..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp: Robben and Gomez won't accept another season on the bench

The Dortmund boss, speaking after his side's 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, hit out at speculation regarding Robert Lewandowski's future and questioned the roles of the Bavarian duo Jurgen Klopp retaliated to questions over Robert Lewandowski's future at Borussia Dortmund, suggesting that star players at potential suitors Bayern Munich will not accept a reduction in first-team action.

Arjen Robben's goal booked the Bavarian giants a spot in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals at the expense of BVB, and when asked if Lewandowski would be plying his trade at the Allianz Arena more regularly, the Dortmund coach was not amused.

He reacted by voicing the potential negative impact such a signing could have on the evening's goal-scorer and striker Mario Gomez.

"I'd be more interested in where Gomez and Robben will be playing next season," Klopp told ARD in the wake of the defeat.

"I do not think, they will take another year [on the bench] like this. Maybe that is more interesting instead of always talking about Lewandowski."

After a disappointing first-half display, Dortmund showed more of the form that saw it win the competition last season. However, it was unable to find a breakthrough and Klopp admitted that his team should have done more.

"It was a very intense game. In the first half we showed little of what we wanted to show. The second half was better and you have to play well for 90 minutes to beat Bayern," he said.

"I did not see 17 points difference today. We should have caused Bayern more problems during the first half and that is what we have to be angry with ourselves about.

"But the difference was not big. We will come here again, and we will be able to win matches here again."

Roman Weidenfeller echoed his coach's thoughts on the failure to threaten in attack but was pleased that his side stood firm for large parts of the game.

"Things did not go smoothly, our offensive game did not work fluently. There were one, or two situations, when we could have scored, but those were not big chances," he stated.

"Bayern are really strong this year. Germany knows that and we know that. But we stood up to them today."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Russian agent Seluk hints at Fulham move for Arshavin

The 31-year-old has not started a Premier League game this term, and after a January move to Reading did not materalize, the midfielder is thought to be keen to stay in London Russian agent Dimitri Seluk has claimed that Arsenal misfit Andrey Arshavin could be in line for a summer move to Fulham.

The 31-year-old has failed to start a single Premier League game this season, with his 79 minutes of league football being stretched over seven substitute appearances.

Goal.com exclusively revealed in December that Arshavin was closing in on a move to Reading, only for the move to fail to materialize - and Seluk now believes a move to fellow Londoners Fulham is likely during pre-season.

"Top English clubs won't take him," Seluk told Sports.ru. "And considering the fact that he doesn't want to leave London, the next club for Arshavin will be Fulham or something like that."

Arshavin and his family are believed to be settled in the capital and would prefer to extend their time in England rather than head permanently back to Russia, despite ongoing interest from former club Zenit St Petersburg.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Monreal has passed Arsenal test

After three back-to-back league wins, the manager has paid tribute to the club’s recent signing and believes the Spanish left back is yet to reach his full potential
Arsene Wenger says that January signing Nacho Monreal has passed his test at the club after taking the pace and physicality of the Premier League in his stride since arriving from Malaga.

The 26-year-old demonstrated his versatility in his first three appearances for the Gunners, contributing to consecutive defensive clean sheets against Stoke and Sunderland before teeing up Santi Cazorla to clinch a vital winner against Aston Villa at the weekend.

"There is no better culture shock than to play against Stoke and Sunderland," Wenger told reporters. "He has seen all about the passion and commitment of the English game. You can say Nacho Monreal passed that test.

"The first thing you want from your defenders is to defend well, so we cannot reproach him for that. You will see the other aspects of his game more when his confidence has settled.

"It happened with Kieran Gibbs too, the more confident he became the more efficient he was going forward. It can take a bit of time to express that side."

Wenger went on to admit that Arsenal had been monitoring the Spain international for some time and had earmarked the player as one of the club's main targets for the transfer window.

Despite a tumultuous couple of weeks, Wenger believes that the acquisition of the Spaniard rounded off a decent January transfer window for the club, particularly after the drawn-out contract talks with Theo Walcott.

"Personally I am relieved because we dealt with the situation and we extended all of our players' [contracts], kept Walcott and bought Monreal," he added.

"Of course you can always do better but overall I feel the club has dealt with the situation we faced in a satisfactory way."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund confirms Lewandowski exit

Club sporting director Michael Zorc has revealed that the forward will not extend his current contract, and is likely to leave at the end of the season or the summer of 2014 Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed that striker Robert Lewandowski will not extend his contract at the club.

The Poland international has long been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga champions, with Bayern Munich and Manchester United thought to be at the front of the queue for his signature.

Zorc confirmed to Sky Deutschland on Wednesday that the player will not extend his current deal at Signal-Iduna-Park, and that he will likely leave at the end of the current season or after the 2013-14 season.

"Robert will not renew his contract, he will leave either this summer or in the summer of 2014," he said.

The news is likely to have caught the attention of officials at both Bayern and United, although Lewandowski is unlikely to be short of suitors following his form for Dortmund over recent seasons.

Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer claimed earlier this week that Jupp Heynckes's side does not need the 24-year-old due to the forward options already at its disposal, although he confessed he would be happy to see the player make the move.

Lewandowski joined Jurgen Klopp's side in the summer of 2010 in a 4.75 million euro move from Lech Poznan.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ferguson ready to make full use of Manchester United squad

The 71-year-old manager has praised the depth and quality of his Red Devils side, and urged every member to be ready to play their part in the league leaders' run-in
Sir Alex Ferguson has lauded the quality of his Manchester United squad and instructed his team members that they will all have to play a part in the run-in to secure a "big year" for the Red Devils.

The Old Trafford side is 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and faces Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 – a match a number of players will miss out on.

The 71-year-old was reminded of the squad depth that saw Paul Scholes miss a quarterfinal against Inter Milan in 1999.

"In 1999 I left Paul Scholes out of the quarterfinal against Inter Milan yet he was the one who scored the goal that got us through," Sir Alex told MUTV.

"I left him out of the semifinal because I couldn't risk him and Roy Keane together as they were both on yellow cards. He accepted it graciously, came on, got booked and missed the final anyway.

"What did he do? He didn't let it affect him. He went on to become one of the greatest players this club has ever had.

"A this club, in this situation, anything can happen on the run-in. Players can all of a sudden find themselves playing in a final or an important league game because that is the kind of squad I have."

Sir Alex is delighted by the competitiveness of his squad, and has been buoyed by how eager every player is to contribute, but warned the squad members set to play in Saturday's league match against Norwich that they must remain diligent.

"It is very difficult to rotate the squad at the moment," the Red Devils boss continued.

"They all wanted to play against Real Madrid and there were a lot of disappointed players. That was fantastic. It is a measure of their own confidence in themselves.

"But we had a chat. I said 'look, don't think for a minute losing a game for Manchester United is a trivial matter'. It is a serious matter."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vidal: I want to stay at Juventus

The midfielder is happy with life at the Old Lady and determined to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet.Arturo Vidal says he wants to stay at Juventus for the foreseeable future as he feels the Italian champion is the best side in Italy.

The Chile international has been linked with clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in recent months following his fine performances for the Bianconeri, but Vidal is happy to stay at his current club and challenge for titles.

"Juventus are the strongest team in Italy. I am playing here and I want to stay at this club for a long time and win silverware wearing this jersey," Vidal told Corriere delle Sera. "Our biggest strength is that we always act as a team. There's great harmony both on and off the pitch.

"We have the quality to compete with any team. I think we have what it takes to win both the Champions League and the Scudetto."

Juve currently sits atop of Serie A, holding a six-point lead over Napoli, while it recorded a 3-0 win over Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Unwell Messi misses Barcelona training

The Argentina international has picked up a fever and consequently missed Wednesday's practice session.Lionel Messi was absent from Barcelona's training session on Wednesday due to illness and was visited at his home by club doctors.

The forward played the full 90 minutes of Barca's 3-1 Copa del Rey loss against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening, but failed to impress as he was kept quiet by the Madrid defense, and he has now been laid low with fever.

"Leo Messi was missing from this morning’s training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The Argentinian has gone down with a fever and is feeling generally unwell," a statement on the club's website reads. "The first team doctors went to his home to check up on his condition, and gave him the appropriate medication and told him he should get some rest.

"The squad has been given Thursday off, and the hope is that Messi will be well enough to join Friday afternoon’s session, the last before traveling to Madrid for the Liga Clasico at the Bernabeu."

Messi has netted 38 goals in 25 La Liga appearances so far this term.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Extra Time: Balotelli commissions statue of himself

The maverick AC Milan forward has ordered a life-sized replica of himself to stand in his Brescia home which immortalizes his goal celebration against Germany at Euro 2012.AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has commissioned a life-size statue of himself to stand in his Brescia home.

The Italy international hopes to see his goal celebration from the 2-1 over Germany in the semifinals of Euro 2012 immortalized in bronze.

The statue is, of course, the latest in a long line of curious purchases by the maverick striker.

The 22-year-old is known to own a camouflaged Bentley and, upon his arrival in England, famously returned from a shopping trip with a giant trampoline and two Vespa scooters instead of the household items his mother requested he purchase.

Livio Scarpella, the artist who is set to work on the piece, told Il Giornale di Brescia: "I received the commission, but have never actually met Balotelli, so I am working from photographs.

He added, "I presented various sketches, but Mario wanted to be immortalized in the pose after a goal: muscles in evidence and an expression to challenge the opponents.

"I imagined him as an athlete from ancient times. The statue will be between the classic and pop style, in platinum and colored bronze with the eyes made of precious stones."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Waddle: Tottenham star Bale could be worth 81m euros

The former Spurs attacker has expressed his belief that the Welshman could leave White Hart Lane for an astronomical fee, but hopes to see him stay another season.Former Tottenham star Chris Waddle has claimed that winger Gareth Bale could soon be worth as much as 81 million euros.

The Welshman is in the midst of the most prolific season of his career so far, having netted 19 goals in 31 appearances to lead Spurs' challenge for Champions League qualification.

And Waddle, who made 150 appearances for the north London club over a four-year period, believes the 23-year-old's value has rocketed as a result.

"A year playing like this in the Champions League and he will be in the 81m euros bracket," Waddle wrote in his column for the Daily Mail:

"Big clubs will offer big money. But maybe it's time for him to give Tottenham a bit back. The club are growing, with talented players and a good manager. With one or two acquisitions Spurs can challenge for the title next year."

Bale's recent run of form has seen him compared to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, but Waddle believes it is too soon to mention the two players in the same breath.

"Sometimes we're accused of going overboard in Britain, judging players on three of four games," he continued.

"Bale's been incredible for a couple of months. We'd seen glimpses of what he could do. Now he's doing it every week. He's come of age this season, adding consistency, but he has to deliver this form for four or five years before we can start talking about him at the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leo Messi masters cricket with Herbalife

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[charitha chandi]

True...!!!!!!

 

[Banks PLK]

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Thank's share kalata

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[Wolverine GTR]

Conte promises attacking Juventus at Napoli

The Bianconeri coach condemned his recent reaction to refereeing, and hinted that the Serie A clash with the second-placed side on Friday night will not be season-defining Antonio Conte has promised that Juventus will be on the attack when it plays Napoli on Friday night.The Bianconeri are six points ahead of the Azzurri heading into the top-two tussle, but a defeat at the San Paolo would see the Scudetto title race blown wide open, though the Italian champions’ head coach denied they would be playing defensively as a result.

“Our style of play doesn’t change whether we play at home or away,” Conte told reporters on Thursday. “We always look to play pro-active football.

“Sometimes that happens, other times our opponents don’t allow us to. But, at the San Paolo, we’ll look to play with our ideas and organization.”Walter Materazzi’s side has surprised many by keeping pace at the top of Serie A - though Juve’s struggles in 2013 have helped - and Conte praised the strength of Friday’s opponents.

“We went into last season off the back of two seventh-place finishes,” he added. “Napoli, meanwhile, were set for a Champions League campaign. Now, with the Scudetto shield on our shirts, the roles have been reversed.

“Napoli, though, strengthened in the summer and in January, so they can target the title. They prematurely exited the cup and the Europa League, but they can get the only objective left for them.”

But Conte resented that much of the build-up to the tie has focused on Daniele Orsato refereeing the match, and condemned his own outbursts at officials in the past.

“It’s not nice to talk about referees. It’s a shame that people always find something to stir up controversy,” he said.“We have faith in the referees, we know that they can make mistakes and you can get angry with them as we have in the past. I have and paid for it, but it is ugly to start insinuating things.”

The 43-year-old was resilient in his insistence that, whatever the result, the Friday night fixture will not be the deciding moment of the Serie A season.Conte added: “It’s one of the many games that we’ll have to get over to reach the finish line. The championship will not end tomorrow.

“More important games will follow against Milan, Inter, Lazio… There is certainly a lot of media attention, but that is what happens when two important sides meet.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sammer: Bayern’s core is world class

The Roten sporting director believes his side has leaders all over the pitch, but he refused to talk up their chances of winning the treble this season.Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has labelled the club’s core “world class” after the club's 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The Bavarians are on course to claim a historic league, domestic cup and UEFA Champions League treble this season, and the former Germany international feels they have benefited from having big personalities where it matters.

“When we talk about leadership, I see Bastian Schweinsteiger, Dante, Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer as our core. They are world class, no question," Sammer told Spox. "[Schweinsteiger] was very mobile, tactically excellent and he played with a charisma that has shown before but missed lately.

“The same goes for Dante and Neuer, and the incredible security they bring. Lahm has been world class for us for years anyway. This is important in these games that these players show their presence.”

Bayern is currently making excellent progress on all three fronts considering its cup triumph over its top competitor, its 17-point lead in the league table and its advantage over Arsenal heading into the second leg of their UCL round of 16 bout, but Sammer is refusing to talk about winning the treble.

“I am not speaking about this," Sammer said. "I said during the winter break that you get what you deserve in the end. And now we should work on making that true and not to [band about] these words or phrases.”Sammer also stated that no player should expect to play regularly, with Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez finding starts hard to come by of late.

“A strong, big club must be 15, have 16 regular players. We should stop talking only about the top 10; there are at least five or six players who are also [there or thereabouts]," Sammer said. “Accordingly, the team is always important, not the individual. Football is daily job, and currently issues are emerging that tomorrow may already be solved.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Alba: I'll go nuts if I score at the Bernabeu

The Barcelona left back found the net during his side's 3-1 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday, and is hoping to do so once more when the two sides clash this weekend
Barcelona left back Jordi Alba has claimed that he would "go nuts" if he were to score at the Santiago Bernbaeu against Real Madrid on Saturday.

The Spain international netted a consolation goal in the Blaugrana’s 3-1 defeat to Jose Mourinho’s men at Camp Nou on Tuesday, which saw them eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

"If I score at the Bernabeu, I would go nuts!" he told DiR.

With coach Tito Vilanova receiving cancer treatment in New York City, Barca has not been at its best in recent weeks, but Alba was quick to stress that it is still fighting hard for the 44-year-old.

"Tito is a great person, he’s very humble, but he's fights as hard as they come and we hope to have him back as soon as possible,” he added.

"We fight for him and for all of Barcelona. When we win, our victories are devoted to him."

Alba rejoined the Camp Nou outfit at the start of the season after leaving the club as a child, and he went on to admit that he never thought he would get the chance to represent the Blaugrana again.

"When I left La Masia at 16, I thought my time with Barcelona was over," he continued.

"At first I struggled a bit [on my Barca return], because I caught the flu and was pretty ill for two weeks, but after playing against Sevilla, everything went fantastically well and now I'm having a very good time, I feel great."

The full back also defended Lionel Messi, who has been criticized in the past few weeks after failing to make an impact in the losses to Madrid and AC Milan.

"There are players that make a big difference in [modern football], but no one else is as good as Leo," he added.

"He's a pleasure to have as a teammate, and he has treated me very well from the beginning, with great humility, and on the field he keeps proving he is the best."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

El Shaarawy signs new AC Milan contract through 2018

The 20-year-old has been rewarded for his exceptional form this season with a year-long extension to his current deal to keep him at the club until 2018.
AC Milan announced that striker Stephan El Shaarawy has extended his contract at the club until June 30, 2018.

The 20-year-old has been the standout player for the Rossoneri this season, notching 18 goals and four assists in his 33 games to date in all competitions.

El Shaarawy's electric early-season form saw him linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, but he has quashed any suggestions he may be tempted to quit the club by extending his current deal until the summer of 2018, with Milan confirming the news on its official website.

Reports emerged at the end of January that progress had been made on a new deal for El Shaarawy, with his agent Roberto La Florio revealing at the time that talks would likely begin imminently.

The Italy starlet joined the San Siro side in the summer of 2011 from fellow Serie A side Genoa, and he has been crucial to Milan's efforts to rebuild the squad following wholesale changes last summer, with his goals helping to propel the side back into contention for a top-three finish this season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tiago undergoes surgery on broken arm

Tests on Wednesday confirmed the extent of the 31-year-old's injury, which he sustained during a challenge with Sevilla midfielder Gary Medel.Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a broken arm suffered in his side's Copa del Rey semifinal clash on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old took a kick from Sevilla's Gary Medel in the first half and had to be replaced as a result, with the club confirming after the match that he had fractured his right forearm.

Following further tests by doctors in the Spanish capital, the club announced that the Portuguese has had a plate fixed to the ulna bone in an effort to repair the damage, with his recovery period as yet unknown.

"[Medel] was going to clear the ball and I put my arm up to protect my face," Tiago recalled to the club's official website. "In the end, I felt something was wrong. I tried to keep playing but I could not continue. The bone was broken and it hurt to move my arm.

"I was feeling pretty good in the team. Injuries never come at a good time and now I have to recover well."

Atletico claimed a 4-3 win over the Andalusians on aggregate, and will face Real Madrid in the final of the competition.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carrick looking forward to 'extra-special' Real Madrid showdown

With the Champions League tie still up for grabs after a draw in the Spanish capital, the Manchester United midfielder is expecting the second leg to go right to the wire.

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is expecting Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg at home against Real Madrid to be an "extra-special" occasion.

After helping his side to secure a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg, the Red Devils star is in no doubt that the Old Trafford crowd will create an incredible atmosphere.

"The big European nights at home are always special occasions and, when Madrid come to town, it will be extra-special," Carrick told the official UEFA website.

With the tie tightly balanced after Danny Welbeck and Cristiano Ronaldo scored goals within 10 minutes of each other, the 31-year-old Carrick is expecting more of a tactical battle than an end-to-end thriller.

"At this stage of the competition, when two teams like this come together, sometimes it can be very tight and games can be won and lost on little details," Carrick explained. "Of course we will play our game and try to score goals but sometimes that's not possible, especially in games like this. I am sure Madrid are thinking the same thing."

The game marks Ronaldo's first return to Old Trafford since leaving to join Madrid in a world-record transfer deal back in 2009, and Carrick is expecting a warm reception for the Portuguese star.

"Everyone respects what he did at the club and how good he was," Carrick said.

With this year's final set to take place at Wembley Stadium, some have suggested that this will offer the Red Devils the opportunity to lay to rest the demons of their 2011 final defeat to Barcelona at the same venue. The England international is wary of focusing on retribution too early, though.

"In terms of putting that right, we can't, because the game is gone. We've got something else to achieve now and we'll try our utmost to do that," Carrick said. "Obviously, being at Wembley, it's an added incentive but we're not looking too far ahead. We are well aware of the tie that is immediately in front of us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund frustrated with defeat, says Subotic

The Serbian center back feels BVB could have progressed to the semifinals had the team taken its chances in Wednesday evening's encounter.

Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic has voiced his frustration at his side's 1-0 DFB-Pokal loss to Bayern Munich and believes the game could have gone either way.

An Arjen Robben strike was the difference between the two sides, and meant Dortmund's cup adventure came to an end in the quarterfinals, but Subotic feels BVB could well have emerged victorious with a bit more luck.

"I think we’ve got to be frustrated with ourselves because in the second half we deserved to score at least one goal and we didn’t," Subotic told Bundesliga.com. "It could all have been different if we had found that one goal and I think in the second half we definitely should’ve hit the net at least once. Then we would’ve gone into extra time and who knows what might have happened.

"I think the main difference was that in the first half they had a lot of chances and they scored a dream goal. After the break we had some great opportunities, but we just couldn’t capitalize on them."

Dortmund will be looking to return to winning ways on Saturday when it takes on Hannover.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Premier League clubs required to have goal-line technology next season

FIFA recently revealed that a system will be implemented for this year's Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup, and will be coming to the English top flight in 2013-14.Premier League clubs will be required to implement goal-line technology as of the 2013-14 season, according to the competition's communications director.

FIFA has already confirmed that the system will be implemented in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup in the summer, as well as the 2014 World Cup.

A meeting between the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on Saturday will see a report delivered confirming that uses of the technology in Japan were successful, and Premier League communications director Dan Johnson said that clubs will not be allowed to opt out of having a system.

"We are in advanced discussions with two of the companies [Hawkeye and GoalRef] who provide the systems and we are working on the basis of having goal-line technology in place for the start of the season," Johnson told reporters.

"All clubs will have to have the system to ensure the universal integrity of the competition, including those who are promoted."

There have been a number of high profile incidents in recent years, including Frank Lampard's strike against Germany at the 2010 World Cup which crossed the line, as well as Victor Anichebe's effort for Everton against Newcastle this season, where technology would have aided referees in decision-making.