..::Football III::..

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Ronaldo is from another planet - Iturraspe

Ander Iturraspe says Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is "from another planet" after he scored his third hat-trick in four games in the 5-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao.

His tally for the season now stands at 13 goals from just six matches to put him out in front as the standout candidate to win a third Ballon d'Or.Bilbao midfielder Iturraspe had the misfortune of watching Ronaldo at close quarters during the encounter but was generous in his praise of the Portugal star."Cristiano Ronaldo is a player on another level, on another Planet," he exclusively told Goal.

It was a fary cry from the last meeting between the two clubs, when Ronaldo was sent off after becoming embroiled in a confrontation with Iturraspe in the 1-1 draw at San Mames last term.He added: "With Cristiano Ronaldo things were completely normal, despite what happened last season. I met him at all the set pieces and there was plenty of respect. There were no problems."

Bilbao have struggled in La Liga so far this term after finishing fourth in the division in 2013-14, and Iturraspe admitted they have felt the summer loss of Ander Herrera to Manchester United.

"He spent three years with us and was a key player for the Athletic. He is a great friend. But he is not with us now and there are other great players we have to rely on."

 

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Insigne the key for Napoli - Benitez

Rafael Benitez has hailed Lorenzo Insigne's work-rate in the wake of Napoli's 2-1 win over Torino on Sunday as the Partenopei continued their resurgence in Serie A.Fabio Quagliarella gave the Granata a 14th-minute lead at the San Paolo but his effort was cancelled after half-time, with Insigne and Jose Callejon on target for the hosts.

The result ensured back-to-back wins for the Naples club after they went three games without a win and Benitez reserved special praise for Insigne, who went from goalscorer to provider in the second half.

"The key for me with Insigne is his work-rate," the Partenopei coach told Sky Sport Italia."In football you cannot talk about a player who stands still, as they need to help out in defence and also attack."Lorenzo can do that, he just needs to be a little more precise in the finish."

Napoli's rise up the table has helped ease the pressure on Benitez, whose job was reportedly on the line following the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League group stage and the back-to-back Serie A losses to Chievo and Udinese. However, the Spaniard insisted he never feared for his job.

"I wasn't tense recently," the Spaniard insisted. "I was perplexed by everything that was being said after the season we had last year."We know there is a lot of passion in the city, but there are financially stronger clubs and we have to work extra hard to close that gap.

"Was I offended? No, perplexed. A team that notched up a new record of Serie A points, won 10 away games, scored over 100 goals and finished in third place while winning the Coppa Italia achieved a great deal.

"I realise people expect a great deal, but with football it’s all a question of moments. If even one of our chances from previous games had gone in, we would’ve had as many points as last season."

 

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Fear cost PSG against Monaco, claims Blanc

Laurent Blanc felt Paris Saint-Germain's fear of conceding ultimately cost them maximum points against Monaco on Sunday.

The French champions continued their stuttering start to the Ligue 1 campaign at the Parc des Princes as they were held to a 1-1 draw by last season's runners-up.
Lucas Moura looked set to cap an impressive week for PSG when he scored the opener after 71 minutes - with Blanc's men having beaten Barcelona 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday - but they had to settle for a sixth draw in nine Ligue 1 matches as Anthony Martial levelled in the latter stages.

"My team were so scared of conceding a goal that they ended up conceding a goal," the PSG boss explained."We didn't do what it took to maintain our lead - in the final two or three minutes you need to be more vigilant and more professional in terms of maintaining possession.

"It's a scenario that unfortunately keeps repeating itself and I hope this was the last time."PSG's slow start to their bid for a third consecutive Ligue 1 title has allowed Olympique de Marseille to steal a march at the summit, but Blanc is not overly worried by the seven-point advantage OM hold over his team and suggested a reduced number of games for the leaders was an important factor.

"It's a shame to be dropping the number of points we have been dropping lately. Marseille deserve to be on top, they're collecting a huge number of points and they deserve them, but they're only playing once a week.

"My team were very tired in the last 10 minutes and unintentionally we dropped back, even though we must not forget that Monaco had a good second half.
"We weren't brilliant but could we really be after the huge amount of energy we expended [against Barcelona] on Tuesday."

 

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Totti's comments were unacceptable, says Marotta

Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta has hit back at Francesco Totti following the attacker's comments in the wake of Roma's 3-2 loss against the reigning Serie A champions on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Giallorossi captain was furious after Sunday's defeat, claiming that the Bianconeri only emerged victorious because of referee Gianluca Rocchi, who awarded the hosts two penalties as well as failing to notice Arturo Vidal standing in an offside position in front of goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski for Leonardo Bonucci's late winner.

Marotta feels Totti has crossed a line with his remarks, though, and believes Juventus deserved their win."I have great respect for Totti as a player. It’s understandable that he’s upset about the result but what he said was unacceptable," Marotta told reporters.

"In the past Juve have had to bear the brunt for others' mistakes, but when the team has won it has won legitimately and deservingly from a footballing point of view."Every year Juventus are accused of being favoured in dubious or unclear situations, but I believe that these decisions even themselves out over the course of a season.

"When we won the penalty it reminded me of the Juventus v Roma match that was played at the Olimpico in Turin. That year Roma got the decision and this year it was our turn to get a penalty."

Juventus sit atop of the Serie A table with 18 points from six games, holding a three-point lead over Roma.

 

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Cavani does not deserve criticism, says Matuidi

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi has defended Edinson Cavani against recent criticism over his poor form in the past few weeks.

The 27-year-old has been struggling to impress in the injury-enforced absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and failed to find the net in the 1-1 draw with Monaco on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Matuidi feels Cavani doesn't deserve the harsh treatment he has been receiving and should instead be praised for his tireless running."We can only congratulate Edinson Cavani with all the hard work he has been putting in," Matuidi told RTL.

"He really is a team player and we would all like it if he were rewarded for his efforts."I think it's a real shame that people criticise him and that he's judged on his lack of goals. Of course, I also understand that people expect a No.9 to score.

"I often speak to him about it and we discuss it a lot. He has put in a lot of hard work."Edinson is a really open person. He has a lot of personality, but I get the feeling that he is happy at PSG."

Cavani has netted four goals in 10 appearances in all competitions this season.

 

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Hummels: I will only leave Dortmund for the right club

Mats Hummels has stressed that he will not leave Borussia Dortmund for just any club with a bigger reputation than the Bundesliga side.

The Germany international, 25, has been linked with club such as Barcelona and Manchester United in recent months, but he has made it clear that he will only leave BVB if all the conditions are right.

"If a club with a bigger reputation than Dortmund were to make a move, but I don't like the way they play football, I wouldn't even consider a move," Hummels was quoted as saying by Kicker.

"At Dortmund, the style of play is exactly like I want to play football."The centre-back, who has a contract with BVB until June 2017, then went on to admit that Dortmund's start to the 2014-15 campaign has been disappointing, but argued that injuries have played a big role in their difficulties so far.

"After this weekend's defeat versus Hamburg, you could say that we've really missed our start to the new season in Bundesliga," the centre-half stated."You always go through phases like this, so we shouldn't be driving ourselves crazy over it.

"In midfield alone, we are missing seven players due to injury. At some point, it's impossible to cope with this bad luck."Dortmund currently sit 13th in the Bundesliga table with seven points from as many games.

 

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Come to Manchester United Hummels!​

 

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Ronaldo has broken all records - Casillas

Iker Casillas has voiced his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo in the wake of the attacker's hat-trick in Real Madrid's 5-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening.

The attacker opened the scoring after just two minutes of play before adding two more after the break - with Karim Benzema scoring twice in between - and has now found the net 13 times in six league appearances so far this term."We all know how great a player Ronaldo is. He has broken all the records in terms of goal scoring and assists," Casillas told the official Madrid website.

"His streak of form and his numbers are there for all to see. We are delighted for him."The Spain international then went on to stress that it was important for Madrid to keep a clean sheet and give the fans what they want.

"We had been conceding a lot of goals so this is an important result. The team was full of confidence and we were solid throughout. The players at the back feel the support from the forward players."We had a fruitful night in front of goal without conceding, which is what the fans want."

Madrid have climbed to fourth spot in the table with 15 points from seven games.

 

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Falcao 'needed' first Manchester United goal - Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal expects Radamel Falcao to go from strength to strength after scoring his first goal for Manchester United.

The Colombia star, a deadline-day signing on a season-long loan from Monaco, grabbed the winner as United edged out Everton 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Falcao converted in the 62nd minute to secure the points after Steven Naismith had cancelled out an opener from another of United's high-profile new boys, Angel Di Maria.

The decisive goal delighted manager Van Gaal, who told reporters: "[Falcao] needed that. He was forcing himself too much to score. Now he has, it'll be better after the international break."

Falcao's goal came after the 28-year-old had uncharacteristically failed to convert some earlier opportunities.

After the game, he described his first United strike as "amazing", but conceded: "There was a little bit of relief."

Having claimed back-to-back victories for the first time under Van Gaal following a shaky start to the season, United now lie fourth in the Premier League.

They will resume action after the international break with a trip to West Brom.

 

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‘The boos hurt but I want to be at Real Madrid for life’ – Casillas

Iker Casillas admits he has been hurt after being on the receiving end of whistles from some sections of Real Madrid fans, but says he is desperate to stay at the club for the remainder of his career..

The 33-year-old goalkeeper has come through a difficult spell for Madrid after he was initially dropped as No.1 by former coach Jose Mourinho and accused of being a dressing room mole.

Casillas was linked with a departure from the club after Carlo Ancelotti upheld that decision in his first season in charge, using him only twice in La Liga but fielding him more often in cup matches. The keeper decided to stay, though, and has now regained his place to keep new arrival Keylor Navas out of the side following Diego Lopez’s exit.

But that decision and his subsequent performances have failed to convince some sections of the club’s support and the Spain shot stopper admits he has found the situation difficult.

"It hurts to hear whistles," he told Canal+. "I have been here since I was nine years old, I have done many things with this club and it has also been a springboard to the national team for me."The public are free to do what they want but it also hurts. Being here so long also means I have to accept certain things.

"Fans are demanding, I know it and accept it, but I have my little heart and it hurts when my loyalty is questioned."I intend to end my career at Real Madrid. I do not like to imagine my life without this club.

"This is my home and I feel like I was raised here. When you are at the same club for life, you don’t always realise its real value but the moment you leave it for another you would value it more."

The 33-year-old admits there were several occasions in which he considered leaving Spain for pastures new, but was ultimately determined to fight for his future with the European champions."Yes, I thought about leaving. I thought before about leaving Spain and Real Madrid," he said."You do not want to disturb things or create a bad environment because you always want Madrid to win. It annoyed me when I would think it was better to leave, but then I said to myself ‘you have to compete, you have to fight’.

"These last two years have seen me fight and seen me struggle. There was a lot of talks about a bid from Arsenal, but nothing was there. There were no offers for me and I want to finish my career here."

The 2013-14 season was a strange one for Casillas, who played in the successful Copa del Rey and Champions League competitions but was left out in favour of Lopez in La Liga.The goalkeeper said he actually found the experience refreshing, even if it was a situation that could not last.

"When Ancelotti told me that I would just play in the cups, I thought it would either be a very good year or a very bad year."In the end it went well. Last season I played less minutes and I enjoyed it a lot."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas ta boos dena 1kanam hoda deyak neweiMokada form 1ka tikak awl unata Real Madrid & Spain wenuwen deyak karapu player kenek thamai Casillas kiyanne

So ewage kenekuta out of form inna welawata boos thiyanawa kiyala kiyanne eyawa thawath mentally wattanawa kiyana 1ka.So wenna one Good form 1kedi wagema bad form 1kedith player th 1kkama inna 1ka

Great Captain & Great Goal KeeperGood Luck Casillas​

 

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Just like Real Madrid, Man Utd sucks at defending set pieces

Manchester United backline 1ka echchara hari naha broHodama katiyath injured nehJanuary wala defendersla gana balanna wenawa nathnam tikak amarui

Everton match 1kath berune De Gea nisa​

 

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Casillas ta boos dena 1kanam hoda deyak neweiMokada form 1ka tikak awl unata Real Madrid & Spain wenuwen deyak karapu player kenek thamai Casillas kiyanne

So ewage kenekuta out of form inna welawata boos thiyanawa kiyala kiyanne eyawa thawath mentally wattanawa kiyana 1ka.So wenna one Good form 1kedi wagema bad form 1kedith player th 1kkama inna 1ka

Great Captain & Great Goal KeeperGood Luck Casillas​

ow bro....langadi aapu apatha fans la tikak -_-

 

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Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal: Hazard & Costa make easy work of lacklustre Gunners

Chelsea me season eke EPL ganyi

 

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Cabaye: I'm not happy at PSG

Yohan Cabaye has admitted that he is unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain but stated that he is determined to prove his worth to coach Laurent Blanc.The France international only arrived at the Parc des Princes in January, joining from Premier League outfit Newcastle for a reported fee of €24 million.

However, Cabaye has thus far struggled to nail down a regular place in Blanc's line-up, making just four starts in Ligue 1 this season and only one substitute appearance in the Champions League"To be honest, I am not happy," the midfielder told L'Equipe. "This is new ground for me and I'm not complaining, as I've never complained because it's not in my nature.

"The only thing for me to do is to show what I can do."But sometimes it's not easy. I'm 28; I'm not just starting out. I will not change my style of play now.

"But there is a coach is in place here and I must respect his decisions."I have the character [to cope] and the goal is to show on the field what I know I can do."

 

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Marotta: Juventus have to control Vidal better

Giuseppe Marotta says Juventus have to "control" Arturo Vidal better after the Chilean was hit with a €100,000 fine for breaching the club's code of conduct.

Vidal has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe since joining the Bianconeri from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011 but he was dropped to the bench for Sunday's crunch clash with Serie A title rivals Roma after being photographed on a night out two days beforehand.

Marotta had some sympathy for the player, comparing him to Argentine-born Italian football icon Omar Sivori, who was renowned for his love of revelry during his illustrious career with Juve.

However, the Bianconeri official argued that the 27-year-old was lucky that the club did not come down even harder on him."Vidal is the classic South American player," Marotta told Processo del Lunedi. "Football is full of these types of stories since the days of Sivori.

"The South Americans are a little like this. They live in their own way. They have a particular way of enjoying and amusing themselves."We must keep him in check and control him. The €100,000 fine? Maybe it's even too little."

Vidal, who played a key role in Juve winning three successive Scudetti since arriving in Turin, was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United during the summer.

 

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Morata not bitter about Real Madrid exit

Alvaro Morata insists that he is not bitter about Real Madrid's decision to offload him to Juventus, admitting he is open to returning to the Spanish capital at some point in the future.

The 21-year-old striker has long been considered one of Spain's most exciting young players and he appeared destined for big things at the Santiago Bernabeu after netting nine times in all competitions last season.

However, Madrid accepted a €20 million bid from Juve for Morata during the summer and subsequently signed Javier Hernandez on loan from Manchester United, with the option of making the deal permanent at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.Morata, though, says he does not hold any animosity towards his former employers for deciding to replace him with the 26-year-old Mexico international.

"Chicharito is a great player," the Madrid native told Goal. "He meets the expectations Real Madrid wanted."He can do very well there, as he showed [with two goals in the 8-2 Liga win over] Deportivo.

"He can contribute a lot when it comes on. And if not, they have Gareth Bale, Isco and a lot of other solutions in attack."Despite having departed for Turin, Morata also admitted that he remains in contact with a number of his former team-mates and does not discount the possibility of linking up with them again one day.

"Sergio Ramos was like an older brother to me from the moment I got into the first team," the forward revealed."There's also Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa ... everyone!

"Right now, though, there is a very nice season with Juventus to worry about and, in the future, we'll see what happens."For the moment, though, Morata is intent on nailing down a regular berth in the Juventus team in order to realise his dream of representing Spain at senior level.

The under-21 international endured a frustrating start to his career in Turin, suffering an injury just days after arriving from Madrid, but he made his debut on September 13 as a substitute in a win over Udinese before netting his first Serie A goal a fortnight later, against Atalanta.He is now facing another short break after being dismissed in Sunday's 3-2 win over Roma for clashing with Kostas Manolas - not long after heading against the crossbar - but Morata is feeling upbeat about his future for both club and country.

"The first thing to be important for Juve," he acknowledged. "Every day I am a little bit closer to achieving that."I'm playing again and, on Sunday [against Roma], I went close to scoring another goal.

"So, I am slowly feeling more comfortable and playing with more confidence."

 

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Ozil set to have scan on knee injury

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has travelled to Munich to undergo a scan on his knee, the Germany Football Association has confirmed.

The World Cup winner played the full 90 minutes as the Gunners lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Sunday, but his involvement in the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers is in doubt despite joining up with Joachim Low's squad.

With a trip to Poland on Saturday before hosting Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, Ozil is now heading to Munich for a MRI scan with doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt after sitting out training on Wednesday.

DFB spokesman Jens Grittner wrote on Twitter: "Second training without [Andre] Schurrle (individually at the hotel) and Ozil. He had travelled with knee problems, is to have an MRI scan in Munich."

 

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Ferguson: Kagawa right to leave United for Dortmund

Alex Ferguson has insisted that he was "happy" with Shinji Kagawa during their time together at Manchester United but nonetheless backed the attacking midfielder's decision to return to Borussia Dortmund.

The Scot signed the Japan international from BVB in the summer of 2012 and, despite showing flashes of his ability during his first year at Old Trafford, Kagawa became a bit-part player last season under Ferguson's successor, David Moyes, before deciding to re-join BVB in August.

Ferguson says that he never lost faith in Kagawa's ability to cut it in the Premier League but believes that the writing was on the wall for the 25-year-old the moment United brought in Juan Mata from Chelsea in January."I was very happy with Shinji," Ferguson told Bild. "He had settled in well when I was coach, and I had the impression he felt comfortable.

"But every coach has his own philosophy. When Moyes bought Juan Mata, Kagawa sensed he wasn't first-choice anymore and somehow resigned a bit."So, I think BVB and Kagawa did the right thing. Shinji's back where he feels best.

And he has a coach in Jurgen Klopp who gives him the confidence he needs."
Kagawa has looked at home at Signal Iduna Park in recent weeks, drawing high praise for his performance in the Champions League rout of Anderlecht last week.

 

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Suarez: Cavani should leave PSG because he is no Ibrahimovic

Former Spain international Luis Suarez believes that Edinson Cavani should leave Paris Saint-Germain because he will always be forced to play second fiddle to the "more complete" Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Ligue 1 outfit paid a reported €64.5 million to sign Cavani from Napoli in the summer of 2013 and the Uruguay striker netted 25 goals in 43 appearances in his first season at the Parc des Princes - despite often being deployed out wide to allow the Swede to lead the line.

Cavani has seen more game time in his preferred central attacking role this term because of the injury-enforced absence of the former AC Milan man but he has failed to flourish, netting just three goals in nine Ligue 1 appearances.Consequently, speculation is rife that the 27-year-old wants to quit the French capital and Suarez feels that a parting of the ways would be best for both parties."He's become a normal player who just works for Ibra," the 79-year-old told France Football.

"Sometimes, despite wanting to make things better, you actually make the situation worse."So, I think it would be better for him and the club [if Cavani] were to leave] because Zlatan is more complete and stronger."

Cavani, who represented his country at Brazil 2014, was linked with both Manchester United and Chelsea during the summer transfer window.