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Thiago Silva claims Porto is the favorite against PSG
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva believes that Porto is the favorite for Wednesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio do Dragao in the UEFA Champions League.
The center back, who arrived at the French club in the summer from AC Milan together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, stated that the support of the home fans could give Vitor Pereira's team the upper hand.
"Porto are the favorites. They play at home with a lot of supporters," Thiago Silva said at a press conference. "I think it will be a very important game. We are in good shape. Porto attack a lot, but we're not going there to defend."
Thiago Silva is still recovering from a thigh injury he suffered at the Olympics, and he admits he is close to full fitness.
"I am almost at 100 percent," he said. "I had a hard time with my injury after the Olympics, but gradually I have come back and I'm almost at my maximum level now."
The 28-year-old also spoke about his relationship with Alex and Mamadou Sakho, and was quick to dispel reports he preferred playing with his fellow Brazilian in defense.
"I did not say I liked playing with Alex more, I just said that Alex has more experience. I want to apologize to Sakho, because I didn't say that," he said.
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva believes that Porto is the favorite for Wednesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio do Dragao in the UEFA Champions League.
The center back, who arrived at the French club in the summer from AC Milan together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, stated that the support of the home fans could give Vitor Pereira's team the upper hand.
"Porto are the favorites. They play at home with a lot of supporters," Thiago Silva said at a press conference. "I think it will be a very important game. We are in good shape. Porto attack a lot, but we're not going there to defend."
Thiago Silva is still recovering from a thigh injury he suffered at the Olympics, and he admits he is close to full fitness.
"I am almost at 100 percent," he said. "I had a hard time with my injury after the Olympics, but gradually I have come back and I'm almost at my maximum level now."
The 28-year-old also spoke about his relationship with Alex and Mamadou Sakho, and was quick to dispel reports he preferred playing with his fellow Brazilian in defense.
"I did not say I liked playing with Alex more, I just said that Alex has more experience. I want to apologize to Sakho, because I didn't say that," he said.
Iniesta: It is very difficult to win everything
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has reminded people that while winning trophies may seem like a walk in the park for the Catalans, their achievements are no easy feat.
Although the Blaugrana missed out on the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles last season, the Spain international enjoyed personal success, recently winning UEFA's Best Player in Europe award over the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after helping Spain win Euro 2012 on the heels of another strong season with Barcelona.
"It appears that when you win everything, it seems normal and easy, but it is very difficult," Iniesta told GolTV. "The challenge is wanting to improve, wanting to keep winning championships."
While Barcelona has enjoyed a solid start under Tito Vilanova, Iniesta acknowledged that the squad does miss former coach Pep Guardiola.
"With him we reached the top and also we enjoyed ourselves a lot," Iniesta said. "I think that's paramount. We enjoyed everything, every workout, every game, and we learned a lot and will miss him in that sense."
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has reminded people that while winning trophies may seem like a walk in the park for the Catalans, their achievements are no easy feat.
Although the Blaugrana missed out on the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles last season, the Spain international enjoyed personal success, recently winning UEFA's Best Player in Europe award over the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after helping Spain win Euro 2012 on the heels of another strong season with Barcelona.
"It appears that when you win everything, it seems normal and easy, but it is very difficult," Iniesta told GolTV. "The challenge is wanting to improve, wanting to keep winning championships."
While Barcelona has enjoyed a solid start under Tito Vilanova, Iniesta acknowledged that the squad does miss former coach Pep Guardiola.
"With him we reached the top and also we enjoyed ourselves a lot," Iniesta said. "I think that's paramount. We enjoyed everything, every workout, every game, and we learned a lot and will miss him in that sense."
Spartak Moscow 2-3 Celtic: Samaras secures last-gasp win to end Champions League road woes
Georgios Samaras scored in injury time to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory for Celtic against Spartak Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium Tuesday, ending a stretch of UEFA Champions League futility away from home for the Scottish champions.
Gary Hooper gave Neil Lennon's team the lead, but two tap-ins from Emmanuel Emenike put the home side in front. The game changed, however, when Juan Insaurralde was sent off for a challenge on Hooper and Dmitri Kombarov sent the ball into his own net to level the score after James Forrest had been denied at the end of a sweeping attacking move.
Samaras rose to head home Emilio Izaguirre's header as Celtic sealed a long overdue away victory in the Champions League. The Bhoys last won away from Glasgow in European championship play in 1986, and Lennon would be drawn only so far as to say that he hoped his team could make the game in Moscow "competitive" while acknowledging that the Russian top flight was in a stronger state than its Scottish counterpart.
That assessment looked accurate in the early stages but Spartak's attacking approach left gaps for the visitors to exploit. They did that to great effect when Victor Wanyama initiated a move that ended in Hooper sweeping home Mikael Lustig's low cross.
The breaks kept coming for Celtic ,but, in the meantime, Spartak cranked up the pressure itself. Dani Pareja's free-kick was well-saved by Fraser Forster, but the goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Emenike, who tapped home after Ari had sent Kallstrom's superb long pass behind Kelvin Wilson across goal.
Shortly after the halfway point the turnaround was complete. Again, Ambrose and Wilson were too slow to react when the ball got behind them, this time as a result of an Ari shot that was parried weakly by Forster. Demy de Zeeuw pounced and slid the ball across goal for Emenike to touch over the line.
Hooper, though, continued to threaten and was brought down when through on goal by Insaurralde after racing on to Charlie Mulgrew's pass. After initially seeming to ignore the challenge, referee Tony Chapron finally produced a red card for the Argentine defender following the disbelieving protests of the Celtic players. Mulgrew, however, could only direct the subsequent free kick straight at goalkeeper Sergei Pesyakov.
It was not long, though, before Lennon's team made the man-advantage count. Mulgrew's low cross from the left was dummied by Samaras and passed on by Hooper for substitute Forrest to shoot. The winger's effort was saved by Pesyakov but rebounded into the net off of Kombarov.
Celtic had time to mount one last attempt, and when Izaguirre lifted a left-footed cross into the center of the penalty area in stoppage time, Samaras rose superbly to head across goal and seal a memorable victory.
Georgios Samaras scored in injury time to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory for Celtic against Spartak Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium Tuesday, ending a stretch of UEFA Champions League futility away from home for the Scottish champions.
Gary Hooper gave Neil Lennon's team the lead, but two tap-ins from Emmanuel Emenike put the home side in front. The game changed, however, when Juan Insaurralde was sent off for a challenge on Hooper and Dmitri Kombarov sent the ball into his own net to level the score after James Forrest had been denied at the end of a sweeping attacking move.
Samaras rose to head home Emilio Izaguirre's header as Celtic sealed a long overdue away victory in the Champions League. The Bhoys last won away from Glasgow in European championship play in 1986, and Lennon would be drawn only so far as to say that he hoped his team could make the game in Moscow "competitive" while acknowledging that the Russian top flight was in a stronger state than its Scottish counterpart.
That assessment looked accurate in the early stages but Spartak's attacking approach left gaps for the visitors to exploit. They did that to great effect when Victor Wanyama initiated a move that ended in Hooper sweeping home Mikael Lustig's low cross.
The breaks kept coming for Celtic ,but, in the meantime, Spartak cranked up the pressure itself. Dani Pareja's free-kick was well-saved by Fraser Forster, but the goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Emenike, who tapped home after Ari had sent Kallstrom's superb long pass behind Kelvin Wilson across goal.
Shortly after the halfway point the turnaround was complete. Again, Ambrose and Wilson were too slow to react when the ball got behind them, this time as a result of an Ari shot that was parried weakly by Forster. Demy de Zeeuw pounced and slid the ball across goal for Emenike to touch over the line.
Hooper, though, continued to threaten and was brought down when through on goal by Insaurralde after racing on to Charlie Mulgrew's pass. After initially seeming to ignore the challenge, referee Tony Chapron finally produced a red card for the Argentine defender following the disbelieving protests of the Celtic players. Mulgrew, however, could only direct the subsequent free kick straight at goalkeeper Sergei Pesyakov.
It was not long, though, before Lennon's team made the man-advantage count. Mulgrew's low cross from the left was dummied by Samaras and passed on by Hooper for substitute Forrest to shoot. The winger's effort was saved by Pesyakov but rebounded into the net off of Kombarov.
Celtic had time to mount one last attempt, and when Izaguirre lifted a left-footed cross into the center of the penalty area in stoppage time, Samaras rose superbly to head across goal and seal a memorable victory.
FA rescinds Wigan midfielder Jordi Gomez's red card
The Football Association has rescinded the red card shown to Wigan Athletic midfielder Jordi Gomez following a successful appeal.
The 27-year-old was sent off by referee Howard Webb against Sunderland last weekend for a challenge on Danny Rose, with Black Cats striker Steven Fletcher scoring the only goal of the game three minutes later.
Following the club submitting video evidence and manager Roberto Martinez writing a personal letter to explain the appeal, the FA decided to withdraw the ban, leaving the midfielder free to face Everton on Saturday.
"It does not bring back the time lost when Jordi had to leave the field, but I am delighted that we can draw a line under this incident and that Jordi is available for us on Saturday," Martinez told Wigan's official website.
Martinez had previously revealed his disappointment at Webb's refereeing prowess, saying, "I think it's harsh. It's harsh because Danny Rose loses the ball slightly. Jordi [Gomez] tackles as a striker tackles, showing the studs, but he never leaves the ground, it's not a two-footed challenge. I can understand why the referee gave it, but I think it's very, very harsh. My disappointment is that [Sebastian] Larsson has made a worse tackle against [Arouna] Kone and is not even shown a yellow card."
The Football Association has rescinded the red card shown to Wigan Athletic midfielder Jordi Gomez following a successful appeal.
The 27-year-old was sent off by referee Howard Webb against Sunderland last weekend for a challenge on Danny Rose, with Black Cats striker Steven Fletcher scoring the only goal of the game three minutes later.
Following the club submitting video evidence and manager Roberto Martinez writing a personal letter to explain the appeal, the FA decided to withdraw the ban, leaving the midfielder free to face Everton on Saturday.
"It does not bring back the time lost when Jordi had to leave the field, but I am delighted that we can draw a line under this incident and that Jordi is available for us on Saturday," Martinez told Wigan's official website.
Martinez had previously revealed his disappointment at Webb's refereeing prowess, saying, "I think it's harsh. It's harsh because Danny Rose loses the ball slightly. Jordi [Gomez] tackles as a striker tackles, showing the studs, but he never leaves the ground, it's not a two-footed challenge. I can understand why the referee gave it, but I think it's very, very harsh. My disappointment is that [Sebastian] Larsson has made a worse tackle against [Arouna] Kone and is not even shown a yellow card."
De Boer optimistic of Ajax's chances against Real Madrid
Frank de Boer believes Ajax has a chance of causing an upset when the Dutch side faces Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday at Amsterdam ArenA.
The 42-year-old Ajax boss, who had a four-year spell at Los Blancos' archrivals Barcelona during his playing career, thinks that despite the odds being stacked against his side, anything is possible if the players believe in themselves.
"There's a big chance Real Madrid will win, because they've got more quality and experience, but if we play our own game, you never know," the former Barcelona player told reporters at a press conference. "It is all about believing in yourself. Against Real Madrid last year, and Manchester United, we've shown that we are able to keep up.
"We must be very careful with the ball when we have possession. We did well last weekend against FC Twente, as they were waiting for us to lose the ball. But Real Madrid are so effective on the counter. That was very clear last year at the Bernabeu when they beat us 3-0."
When asked whether he thought the Madrid coach Jose Mourinho would be side-tracked by the prospect of El Clasico looming on Sunday, de Boer said, "The Champions League is really important for them. Last year they won the title in La Liga, and now they're aiming for this title. I don't think Real and Mourinho are thinking about El Clasico. The press does, but that does not mean that they do too."
Frank de Boer believes Ajax has a chance of causing an upset when the Dutch side faces Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday at Amsterdam ArenA.
The 42-year-old Ajax boss, who had a four-year spell at Los Blancos' archrivals Barcelona during his playing career, thinks that despite the odds being stacked against his side, anything is possible if the players believe in themselves.
"There's a big chance Real Madrid will win, because they've got more quality and experience, but if we play our own game, you never know," the former Barcelona player told reporters at a press conference. "It is all about believing in yourself. Against Real Madrid last year, and Manchester United, we've shown that we are able to keep up.
"We must be very careful with the ball when we have possession. We did well last weekend against FC Twente, as they were waiting for us to lose the ball. But Real Madrid are so effective on the counter. That was very clear last year at the Bernabeu when they beat us 3-0."
When asked whether he thought the Madrid coach Jose Mourinho would be side-tracked by the prospect of El Clasico looming on Sunday, de Boer said, "The Champions League is really important for them. Last year they won the title in La Liga, and now they're aiming for this title. I don't think Real and Mourinho are thinking about El Clasico. The press does, but that does not mean that they do too."
Fulham players unhappy with Jol, claims former striker Zamora
Queens Park Rangers forward Bobby Zamora has claimed that the "vast majority" or Fulham players are unhappy with Martin Jol and explained that his disagreements with the manager led to his transfer last January.
The 31-year-old striker reportedly fell out with Jol over his lack of playing time at Craven Cottage, and the striker has now stoked the fires by suggesting his former teammates feel the same way about the Dutchman.
“I left because I didn't see eye-to-eye with Martin Jol," Zamora told the The Evening Standard. "I think that is the case with the vast majority of players there now. A lot of the lads aren't happy. But that's that. There were a few bits and pieces, but we just didn't see eye-to-eye."
Fulham lost a number of key players during the summer window, the most notable being Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele heading to Tottenham, with Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu and Andrew Johnson also moving on.
Jol's new Greek signing, Giorgos Karagounis, disagreed with Zamora's viewpoint, telling The Evening Standard, "[Jol] is a very experienced coach, who wants to play football the right way."
Queens Park Rangers forward Bobby Zamora has claimed that the "vast majority" or Fulham players are unhappy with Martin Jol and explained that his disagreements with the manager led to his transfer last January.
The 31-year-old striker reportedly fell out with Jol over his lack of playing time at Craven Cottage, and the striker has now stoked the fires by suggesting his former teammates feel the same way about the Dutchman.
“I left because I didn't see eye-to-eye with Martin Jol," Zamora told the The Evening Standard. "I think that is the case with the vast majority of players there now. A lot of the lads aren't happy. But that's that. There were a few bits and pieces, but we just didn't see eye-to-eye."
Fulham lost a number of key players during the summer window, the most notable being Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele heading to Tottenham, with Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu and Andrew Johnson also moving on.
Jol's new Greek signing, Giorgos Karagounis, disagreed with Zamora's viewpoint, telling The Evening Standard, "[Jol] is a very experienced coach, who wants to play football the right way."
Impact’s Nelson Rivas out for five months
Nelson Rivas’ career has been marred by injury, and the woes continued this week as the defender underwent surgery to treat a micro fracture in his left knee. Rivas will be sidelined for five months as a result and will miss the remainder of the Montreal Impact’s MLS season.
Impact sporting director Nick De Santis is optimistic that the Colombian defender will be healthy enough to make a return to the line-up before the start of next season.
“It’s unfortunate to lose him for the last three games of the season, but we felt this was the best time for him to get the surgery,” De Santis stated in a club press release. “We want to ensure that he comes back in full form to reclaim his starting spot as central defender next season.”
Rivas was the Impact’s first signing as an MLS outfit. He played 11 games and 858 minutes this season.
Nelson Rivas’ career has been marred by injury, and the woes continued this week as the defender underwent surgery to treat a micro fracture in his left knee. Rivas will be sidelined for five months as a result and will miss the remainder of the Montreal Impact’s MLS season.
Impact sporting director Nick De Santis is optimistic that the Colombian defender will be healthy enough to make a return to the line-up before the start of next season.
“It’s unfortunate to lose him for the last three games of the season, but we felt this was the best time for him to get the surgery,” De Santis stated in a club press release. “We want to ensure that he comes back in full form to reclaim his starting spot as central defender next season.”
Rivas was the Impact’s first signing as an MLS outfit. He played 11 games and 858 minutes this season.
Ballack retires from soccer
Former Germany and Bayern Munich captain Michael Ballack has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 36.
The midfielder, who represented four different sides in the Champions League and appeared in 98 games for Die Mannschaft, has decided to end his career after he was released by Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year. He announced his decision via a news statement from his lawyer.
"At 36 years old I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child," Ballack said.
"It was a privilege to work with world-class coaches and fantastic players. Now I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life."
Ballack, who is largely considered one of Germany's greatest ever midfielders, retires from the game having never won an international tournament, and having lost two Champions League finals.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old will look back fondly on the four Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals, one Premier League title, three FA Cups an a League Cup he won during his time with Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea amongst others.
Ballack was rumored to join Major League Soccer following his exit from Bayer Leverkusen, but he was unable to reach an agreement with the North American league. Philadelphia and Montreal had shown the most interest.
Former Germany and Bayern Munich captain Michael Ballack has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 36.
The midfielder, who represented four different sides in the Champions League and appeared in 98 games for Die Mannschaft, has decided to end his career after he was released by Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year. He announced his decision via a news statement from his lawyer.
"At 36 years old I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child," Ballack said.
"It was a privilege to work with world-class coaches and fantastic players. Now I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life."
Ballack, who is largely considered one of Germany's greatest ever midfielders, retires from the game having never won an international tournament, and having lost two Champions League finals.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old will look back fondly on the four Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals, one Premier League title, three FA Cups an a League Cup he won during his time with Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea amongst others.
Ballack was rumored to join Major League Soccer following his exit from Bayer Leverkusen, but he was unable to reach an agreement with the North American league. Philadelphia and Montreal had shown the most interest.
Everton midfielder Pienaar retires from South Africa duty
South Africa captain Steven Pienaar has retired from international duty with immediate effect to concentrate on playing for Everton.
Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund revealed the news when announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Kenya.
The Toffees, who made his intentional debut against Turkey in 2002 and went onto collect 57 caps for his country, midfielder released a statement which read: "I'm proud to have played for and captained my country. For that I thank you.”
Igesung conceded that, while he was sad to lose a player of such quality, he believes that the 30-year-old has handled the situation well.
Speaking to reporters, the coach explained: "I am disappointed that Steven has retired from the national team but the way he has retired is the right way. I think it was a tough decision for him."
He added, "His presence and leadership is invaluable and could have helped us in our mission for 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup qualification but we must respect his decision."
Tottenham defender Bongani Khumalo, who is currently on loan at PAOK, has been confirmed as South Africa’s new captain.
South Africa captain Steven Pienaar has retired from international duty with immediate effect to concentrate on playing for Everton.
Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund revealed the news when announcing his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Kenya.
The Toffees, who made his intentional debut against Turkey in 2002 and went onto collect 57 caps for his country, midfielder released a statement which read: "I'm proud to have played for and captained my country. For that I thank you.”
Igesung conceded that, while he was sad to lose a player of such quality, he believes that the 30-year-old has handled the situation well.
Speaking to reporters, the coach explained: "I am disappointed that Steven has retired from the national team but the way he has retired is the right way. I think it was a tough decision for him."
He added, "His presence and leadership is invaluable and could have helped us in our mission for 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup qualification but we must respect his decision."
Tottenham defender Bongani Khumalo, who is currently on loan at PAOK, has been confirmed as South Africa’s new captain.
Sergio Ramos shows support to Ozil after early substitution
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has insisted that he does not have a problem with head coach Jose Mourinho, and only wore teammate Mesut Ozil's jersey under his own in the 5-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend in an attempt to support the Germany international.
Ramos wore Ozil's No.10 under his own jersey with the intention to reveal the midfielder's shirt if he'd score, and his action was interpreted by some as yet another act of rebellion toward the Madrid trainer following his alleged fall-out with the Portuguese.
Nevertheless, Ramos has made it clear that his action was all about supporting Ozil rather than provoking Mourinho.
"I would like to clarify a few things before more lies are invented. Mesut is a great friend and I promised him long ago that my first goal of the season would be for him," the defender stated on Twitter. "I wore his shirt last match, because I had a feeling I would score. That's all there's to it."
He added, "My relationship with Mourinho is good. I fully respect his decisions. He's the best coach."
Ozil has been struggling to find his best form in the opening weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, and Mourinho warned last week that there is a lot of competition in midfield and that every player has to show he deserves his spot.
Mourinho seemingly felt Ozil failed to do just that versus Deportivo, though, as he replaced the former Werder Bremen man with Kaka after 45 minutes of play.
Madrid extended its lead from 3-1 to 5-1 after Ozil's substitution, but Ramos was unable to add his name to the scoresheet, and was thus forced to keep Ozil's shirt hidden under his own.
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has insisted that he does not have a problem with head coach Jose Mourinho, and only wore teammate Mesut Ozil's jersey under his own in the 5-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend in an attempt to support the Germany international.
Ramos wore Ozil's No.10 under his own jersey with the intention to reveal the midfielder's shirt if he'd score, and his action was interpreted by some as yet another act of rebellion toward the Madrid trainer following his alleged fall-out with the Portuguese.
Nevertheless, Ramos has made it clear that his action was all about supporting Ozil rather than provoking Mourinho.
"I would like to clarify a few things before more lies are invented. Mesut is a great friend and I promised him long ago that my first goal of the season would be for him," the defender stated on Twitter. "I wore his shirt last match, because I had a feeling I would score. That's all there's to it."
He added, "My relationship with Mourinho is good. I fully respect his decisions. He's the best coach."
Ozil has been struggling to find his best form in the opening weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, and Mourinho warned last week that there is a lot of competition in midfield and that every player has to show he deserves his spot.
Mourinho seemingly felt Ozil failed to do just that versus Deportivo, though, as he replaced the former Werder Bremen man with Kaka after 45 minutes of play.
Madrid extended its lead from 3-1 to 5-1 after Ozil's substitution, but Ramos was unable to add his name to the scoresheet, and was thus forced to keep Ozil's shirt hidden under his own.
Cassano: I am going to get very fat when I retire
Inter attacker Antonio Cassano believes that he will follow in the footsteps of Brazilian legend Ronaldo once he retires.
The former Nerazzurri star has been struggling with his weight ever since he hung up his boots due to a medical condition, and the Italy international has joked there's a big chance that he too will become slightly corpulent once he says farewell to the game.
"I’m still certain that when I finish playing football I’m going to get very fat," Cassano joked in an interview with Mediaset.
Nevertheless, the attacker was quick to stress that he's not thinking about hanging up his boots just yet as he's in fine form at the moment, and is keen to keep on improving.
"In terms of goal-scoring I'm probably at my best, but I can still do better. How much so? I don’t want to say. I just know that I feel good," Cassano said.
"I'm turning in good performances and for me the important thing is to be happy. At the European Championship I was coming off of almost 6 months of inactivity. Now I’ve been working at the Pinetina for two months and I feel good."
Cassano then went on to discuss the upcoming Derby della Madonnina, and vowed that Inter will do its utmost to come out victorious.
"The derby is a different game. You can’t predict a result and there is no favorite. We’ll go all out for it," Cassano stated."
"Are Inter stronger? We'll see at the end of the season who has done better, but I play for Inter so it’s normal that I see the Nerazzurri as the better team."
Inter locks horns with AC Milan on October 7.
Inter attacker Antonio Cassano believes that he will follow in the footsteps of Brazilian legend Ronaldo once he retires.
The former Nerazzurri star has been struggling with his weight ever since he hung up his boots due to a medical condition, and the Italy international has joked there's a big chance that he too will become slightly corpulent once he says farewell to the game.
"I’m still certain that when I finish playing football I’m going to get very fat," Cassano joked in an interview with Mediaset.
Nevertheless, the attacker was quick to stress that he's not thinking about hanging up his boots just yet as he's in fine form at the moment, and is keen to keep on improving.
"In terms of goal-scoring I'm probably at my best, but I can still do better. How much so? I don’t want to say. I just know that I feel good," Cassano said.
"I'm turning in good performances and for me the important thing is to be happy. At the European Championship I was coming off of almost 6 months of inactivity. Now I’ve been working at the Pinetina for two months and I feel good."
Cassano then went on to discuss the upcoming Derby della Madonnina, and vowed that Inter will do its utmost to come out victorious.
"The derby is a different game. You can’t predict a result and there is no favorite. We’ll go all out for it," Cassano stated."
"Are Inter stronger? We'll see at the end of the season who has done better, but I play for Inter so it’s normal that I see the Nerazzurri as the better team."
Inter locks horns with AC Milan on October 7.
Valencia 2-0 Lille: Jonas double sees off fragile French
A brace of goals from Jonas either side of halftime helped Valencia ease to a 2-0 victory over Lille in the two sides' Champions League Group F encounter at Mestalla this evening.
The home side forged the first opportunity of note after a tepid opening, Sofiane Feghouli latching onto a divine Fernando Gago through ball seven minutes in. The Algerian lacked the composure to convert the chance however, firing wide with only Mickael Landreau to beat.
As the match started to shift into gear Valencia's midfield began to take hold of the game, with Fernando Gago and Jonas in particular shining for the home side.
Despite Gago's probing passes it was Lille that fashioned the next chance of note, a weak challenge from Valencia center back Victor Ruiz pushing the ball straight into the path of Florent Lamont on the edge of the penalty area. Lamont's shot from 18 yards was wayward though, drifting the wrong side of Vicente Guaita's right-hand post.
Valencia made the visitors rue that miss by taking the lead shortly after through Jonas. The Brazilian gave the home side the lead on 38 minutes with a confident side-footed finish from 12 yards after he had played a neat one-two with Roberto Soldado on the edge of the Lille box.
The French side had an opportunity to equalize before the break, but was again wasteful. Dimitri Payet was the guilty man on this occasion, slicing an effort into the side netting when one-on-one with Guaita after racing on to a fine pass from Idrissa Gueye inside his own half.
Soldado should have increased Valencia's lead on the hour mark after some exquisite buildup play from Andres Guardado and Feghouli. The former drove forward with the ball from the halfway line before slipping a neat pass to Feghouli, who did brilliantly to dig out a cross from the left-hand side of the area. Soldado appeared to be expecting a low cross though, and after adjusting to meet the cross could only head an effort over Landreau's crossbar.
Jonas then added his and Valencia's second of the night in fortuitous circumstances after 75 minutes. The midfielder dribbled down the right before lifting a hopeful cross into the area that caught Landreau out slightly off his line, clipped the top of the bar before nestling in the back of the net.
The home side looked to run down the clock in the final 10 minutes of the match, introducing Dani Parejo in midfield, and affording the goalscorer Jonas a standing ovation from the Valencia fans at Mestalla.
Any chance Lille had of getting anything from the game were deflated in the 86th minute when captain Mathieu Debuchy was shown his marching orders by the referee for his second bookable offense of the match. After picking up a yellow card at the end of the first half for a rash challenge on Aly Cissokho, he repeated the trick late in the second half on Dani Parejo, and the referee duly sent him off.
A brace of goals from Jonas either side of halftime helped Valencia ease to a 2-0 victory over Lille in the two sides' Champions League Group F encounter at Mestalla this evening.
The home side forged the first opportunity of note after a tepid opening, Sofiane Feghouli latching onto a divine Fernando Gago through ball seven minutes in. The Algerian lacked the composure to convert the chance however, firing wide with only Mickael Landreau to beat.
As the match started to shift into gear Valencia's midfield began to take hold of the game, with Fernando Gago and Jonas in particular shining for the home side.
Despite Gago's probing passes it was Lille that fashioned the next chance of note, a weak challenge from Valencia center back Victor Ruiz pushing the ball straight into the path of Florent Lamont on the edge of the penalty area. Lamont's shot from 18 yards was wayward though, drifting the wrong side of Vicente Guaita's right-hand post.
Valencia made the visitors rue that miss by taking the lead shortly after through Jonas. The Brazilian gave the home side the lead on 38 minutes with a confident side-footed finish from 12 yards after he had played a neat one-two with Roberto Soldado on the edge of the Lille box.
The French side had an opportunity to equalize before the break, but was again wasteful. Dimitri Payet was the guilty man on this occasion, slicing an effort into the side netting when one-on-one with Guaita after racing on to a fine pass from Idrissa Gueye inside his own half.
Soldado should have increased Valencia's lead on the hour mark after some exquisite buildup play from Andres Guardado and Feghouli. The former drove forward with the ball from the halfway line before slipping a neat pass to Feghouli, who did brilliantly to dig out a cross from the left-hand side of the area. Soldado appeared to be expecting a low cross though, and after adjusting to meet the cross could only head an effort over Landreau's crossbar.
Jonas then added his and Valencia's second of the night in fortuitous circumstances after 75 minutes. The midfielder dribbled down the right before lifting a hopeful cross into the area that caught Landreau out slightly off his line, clipped the top of the bar before nestling in the back of the net.
The home side looked to run down the clock in the final 10 minutes of the match, introducing Dani Parejo in midfield, and affording the goalscorer Jonas a standing ovation from the Valencia fans at Mestalla.
Any chance Lille had of getting anything from the game were deflated in the 86th minute when captain Mathieu Debuchy was shown his marching orders by the referee for his second bookable offense of the match. After picking up a yellow card at the end of the first half for a rash challenge on Aly Cissokho, he repeated the trick late in the second half on Dani Parejo, and the referee duly sent him off.
BATE 3-1 Bayern Munich: German giants humbled in Belarus
Bayern Munich's perfect season is no more.
The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League finalist's nine-match winning streak across all competitions came to an end in Minsk in stunning fashion: A 3-1 defeat to Belarusian underdog BATE Borisov in Champoins League play on Tuesday.
Alexander Pavlov and Vitali Rodionov gave the hosts a 2-0 lead that stood until stoppage time, when Franck Ribery pulled one back for Bayern off a through ball from Xherdan Shaqiri. As Bayern frantically searched for an equalizer, though, it fell further behind. BATE raced out on a counterattack, and Dmitri Mozolevski surged forward down the left and squared the ball to Renan Bressan, who tucked it home to seal the stunning victory.
Bayern would have been expected to take control of the match from the early stages, but backed by its passionate fans, it was BATE who made the early running. Denis Polyakov was looking eager to push forward, and on one customary surge, found Rodionov, who forced a decent save from Manuel Neuer.
The Bavarians soon began to take control. Toni Kroos nicked possession from the lax Dmitri Likhtarovich and left goalkeeper Andrey Gorbunov in his wake, but, slightly off balance, could only send a shot against the woodwork. Holger Badstuber attempted to break the deadlock with a 35-yard free kick, but bent the ball straight into Gorbunov's arms, before the keeper was quick off his line to claim it at Ribery's feet.
The Bavarians thought that they had finally broken a deadlock at the 20-minute mark. Kroos picked up possession of the loose ball in midfield and threaded it through for Thomas Muller who tapped it across to Mandzukic to tap into the empty net, only to see their goal ruled out for an offside infraction.
It was turning into one of those nights for Bayern, and soon enough the Germans were behind. Polyakov picked out Aleksandr Volodko, who put the ball into Pavlov's path, and the 28-year-old swept it home for the opening goal.
With 12 minutes remaining, any chances of Bayern comeback were dealt a critical blow. Former Barcelona player Alexander Hleb was the architecht, playing in Rodionov, who played a slick one-two with Edgar Olekhnovich before slamming the ball past Neuer to give BATE a 2-0 lead.
BATE sits atop the Group F table with six points from two games, while Bayern is in third, tied Valencia on points but behind on goal differential.
Bayern Munich's perfect season is no more.
The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League finalist's nine-match winning streak across all competitions came to an end in Minsk in stunning fashion: A 3-1 defeat to Belarusian underdog BATE Borisov in Champoins League play on Tuesday.
Alexander Pavlov and Vitali Rodionov gave the hosts a 2-0 lead that stood until stoppage time, when Franck Ribery pulled one back for Bayern off a through ball from Xherdan Shaqiri. As Bayern frantically searched for an equalizer, though, it fell further behind. BATE raced out on a counterattack, and Dmitri Mozolevski surged forward down the left and squared the ball to Renan Bressan, who tucked it home to seal the stunning victory.
Bayern would have been expected to take control of the match from the early stages, but backed by its passionate fans, it was BATE who made the early running. Denis Polyakov was looking eager to push forward, and on one customary surge, found Rodionov, who forced a decent save from Manuel Neuer.
The Bavarians soon began to take control. Toni Kroos nicked possession from the lax Dmitri Likhtarovich and left goalkeeper Andrey Gorbunov in his wake, but, slightly off balance, could only send a shot against the woodwork. Holger Badstuber attempted to break the deadlock with a 35-yard free kick, but bent the ball straight into Gorbunov's arms, before the keeper was quick off his line to claim it at Ribery's feet.
The Bavarians thought that they had finally broken a deadlock at the 20-minute mark. Kroos picked up possession of the loose ball in midfield and threaded it through for Thomas Muller who tapped it across to Mandzukic to tap into the empty net, only to see their goal ruled out for an offside infraction.
It was turning into one of those nights for Bayern, and soon enough the Germans were behind. Polyakov picked out Aleksandr Volodko, who put the ball into Pavlov's path, and the 28-year-old swept it home for the opening goal.
With 12 minutes remaining, any chances of Bayern comeback were dealt a critical blow. Former Barcelona player Alexander Hleb was the architecht, playing in Rodionov, who played a slick one-two with Edgar Olekhnovich before slamming the ball past Neuer to give BATE a 2-0 lead.
BATE sits atop the Group F table with six points from two games, while Bayern is in third, tied Valencia on points but behind on goal differential.
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