..::Football III::..

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Tevez is back!

Argentina sqaud 1ka inna attakers la 4 denama pattaBest form 1ke inne​

 

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Ballon d'Or Shortlist Announced​

Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo and four-time winner Lionel Messi are among 23 players on FIFA's shortlist for this year's award honouring the world's top player.​

The list was compiled by the FIFA Football Committee with the help of France Football. It will later be trimmed to three finalists, with the winner announced at a ceremony in January.​

Messi won the award four straight years from 2009-2012, while Ronaldo won it in 2008 and 2013. The award was presented by solely by France Football until 2009, and the news outlet joined with FIFA's Player of the Year Award for the 2010 edition.​

The list features 17 players from Europe, five from South America and one from Africa (Yaya Toure). World cup champions Germany are the most represented with six entries.​

All of the candidates play their club football in Europe, for only eight different clubs, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tied for the most with six each, followed by Barcelona with four.​

Two goalkeepers were named to the shortlist: Belgium's Thibaut Courtois and Germany's Manuel Neuer.​

The shortlist:​

Gareth Bale, Wales, Real Madrid
Karim Benzema, France, Real Madrid
Diego Costa, Spain, Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois, Belgium, Chelsea
Angel Di Maria, Argentina, Manchester United
Mario Gotze, Germany, Bayern Munich
Eden Hazard, Belgium, Chelsea
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain
Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona
Toni Kroos, Germany, Real Madrid
Philipp Lahm, Germany, Bayern Munich
Javier Mascherano, Argentina, Barcelona
Lionel Messi, Argentina, Barcelona
Thomas Muller, Germany, Bayern Munich
Manuel Neuer, Germany, Bayern Munich
Neymar, Brazil, Barcelona
Paul Pogba, France, Juventus
Sergio Ramos, Spain, Real Madrid
Arjen Robben, Netherlands, Bayern Munich
James Rodriguez, Colombia, Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Real Madrid
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany, Bayern Munich
Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast, Manchester City​

FIFA also released the 10 candidates for the Coach of the Year award.
It included Joachim Low and Alejandro Sabella, the coaches of World Cup finalists Germany and Argentina, as well as the winners of the domestic club leagues in England (Maneul Pellegrini), Germany (Pep Guardiola), Spain (Diego Simeone) and Italy (Antonio Conte).​

The list:​

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid
Antonio Conte, Juventus/Italy
Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich
Jurgen Klinsmann, United States
Joachim Low, Germany
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea
Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City
Alejandro Sabella, Argentina
Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid
Louis van Gaal, Netherlands/Manchester United​

 

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Meh sareth Ballon d'Or 1ka C.Ronaldo tama thamai1ka sure

Best coach award 1ka Diego Simeone,Joachim Low & Carlo Ancelotti atharin kenekta yai kiyala hithnawa​

 

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Liverpool 2-1 Swansea City: Balotelli and Lovren halt hosts' slump

Mario Balotelli and Dejan Lovren secured a spectacular late turnaround as Liverpool came from behind to beat Swansea City 2-1 in the League Cup fourth round.

The Reds' disappointing start to the season looked set to take another turn for the worse when Marvin Emnes volleyed the Swans into a second-half lead.

The home side produced a storming late fightback to reach the quarter-finals, though, as much-maligned striker Balotelli came off the bench to score his first goal in nine games with an equaliser four minutes from time.

And Lovren, who like the Italian has come in for criticism since his big-money move to Merseyside, scored his first goal for the club in the 95th minute in a stunning finale to send Liverpool through soon after Federico Fernandez was harshly shown a straight red card for a challenge on Philippe Coutinho.

It was a welcome tonic for former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers, whose Liverpool side had failed to score in their previous two matches and had once again been toothless until Balotelli and Lovren stunned the Welsh side.

Balotelli dropped to the bench as Rodgers made nine changes to the Liverpool side who were held by Hull City on Saturday, as Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini started up front while captain Steven Gerrard and forward Raheem Sterling were rested.

In-form striker Wilfried Bony was named among the Swansea substitutes, with Bafetimbi Gomis starting as one of five changes to the team that beat Leicester City 2-0 on Saturday.

The hosts took the upper hand after a frantic start and Lazar Markovic spurned a great opportunity to open his Liverpool account when he sliced a left-footed shot well wide 27 minutes in after a slick passing move.

Markovic then cut in from the left and picked out Borini, who guided a measured shot narrowly wide of the far post from the edge of the penalty area as Liverpool continued to dictate the play but lacked a cutting edge. Former Swansea loanee Borini came close again moments later, driving forward and unleashing a right-footed strike that Gerhard Tremmel got down to turn away for a corner.

Ex-Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey was given a warm reception by the home fans, but almost silenced them when his free kick just before half-time forced Brad Jones to dive to his left to make palm the ball away.

Swansea were struggling to contain Coutinho and the Brazil midfielder ghosted into the penalty area early in the second half but shot straight at Tremmel.

Gomis rose to meet a Shelvey corner but his header was easily claimed by Jones as the opening goal remained elusive.

Swansea were in front 65 minutes in, though, as Emnes produced a moment of class to volley into the far corner with his left foot from inside the area after the ball had looped into the air.

Liverpool were stunned but came close to an equaliser when Glen Johnson's venomous strike produced a reflex save from Tremmel and Neil Taylor bundled the rebound away.

Coutinho had another go from long range with just over 15 minutes remaining but Tremmel was once again able to make a routine save.

Balotelli replaced Lambert with 11 minutes remaining and rescued his side four minutes from time when he got on the end of an inviting Borini cross to find the back of the net from six yards out.

There was more drama when Fernandez was harshly shown a straight red card for a challenge on Coutinho and then Lovren headed home the winner four minutes into time added on when Tremmel misjudged a free kick from the Brazilian.

 

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Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Chelsea: Mourinho's men escape with win as League Two side suffer own goal heartbreak

Chelsea overcame Shrewsbury Town 2-1 in the League Cup fourth round after an incredibly well-fought match against their lower-league opposition.

After an even first half in which the Blues' attacking midfielders misfired and the League Two side came the closest to scoring, Didier Drogba broke the deadlock just after the break.

The Shrews looked to have earned extra time when substitute Andy Mangan netted with 77 minutes on the clock only moments after coming on but pressure from Drogba forced an own goal from Jermaine Grandison four minutes later to seal the deal.

Jose Mourinho lifted the League Cup trophy twice in his first spell with Chelsea and named a solid line-up to show that he clearly means business once more. However, the Premier League leaders were made to work hard for their place in the quarter-finals.

Shrewsbury went into the game on the back of four straight League Two wins and had already beaten Premier League side Leicester City and two Championship clubs in this competition. Their confidence and self-belief was evident in an even first period and the manner of the defeat was ultimately harsh on the home team.

Mourinho made seven changes to the side that started Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United, with 18-year-old Dane Andreas Christensen making his debut at right-back. Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake were other youngsters called up, while Petr Cech got the nod in between the posts and Jon Obi Mikel, Mohamed Salah and Andre Schurrle also came in.

Shrewsbury suffered a setback when James Wesolowski went down in the warm-up, meaning a late step up for Liam Lawrence in midfield.

Cech had to be alert in the opening stages as Nathaniel Knight-Percival was on target with a far-post header from a corner and Ake received an early booking for a rash challenge on Bobby Grant.

With the rain driving down, the underdogs had a penalty appeal for handball against Drogba turned down from another set-piece as they more than held their own up to half-time.

Drogba did have the ball in the net at the other end but a flag was already up for offside and it was a far from comfortable first period for the visitors.

Chelsea started the second half much more positively, though, and Schurrle and Salah combined to set up Drogba, who took full advantage when firing a low volley past Jayson Leutwiler on 48 minutes.

Schurrle then had a 30-yard rocket tipped over the bar, but Shrewsbury did threaten a response when Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro's shot deflected just wide.

Leutwiler did well to keep out a fierce Drogba effort as Chelsea began to dominate proceedings but the visitors were stunned when Mangan levelled from close range after Grandison headed down a corner.

Hopes of an upset were soon dashed, though, when substitute Willian whipped in a cross from the left wing on 81 minutes and the unfortunate Grandison steered the ball into his own net under pressure from Drogba.

Akpa Akpro did threaten with a late header but there was to be no second reprieve for Shrewsbury.

 

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St. Pauli 0-3 Borussia Dortmund: Kagawa, Immobile and Reus send Klopp's men through

Borussia Dortmund progressed to the next round of the DFB-Pokal in comfortable style as they beat St. Pauli 3-0 on Tuesday.

Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Hannover in the Bundesliga was Dortmund's fourth consecutive league defeat and their sixth in nine matches this term - leading coach Jurgen Klopp to acknowledge the club were in a "critical situation".

However, goals from Ciro Immobile, Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa helped Dortmund get back on track at the Millerntor-Stadion against second-tier St Pauli.

Immobile's close-range finish in the 33rd minute earned Dortmund the lead their possession warranted, after the Italian had seen an earlier effort ruled out for offside.

The former Torino man turned provider for Reus shortly before the interval, putting the visitors firmly in control.

Klopp's men never looked likely to relinquish their advantage and Kagawa added a third goal with four minutes remaining to put the result beyond any doubt.

Dortmund threatened down the flanks early on courtesy of Kagawa and Erik Durm, with the two combining after eight minutes for the Japan international to fire wide.

The visitors continued to dominate and looked to have opened the scoring when Immobile turned home Sokratis Papastathopoulos' cross from the right - only to be ruled offside.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's strike was tipped wide by Philipp Tschauner 20 minutes in before Immobile eventually got his goal.

After some slick interplay down the left, Kevin Grosskreutz's cross found Kagawa, who turned the ball into Immobile's path to deservedly put Dortmund ahead.

The hosts enjoyed a brief foray into Dortmund's half when John Verhoek brought a long ball down inside the opposing area - only to be crowded out - before Soren Gonther's header was well saved by Mitch Langerak.

However, Dortmund pulled further clear shortly before the interval when Immobile cut a cross back for Reus to side-foot home.

Daube had an effort saved well by Langerak early in the second half as St Pauli looked to gain a foothold in the tie.

Thomas Meggle's men offered a great deal more than they had prior to the break but were unable to break down Dortmund's defence, who coped well with any threat from the home side.

Klopp was able to bring Reus and Mkhitaryan off with plenty of time to spare before Kagawa added a third, following a dismal clearance from Tschauner.

The Dortmund boss now turns his attention to Saturday's clash with champions and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

 

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Luis Enrique tells Messi: My advice is to avoid injections

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes his players should avoid taking pain-killing injections after reports that Lionel Messi required treatment prior to the Clasico on Saturday.

Reports in the Spanish media have emerged suggesting the Argentina ace required the treatment before the 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid due to ankle problem.

While his coach admitted Messi was suffering from a minor knock, he refused to discuss openly the medical concerns of his players - though he did fire a warning when it comes to preventative pain-killers.

"That is for the medics," he said when asked about the reports. "If he needs an injection that is their decision - it is something for the medics and the player. I don’t know, but he was 100 per cent fit for the game."My advice is to avoid injections. Some injections can fix you, but you [reporters] know my clear recommendation. He’s got a knock, but he is OK, he is better."Medical issues are private matters for the player in question."

Messi failed to score against Madrid, meaning the wait goes on for him to break the all-time La Liga goal record, but Luis Enrique is more concerned by his side's results."We started with a lot of records and the possibility for more. We are interested in the collective and that’s more important than any individual objective," he said.

Jeremy Mathieu claimed after the match on Saturday that he was "surprised" to have started at left-back, with Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano deployed at centre-half.While Luis Enrique maintains responsibility for the defeat, he has made it clear Mathieu can expect to be utilised in different positions again this season.

"I’m generally self-critical and I feel responsible for bad results. Mathieu can play as a centre-back or a left-back. If he’s surprised to be at left-back we should pack up and go home," said the former Celta Vigo boss."I’m not worried about the defensive fragility of the team. We have been below our level and made clear mistakes. We are working to change things. We said there would be tough moments and there will be more. We will have better games too."

Luis Enrique also stresssed that Thomas Vermaelen is not yet fully fit to return, adding: "I don’t know what you are digging around for. He is in the process of recovering. It is not about taking a magic pill and getting better."

 

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Swansea boss Monk left aghast at Fernandez red card

Swansea City manager Garry Monk is hopeful that "the referee will see some sense" and ensure Federico Fernandez's red card against Liverpool will be overturned.

The defender was harshly shown a straight red by referee Keith Stroud for a 92nd-minute challenge on Philippe Coutinho before Dejan Lovren netted the winner three minutes later as Liverpool won 2-1 in Tuesday's Capital One Cup fourth-round tie.

Marvin Emnes's 65th-minute strike had just been cancelled out by Mario Balotelli and, while Monk was disappointed with his side conceding two late goals, it was Fernandez's dismissal that left him irate.

"The sending-off clearly isn't a sending-off at all," he told Sky Sports. "Hopefully the referee will see some sense and the authorities will rescind that red card because it wasn't a red card at all.

"It's an honest challenge. If anything, Coutinho's feet were higher than ours and actually went in over the top of our player. I don't quite see how the referee saw that but hopefully he sees sense and rescinds it."

Monk had been pleased with Swansea's second-half display before things unravelled.

He added: "[In the] first half Liverpool were the better team - we allowed them too much space and too much control of the game - but at half-time we changed a few things, tweaked it, and were much more in the game second half.

"We played very well, I thought, got a deserved goal and really looked like we were going to hold on for the win but a sloppy goal from our point of view, a few minutes to go, and conceding a goal from a cross like that, it was a little bit too easy so we're very disappointed with that."

 

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Mourinho: Drogba set an unbelievable example

Jose Mourinho hailed the effort shown by his experienced Chelsea players - including Didier Drogba - in overcoming a tricky Capital One Cup test at Shrewsbury Town.

Just two days after drawing at Manchester United, the Premier League leaders were made to work hard for victory before prevailing 2-1 at Greenhouse Meadow on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals.

Andy Mangan levelled for the brave League Two hosts after Didier Drogba had opened the scoring, but a Jermaine Grandison own goal eventually settled the fourth-round tie.

"The four players who played on Sunday gave an unbelievable example for the others - Didier Drogba, Filipe Luis, Gary Cahill and Oscar were brilliant," Mourinho told Sky Sports .

"You have people like them, plus Petr Cech and [John Obi] Mikel, who have not been playing regularly but gave a great example of professionalism.

"That gives the kids like Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake a perfect example, so I'm really happy as I was expecting a difficult match."

Mourinho revealed he hopes to have Diego Costa and Ramires back to face QPR at the weekend , but Drogba again did his bit up front against Shrewsbury, having also netted at Old Trafford.

The Cote d'Ivoire forward commented: "It was a difficult pitch, difficult weather and fantastic opponents who gave everything - they created a difficult game for us.

"It was difficult for the players who have not played a lot this season and for those who were playing on Sunday, but with our experience we finally won the game."

 

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Klopp demands more despite valuable Borussia Dortmund win

Jurgen Klopp felt Borussia Dortmund took a step in the right direction with their DFB-Pokal success against St. Pauli on Tuesday - but insists he wants more from his side.

Klopp's men have endured a difficult start to the Bundesliga campaign, with Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Hannover representing Dortmund's fourth consecutive league loss and a sixth in nine matches this term.

That led Klopp to speak of a "critical situation" at the club, but goals from Ciro Immobile, Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa ensured last season's German cup finalists got back to winning ways by securing a place in the third round.

After witnessing a convincing victory, Klopp expressed satisfaction with the result - though not his side's second-half showing."With the result and the strong first half, I am satisfied. With the second half I cannot be satisfied," he added.

"We have not done everything right, but we were clearly dominant. We fully embraced the game, we had to develop certain things.

"We can make it better but today was again a step in the right direction."Dortmund will face Bundesliga champions and league leaders Bayern Munich next up at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

 

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Costa in line to return against QPR - Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expects to have Diego Costa and Ramires back for his side's match against QPR on Saturday.

The €42 million striker has been unavailable for the Blues since returning from Spain duty after the international break, while his immediate backup, Loic Remy, has been sidelined with a groin injury.

Veteran Didier Drogba has played every minute up front since Remy's withdrawal early in their Champions League victory over Maribor on October 21, including two games in three days on Sunday and Tuesday, scoring three times in that period.

But Mourinho told reporters that Costa, along with the midfielder, should "normally" be fit for Saturday.

Since joining from Atletico Madrid this summer, Costa has scored nine goals in nine games for the Blues, firing them to a dominant position at the top of the Premier League table.

Brazil international Ramires, meanwhile, has been absent since picking up a muscle injury during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester City on September 21.

 

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Real Madrid unveil IPIC deal to make Bernabeu 'best stadium in the world'

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez promised to make the new Santiago Bernabeu the "world's best stadium" after announcing a strategic partnership with the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) on Tuesday.

Madrid unveiled plans for the expansion and improvement of the Bernabeu in January and Perez claimed that the club were working to find a partner to fund some of the €400m development through the sale of naming rights.

Neither Madrid nor IPC Managing Director Khadem Abdullah al-Qubaisi mentioned naming rights on Tuesday, while the terms of the agreement also remain confidential.

But Florentino said: "Real Madrid's vocation is to be the best club of the 21st century. This agreement is a guarantee of success for both institutions. They will help us to strengthen the Real Madrid brand across all of the continents and carry out a series of decisive projects."

And he added: "Our challenge is to make the Bernabeu the best stadium in the world."

For his part, Abdullah al-Qubaisi explained: "We have chosen Real Madrid because they are the most important club in the world. We want to give them the means to create the most spectacular installations.

"This agreement will allow the globalistion of Real Madrid's assets, museum and football ethics. The aim is to inspire youngsters to develop Real Madrid football schools and to convert the stadium into an arena of sporting excellence."

 

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Waris agent unsurprised by Manchester United links

The agent of Ghana international Abdul Majeed Waris is unaware of any interest from Manchester United, but says he would be surprised if Premier League clubs were not chasing the prolific forward.

United are thought to be keeping tabs on Waris as Louis van Gaal weighs up bolstering his attacking options at Old Trafford, with assistant manager Ryan Giggs reported to have watched the Trabzonspor striker in action against Lokeren in the Europa League last Thursday.

The 23-year-old, who is a regular for Ghana and was named in the country's World Cup squad only to pick up an injury on the eve of the tournament, has impressed at Trabzonspor since his arrival and his form has alerted clubs across Europe.

Waris' agent, Phil Radley, has not heard anything from United, but is aware of long-standing interest from Premier League clubs.

"I wasn't aware of Manchester United travelling to the Europa League fixture - but Premier League interest does not surprise me," Radley told Goal.

"There were Premier League clubs looking at Waris in the summer, but he was unlucky at the World Cup - he picked up a thigh injury in Ghana's final warm-up game - were it not for that he would have started alongside Asamoah Gyan and then I think those clubs would have come in for him.

"Waris certainly has the qualities for the Premier League - he is very quick and strong. Clearly he is a proven goal threat, but he is also a real fighter who never gives up and will chase down lost causes and put himself in dangerous areas.

"Trabzonspor bought Waris for €6 million in the summer and turned down an offer of €11m from UAE almost immediately after they signed him - so clubs can certainly see his value."

Waris was enrolled in the Right to Dream academy in Ghana at the age of 12, before moving to England with Hartpury College and going on to feature for Forest Green Rovers' reserves ahead of a move to Sweden in 2010.

After a spell with Spartak Moscow he then moved to Turkey in September after catching the eye during a loan spell in France with Valenciennes, where he scored nine goals in 16 games.

 

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Luis Enrique: Madrid's win will mean nothing if Barca win La Liga

Luis Enrique played down Barcelona's 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid, insisting that the Clasico stumble will mean nothing if they win La Liga.

The Catalans remain first in the Spanish top flight after nine games, ahead of high-flying Sevilla on goal difference with Real Madrid, Valencia and Atletico Madrid trailing close behind in the chasing pack.The Camp Nou coach, in his debut season in charge of Barca's first team, played down the significance of the loss at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in the grand scheme of the 2014-15 campaign.

"I would have settled for that defeat at the start of the season if we won La Liga, and I would at the end," he told reporters on Tuesday. "We’d be delighted."I’d accept losing to anyone if we won La Liga. I’m aware that to win we need to play well. And that would mean that the fans enjoy themselves.

"At the end of the day, we are joint leaders after nine games and for me it's much more important to be top of La Liga than to have beaten Real Madrid."I hope it’s 100 times more intense when Madrid come to Barcelona. It’s part of football - the songs and the insults. I think we’re over the loss."

Luis Enrique also stressed that the blame for the loss rests on his shoulders, but that he would not change his starting line-up if he were to go another round tomorrow with Carlo Ancelotti's men as he has faith in his tactics and team.

"I take full responsibility for the defeat. It had nothing to do with problems with fitness or attitude," the coach continued. "It was particular circumstances during the match that affected the team.

"I would pick the same XI again. You never know how a game is going to pan out and there were things I didn't expect from Real Madrid."Knowing that I would certainly have planned things differently but it's very easy to be wise after the event."

Luis Enrique refused to comment on Luis Suarez's glaring omission from the Fifa Ballon d'Or nomination list released on Tuesday, however, insisting he "does not analyse those sort of things".

 

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Manchester City handed Nasri fitness boost ahead of derby

Samir Nasri has recovered from a groin injury to face Newcastle United ahead of Manchester City's derby clash with Manchester United, manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed.

The midfielder has been out of action for over a month after undergoing surgery but stepped up his rehabilition and is in contention to feature in Wednesday's Capital One Cup fourth-round game.

Frank Lampard, who has not featured since the 4-1 win over Tottenham, remains sidelined and is the only casualty in an otherwise fully fit squad as Man City look to reach the quarter-final stage.

"[Samir] Nasri is working normally and is in the squad list for tomorrow," Pellegrini told reporters.

"[Frank] Lampard is out, all the other players in the squad are fit. I don’t think Frank will be fit for the weekend but maybe he can be fit for next week."

The news will come as a huge boost ahead of Sunday's visit of rivals Man Utd, while Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao are also expected to return after overcoming niggling fitness concerns.

Despite stressing the importance of succeeding in the League Cup, Pellegrini conceded he was likely to rotate his squad for the visit of Newcastle, who lost 2-0 to City in their opening match of the season.

"It is very important for the club to win trophies," he added. "That is why it doesn't matter in which competition we are playing, we are trying to win all four competitions in the same way.

"I transmit the mentality to the players that every game you play is one you must try to win. If you ask me if I prefer to win the Premier League, maybe, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to win the Capital One Cup which is why we are involving the whole squad in this game.

"It is very important when you play so many games to have the whole squad ready to play, so we will probably make some changes."

 

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Pogba will become one of the best ever, says Zidane

France legend Zinedine Zidane believes that Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has the potential to become a true great if he can keep up his current development.

The 21-year-old was voted best young player at the World Cup earlier this summer after previously scooping up the prestigious Golden Boy award, and Zidane has little doubt his compatriot has a bright future ahead of him."What Paul is doing at the age of 21 is huge," Zidane told L'Equipe.

"Maybe we are talking about Pogba a bit too much, but if he can keep up his current development he can become one of the best players ever."For me, he is a combination of Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira. If I were his coach, I would use him in a slightly more advanced role.

"He has to keep it simple every now and then in order to become more efficient. That way he can develop from a good midfielder into a top player."Will he ever join Real Madrid? We'll see..."

Pogba, who was named in the Ballon d'Or long list of nominations on Tuesday for 2014, recently signed a contract with Juventus until the summer of 2019.

 

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Arsenal forward Podolski to feature in German comedy film 'Macho Man'

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski has revealed he will feature in a German comedy film called ‘Macho Man’.

The film, adapted from a best-selling novel by Moritz Netenjakob, follows the love life of Daniel Hagenberger, a shy and insecure character, and his relationship with a Turkish woman called Aylin Denizoglu.

Podolski, who plays himself in the film, has already shot his scenes inside Koln’s RheinEnergieStadion, while the planned release date in Germany is October 22, 2015.

"The film will be shot in my hometown Cologne, where I grew up and where my career started,” Podolski said in a press release.

“My scene takes place in the stadium and it’s really funny, I think.

“I am curious to see the result when I go to the premiere and see myself on the screen.”

Podolski’s fellow Germany international Mario Gotze has also been offered a role in another film by award-winning director Matthias Schweighofer.

 

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Shaw: Manchester United will become a 'scary team'

Luke Shaw insists Manchester United are becoming a "scary team" to come up against as they threaten to hit their best form.

The Red Devils have endured an indifferent start to the campaign, with their last-gasp draw against Chelsea leaving them eighth in the table and 11 points behind the Blues at the summit.

But Shaw, who has started the Old Trafford outfit's last four encounters, believes Louis van Gaal's side are beginning to click, with some aspects of their performance against Chelsea hinting at them being close to their best.

"It has been a fight, but we talk in the dressing room and at training and we know we’ve still got the best to come," he told reporters.

"I don’t think we are playing our best at the moment, although you saw bits against Chelsea.

"It will take time, but when we are all on form, I think we are going to be a scary team to face."

After his equaliser against Jose Mourinho's team, Robin van Persie claimed the 20-times English champions could still catch Chelsea in the title race.

And England international Shaw is in agreement, citing the infancy of the campaign as the main reason for his optimism.

"Yeah, of course [we can catch Chelsea]," Shaw added. "It’s a long season and we’re at the start of it so you don’t know what will happen during the middle of season.

"We just have to keep winning the games coming up. There will be tough games, but we know we are good enough to win them.

"Chelsea was a huge result for us and when you look back at the game, maybe we could have got more than one point. We never give up and we showed that against them. That does a lot for our belief."

 

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Ribery should make France comeback, says Zidane

Former France star Zinedine Zidane has urged Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery to reconsider his decision to quit international football and make a comeback ahead of Euro 2016.

The 31-year-old announced that he would no longer be available for France earlier this summer after missing the World Cup due to injury, but Zidane remains hopeful the Bayern Munich winger will play at the European Championship on home soil in two years' time.

"When you have a talented player like Ribery with so much quality, it would be good to see him back in the team," Zidane told Canal+."I also retired from international football back in 2004, but I simply couldn't live with it in the six months that followed.

"When you play at the highest level and enjoy playing matches, you want to grab each opportunity to play. I could no longer sit still and do nothing for three to four days when my team-mates were away on international duty. I was all by myself on the training pitch in Madrid and told myself things couldn't go on like that."I had to play for the national team if I wanted to continue to feel like a great player. I hope that Franck will also make the decision to make a comeback. That would be great for France."

Ribery has made 81 appearances for France, scoring 16 goals in the process.

 

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Gignac to leave Marseille, reveals club president

Andre-Pierre Gignac appears to be on his way out of Olympique de Marseille after president Vincent Labrune claimed the club cannot match the striker's demands.

The 28-year-old forward - who has scored 48 goals in 128 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille - has a contract until the end of the 2014-15 campaign and a number of Premier League clubs are supposedly keen on signing him.

Labrune has now blamed changes in French tax law for the prospective loss of Gignac and he believes the striker's fine form this term will see him leave in the summer of 2015."It's going to happen because employer contributions and taxes have gone through the roof in France," the media mogul told Le Journal de Dimanche.

"We would like to keep him but it seems to me utopian to think that he will lower his salary to stay with us."Reports in the French media claimed last week that Gignac might be tempted to sign a new contract with Marseille due to their stunning start to the season - eight wins and a draw from 11 games - but Labrune remains unconvinced.

"He loves the city and the club, so we're going to talk."But his agent is right to say that, with his current displays, he is more likely to get better offers."

Gignac has hit the back of the net 10 times in 11 league matches this season as Marseille have stormed to the top of Ligue 1 under new coach Marcelo Bielsa.