..::Football II::..

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Bayern can beat anyone, warns Neuer after DFL-Supercup victory

Manuel Neuer insists Bayern Munich has the quality to beat anyone after defeating rival Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at the weekend.

The Bavarians had lost their five previous encounters against the reigning German champions before Sunday's DFL-Supercup victory, and the Germany goalkeeper is now high on confidence.

"We have shown that we are ready for it, and that we can beat any team we face," Neuer was quoted as saying by Bild.

Meanwhile, Franck Ribery has moved to underline the magnitude of what the Supercup success means for last year's Bundesliga runners-up.

"This was an important game for Bayern," the Frenchman noted. "The win is a real confidence boost for us."

Bayern gets the new season under way with a trip to new boys Greuther Furth.

 

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Cristiano Ronaldo, Iniesta and Messi shortlisted for UEFA Best Player in Europe award

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta have been shortlisted for the UEFA Best Player in Europe award.

The trio gained the most points in a vote among 53 sports journalists representing each of the European football governing body's member associations.

Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo came in fourth in the election, while Barcelona's Xavi, who finished second in last year's edition of the award, completed the top five.

The remaining three players will now go into a deciding vote in Monaco during the Champions League group stage draw on August 30.

The individual award, created in partnership with European Sports Media (ESM), recognizes the best player, irrespective of his nationality, playing for a club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the previous season.

Messi won the inaugural edition of the accolade in 2011.

 

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Olympiakos striker Mirallas reveals Arsenal talks

Olympiakos striker Kevin Mirallas has revealed that his agent is in talks with Arsenal, with the two clubs battling over the fee for such a deal.

The forward has been in impressive form since joining from Saint-Etienne two years ago and the Greek club are not prepared to compromise on their asking price.

Reports had previously linked the 24-year-old with a move to the Emirates Stadium and Mirallas has now confirmed that there has been contact between the two clubs, but insists that he would be content to remain where he is if the deal is not finalized.

"There is still a chance I will move to the Premier League," Mirallas told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. "My agent is having talks with Arsenal, those rumors are true.

He added, "Only Olympiakos is in the way. They want £6m pounds and not a penny less. But if the move doesn't come through, I am happy to stay in Athens."Mirallas featured for Olympiakos in its 3-1 victory against Arsenal in the Champions League last season and has scored 34 goals in 52 appearances for the club.

The Gunners open their Premier League campaign at home against Sunderland on August 18.

 

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Defoe considering future despite love for Tottenham

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe fears that he may have to quit White Hart Lane in search of first-team football as new boss Andre Villas-Boas assesses his striking options.

The England international admits that the campaign was "heartbreaking" due to his lack of opportunities, though he still managed 17 goals despite being restricted largely to appearances from the bench.

Villas-Boas remains keen on Internacional hitman Leandro Damiao and is also confident of securing the services of Emmanuel Adebayor on a permanent basis, but Defoe is the only senior striker currently at the club.

"Everyone knows how much I love Tottenham," the former Portsmouth man told the Daily Mirror. "Everybody knows that they are the club I want to play for.

"But last season was heartbreaking for me in terms of putting my body on the line, being prepared to give everything for the club and not getting a game."

Defoe spent most of last season on the sidelines despite putting himself through a grueling training camp in France in the summer.

He was included in Roy Hodgson's 23-man England squad for Euro 2012, however, and the 29-year-old is now considering a fresh start away from London with Sunderland, Reading and QPR all reportedly monitoring his situation.

"Obviously I have to think seriously about my future," he added. "I will talk to the club and see what happens but right now all I want to do is what is best for Tottenham."

Defoe has two years left on his current deal at White Hart Lane.

 

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AC Milan sees future first-team coach in Inzaghi

AC Milan has earmarked Filippo Inzaghi as its future head coach, and the appointment could be made within the next three years, Goal.com understands.

The former Italy striker decided to end his playing career at the end of last season following an 11-year spell at San Siro, but chose to stay put after accepting an offer to become a youth coach at the club.

Inzaghi also had a number of offers to continue on the field elsewhere, but turned down proposals from Watford and the alike on the basis that he would be promised a role in Milan's non-playing staff.

The Rossoneri believe Inzaghi could make a similar impact as Antonio Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title in his first season, mainly because of his dedication to the side's jersey and his ambition to succeed as a coach.

Inzaghi will start his coaching career with the Allievi Nazionali, Milan's Under-17 team, in order to let him get used to his new role, and he could make the step up to the first team in the next three years if everything goes according to plan.

 

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Song happy to stay at Arsenal as Wenger quashes Barcelona speculation

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted on Monday that there has been no inquiry from Barcelona regarding the availability of midfielder Alex Song.

The Cameroon international is reportedly a target of new Blaugrana boss Tito Vilanova, but Wenger has moved to quash the speculation surrounding his future.

The French boss insisted that no contact had been made between the two clubs and hit out at reports in the Spanish media.

"There's nothing going on with Song," Wenger is quoted as saying by The Sun. "There's nothing in that.

"Song has three years [on his] contract, he's not in the same situation as Robin van Persie.

"In Spain the newspapers are not really serious. We've had the experience of that. We've never had any contact with anybody from Barcelona."

Song had earlier admitted to Sky Sports that there was "interest" from a club which he described as "the best team in the world" but declared himself happy at the Emirates Stadium.

 

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Dembele confirms Real Madrid approach

Moussa Dembele has confirmed that Real Madrid have approached his agent to discuss his availability.

The Fulham striker's representative recently revealed that the Blancos had made an inquiry, and the versatile attacker has now admitted that there has indeed been contact.

"There has been contact between Real [Madrid] and my agent. They have made an inquiry, but have left it at that so far," Dembele was quoted as saying by Het Nieuwsblad.

"I don't really know [whether I will stay with Fulham]. I can't say much about it at this point. Everything is still possible."

Dembele, 25, has a contract with the Premier League side until the summer of 2013, and is continually being linked with a move to a bigger club.

Goal.com revealed earlier this summer that Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in signing the former AZ star.

 

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United rush to complete Henriquez deal

Manchester United appear to be close to sealing a deal for Universidad de Chile striker Angelo Henriquez, as rivals Manchester City step up their interest.

The 18-year-old is believed to be high on United's wanted list, after the club missed out on Eden Hazard and Lucas Moura earlier in the transfer window.

But the powerful forward is also now wanted by City - who are keen to add to their squad before the new season starts - so Sir Alex Ferguson has seemingly moved quickly to finalise a deal while the player is in Europe with Universidad's youth team. Universidad assistant manager Sebastian Beccacece revealed that Henriquez is currently not "available" for the club, perhaps suggesting that a transfer is in the pipeline.

"No doubt he is a very useful player, with a good goalscoring talent," Beccacece told Radio ADN. "But we have to count on the players that we have available, not the ones that aren't available."

Henriquez is currently a part of Universidad's youth squad, who are playing in numerous friendlies - including the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. The striker scored 11 goals in 17 league appearances in 2012

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Landon Donovan admits he could retire following the 2013 season

Still arguably the face of American soccer, there isn't much that Donovan hasn't accomplished during his time with Major League Soccer and the United States aside from winning the World Cup.

One aspect about Donovan that is barely discussed is that the 30-year-old has a big decision heading into next year. According to Donovan, his contract with MLS expires at the end of the 2013 season. Donovan admits that he has to decide whether or not he still wants to play before choosing between remaining with MLS or pursuing opportunities abroad.

"At the end of this season, I'm going to re-evaluate everything and see how I feel," Donovan told Goal.com. "If I want to keep playing, I'll keep playing. If I don't want to keep playing, I won't keep playing. If I want to go elsewhere, I'll try to make that happen. If I want to stay here, I'll try to make that happen. I don't know the answer to that right now."

Donovan retiring at 31 years old? He's joking right? Not according to the midfielder, who insists that the possibility could be a reality next year.

"Why wouldn't I [consider retirement]?" he asked.

It is hard to imagine Donovan, who became a national icon during the United States' run in the 2010 World Cup, would turn down a chance to play in arguably the world's greatest sporting event for a fourth time. Yet, Donovan has become increasingly introspective in the midst of his 13th year as a pro soccer player.

"When I was younger, I was motivated by different things," Donovan explained. "I wanted to score all the time. I wanted to be famous, I wanted to be popular. I wanted to make money, I wanted to do all of those things but at the end of it all, those things don't do a lot for you."

He added: "There's no promise that I'm going to be alive when the World Cup comes around. So I'm not going to live my life in a way that only points to the future. I enjoy being really present [in the moment], trying to do well every day."

Donovan's maturation from an ambitious young player expected to lead American soccer into new heights to a contemplative veteran who leads the U.S.'s all-time charts in goals scored (49) and assists (48), might be a different transition than expected. For example, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant remains as boastful as he was when he entered the NBA at age 17 in 1996. Still, the results suggests that Donovan's mindset developed from his experience has benefited the forward.

In the past three years, Donovan has won an MLS title with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011, the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award twice (2009, 2010) and an MLS MVP award in 2009. Donovan also excelled in two loan spells with English Premiership side Everton in 2010 and 2012. The California native states that removing expectations, only focusing on day to day progress, has been beneficial.

 

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Sneijder: I would be happy to captain Netherlands

Wesley Sneijder says his Netherlands teammates should put the past behind them, and has not ruled himself out of taking the captain's armband.


The Dutch experienced a disastrous Euro 2012 campaign as they lost all three of their groups games before heading home at the first hurdle.

Putting that experience firmly to one side, the Inter Milan playmaker says he is open to the prospect of leading his side as they look to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"Who should be the new captain? Somebody who can take the lead. Am I somebody like that? Well, I would not say no," he told Algemeen Dagblad.

Sneijder also spoke of his expectations with the Dutch squad in the future: "We all should accept things. It is hard when you play well at your club, but sit on the bench for the Oranje. But only if we accept these things, is it possible to make a new start."

Louis van Gaal replaced Bert van Marwijk as Dutch manager following the recent European Championship and the former Barcelona man took charge of his first training session on Monday afternoon as his side prepares for the friendly with Belgium on Wednesday.
Netherlands kicks off its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with games against Turkey and Hungary in quick succession during September.

 

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Croatia coach Stimac: Modric move from Tottenham to Real Madrid will happen

Croatia head coach Igor Stimac expects Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric to complete his move to Real Madrid before the end of the summer.

Stimac acknowledged that the situation the 26-year-old finds himself in is not ideal, and that his lack of preseason game time will have left him lacking sharpness.

However, the 44-year-old is convinced that Modric will sign for Los Blancos by the time the Spanish transfer window closes on Aug. 31.

"I don't like the situation that he is in at all, he has not played any matches at all this summer," he told AS.com.

"He will end up signing for Madrid before the market shuts."The Spurs No.16 has scored 13 goals in 127 appearances for the north London side. After missing out on a move to Chelsea last summer he now looks set to be granted his wish to depart.

Former West Ham defender Stimac was speaking ahead of Croatia's game against Switzerland in Zagreb, his first in charge since replacing Slaven Bilic at the helm.

 

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Arsenal defender Koscielny: Giroud has the quality to play in England

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has heralded the class that new signing Olivier Giroud will bring to the north Londoners this term.

Ahead of their season-opener against Sunderland, the French center back spoke glowingly of the striker's abilities, and expects him to bring his goal-scoring record from Montpellier across the Channel to London.

The 25-year-old forward scored 38 goals in 69 appearances during his stint in the south of France, and Koscielny believes that playing with better players than previously in his career will help him to reproduce or even improve his recent form in England.

"I am happy [he has joined the club] because he played very well at Montpellier," he told the club's official website. "I played with him at Tours and he was a great player then - now he is even more confident and scores a lot of goals. I know his qualities and he will give a lot for us.

"I know he has the physical quality to play in this league. For a striker it is [about] confidence and I am sure he is working hard to start well with Arsenal. He is tall, like Marounane Chamakh, and is also good with his back to goal. I think if we play with technical guys he will be happy, and in the box he is a good finisher."

 

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Kakuta seeks move away from Chelsea

Gael Kakuta has stated that he is determined to move away from Chelsea for a chance at first-team action, and has admitted a switch to Marseille could be on the cards.


The youngster told L'Equipe: "Chelsea's sporting director Michael Emenalo told me [in July] it will depend on the coach's choices. I explained I would wait to see how it goes in preseason.
"My decision is definite now. It is an important moment in my career. It is better for me to leave the club and find one where I could play matches regularly."

The France Under-21 international has had a taste of first team experience during his previous loan spells at Fulham, Bolton and Dijon, and is looking to further his opportunities away from the club, rather than seeing out the three years that remain on his contract."Chelsea told me they rely on me. It is nice to rely on me, but I am 21 years old. You can tell me that at 17 years old or 18 years old, but I need to play. I thought more players would have left the club," Kakuta said.

He added, "Stepping back, I believe Ligue 1 will be good for me. It will be a good stay. My objective is to play a complete season with 25 matches."

"Marseille is a club I like. In France, they are one of the three clubs I am following the most with Lyon and Lille. With the players they have, I have no concerns. The club is not finished."

 

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Vermaelen: Van Persie looks fit and sharp

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has revealed that striker Robin van Persie is continuing to work hard in training and that he has seen nothing to suggest that the Gunners captain wants to leave.

The 29-year-old's future has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with both Manchester clubs and Juventus reported to be interested.

However, Vermaelen remains hopeful Van Persie will stay put.

"To me he looks fit and sharp in training," he told Sky Sports. "He's working hard. He's working on his fitness. I don't see anything different and I hope he stays the next four years as well."

Van Persie was given just 20 minutes to impress in Arsenal's 4-0 preseason win against FC Koln on Sunday and Vermaelen remained coy when asked about his teammate's future.

"I've no idea," he added. "I hope [he stays]. I don't know what happens behind the scenes but at the moment I can only say he's a player for Arsenal."

Arsene Wenger has added German international Lukas Podolski as well as Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla to his squad as the Gunners look to end their seven-year trophy drought and the Belgium defender is confident that they can compete ahead of Saturday's curtain raiser against Sunderland.

"I feel really positive for the new season," he insisted. "If we all stay fit, the squad is strong enough to compete for the title."

 

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Injured Walcott pulls out of England squad and returns to Arsenal

Theo Walcott has withdrawn from the England squad to face Italy in its upcoming friendly match with a thigh injury.

The 23-year-old has returned to Arsenal as a precautionary measure and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for their opening Premier League fixture against Sunderland at the weekend.

Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson has decided against calling up a replacement for the former Southampton man as he looks to assess his options before England begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying matches.

Walcott has scored 4 times in 28 appearances for his country with three of those coming against Croatia in 2008.

The forward established himself under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger last season scoring eight times and grabbing 11 assists in 35 league appearances.

 

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United close on Henriquez

Manchester United appear to have beaten rivals Manchester City to the signing of Universidad de Chile striker Angelo Henriquez as the player is reported to have undergone a medical.

Henriquez, 18, has impressed Sir Alex Ferguson enough that the United boss has moved quickly in a bid to finalise a deal while the player is in Europe with Universidad's youth team.
Universidad assistant manager Sebastian Beccacece revealed that Henriquez is currently not "available" for the club, adding to speculation that a transfer is in the pipeline."No doubt he is a very useful player, with a good goalscoring talent," Beccacece told Radio ADN, "but we have to count on the players that we have available, not the ones that aren't available."

Henriquez is currently a part of Universidad's youth squad, who are playing in numerous friendlies, including the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. The striker scored 11 goals in 17 league appearances in 2012 and starred in both the Apertura competition and the Copa Libertadores after the departure of Eduardo Vargas.

 

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Hodgson not convinced Rodwell will get enough minutes at Manchester City

England coach Roy Hodgson has questioned Jack Rodwell's decision to move to Manchester City, and how much the Everton youth product will feature for the Premier League champions.


Speaking ahead of England's friendly against Italy in Berne on Wednesday night, Hodgson seemed frustrated as he anticipates picking many players over the next year who have not been featuring prominently for their club sides.

Somewhat out of the blue, Rodwell sealed a reported 15 million pound transfer to City, but Hodgson is not convinced the move is a good one for the 21-year-old, highlighting the quality already available to Roberto Mancini in midfield.

Hodgson told reporters: "I've got to be honest; I think this year there'll be quite a few times when I have to select players who might not necessarily be in their club teams."Jack Rodwell has just gone to Manchester City. If you look at their midfield I don't know how many starts he's going to get there.

"I fear quite often I'll be sitting here answering why I'm choosing players who aren't getting games for their clubs. That's a risk, but it's the nature of the Premier League and so few English players in the league, many of them playing for the same club."

In the build-up to Euro 2012, much debate was focused on the decisions of some players to opt out of representing their country with Ben Foster refusing to return, while Micah Richards and Michael Carrick were unwilling to be named as back-up, and although the latter is set to earn his first cap in two years, Hodgson does not understand this mindset.

He continued: "We've got to try, first of all, to make sure playing for England is an enjoyable experience. You can't expect players to want to play somewhere where they don't feel welcome or it's not worthwhile.

"Most football fans, players, grow up wanting to play for England and wanting that chance. It's difficult to understand when people don't want it. But I'm not going to force anyone to play for us."Playing for England should be enough of an honor. It is in my opinion."

Confidence in England was quietly being re-established among fans during Euro 2012 before it was knocked out by Italy on penalties, but Hodgson admits he has no quick-fix strategy for the team's lack of success.He went on: "I don't have a magical formula that will suddenly change what we were trying to do in the Euros and revolutionize things overnight.

"This [the Italy friendly] is an experimental game for me - a chance to look at some of those who were there in the Euros and didn't play, and others who should have been there but were injured and can now play."

 

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Ronaldo is 'extraordinary' - Bento hails Real Madrid man ahead of Panama friendly

Portugal coach Paulo Bento has admitted that he did not foresee Cristiano Ronaldo's meteoric rise to the top ahead of his side's friendly with Panama on Wednesday.

The Real Madrid attacker is considered one of the frontrunners to win the 2012 Ballon d'Or, after helping Real Madrid to the Liga title and leading Portugal to the semifinals of Euro 2012.

"A few years ago we saw that he was a great talent," he told Marca.

"However, perhaps we did not see him becoming what he is now for both his club and his national team. He is extraordinary."

Bento went on to bemoan the current schedule of international matches and claimed that the footballing authorities are more concerned about making money.

"To me it seems like common sense to have a match with 11 substitutions at a moment like this in the season, after a major international competition.

"The problem is that UEFA and FIFA think about advertising and marketing less than they do about sport. The welfare of players is at stake."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sneijder named as Netherlands captain for Belgium friendly

Wesley Sneijder will captain the Netherlands for the first time on Wednesday night, after manager Louis Van Gaal named his starting XI ahead of the friendly against Belgium.

The former Bayern Munich coach was appointed as national team boss in the wake of Bert van Marwijk's disastrous Euro 2012 campaign, which saw the team fail to progress beyond the group stage of the competition.

Former skipper Mark van Bommel announced his international retirement at the end of the tournament, and the Inter playmaker admitted that he would be honored to take over the armband.

Elsewhere, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has often played second fiddle to Robin Van Persie, under Van Marwijk, has been named ahead of the Arsenal man up front.

Meanwhile, Ajax youngster Ricardo van Rhinjn has been handed a start at right back, with Jetro Willems continuing on the left-hand side of defense, despite criticism of his Euro 2012 performances.

John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen have kept their slots at the heart of defense and Rafael van der Vaart retains his place as he prepares to make his 100th appearance for his 100th international appearance.

Full line-up: Stekelenburg; Van Rhijn, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Willems; De Jong; Sneijder, Van der Vaart; Narsingh, Huntelaar, Robben

Netherlands and Belgium kick off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Javier Hernandez: 'We have to aspire to win every competition'

Javier Hernandez was one of the main attractions at Mexican national team practice on Monday, as the Manchester United player gears up for El Tri's mid-week friendly against the United States.

"We have a very important match here on Wednesday," the striker said. "We have to aspire to win it and keep working hard because we'll be playing two qualifying matches soon."

Even with the task at hand, the main topic of discussion was still Mexico's historic Olympic run, one that Hernandez said filled him with pride.

"I'm thrilled, I'm happy for them, it's a great opportunity for them [to play in Europe] because everyone saw them, hopefully they get to emigrate somewhere else," Hernandez noted.

Hernandez was unable to join the under-23 team in London due to a previous agreement with Sir Alex Ferguson, who wanted the Mexican forward to reap the benefits of a full preseason campaign with the Red Devils.

"The most important thing for me as a player is the institution, the team, so as was everyone else, I am just sending good vibes and blessings to all my teammates," the former Chivas star said.

Asked if the results obtained by the youth teams adds pressure to the senior side, Chicharito said that any Mexican team should be expected to achieve success.

"It was shown that Mexico is at the height of any other big team in the world. We can compete, and we should aspire to the greatest heights in every competition, but we must do this step by step," he finished.