III::..

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Wenger must bring balance to Arsenal team, warns Tony Adams

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams believes that the club need to find the right "balance" to build on Saturday's FA Cup triumph.

Aaron Ramsey scored an extra-time winner at Wembley to defeat Hull City 3-2 and seal the Gunners' first trophy in nine years.

But the ex-defender feels that there is still work to be done and feels that the forthcoming transfer window could be pivotal for manager Arsene Wenger.

"I believe football clubs are about balance and I don't think [Wenger]'s got the balance right," Adams told Sky Sports News Radio.

"He's got too many offensive players. Ozil was a fantastic signing and he's a super player but let's have some more at Arsenal and some more trophies.

"I do think that we've got a lot of those players - [Santi] Cazorla, [Jack] Wilshere, Ramsey and [Tomas] Rosicky has had a super season.

"I'd like to see two strong full-backs and maybe one more strong midfield player - Manu Petit or Patrick Vieira back in the day - someone to just sit in there and be a bit different."

 

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Juventus 3-0 Cagliari: Bianconeri smash 100-points barrier

Congratz Juventus

 

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Congratz CR for winning the golden Boot

 

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Official: Van Gaal named as new Manchester United manager

The Dutchman will begin a three-year contract at Old Trafford after Netherlands' participation at World Cup 2014 is complete, with Ryan Giggs appointed as his assistant

Louis van Gaal has been confirmed as the new manager of Manchester United, with Ryan Giggs named his assistant.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/engla...as-new-manchester-united-manager?ICID=HP_BN_7​

 

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Ashley Cole: Staying at Chelsea is not an option

Ashley Cole is set to leave Chelsea this summer after revealing that staying at Stamford Bridge is not an option for him.

The 33-year-old's contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire at the end of June, while he retired from international duty after being left out of England's World Cup squad.

Jose Mourinho has preferred the right-footed Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back this season, but the 51-year-old was upbeat over Cole's future at the club and hinted a new deal could be reached.

However, late on Monday evening, Cole conceded an extension is unlikely and will now assess offers elsewhere ahead of the new season.

"I am weighing up my options for playing next season with my agent and sadly it does not look like Chelsea will be one of them," the left-back posted on Twitter.

Cole joined Chelsea from Arsenal in 2006 and went on to win the Premier League tile in 2010, the Champions League in 2012 and the FA Cup four times.

 

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Schneiderlin targets playing for Champions League club

Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin admits he is keen to progress his career by playing for a club who are competing in the Champions League.

The 24-year-old capped an impressive season at St Mary's with a call-up to France’s standby list for next month’s World Cup.

Schneiderlin has been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer and the Frenchman concedes his future remains undecided.

"For my progress and my visibility, it would be better to play for a club who play in the Champions League," he told reporters.

"I know there is a lot of speculation, but I still have three years on my contract, it does not depend on me. We'll see in the coming weeks."

 

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Sagna opens formal talks with Manchester City

Bacary Sagna has travelled to Manchester to open formal talks on Monday with Manchester City, Goal can reveal.

The right-back was officially approached by the Premier League champions on Sunday, the same day on which he paraded Arsenal's FA Cup trophy in the streets of Islington.

Both parties are confident of tying up a deal in the coming days before Sagna joins up with the France squad at the end of the week as they begin their World Cup preparations.

Barring any last-minute hitch in negotiations, the defender could agree a three-year contract with Manuel Pellegrini's team and even undertake a medical with the club by Tuesday.

The Frenchman told Arsenal at the end of their Premier League campaign that he would not sign a new contract and that the FA Cup final against Hull City would be his final game for the Gunners.

Sagna has attracted strong interest from the Premier League's big hitters, with reports on Monday suggesting that Manchester United had joined the race late on, as well as clubs on the continent but the offer on the table from City is expected to prove too lucrative to turn down.

He will take advantage of his free-transfer status by clinching a £100,000-per-week deal supplemented by a sizeable signing-on fee.

He has been targeted by Pellegrini even though his premier position at right-back is the same as that of Pablo Zabaleta, one of City's best players this season.

Arsenal had been close to an agreement with Sagna in April after offering him an £80,000-a-week, two-year deal with the option of a third year in a final attempt to keep him at the club. However, the 31-year-old has rejected the offer and the end of his seven-year spell at the Emirates Stadium is set to be officially confirmed this week.

Losing Sagna is be a blow to Arsene Wenger, with the player offering experience and versatility that is not easy to replace.

Toulouse's Serge Aurier is currently top of Arsenal's target list to replace Sagna. Goal revealed on May 13 that the Gunners have opened preliminary talks with the Ligue 1 club about a £7 million summer move for the 21-year-old Ivory Coast international.

Sagna, who turned 31 in February, is able to officially join another club on a free transfer on July 1.

 

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Sagna CITY join wei wage​

 

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Ancelotti: Ronaldo & Benzema will be fit for Champions League final

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will be fit for Saturday's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo looked set to make his return from a hamstring problem sustained against Valladolid on May 7 in last weekend's Liga clash with Espanyol.

However, he was forced to pull out of the game after experiencing some discomfort in his thigh during the warm-up, while Benzema was forced off injured 67 minutes into the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti, though, fully expects the pair to be available to face Atletico in Lisbon this weekend.

"I believe that both will play," he told reporters on Monday. "The two of them are fine."

Saturday's Madrid derby is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET.

 

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Suarez: Uruguay can hurt England

Luis Suarez believes that Uruguay have the ability to expose England's weaknesses at the World Cup.

The Liverpool star is expected to lead his country's attack in Brazil and will come up against a host of club team-mates when they face the Three Lions in Group D on June 19.

A number of Reds players are likely to feature for Roy Hodgson - including Suarez's strike partner, Daniel Sturridge, and captain Steven Gerrard - though, while the former Ajax forward is not taking his opponents lightly, he feels that his side have what it takes to cause them problems in Manaus.

"I think [England] have very good players that are in form and that are part of the big teams," Suarez told Perform.

"Most of the players come from the big names of the Premier League and that means a lot but we also know that they have some troubles and we know we can hurt them."

No team from outside South America has ever won a World Cup held on the continent whereas Uruguay actually triumphed when the competition was last held in Brazil, in 1950, and the likes of Suarez and Edinson Cavani make the reigning Copa America champions a real threat this time around.

Uruguay were beaten by Brazil in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup last year but Suarez hopes to use that defeat as motivation.

"It is clear that Uruguay knows the meaning of a World Cup in Brazil," the 27-year-old added. "It is more important because of what happened in the past but now we are living in the present - Brazil eliminated us in the Confederations Cup and it was not fair because I think we played better but that's football and sometimes, despite playing a great game, you can't always win.

"We realise that [the World Cup in] Brazil motivates us a lot because all the things that we have experienced in the past but there will be other national teams that will try to leave a good image and football nowadays is pretty even."

 

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Conte to stay on as Juventus coach

Juventus have confirmed that Antonio Conte will stay on as coach for the 2014-15 season.

The former Bianconeri midfielder has led the club to three consecutive Serie A titles but there had been mounting speculation that he was considering quitting the Turin club in search of a fresh challenge.

However, Juve confirmed on Monday evening that Conte is going nowhere after the coach held talks with the club hierarchy.

"Season 2014-15: coach Antonio Conte," read a succinct message on the Italian champions' official Twitter feed.

Conte spent 13 years with Juve as a player, winning five Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, a Champions League and a Uefa Cup.

He hung up his boots in 2004 before starting his coaching career with Arezzo two years later. Spells at Bari and Atalanta followed before Conte took charge of Siena, whom he led back to Serie A in his first and only season at the helm.

Indeed, Juve came calling in 2011 and, despite taking over a side coming off the back of two successive seventh-place finishes, the ex-Italy international won the Scudetto in his debut campaign.

Two more titles have followed, with Juve having last weekend become the first Serie A side to break through the 100-point barrier for a single season, and his sustained success has sparked speculation of a move overseas.

However, Conte has now decided to remain in Turin for at least another season.

 

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Diego Costa a major doubt for Champions League final

Atletico Madrid have revealed that Diego Costa is a major doubt for the Champions League final due to a hamstring injury.

The Spain international was susbtituted early on during his side's 1-1 draw with Barcelona last Saturday and was reduced to tears whilst receiving treatment on the sidelines.

The club have since confirmed he has suffered a grade one hamstring injury, throwing his chances of playing against Real Madrid into serious doubt, whilst also raising concerns over his availability for the World Cup starting next month.

"Diego Costa has suffered a grade one muscular injury to the femoral bicep of the back of his right leg," the club tweeted through their official account, before confirming they are waiting for definitive news on the length of time needed for the striker's recovery.

Costa - who is widely expected to join Chelsea in a €42.5 million deal this summer - has scored 36 goals in all competitions as Atletico soared to an historic La Liga title as well as a place in the Champions League final.

The Brazil-born star was struggling with a hamstring problem prior to Saturday's Liga decider at Camp Nou, but head coach Diego Simeone had insisted the player was ready to play following training during the week.

 

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Messi signs new Barcelona deal

Lionel Messi has signed a new and improved contract with Barcelona, the club have announced.

The Argentina international reached a provisional agreement over a new deal at the end of last week following months of speculation that he had reached an impasse over fresh terms.

The 26-year-old released a statement earlier on Monday claiming he could be forced to consider his options should he no longer feel the "affection" of the club he joined as a youngster, though he maintained he was eager to continue his Camp Nou career.

And the Rosario-born star has now finally brought an end to speculation over his immediate future by putting pen-to-paper on a new and improved contract, though the club did not disclose the precise terms of the deal.

"FC Barcelona would like to announce that Leo Messi and the Club signed a revised contract this afternoon," a statement on the club's official website read.

"The signing took place in the presence of Leo Messi, his father Jorge Messi and the Club President Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as the sporting vice-president Jordi Mestre and the Club CEO, Antoni Rossich.

"During the signing, which was made in the Presidential Box at the Camp Nou, Leo Messi repeatedly expressed his excitement about the new deal."

 

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Congratulations Messi​

 

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Double boost for Low as Bayern duo get World Cup green light

Germany coach Joachim Low will head into Wednesday's pre-World Cup training camp in a positive frame of mind after two of his most important players received encouraging news on the injury front.

Bayern Munich duo Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer sustained injuries in Saturday's DFB-Pokal final victory over Borussia Dortmund, sparking concerns they may struggle to make the summer showpiece in Brazil.

Neuer was pictured on Monday with his arm in a sling after damaging a shoulder while Lahm suffered with an ankle problem, but, having visited Bayern doctor Dr Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, the fears over both men were allayed.

A Bayern statement read: "The FCB club doctor can give the all clear: the forthcoming World Cup in Brazil is not in danger for Lahm or Neuer.

"Lahm is suffering from a bruised left ankle but ligaments and bones have not been damaged. The player must not train for five to seven days.

"Neuer suffered a small tear to the ligaments in his right shoulder. To relieve the joint he must wear a sling for the time being and must curtail his training.

"Both Lahm and Neuer will travel to the 11-day training camp in South Tyrol, Austria, with the German national team on Wednesday. There they will be treated several times a day by a physician."

The news will come as a big relief to Low who has been plagued by injury concerns in the build-up to the World Cup.

Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan has missed almost the entire season and will not travel to the finals, while Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger have struggled with long-term problems throughout the campaign.

 

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Manchester United legend Giggs ends playing career

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs has pulled down the curtain on a 23-year playing career by announcing his retirement as he becomes new manager's Louis van Gaal's assistant.

Giggs played a club record 963 matches for United since making his debut in March 1991, scoring 168 goals. Prior to the 2013-14 campaign he had scored in every Premier League season since its inception in 1992.

He ended the most recent campaign as the club's caretaker manager following the sacking of David Moyes, and bid farewell to Old Trafford against Hull City after substituting himself on for the final 20 minutes.

"I am immensely proud, honoured and fortunate to have represented the biggest club in the world 963 times and Wales 64 times," Giggs told the club's official website - a statement which can be read in full HERE.

"My dream was always to play for Manchester United, and although it saddens me to know I won’t be pulling on a United jersey again as a player, I have been lucky enough to have fulfilled that dream."

He added: "For me, today is a new chapter filled with many emotions - immense pride, sadness, but most of all, excitement towards the future.

"To the greatest fans in world football, thank you, I have loved every minute of playing for you and representing the biggest and best club in the world."

The 40-year-old was an integral part of United's finest years under Sir Alex Ferguson, from the first Premier League title in 1993 to the most recent in 2013, via the 1999 treble and Champions League triumph in 2008.

His solo goal in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal will go down as arguably the most iconic in the competition's history, and in 2008 he wrapped up the Premier League title by scoring the second goal against Wigan after coming off the bench to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's club appearance record.
He broke the record 10 days later against Chelsea in Moscow, and scored what proved to be the decisive penalty in the shoot-out before Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicholas Anelka.

Giggs retires as the most decorated player in English football history, following a career littered with club and individual trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four Capital One Cups and two Champions Leagues.

He won the PFA Young Player of the Year on two occasions, in 1992 and 1993, as well as Manchester United's version of the prize in 1991 and 1992.

In 2009 he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year and also won the senior PFA Player of the Year award. On six occasions he has been named in the PFA Team of the Year.

The Welshman, who represented his country 64 times, was awarded a testimonial in 2001 to commemorate 10 years of service at Old Trafford.

Giggs made his final United appearance last Tuesday when he replaced 20-year-old Tom Lawrence in the 70th minute. The stand-in boss had handed the 20-year-old Lawrence his full United debut alongside highly-rated 18-year-old striker James Wilson, who scored twice against the Tigers.

 

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We miss you Giggs​

 

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Manchester City consider Benatia move as Mangala deal stalls

Manchester City are set to turn their attentions to a move for Roma defender Mehdi Benatia as a deal to sign Porto's Eliaquim Mangala grows increasingly complicated.

The Premier League champions have pursued Mangala for several months and attempted to sign the centre-back in January, only for the deal to fall through.

And the Etihad Stadium side have grown frustrated as the deal continues to stall and could now push ahead with a move for the €27 million-rated Roma centre-back.

The Serie A side are understood to be interested in Aleksandar Kolarov, who could be used as a €12.3m makeweight in any transfer.

A player-plus-cash deal would work in City's favour after they were hit with a €60m fine by Uefa for a breach of Financial Fair Play rules, though they will receive €40m of the total fine back if they limit their summer spending to within €61m.

City's attempted double move for Mangala and Fernando hit a snag over third party ownership, with Porto owning only 56.67 per cent of the defender's rights, and 90 per cent of the Brazilian midfielder's.

And Mangala has now publicly courted a move to Chelsea, stating a preference for a switch to London over Manchester.

But the Stamford Bridge side have made Gary Cahill a mainstay in their starting XI, handed John Terry a one-year contract extension at the end of the season and signed Kurt Zouma from St Etienne in January before loaning the 19-year-old back to the Ligue 1 outfit.

City suspect Mangala is stalling in the hope of attracting further interest from other top clubs in Europe, including Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are also rumoured to be interested in Benatia as they look to bolster a defence which has been further weakened by Carles Puyol's exit.

 

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Courtois: I'm not going to Chelsea to sit on the bench

Thibaut Courtois has says he has to be Chelsea's first choice goalkeeper if he is to return to Stamford Bridge next season.

The Belgian has been on loan at Atletico Madrid from the Blues since 2011, and his form in the Spanish side's title-winning campaign has prompted some to suggest he may be staying with the London club next season instead of joining Atleti on a permanent deal.

However the 22-year-old, who on the Spanish league title with Atleti on Saturday, stressed he will not be happy to play second fiddle to Petr Cech should he remain with Jose Mourinho's side for the 2014-15 season."It's a great feeling to be champion of Spain," he is quoted as saying by The Guardian. "I am not sure yet what happens next season.

"We have the Champions League final [on Saturday] and then the World Cup, so now is not the time to think of the future. I have two years [left on my] contract with Chelsea, so we will see.

"If I move somewhere, I will play. With my age, what I want, the most important thing for me, is to play."We will see what happens. But Petr [Cech] is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he won the golden glove in the Premier League, and I have a lot of respect for him, so we will see what Chelsea decide and what they plan to do. You guys will see the decision [then]."

And Courtois, who will travel to Brazil with the Belgium for the World Cup next month, admits his success with Diego Simeone's side has taken him by surprise.
"When I joined [Atletico] three years ago it was not sure I would stay three years," he added. "I stayed one year and said I would see.

"We won the Europa League, the European Super Cup and then the next year it was the Copa del Rey and now it's the [league] title. It was unthinkable to achieve all of those things."

 

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Xavi back sprain worry for Spain

Barcelona have confirmed that midfielder Xavi will be out of action for a week with a back sprain.

The Spain international suffered the injury in his club's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on but should not jeopardise his participation in his country's World Cup opener against Netherlands on June 13.

"Xavi noticed a pain in his back after Saturday's game and tests this morning [Monday] revealed a lumbar sprain, which will rule him out for about a week," a Barcelona statement read."The club's medical services have informed the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation) doctors of the situation in order to coordinate the recovery once the Spanish national team get together for the World Cup preparations."

Xavi has been capped 130 times by Spain, who will also have Chile and Australia for company in World Cup Group B.