..::Football III::..

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Mourinho: Diego Costa a bargain at €40 million


Jose Mourinho has revelled in Diego Costa's pre-season performances for Chelsea, claiming that the €40 million man is going to prove a bargain.

The Brazil-born attacker arrived at Stamford Bridge in July after scoring 27 goals in 35 Liga games for Atletico Madrid last season, helping Diego Simeone's side win the Spanish title and reached the Champions League final.

Costa netted twice on his home debut for Chelsea as the club rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, adding to earlier strikes against Olimpija Ljubljana and Fenerbahce, and Mourinho is confident the big-money move will turn out to be a bargain.

"What can we expect? I expect Diego and Diego is a team player who works hard, he’s not just about goals," Mourinho told the club's official website. "It’s about his defensive work, mentality and ambition.

"This is the player we bought and we were waiting for since last season. This is why we didn’t buy a striker in the winter market. We were waiting for him, we have him and hopefully everything goes well.

"He looks adapted to the team, and the Premier League, not just Chelsea, should be happy. Sometimes we lose important players going to other countries and sometimes we bring new top players here.

"You can consider that [a bargain] because the market is crazy and the values are very high. For a striker like him, a champion in Spain, a Champions League finalist, a 25-year-old, we consider the price was very much in our favour."

Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign on Monday night against newly-promoted Burnley, and Mourinho is happy with the "strong nucleus" of his team after a successful summer business; bringing in Costa, Luis Filipe and Cesc Fabregas.

"We bought three players, in Filipe, Diego and Cesc, at the best stage for a player, between 25 and 30," he continued. "They are three experienced players with qualities to immediately improve our team.

"Last season we went to a different profile when we bought people like [Mohamed] Salah and [Andre] Schurrle, who needed time.

"Obviously we also went for [Kurt] Zouma but the strong nucleus of Filipe, Diego and Cesc is ready.

"The squad has improved for sure. This is the Premier League, every team tries to be better. Are we ready for that? Yes, but this is England.

"In some countries only two teams can win the league, sometimes only one, but here it’s five or six.

"The only thing I can say is that I very much like the squad. The club were fantastic because they gave me the three targets I asked for.

"We have the squad we want to have, it’s a squad for tomorrow, for next season and also with big possibilities for the next five to 10 years."

 

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Manchester United target Rojo disciplined by Sporting

Manchester United target Marcos Rojo has been disciplined by Sporting for his alleged lack of professionalism and will not feature in the club’s season opener against Academica on Saturday.

It had been reported in Portugal that the 24-year-old Argentina left-back refused to train on Tuesday amid interest from the Red Devils, with Louis van Gaal’s side submitting a €24 million offer.

Southampton are also keen to secure a deal but Rojo, who can operate at centre-back as well as on the left side of defence, is keen to move to Old Trafford.

Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho has revealed that Islam Slimani has also been reprimanded and insists the two players cannot bully the club into selling them this summer.

“They are subject to disciplinary action,” De Carvalho told Sporting TV.

“Both players took decisions that have provoked strong, internal disciplinary action. A general note: Any player who does not follow the rules of the club, these two or any others, they can do what they want, but it only complicates the issue.

“Don’t use the press, be professionals. These players are subject to strong disciplinary measures.

“They can’t play on Saturday, if they want they can watch the game at home.

"It could delay things a lot, it could drag things out a lot, but on Saturday it will not be resolved.”

When asked if the duo’s actions could lead to their exits, De Carvalho replied: “It could end with them seeing out their three-year contracts.”

 

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Rojo gatthoth main task 1ka thamai Luke Shaw ta Competition 1kak dena 1kaKalin ganna hitiye R.Rodriguez ath eyawa miss una neh
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German Super Cup Fixture 2014.08.13

German Super Cup Fixture 2014.08.13

Dortmund Vs Bayern

 

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Martino named Argentina boss

 

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Rooney named new Manchester United captain

Congratz Rooney

 

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Manchester United star Luke Shaw ruled out for four weeks with hamstring injury

Manchester United have confirmed that Luke Shaw will be sidelined for approximately four weeks due to a hamstring injury.

The 19-year-old joined the club from Southampton for €36 million this summer after playing his way into the PFA Premier League Team of the Season in 2013-14 but will have to wait for his debut.

It leaves United short of a full-time left-back for the start of the Premier League season, though Ashley Young has played on the left of a 3-5-2 at times in pre-season and could feature in that position against Swansea City.

Van Gaal had declared after his arrival at Old Trafford that the England international, who went to the World Cup earlier this year, was out of shape.

Goal understands that United are pressing ahead with plans to sign Daley Blind and are also targeting Sporting Lisbon's Marcos Rojo, both of whom would be comfortable in Shaw's position.

Shaw has just been handed the No.3 shirt by Louis van Gaal, having succeeded both Patrice Evra and Alexander Buttner in his position this summer

 

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Get well soon Luke Shaw!

Dan ithin kohomath LB kenek ganna wenawa.​

 

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Oxlade-Chamberlain: Chambers is right at home with Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been impressed with the manner in which recent signing Calum Chambers has settled at the Emirates Stadium.

The 19-year-old defender joined the Londoners for €20 million from Premier League rivals Southampton in July and has made an encouraging start to his Gunners career.

Manager Arsene Wenger hailed the teenager as "outstanding" in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City on Sunday and expects him to challenge Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny for a starting berth at centre-back following Thomas Vermaelen's move to Barcelona.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who also joined Arsenal from Southampton as a teenager, backs Chambers to make a big impact, telling the club's official website: "I'm just trying to take Calum under my wing and show him the ropes.

"He's a really good lad and everyone really likes him - the boys really want to go out of their way to help him bed in.

"We saw him play for Arsenal for the first time at the Emirates Cup and I thought he was superb for a 19-year-old playing centre-back against really good players. I thought he looked very assured and he's going to be a great talent for the club.

"It's really good to see him here. It's almost weird because I can remember being in his position a few years ago - coming from Southampton to a big club like Arsenal - even though Southampton is a big club.

"But to come to a team like Arsenal, he's playing with players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. When you move to a team like Arsenal it's very surprising to start off with but he has settled in really quickly and all the boys love him.

"He's already trying to look after me, he's on the pitch trying to tell me to switch on and that's a really good sign because it shows he's feeling confident and comfortable and that's what we like to see. He seems like he's enjoying himself so I think he's going to have a good time here."

 

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Ozil, Mertesacker and Podolski back in Arsenal training

Arsenal's World Cup-winning trio – Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski – have returned to training following their extended summer break.

Joachim Low's side achieved glory in Brazil thanks to Mario Gotze's goal in extra time to beat Argentina in the final but all three Gunners stars played a part in the national team's run to triumph.

Granted a longer break by manager Arsene Wenger to recover from their summer exertions, the trio are now back in action, though the Frenchman has confirmed that none of them will play any part in the club's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Mertesacker returns to the Emirates Stadium as the club's new vice-captain, with Mikel Arteta having been promoted into the armband following Thomas Vermaelen’s departure for Barcelona.

The Germany trio had been given longer to recover than some of their international team-mates, with Thomas Muller starting for Bayern Munich on the same day as their return in the DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.

 

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Official: AC Milan finalise Diego Lopez deal

AC Milan have completed the signing of Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez, who joins the San Siro club on a contract that lasts until 2018.

Lopez was first choice in La Liga for Carlo Ancelotti's side last season but found his chances of regular football curtailed following the summer signing of Keylor Navas from Levante.

The 32-year-old underwent a medical alongside defender Pablo Armero on Tuesday and paid tribute to Madrid as he prepared to join Pippo Inzaghi's side.

And the experienced keeper has now completed his move to San Siro, with Milan confirming via their official website that he has agreed a contract until June 30, 2018.

Madrid also confirmed the player had finalised his transfer, adding: "The club wishes to express its appreciation for the dedication and professionalism displayed, and wish him luck in his new career."

Armero, meanwhile, has finalised his season-long move from Udinese and will stay with the club until June next year.

Inzaghi had spoken of his delight at reaching a provisional agreement with Lopez earlier this week as the Rossoneri look to bolster their squad following a dismal 2013-14 campaign.

Ancelotti had made it clear earlier this summer that he considered Lopez a valuable member of his squad, but the keeper's relationship with the Madrid hierarchy deteriorated once it became clear that Iker Casillas had regained favour and would battle new signing Navas for the No.1 spot.

Lopez, who was brought to Madrid by Jose Mourinho as cover for the injured Casillas during the 2012-13 season, becomes Milan's sixth new signing of the summer, following Jeremy Menez, Alex, Michael Agazzi, Michelangelo Albertazzi and Adil Rami to the club.

The arrival of Amero takes the number of new players to seven as Inzaghi looks to finalise his squad prior to the start of the Serie A season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Diego Lopez!​

 

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No bid yet for Manchester United target Blind, says agent

A representative for Manchester United target Daley Blind claims there has not yet been an offer made for his client's services.

Goal understands that the Red Devils are pressing ahead with plans to sign the versatile Ajax star, who played under new manager Louis van Gaal with Netherlands at the World Cup this summer.

However, Rob Jansen, who owns agency Sports-Promotion, which looks after the defender, says that a formal offer is yet to arrive.

"There hasn't been any offer for Blind yet," he told NU.nl.

Jansen added that Chelsea youngster Marco van Ginkel, whose debut season was disrupted by a long-term injury, could leave the club on loan this summer in search of regular football.

He noted: "Van Ginkel could be loaned out but we will find out more in the last week of August."

Norwich City midfielder Leroy Fer is another of the company's clients and the Netherlands international, who was relegated along with the Canaries last term, is drawing attention but Jansen revealed that Neil Adams's side are resisting a sale.

"There is interest for Leroy Fer but Norwich aren't cooperating at the moment," he explained. "He can go to another English club or to another country."

 

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Ribery announces international retirement

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has announced that he is no longer available for selection for France international duty.

Ribery has won 82 senior caps for France since making his debut in 2006 but missed out on this summer's World Cup after failing to recover from a chronic back problem.

The 31-year-old has now stated he feels the time is right to allow the younger players on the fringes of the senior side to make the step up as he looks to devote more time to Bayern Munich and his family.

"I find that this is the moment," he told Kicker. "I want to dedicate myself more to my family and concentrate on the tasks at Bayern, and also leave a place in the national team for the many great young players.

"One has to know when to stop. I've seen so much; now it is time for others to move forward.

"There were ups and downs, but now the time has come for a new chapter in my life."

Ribery made his debut under Raymond Domenech in a 1-0 win over Mexico in 2006 and scored 16 goals in all competitions for les Bleus.

 

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This could be an era of dominance for Real Madrid - Pepe

Real Madrid defender Pepe believes the new signings at the Santiago Bernabeu could trigger a new era of dominance.

Carlo Ancelotti's side have recruited three of the stars from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil ahead of the new campaign as Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas arrived at the club.

Real picked up their first piece of silverware on Tuesday as a Cristiano Ronaldo double gave Ancelotti's men a 2-0 win over Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup in Cardiff.

Both James and Kroos made their competitive debuts in the victory and wasted little time making an impact, with the German controlling midfield and the Colombian showing flashes of fine link-up play with Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in attack.

Pepe believes the ever-evolving Real squad is well balanced for the demands of challenging for silverware at home and in Europe.

"I think we are fine," said the Portugal international. "We have a team with plenty of quality and also with a lot of competence inside the team that it is good for Real Madrid.

"We have started very good this season and the team looks good.

"It could be a new era for Real Madrid but we have to keep working and respecting our rivals because they have plenty of quality and I hope the year will be fine for Real Madrid."

Real erased the disappointment of seeing Atletico Madrid win La Liga last season by beating their city rivals in the Champions League final.

 

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Kompany signs new five-year Manchester City contract

Vincent Kompany has signed a new five-year Manchester City contract, the club have announced.

Goal revealed in June that City were planning to tie down their skipper to a long-term deal and the Belgium international will have been at the club for over a decade by the end of his new terms.

Kompany led City to the Premier League title for the second time in 2014 before joining the Belgium squad for the World Cup.

"When I arrived in 2008, I could never have dreamed that we could achieve what we have over the last six years but, for me, this is just the start of the journey," the skipper told his club's official website.

"This team is stronger now than it's ever been; we have competition for places in every position and a dressing-room full of exceptional, motivated people who want to continue making history together.

"Lifting two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup have been four of the best days of my life but I believe that there are many more of these occasions ahead.

"There are so many new landmarks and records to chase and I hope signing this new contract is taken as a
statement of intent that I want to keep fighting for trophies for this special club.

"We have a common goal and so much to look forward to - a family of clubs, the opening of City Football Academy, exciting players coming through our youth system – why would I go anywhere else?"

Kompany has made 181 Premier League appearances for Manuel Pellegrini's side since joining from Anderlecht.

 

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Chelsea tell Cech to find new club as Courtois is made No.1

Chelsea will tell Petr Cech to find a new club in the final weeks of the transfer window after deciding to make Thibaut Courtois their No.1 this season.

Jose Mourinho is to put his faith in Courtois at the start of the campaign, spelling the end for Cech at Stamford Bridge following a decade spent as the club's undisputed first choice.

Cech will be encouraged to move as Chelsea stand to receive a more significant transfer fee from selling the Czech goalkeeper now than in 12 months, when he would have just one year to run on his contract.

Courtois, who played 90 minutes in goal for the Blues in their final pre-season match on Tuesday night, will get the nod over Cech for Monday's Premier League curtain-raiser against newly promoted Burnley.

The west Londoners value Cech at around €12 million.

Real Madrid and wealthy French duo Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco are closely monitoring the 32-year-old's situation but no formal bids are expected until Cech's downgraded status is confirmed at the start of next week.

Madrid signed Costa Rica World Cup star Keylor Navas this summer as a replacement for Diego Lopez, who is completing the formalities of a move to AC Milan, but doubts persist about the long-term future at the club of Iker Casillas, who was used only in cup matches by boss Carlo Ancelotti last season.

Mourinho is prepared to offload Cech after deciding that rising star Courtois represents a better long-term option between the sticks.

Cech has insisted that he is not fazed by the prospect of competition from Courtois but Mourinho has told the goalkeeper to explore the possibility of a move away.

But the keeper's agent, Viktor Kolar, has already confirmed that he will speak to the top clubs in Europe if his client is made available.

"I would get in touch with [Andoni] Zubizarreta at Barcelona and people at Real Madrid," he told the press six weeks ago. "These are clubs we would consider if Chelsea wanted to get rid of Petr.

"We would also consider Bayern Munich but they have [Manuel] Neuer there. Then there are leagues Petr would not go to - Serie A, for instance, because clubs in that league have problems.

"Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest and we have also communicated with Monaco."

Courtois has been named La Liga's best goalkeeper in each of the last two seasons and his performances were key to Atletico Madrid's Primera Division triumph last season as well as their run to the Champions League final.

Mourinho's willingness to allow Cech, a hugely popular figure with supporters, to leave demonstrates his ruthlessness and desire to improve a team who narrowly missed out on winning a trophy in his first season back at Stamford Bridge.

Cech has established himself as one of the world's outstanding keepers during his decade at Stamford Bridge.

Since joining Chelsea from Rennes for €8.7m in 2004, he has made 479 appearances for the club and won the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three League Cups.

 

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Cech Atletico Madrid join weida?​

 

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Sevilla already looking to replace Moreno, says Emery

Sevilla coach Unai Emery says the club are already seeking a replacement following Alberto Moreno's imminent exit for Liverpool.

Emery's men lost the Uefa Super Cup clash to La Liga rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in Cardiff on Tuesday, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo double.

The Europa League champions missed Moreno - according to Emery - with the Spanish left-back absent from the trophy play-off as he finalised a deal with the Premier League club.

While Emery said Moreno's exit had been likely throughout the close-season, the 22-year-old's absence from their clash with powerhouses Real was costly.

"The offer has been on the table for a month and a half to two months. I saw him leaving the club earlier than I saw right now, but its unfolded today [Tuesday]," Emery said after the match.

"We knew they were following him in England, the teams who were interested and that the meetings were advancing. We were prepared to lose Alberto.

"Unfortunately, we were counting on him being here with us today, but Fernando Navarro put in a great performance.

"We're looking for another good player to join us, who can help complete our objectives."

Sevilla were underdogs against the Champions League winners given the latter's star power, but the loss was no easier to take for Emery - who claimed his side performed admirably at the back.

"Clearly, you play to win the finals. We all came into this match on a single mission," the former Valencia boss said.

"We played to our strengths but then comes the time when you must allow those options to play out and make them happen. Positionally, we defended well.

"We lacked precision in front of goal in the counter-attack, we need to refine that. The difference was in the counterattack, even though we allowed very few of them, they were successful."

 

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'Premier League better off without Luis Suarez'

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore feels that the English top flight will be better off without Luis Suarez after his move from Liverpool to Barcelona.

The PFA Player of the Season scored 31 goals as the Reds finished second in 2013-14 but caused controversy while at the World Cup by biting Giorgio Chiellini, his third such incident, which led to a ban from all footballing activity until the end of October.

Suarez had previously bitten opponents while at both Ajax and Liverpool, as well as once being suspended for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, and Scudamore says that he was "an accident waiting to happen".

"I think probably the time had come [for Suarez to go]," he told the press. "He's a great player and I'm not taking anything away from his talents - he was voted by both his own players and the media last year the player of the year and deservedly so.

"He's great to have but an accident waiting to happen and, if you spend your time trying to promote what's good about the Premier League, you're always waiting for the next thing to come along.

"And this one in the summer, although it was with Uruguay, although it didn't directly involve the Premier League, clearly it reflected on Liverpool as one of our great clubs and it reflected on us.

"He's done his time here but I can't say I'm sorry to see him go. I think it was good business on a number of levels from Liverpool to move Suarez on."

Having appealed his four-month Fifa ban, Suarez's fate will be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.