..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Spian!

Spain Under-23 1-0 Mexico Under-23: Javi Martinez decides Cadiz clash in home side's favour

Spain's Under-23 side completed their preparations for the 2012 Olympics with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over their on Mexican counterparts Wednesday night.

Luis Milla's troops were in need of a pick-me-up after Friday's shock 2-0 defeat by Senegal and they got one thanks to Javi Martinez, who headed home the only goal of the game in Cadiz.

The hosts began the brighter of the two sides, with Malaga's Isco drawing a decent save out of Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona just four minutes in.

Spain deservedly took the lead just 10 minutes later, with versatile Athletic Bilbao defender Martinez nodding home a corner from Adrian.

Mexico responded well to falling behind and Giovanni dos Santos and Javier Aquino threatened on occasion, but it took a fine stop from Corona to prevent the lively Martin Montoya from doubling their advantage, while Adrian missed a glorious opportunity after finding himself through on goal on 34 minutes.

The second half was nowhere near as entertaining as the first, despite the best efforts of the impressive Isco, and substitutes Alvaro Vazquez and Cesar Azpilicueta, with the latter calling Corona into action late on.

However, the game ultimately petered out and Spain held on quite comfortably to claim a morale-boosting win.

Mexico will play their final warm-up game against Japan at the City Ground on Saturday, with La Roja now set to kick off their campaign against the Asian nation in Glasgow on July 26.

 

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Neymar begs Santos teammate Ganso: Don't abandon me!

Neymar is desperately hoping that Ganso decides to remain at Santos, joking that he has been begging his teammate not to "abandon" him.

The pair are currently preparing for Brazil's assault on the 2012 Olympic Games but that has not quelled speculation surrounding their respective futures at club level.

While Neymar reiterated that there is no chance of him leaving the Vila Belmiro before the next World Cup, he admitted that he has no idea if Ganso will depart in the interim.

"I have had to repeat for three years that I will stay at Santos," the 20-year-old forward is quoted as saying by Lancenet. "Everyone knows that I will stay at Santos until 2014.

"I may or may not sign a new deal [after that]; I will only know that when the time comes.

"But [Ganso] has not told me yet if he is going to leave. If I had to talk not about the friend, but the player, I would say that everyone wants to have someone like him on the team.

"I do not know much about what is happening. I ask him not to abandon me! I hope he will not go far away from me."

Neymar is widely expected to join Barcelona when his current deal with Santos expires in two years' time, while Ganso has been heavily linked with both Porto and AC Milan.

 

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Schalke accuses AC Milan of illegal approach for Papadopoulos

Schalke general manager Horst Heldt has lashed out at AC Milan for allegedly making an illegal approach for defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos.

Goal.com exclusively revealed on Friday that the Rossoneri has identified the Greece international as the ideal replacement for Thiago Silva, who joined Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend.

Heldt subsequently stated that he was aware of Milan's interest in the center back, but he has now accused the Italians of speaking to the player's advisors without the Bundesliga outfit's consent.

"We will see Milan next week for the friendly match at the Veltins Arena so then I will tell the representatives of the club that it would be nice if they would warn us next time before they come to hold talks with the player," he stated.

"I can confirm that AC Milan held discussions with Papadopoulos' advisors. Interest is there on the part of Milan - but there is no interest on the part of the player. Papa wants to stay here."

The 20-year-old, who represented his country at Euro 2012, arrived in Gelsenkirchen from Olympiacos in 2010.

 

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Pandev: Napoli can win it all with Mourinho-like Mazzarri

Goran Pandev believes that Napoli can claim all of the club game's top honours in the coming years if they hold onto their "Jose Mourinho-like" coach, Walter Mazzarri.

The Macedonia international joined the Partenopei on a permanent basis in June, after spending last season at the San Paolo on loan from Inter.

Pandev explained that he was only too happy to commit his future to Napoli because he believes the club are capable of great things - provided Mazzarri, whose future has been the subject of much debate since May's Coppa Italia success, remains at the helm.

"I'm saying that we can win the title right away," the versatile attacker told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The favorites are always Juventus, AC Milan and Inter, but we can do it and if the coach stays with us in the coming years, we can win Coppa Italia, the Scudetto and Champions League.

"Mazzarri is like Mourinho because he has the group in hand, and a great group at that: we play from memory and people enjoy [watching] us."

Pandev, of course, was a part of the Mourinho-led Nerazzurri side that won the treble in 2010 and he feels that the biggest similarity between the Portuguese and Mazzarri is the way in which they are both able to motivate their troops to do absolutely anything for the cause.

"[Mourinho] writes to me and always gives me advice," the 28-year-old revealed. "He remains bound to his players even if he is not training them anymore.

"For him I even played full-back in the [2010] Champions League final against Bayern [Munich], in the first leg [of the last 16] against Chelsea in London, and in Milan against Barcelona [in the semi-finals].

"Should he ask me to do it, I'd also do the same for Mazzarri."

Pandev, who has been capped 64 times by his country, netted six times in Serie A last season.

 

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Huntelaar 'unlikely' to leave Schalke this summer

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has revealed that it is "unlikely" he will leave Schalke this summer, explaining that he has little interest in a "last-minute move".

The Netherlands international was in scintillating goalscoring form last season and his exploits were said to have attracted the attention of a number of Europe's top clubs, including Premier League giant Manchester United.

However, Huntelaar is still in Gelsenkirchen and when asked by Bild if there was any chance of his situation changing before the start of the 2012-13 Bundesliga campaign, the striker was unequivocal in his reply.

"It's very unlikely; I will not make such a last-minute move," the 28-year-old Dutchman stated. "In my head, I'm only with Schalke."

However, he was noncommital when it came to discussing the likelihood of him penning a new contract with the club.

"In terms of percentages, I cannot say," he insisted. "We agreed that we will speak again during pre-season."

As for Schalke's prospects this season, Huntelaar all but ruled out his side's chances of challenging Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich for the title.

"Up until last year's winter break, we were just a few points behind first place," he mused. "But right now I see that there is only Bayern and Dortmund, so, at the moment, we are not talking about the title."

Huntelaar, who joined Schalke from AC Milan in 2010, netted 29 times in 32 league outings last term.

 

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Michael Bradley: Roma is an exciting challenge

Michael Bradley is looking forward to proving himself on the highest levels of club soccer.

The 24-year-old American midfielder signed with Serie A side Roma on Sunday after standing out last season at Chievo Verona. It was a move Bradley called a "dream" when speaking to reporters on a conference call two days after the four-year deal move became official.

"To be here now and to have the chance to play for Roma, it's something that means an incredible amount to me," Bradley explained. "To be here at a club with so much tradition, so much passion, so much history, this is what I've always dreamed of. Now that I'm here I'm determined to give everything I have to help make this team and help make this club the best it can be."

 

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Liverpool confirms interest in Clint Dempsey

Hours after the Craven Cottage side adamant denied having any talks over the future of star forward Clint Dempsey, Liverpool FC released an interview on its site confirming the contrary.

Reds head coach Brendan Rodgers revealed that both parties have indeed discussed the possibility of a transfer for the 29-year-old American midfielder.

"Clint is a player we've enquired about, it is as simple as that," Rodgers told the website. "Ian Ayre, our managing director, has spoken with the club to see what the position is. That is where we're at.

Rodgers added:"He's a very talented player but we don't like to talk about other clubs' players."

Dempsey has been in stellar form over the past two seasons for Fulham, scoring 29 goals over the past two seasons. It is expected that Fulham wants over 7 million pounds for the United States international.Expressing its interest publicly is a likely sign that the team's ownership views Dempsey as a top target. In April, one of the team's owners, Tom Warner, hinted at the Reds interest.

"We never talk publicly about our transfer targets. However, any team would be lucky to have Clint Dempsey playing on their squad, " Werner told Goal.com.

 

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Ambrosini: AC Milan might be in a state of transition but we are still great

AC Milan captain Massimo Ambrosini has moved quickly to quell the frustrations of the club's fans after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva departed for Paris Saint-Germain.

In an attempt to pacify critical opinions of the team, Ambrosini has insisted that the Rossoneri will remain competitive even without the two key players.

"Milan might be in a state of transition, but we are still great," the 35-year-old told Sky Sport Italia.

"I might not know what will happen next, but each year changes have to be made because we players aren't eternal beings.

"It's not only Milan who have to make inevitable shifts. Look at Barcelona, or at Manchester United. Do you think they will be spared from eventual change?"

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani is also aware of the need to revamp the team, declaring his desire to make a high-profile signing to plug the hole left by the departure of the star duo.

 

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Jovetic will cost Juventus 30 million euros, insists Fiorentina director

Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade has intimated that Juventus will have to splash out 30 million euros to sign Stevan Jovetic.

Prade's quotes come after the Florence-based club rejected an offer of €13m plus Alessandro Matri and Michele Pazienza from the Bianconeri for the Montenegro international, who has been linked with a new challenge in recent weeks.

The Fiorentina director stated that Jovetic will not be sold on the cheap and insisted that his side do not want any players to be thrown into the deal as makeweights.

"The club's owners have told me that Jovetic is not on the market, but that there is an agreement which says he could leave if an offer worth 30m euros, with no players included in it, is made," Prade told reporters.

"If we are interested in Matri as makeweight? If Jovetic leaves, we will not get any player in return for him. We are the ones who choose the players who join the club."

Such comments appear to have put Juve out of the race for Jovetic, with general director Giuseppe Marotta admitting that his side will not meet the 22-year-old's price tag.

"Do Juve have 30m euros for Jovetic? That is a big request, but everyone is free to set the price they want," Marotta noted.

"That fee is difficult and for now we will not talk about it.

Marotta also discussed the possibility of Robin Van Persie joining from Arsenal:

"Robin van Persie a dream of the fans? You need to have dreams and ambitions, but you also need to deal with the reality of the facts," he explained.

"We know what we must do, and this is the most important thing."

 

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There is a 70 percent chance Dzeko could join AC Milan

AC Milan is locked in talks with Manchester City regarding the transfer of Edin Dzeko, his agent has confirmed.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international is reportedly the Rossoneri's main priority in the transfer market after the Italian giant sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain in a reported 23 million euro deal.

Dzeko signed for the Premier League club in Jan. 2011 after impressing at Wolfsburg, but it is believed that he has been deemed surplus to requirements by City manager Roberto Mancini.

"Dzeko's transfer to Milan is more than likely," Sead Susic told SpazioMilan.it. "There have been talks and they will continue to happen, let's see what happens in the next few days.

"He likes Serie A and Milan so much, it would be a great experience. It is clear that Milan need to replace Ibrahimovic. I would say it is 70 percent possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

PSG confirms capture of Verratti

Paris Saint-Germain has continued its summer exploits in the transfer market by announcing the signing of Pescara midfielder Marco Verratti.The 19-year-old midfielder has put pen-to-paper on a five-year contract with PSG after the two clubs concurred on a reported 12 million euro deal for the Italy Under-21 international.He was expected to be formally unveiled by the club together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it is believed that the Swedish ace's presentation will take place later in the day.

"I have an excellent impression of the club, they are great champions," Verratti told reporters at a press conference. "There are players here that I have watched on TV and I am very proud to be playing with them. I am very happy that [coach Carlo] Ancelotti has put his faith in me. I told Pescara that PSG were my first choice. They will eventually will become the biggest club in the world."

Verratti, who was part of Cesare Prandelli's 32-man preliminary squad for Euro 2012, broke into Pescara's first team in 2008, at the age of 16.

He has become PSG's third signing of the summer, following in the footsteps of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Thiago Silva, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi stating that the Italian's transfer signals the club's intention to bet on young talent.

"We are very happy to be here and announce the signing of Verratti," he said. "He is young, he is the future of Italy and the future of PSG.

"As we said in the beginning, our strategy is also based on youngsters, not just the big players. We are also working on French talent, and hopefully in September we can announce more about the academy."As PSG prepares for the Champions League, sporting director Leonardo admitted that the club's work in the transfer market puts it on par with Europe's giants.

"We have got players who play for the biggest football clubs in the world, of which Paris Saint Germain is one," Leonardo said.

"Shopping in Italy? It is a question of the transfer market. There are players like Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon. It is not a matter of shopping in Italy, but a matter related to the transfer market."

 

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Kallstrom: It will be difficult to beat PSG with Ibrahimovic

Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Kim Kallstrom has stated that it will be hard to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the upcoming season following the arrival of stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The powerful forward is set to complete his move to the Ligue 1 giant on Wednesday after agreeing personal terms with PSG on Tuesday, and the Swede believes the arrival of his compatriot will be a boost for Ligue 1.

"He is a global star with a lot of qualities. He will bring his expertise and status with him to Ligue 1," Kallstrom told Le Parisien. "He will further strengthen a team that is already great. It will be very difficult to beat PSG with all their new signings.

"These signings will also benefit the league on the long term. A lot of quality has been added. The only way to get Ligue 1 at the same level as the bigger leagues is by bringing in top players. The return of a player like Jeremy Menez who left at a young age is also a good thing for Ligue 1. These examples show that the league is becoming more and more interesting."

Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for second spot in the Ligue 1 table last term as Montpellier proved to be too strong.

 

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Philadelphia Union 0-1 Aston Villa: Delfouneso goal gives Lambert's side comfortable win

Aston Villa got its pre-season tour of America off to a good start with a 1-0 win against Philadelphia Union thanks to Nathan Delfouneso's goal in Paul Lambert's second game as manager.

The Premier League side dominated proceedings, with Delfouneso coming close on a number of occasions, as well as a long range effort from Ciaran Clarke and a couple of chances for new midfielder Brett Holman.

A host of substitutions in the second half slowed the game down, and the Union came close to equalizing when Josue Martinez struck a shot wide after bursting past Richard Dunne, but Villa looked comfortable for much of the game.

Lambert named an experienced side for the clash on the east coast of America, with Darren Bent named captain for the friendly. There were spaces in the starting XI for new signings Holman and Karim El Ahmadi, as well as Brad Guzan, who was re-signed by Lambert after temporarily leaving the club following the expiration of his contract.

Villa almost took the lead in the opening minutes after right-back Matt Lowton's cross was turned goal-wards by Holman, but Union keeper Zac MacMath made a good save to deny the Australian his second goal of the pre-season.

MacMath was in action again 10 minutes later, denying Delfouneso from close range as he bore down on goal.

Moments later, Union defender Amobi Okugo was booked for a challenge on Bent just outside the box, and from the resulting free-kick the England striker shot straight at MacMath, who was having a busy night in the opening 20 minutes.

After 43 minutes Lambert's side took the lead. Stephen Warnock was the creator, sliding a ball through to Delfouneso, who curled the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box to give the Villans a halftime lead.

The English side made a raft of substitutions after halftime, with nine new players joining the action in the first 20 minutes after the break. The changes weren't conducive for great football in the second half, but were to be expected in a pre-season game played out in humid conditions.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Union had its best chance of the match as Josue Martinez sped past Richard Dunne down the left, but his angled shot went just wide of the post.

Villa played out the remaining minutes with relative ease in front of an announced crowd of over 17,000 fans, with a free-kick struck into the wall the only point of danger and N'Zogbia forcing a save in stoppage time, but in truth it wasn't too much of a test for the Premier League team.

 

[charitha chandi]

Seattle Sounders 2-4 Chelsea: Hazard and Marin both score debut goals

Lukaku , Marin , Hazard ..!

 

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Arsenal have named their price for Robin van Persie, claim Juventus

The news comes as Gunners manager Arsene Wenger prepares to sit down with Van Persie for the first time after he issued a surprise statement confirming he would not be signing a new contract at the club.

The Dutchman, who has 12 months left to run on his current deal, is back in pre-season training, but is widely expected to quit the club this summer, with Manchester City and Manchester United also in the hunt.

The 28-year-old is believed to be aiming to stay in the Premier League, but despite speculation this week that United are closing in on a £20 million deal, reports in Italy suggest Juventus are the front runners for his signature.

It's talk that the Serie A champions have done little to play down, with director and head of transfers Giuseppe Marotta confirming that Juve have been made aware of how much it would take to lure the striker to Italy. 'Van Persie is a fans' dream. Everyone has dreams but then you have to confront this with the reality,' Marotta said.

'We know what we have to do, and that is the important thing.' The Old Lady are desperate to seal their return as a notable force by landing a big name forward this summer, and after failing with a deal for their top target - Liverpool's Luis Suarez - all attention is now focused on Van Persie.

It's thought that Arsenal would be willing to sell for a fee of around £25 million, but the club won't make a final decision until they speak to their unsettled captain in the next few days.

​

 

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Robert Lewandowski talks up chance of Manchester United move

The 23-year-old, who scored 30 goals in 46 matches for last season's double winners, is rated as one of the best strikers in Europe and has long been linked with a move to United and Chelsea.

Talk of a switch to Old Trafford heightened after Sir Alex Ferguson had the Polish international watched in the German cup final against Bayern Munich, during which he bagged a hat-trick.Fergie also scouted Lewandowski throughout Poland's Euro 2012 campaign, and although Dortmund insist they intend to hang onto to their star striker, the player admits English football is a real lure.

'The Premier League is a league that I would like to play in, and I hope it happens sometime,' Lewandowski told the Polish media. 'Although I am happy at Dortmund, I always like to aspire to greater heights.'

The news is bound to infuriate Dortmund, who had agreed on a pact with the player that he would not openly court a move away this summer.Lewandowski, valuated at around £20 million, is contracted to the Bundesliga side until 2014.

 

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It was always my dream to go to the Olympics, admits Jordi Alba

Jordi Alba is grateful to Barcelona for allowing him to realize his dream of representing Spain at the Olympics.

The Blaugrana had been reluctant to release their new signing for the Games given that he made a belated arrival at Camp Nou following his exploits at Euro 2012. However, the Catalans ultimately backed down and Alba is now looking forward to competing in London.

"My dream was always to come [to the Games]," the 23-year-old told reporters after Wednesday's 1-0 warm-up win over Mexico. "I had spoken with [coach Luis] Milla about it when I was still at Valencia."

Versatile Athletic Bilbao defender Javi Martinez was also involved in Spain's triumph in Poland and Ukraine but he is confident that fatigue will not be problem for neither him nor Alba in the coming weeks.

"It really has been a very demanding season for everyone, but I had 12 days to rest and I am slowly getting back to my best," he explained. "We're all going to arrive at the Games in perfect condition."

Consequently, Javi Martinez is optimistic about Spain's chances of continuing its remarkable run of tournament victories.

"The Olympics have nothing to do with the Euros, but we must try to continue the positive momentum," he added. "We've got the Euros and now we're going for the Games!"

Spain kicks off its bid for gold against Japan at Hampden Park in Glasgow on July 26.

 

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Valencia confirm preliminary agreement with Real Madrid for Gago

Valencia has confirmed that a "preliminary agreement" has been reached with both Real Madrid and Fernando Gago over a transfer to Mestalla.

The Argentina international was deemed surplus to requirements by Blancos boss Jose Mourinho last summer and was loaned to Roma, with a view to a permanent transfer at the end of the 2011-12 season. However, the two clubs failed to reach an agreement over the fee and Gago is now on the verge of completing a move to Valencia. Indeed, Los Che confirmed on their website that they had agreed terms with both Madrid and the midfielder.

As Goal.com revealed, Gago's agent had arrived in Valencia on Thursday morning to thrash out a deal with club president Manuel Llorente.

The transfer has yet to be confirmed by either club but it is believed that Gago will put pen to paper on a four-year contract on Friday.

Gago, who has been capped 38 times by his country, joined Madrid from boyhood club Boca Juniors in 2007.

 

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Cavani will rot on the bench if he demands exorbitant wages, warns Napoli president De Laurentiis

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has warned Edinson Cavani that he will be left to "rot on the bench" if the forward makes exorbitant wage demands to remain at the San Paolo.

The Uruguay international is one of the most coveted players in the world at the moment and Juventus is particularly keen on taking the striker to Turin. Consequently, Cavani is said to be seeking a pay rise in order to stay at Napoli, but De Laurentiis insisted that he has no intention of being bullied into paying his star man a king's ransom.

"I will let him rot on the bench if he asks for 7-8 million euros in wages," the Partenopei supremo told TuttoNapoli.net.

De Laurentiis also insisted that Marek Hamsik is going nowhere, and lashed out at the attacker's agent, Mino Raiola, for allegedly trying to unsettle his client.

"For years, he has been trying to take Hamsik away, but the Slovak is like iron and will not move from here," the film producer said.

De Laurentiis is desperate to hold onto his two remaining 'tenors' following Ezequiel Lavezzi's move to Paris Saint-Germain.

 

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Motta leaves Juventus for Bologna

Bologna has completed the loan signing of Juventus defender Marco Motta, with the option of acquiring a 50 percent stake in the defender next summer.

The Italy international spent the second half of last season at Catania, but had been heavily linked with the Rossoblu in recent weeks and his move to the Dall'Ara was finally confirmed on Thursday evening.

"Bologna FC 1909 announces that it has reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of defender Marco Motta on a temporary basis, with a right to redeem half of the player's registration," a statement on the club's website read.

Motta initially arrived in Turin on loan from Udinese in 2010 before sealing a permanent transfer the following summer.

However, he was quickly deemed surplus to requirements by new coach Antonio Conte and did not make a single appearance in Serie A for the Old Lady last season before being farmed out to Catania.