..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale: I can see myself retiring at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale has suggested he could retire at Real Madrid after inking a new deal until 2022.The Wales international, 27, joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 and has developed into a key figure for the club after a difficult start.

Bale has won two Champions League titles since his move to the Spanish capital and he is determined to secure even more silverware before potentially hanging up his boots at the Santiago Bernabeu.

When asked if he could imagine seeing out his career at Madrid, Bale said at a news conference on Monday: "Yeah, I can see that. I am very happy here, getting more comfortable every year. My family is happy here and my Spanish is improving.

"I want to see out my contract here. I obviously don't know when I will retire, but I am very happy. When I first came here, I wanted to succeed and win trophies. To renew my contract is another dream come true. I hope to win more trophies and titles.

"We want to win every trophy, every year. I believe we can keep winning trophies, the Champions League and La Liga. We want to win it all this season. It is important to keep working hard, scoring goals and setting up goals."

Bale has had his good times and his bad times at Madrid, but he has made it clear he never considered leaving Spain in favour of a return to the Premier League.

"My time here has changed me quite a lot. I've grown up here as a person. I wanted to try something different when I joined Madrid and that's never easy," he said.

"British players have not always been successful abroad, but I wanted to try it. I had one difficult season, but it helped me a lot. It has been three great years and I hope for six more years of the same.

"Of course, it has been a difficult journey. I had my good and bad times. There are always bad moments, but what's important is how you react. It is easy to pack up and leave, but you show more character if you work hard and make things work. It's all a learning curve."But I have enjoyed it. I've loved every minute of it. I wanted to learn a new style of football. I think I've definitely made the right decision.

"The most important thing is that I feel happy and loved by the fans. I want to win as many trophies as I can. I have had a lot of great moments. Winning the Champions League was the pinnacle. We live for the Champions League. We give everything for every trophy, but the Champions League is extra special."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pepe injury blow for Real Madrid

Real Madrid will have to make do without the services of Pepe for a number of weeks due to a thigh injury, making him a doubt for impending clashes with title rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

The centre-back sustained the problem in Madrid's 4-1 win over Alaves on Saturday, being forced to leave the pitch after just 24 minutes.

He underwent a series of tests to determine the extent of the injury and Madrid have now announced the 33-year-old has been diagnosed with a muscular problem.

"After tests carried out Monday on Pepe at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with a grade two muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg," an official club statement read.
"His recovery will continue to be monitored."

Reports from Spain suggest Pepe could be out of action for between four to six weeks, meaning he will miss El Derbi against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon on November 19.Furthermore, the Portugal international could also be in danger of having to sit out the Clasico clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou on December 3.

Pepe's injury provides more bad news for coach Zinedine Zidane, who is already without fellow centre-back Sergio Ramos a knee injury.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Happy birthday wonderkid!' - Man Utd stars celebrate Rashford turning 19

A host of Manchester United players have wished teenage sensation Marcus Rashford a happy 19th birthday.

The England international burst onto the scene back in February, scoring twice on his debut, and has since gone on to establish himself as an important member of the first-team set-up at Old Trafford.

The likes of Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young have all got involved in the birthday wishes on social media, with Juan Mata's arguably the pick of the bunch...

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Happy Birthday Rash!

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[Wolverine GTR]

Wilkins: Ibrahimovic suffering from lack of confidence

Former United midfielder Ray Wilkins has suggested that a lack of confidence is Zlatan Ibrahimovic's problem at Manchester United.

A five-game run without a goal is virtually unheard of for the 35-year-old, but he has become another unfortunate casualty of the inconsistencies being endured by the Red Devils.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker is not usually accused of lacking self-belief, but Wilkins believes that is behind is slump Herrera: Ibra will end drought"Zlatan looks like he's suffering from a lack of confidence," Wilkins told Sky Sports.

"He doesn't look as if he's very confident when he's in on goal.

"There was a fantastic give-and-go that he did with Paul Pogba [against Burnley on Saturday] and I thought if he'd just rip through the ball then he must score."But he didn't. He tried to side-foot it and it went for a corner-kick. At the start of the season he was smashing those in.

"He scored 52 in 50 games last year. He's a phenomenal centre-forward and I was delighted when United bought him."But the Premier League is not an easy division. We have seen the coaches saying it - even Pep Guardiola - that every game is different."

Ibrahimovic has six goals to his name so far this season, but the last of those came against Zorya in the Europa League, while he has failed to find the target in the Premier League since grabbing United’s consolation in a 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester City on September 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wilkins: Ibrahimovic suffering from lack of confidence

Yea....but he can get back to best againGood Luck Ibra​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'It felt great!' - Schweinsteiger reacts after returning to Man Utd training

Bastian Schweinsteiger admitted he was ecstatic to be back training with the Manchester United first team on Monday.

The German midfielder was told he was surplus to requirements by Mourinho quickly after the new manager arrived at Old Trafford, but he could be back in his plans after recent results.

Mourinho has endured a difficult spell, with his side failing to win in four Premier League matches, including a humiliating defeat at Chelsea.

That may have prompted Mourinho to look again at the make-up of his squad, and 32-year-old Schweinsteiger in particular.

A tweet from the World Cup winner ahead of the EFL Cup win over Manchester City prompted United fans to hit social media to voice their support for him and call for his return to the squad.

Mourinho has now agreed and Schweinsteiger was back training with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Monday at Carrington.

And the German voiced his delight to be back in the fold on Twitter again.Being back in training is a far cry from being back involved in the matchday squad, but following another disappointing result at home to Burnley on Saturday that may now be a step closer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2016.11.01

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2016.11.01

Besiktas Vs Napoli

Benfica Vs Dynamo

Borussia Monchengladbach Vs Celtic

Manchester City Vs Barcelona

Atletico Madrid Vs Rostiv

PSV Vs Bayern

Ludogorets Vs Arsrnal

Basel Vs PSG

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[Alucard_SxE]

Lol Barca!

 

[Mr.Sherlock]

Man city 3 - 1 Barcelona Patta match eka

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lol Barca!

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Man city 3 - 1 Barcelona Patta match eka

CITY la gema deela neda​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Inter sack De Boer

Frank de Boer has been sacked as head coach of Inter in the wake of Sunday's Serie A defeat by Sampdoria.

A first-half strike from Fabio Quagliarella consigned the Nerazzurri to a 1-0 loss at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, leaving them with just two wins from their last eight matches in all competitions.Pressure had been mounting on De Boer, who only took charge in August, with the club sitting 12th in the table after four wins from 11 matches.

Chief executive Michael Bolingbroke insisted that De Boer had "100 per cent" backing before the defeat at Sampdoria but, with just five wins from his first 14 games at the helm, the Dutchman has been given the axe.The club have placed Primavera coach Stefano Vecchi in temporary charge ahead of Thursday's Europa League game against Southampton.

"FC Internazionale Milano announce that it has today terminated the contract of coach Frank de Boer with immediate effect," an official club statement read.
The greatest XI of Guardiola's coaching career

"Inter Primavera coach Stefano Vecchi will take temporary charge of the first team for Thursday's UEFA Europa League match against Southampton."Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Frank and his coaching team for their work done with the club over the past months and wishes them the best for the future.

"Further announcements regarding the first team coaching position will be made in due course."De Boer quickly took to social media to issue a message to the fans.

"Too bad it ended this way," he said. "To carry out this project it needed more time."I want to thank all the fans for all the support you have given me in these months. Forza Inter!"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shaw insists Man Utd team-mate Ibrahimovic is not suffering a dip

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has laughed off suggestions Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suffering a dip and feels the 35-year-old has just been unlucky in front of goal.

Ibrahimovic has gone six Premier League games without scoring, having netted four in his opening four top-flight fixtures, and some have called for the experienced attacker to be dropped on the back of his recent struggles.

His frustration was evident in Saturday's goalless draw against Burnley, in which the Swede had 12 shots, but found goalkeeper Tom Heaton in inspired form.

Nevertheless, Shaw believes it is only a matter of time before Ibrahimovic rediscovers his golden touch and says the striker remains hugely confident.

"Is Ibrahimovic suffering a dip? No chance at all, I would not say that," said the full-back."He is a world-class player and I would not say it is a dip. He has been unlucky. He has had chances, but the saves that have been happening from his shots are unbelievable, especially with that volley he did at the weekend against Burnley and Heaton saving that."He is a very confident person and his confidence is always sky high."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Clattenburg to referee North London derby

Mark Clattenburg has been announced as the referee for Sunday's North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham.

The County Durham-born official has come under the spotlight in recent days after he sent Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to the stands during the Red Devils's 0-0 draw with Burnley.

He also sent-off United midfielder Ander Herrera in the second half at Old Trafford, which is his only dismissal of the season in six matches.

He has taken charge of one Arsenal match this term as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Leicester City, but he is yet to officiate Spurs in their unbeaten start to the league campaign.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klose retires, takes up DFB position

All-time Germany top-scorer Miroslav Klose has opted to hang up his boots after leaving Lazio at the end of the 2015-16 campaign following the expiry of his contract.

Klose had been linked with a move to MLS and former club Kaiserslautern over the past few months, but has opted to retire instead and take up a position with Germany's national team.

The 38-year-old will be following an individual education and traineeship under national team coach Joachim Low and sporting director Hansi Flick with an eye on a future coaching career, while also joining Low's backroom staff.

"I enjoyed my biggest successes with the national team. It was a great time and unforgettable for me. That's why I am happy to return to the DFB," Klose told the DFB website.

"Over the past few months, the idea of staying on the pitch in another position, as a coach, got into my mind. I already enjoyed developing tactics, preparing for games and reading the game during my playing days."I am grateful to Jogi Low and Hansi Flick that they are offering me this opportunity."

Klose started his professional career with Homburg and also wore the jerseys of Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Lazio.He enjoyed his biggest successes with Bayern, where he won two Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokals. The striker won the Bundesliga top-scorer award in 2005-06.

The attacker made 137 appearances for Germany - with only Lothar Matthaus winning more caps - and scored an impressive 71 goals to become his country's all-time top goalscorer.

He won the World Cup in 2014, having finished as a runner-up in 2002. Klose is also the all-time top scorer at World Cup finals, with 16 strikes spread over four tournaments.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rashford: Rooney scored the best goal I've ever seen!

Marcus Rashord is busy making quite the name for himself, but he admits that a Manchester United colleague can lay claim to having netted the finest Premier League goal he has ever seen.

Wayne Rooney may be enduring a tough time at present, but he remains an icon of the modern era and a man with a glittering career showreel.

He is already England’s all-time leading goalscorer, needs just three more to match Bobby Charlton’s record haul for United and is second behind Alan Shearer in the Premier League roll of honour.

Among his many efforts for club and country have been some rather notable strikes, but one in particular stands out above all of the rest – especially for Rashford.

“Rooney’s overhead against City, that’s probably the best one I have seen,” he said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'I forgot my identity under Pellegrini' - Sterling enjoying freedom with Guardiola

Raheem Sterling felt like he lost his "identity" under Manuel Pellegrini and is enjoying the freedom granted to him by new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Sterling joined City for a reported £49 million ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, but was criticised during a modest debut season at the Etihad Stadium, completing 90 minutes in the Premier League on just eight occasions and contributing six goals.

This term the former Liverpool winger has been rejuvenated, supplying two assists and four goals in his 10 top-flight outings.Sterling points to a greater freedom to express himself under Guardiola, whose tactics enable him to focus on getting back to his natural game.

"I'm enjoying it. I feel a lot more freedom, I feel I can get on the ball a bit more and I feel like I express myself by taking touches and trying to take players on," the 21-year-old told BBC Sport.

"Under the previous coach I think it was, not to say anything negative, but in training it was always two touches and you kind of just get into that way of playing and you forget your identity and how to play.

"That's not my style of play. My style of play is to get the ball and try to go at players and now I'm learning to mix it up as well and not just every single time go down a blind alley, and know when to take two touches and when to take my man on."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho charged AGAIN by FA

Jose Mourinho has been charged for the second time in quick succession by the Football Association after he was sent to the stands during Manchester United's draw with Burnley.

The former Chelsea boss is already facing punishment for comments made regarding referee Anthony Taylor ahead of United's clash with Liverpool.

And now he could be hit with a stadium ban following his altercation with referee Mark Clattenburg on Saturday, in which he is alleged to have used "abusive and/or insulting words".

The former Chelsea boss has been given until 18.00GMT on Friday to respond to the charge.

The deadline to respond to Mourinho's first charge passed on Monday without him making an appeal - at least not publicly.

The Portuguese's anger against Burnley is thought to have been prompted by Clattenburg's decision not to award a penalty for a Jon Flanagan trip on Matteo Darmian.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pereira: I have a good future at Man Utd

Andreas Pereira remains confident he will eventually succeed at Manchester United.

The Brazil Under-23 international made his first-team debut at United under Louis van Gaal in 2014, but has since failed to secure regular first-team football.

He was sent out on loan to Granada in June and, though he has become a key figure at the Spanish side, is determined to establish himself at Old Trafford.

"My plan is to get more experience here, to get into that rhythm of playing every week at a high level, then go back stronger to United, with a better football knowledge," the attacking midfielder, 20, told the Manchester Evening News."I came to Spain to play and get more time on the pitch. With each game I feel that I'm getting better and better.

"I think I have a good future at United and the people at the club give me confidence that that is the case too.

"Mourinho sent me a message a couple of weeks ago asking how everything was going. You appreciate that when you're away on loan."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rashford: Rooney & Ronaldo my idols

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has revealed that Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were his footballing idols growing up.

The England international, who only made his debut for United back in February, has featured prominently under Jose Mourinho, starting the last six league games.

And the 19-year-old, who has scored four goals in all competitions this season, has been discussing who he idolised most as a boy.

He said: "I had a couple [of idols]. Wayne Rooney and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. They were always exciting to watch as a kid."You always wanted to watch the exciting players and he [Ronaldo] was scoring a lot of goals at the time."