..::Football II::..

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Vilanova: Barcelona could not finish Malaga off

Tito Vilanova says Barcelona was unable to finish off Malaga in their Copa del Rey clash, which allowed a late goal to ensure the sides remain level heading into the second leg.



The Blaugrana went behind from a Manuel Iturra strike but scored twice in two minutes to take the lead - Lionel Messi capitalising on a defensive error before Carles Puyol nodded in from a corner.

However, Ignacio Camacho’s strike in the 89th minute ensured the quarterfinal match with Manuel Pellegrini's men ended all square, but Vilanova believes that the late goal does not change anything heading into the second leg in six days' time.

"There was a big difference between the first and second half. During the first, we played at a very high level, but we could not finish the tie," he told reporters after the game."For us, nothing changes. We always go out to win the game, so we will do that in Malaga too."Thiago’s mistake in the first 45 allowed Iturra to score and although Alexis Sanchez lacked an attacking threat on Wednesday night, Vilanova defended his players insisting errors are part of the game.

"Mistakes always happen in football," the head coach added. "Thiago gave us an example of how difficult it is to get the ball played from behind. He [Thiago] risked a lot and this can happen.

"With Alexis, the thing to do is to try to help. He's a young player and has all the talent in the world.

"We must protect him, and to help him do all that is possible within football. Football has already swallowed hundreds of players and we have to take care of our own."

 

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LA Galaxy sign Robbie Keane to contract extension

The LA Galaxy announced that the club has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with forward Robbie Keane. Per league policy, details of the contract were not released.

The 32-year-old has been a hit since his arrival in LA in the middle of the 2011 season. He has scored 18 goals and added 10 assists in 32 regular season games. He has also scored seven goals and two assists in 10 postseason games, as the Galaxy have won MLS Cup in both his seasons with the team.

Keane was named to the MLS Best XI in 2012, as he led the Galaxy with 16 goals in 28 regular season games while adding nine assists. He was also named the Galaxy MVP.

 

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Del Bosque: Messi is the best, full stop

Vicente del Bosque has heaped praise on Lionel Messi, stating that the Barcelona star would be great wherever he played.


The Argentina attacker scooped his fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or prize at the beginning of the month after a record-breaking year with the Liga leaders, and the Spain coach believes he would be a sensation in any side in the world.

In an interview with the Spanish Football Federation, Del Bosque said: “Messi is the guy playing in the street, the one who fools everyone. He’d do great everywhere, whoever was playing at his side. He’s brilliant, period."

Del Bosque, who was named Coach of the Year 2012 at the Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich following La Roja's successful Euro 2012 campaign, went on to highlight host nation Brazil as the main threat to his side's World Cup crown in 2014.

"I think that the local factor has less influence now than in the past but, undoubtedly, Brazil is the major threat," he added.

 

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German football chiefs hail Guardiola-to-Bayern as Bundesliga boost

Pep Guardiola's appointment as the new Bayern Munich boss will provide a huge boost to the Bundesliga, according to German football chiefs Andreas Rettig and Martin Kind.

The former Barcelona head coach will take over from current Allianz Arena incumbent Jupp Heyckes at the end of the season on a three-year deal.

DFL's chief executive Rettig believes that international football fans will pay more attention to the BuLi now that a famous face like Guardiola is set to coach in Germany.

He said to Bild: "I congratulate Bayern at signing Pep Guardiola. This once again shows the great international significance of the German football league.

"Guardiola means the international interest in the Bundesliga will surely rise."

Hannover president Kind also congratulated his league rival, and believes that the club has shown its financial muscle by securing the 41-year-old coach's commitment to add to the signing of Javi Martinez for 40 million euros last summer.

He told Sky Sports News: "Bayern Munich have already shown with the transfer of Martinez that they clearly demonstrate they are strong financially and in the sporting department.

"Bayern want to be number one in Germany, and they want the league to grow internationally successful."

 

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Pep Guardiola appointed coach at Bayern Munich starting next season

Pep Guardiola will take over from Jupp Heynckes as Bayern Munich coach, starting in the 2013-14 season.

The 41-year-old former Barca boss left Camp Nou in 2012 having won 14 trophies with the Liga side during his four seasons in charge and has signed a deal with the Bundesliga club until 2016.

Heynckes, who has been boss at Bayern since 2011, told Die Roten officials before Christmas that he would not be continuing in his role beyond the current season, leaving the German side to attempt to secure Guardiola's services.

Guardiola had been linked with a host of top-flight clubs across Europe, but Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement he was delighted to have captured the Spaniard.

"We are very pleased that we have succeeded [in appointing] the football expert Pep Guardiola, who was courted by many famous clubs and contacts," said CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

"Guardiola is one of the most successful coaches in the world and we are sure that he can [help] not just Bayern, but German football, shine."

And Rummenigge praised outgoing Bayern boss Heynckes, adding that securing the Bundesliga crown would be a fitting send off for the German.

"As a club and as Jupp Heynckes' friends, we have to show understanding for this decision. We have to accept it and we have to respect it," he said.

"During personal talks with Jupp Heynckes we assured each other that we will do anything we can, and now even more, to have a successful second half of the season, in which we want to get the title to Munich.“

Bayern currently lies top of Germany's top flight, nine points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

 

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Malaga confirms loan signing of Chelsea starlet Lucas Piazon

Malaga has confirmed the signing of Chelsea youngster Lucas Piazon on loan until the end of the season.

The striker underwent a medical with the Spanish side on Tuesday, and trained with members of the squad who have not traveled for the Copa Del Rey quarterfinal clash with Barcelona on Wednesday night.

Piazon has made two starts for Chelsea this season, both in the Capital One Cup victories over Wolves and Manchester United.

The Brazilian also came on as a substitute in the 8-0 Premier League thrashing of Aston Villa, but missed a penalty late on.

The 18-year-old will wear the Malaga No.12 shirt, formerly worn by Arsenal's Santi Cazorla at La Rosaleda. The Spanish side does not have the option to buy at the end of the loan.

Despite the temporary departure of Piazon, Blues boss Rafa Benitez said on Tuesday there were no plans to recall Romelu Lukaku from his loan spell at West Brom.

 

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Cardozo signs three-year Benfica deal

Benfica has announced that Oscar Cardozo has signed a new contract with the Portuguese club which lasts until the summer of 2016.

The Paraguay international's previous deal was due to expire at the end of next season, but he has now agreed to a two-year extension, ending speculation of a transfer away from the club.

The 29-year-old attacker moved to Estadio Da Luz from Newell's Old Boys in the summer of 2007, and is delighted to have prolonged his stay.

"This renewal means a lot to me. The people at Benfica have put a lot of faith in me, especially club president Luis Filipe Vieira," Cardozo told the club's official website. "This is very important to me. I want to continue doing my utmost for Benfica and don't want to let anybody down."

Cardozo has netted 13 goals in 12 league appearances for his club so far this season.

 

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Former Manchester City player Michael Johnson reveals inner demons

Michael Johnson has hinted that mental health illness may have played a role in his failure to fulfil his potential at Manchester City, and pleaded with the media and the public to leave him in peace.

The 24-year-old broke on to the Premier League scene in 2006 and quickly became tipped for an England call-up following a string of impressive displays.

However, after injury problems and weight issues the Manchester-born midfielder's career now appears to be over after City decided to pay out the remainder of his contract, which was due to expire this summer.

"I am more disappointed than anyone but that’s the way it goes," Johnson told The Manchester Evening News.

"I have been attending the Priory Clinic for a number of years now with regard to my mental health and would be grateful if I could now be left alone to live the rest of my life."

Johnson had often been compared to Manchester City legend Colin Bell during his spell at the club, and the former England international admits he is disappointed with the way the 24-year-old's career has panned out.

"It’s a terrible shame," Bell stated. "It’s hard to accept when your career ends early and for his to end at his age will be really difficult to take."

Johnson made 27 appearances for Manchester City and scored two goals, making his last appearance as a substitute against Scunthorpe in the League Cup in 2009.

He also made seven appearances during an unsuccessful loan spell at Leicester City last season.

 

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Emanuelson unhappy with role at AC Milan

Urby Emanuelson's agent, Brian Berkleef, has revealed that the midfielder is unhappy with his current situation at AC Milan, but added that he is not thinking about leaving the club.

The Netherlands international has been struggling to get regular first team action in recent weeks, and is desperate for more playing time in the second half of the season.

"Urby is not happy at the moment," Berkleef told reporters. "Every player is going to be unhappy when they do not play regularly, and so is Urby. His lack of playing time in recent weeks kind of surprises me. I don't know the reason behind it.

He added, "I don't think that he will leave Milan, though. He is a calm guy and he will not give up just like that. He is not the type of player to start complaining and kick up a fuss."

Emanuelson has made 20 appearances in all competitions for the Rossoneri this term.

 

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Villas-Boas: Chelsea firing has helped me

Andre Villas-Boas says he understands why Chelsea fired him midway through last season, suggesting it has helped him in his new job as Tottenham manager.

The former Porto boss was sacked by the Blues last March with his side fifth in the Premier League and on the brink of Champions League elimination.

However, the 35-year-old says he has learned from his mistakes at Stamford Bridge and believes the nine months he spent at the club has helped him at Spurs.

"I think they [Chelsea] could have given me the opportunity to continue," Villas-Boas told France Football. "But I am fully aware that changing [the manager] was the only way to make an immediate impact on the results."What we have been doing at Tottenham with my staff is a reaction to the mistakes we made at Chelsea.

He added, "We did not do everything wrong there, but we could have done better. It [being sacked] did not change the way I see football, but I recognize that I have thought a lot about it."Meanwhile current Blues manager Rafa Benitez admits he is struggling to build a relationship with the Chelsea fans, but hopes it is just a matter of time before he wins them over.

"The difference is I was at Liverpool for six years,” Benitez told reporters. "At the beginning, I couldn’t understand their accents sometimes. But little by little, you have more time.

"Now you play one game every three days. So it’s a question of time, but because my contract is until the end of the season, my job is trying to do well. A lot of people appreciate what we are trying to do."

 

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Vilanova: I would lose in any comparison with Guardiola

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova feels that it is too early to compare him to Pep Guardiola as he has not won anything just yet.

The 44-year-old has been praised for his good work since taking charge of the Blaugrana at the start of the season, but he has made it clear that his former boss remains on another level for now.

"I haven’t won anything. On a general level I would lose in any comparison with Guardiola," Vilanova stated at a press conference.

The Barcelona coach then went on to stress that he is not aiming to better Guardiola's record as he feels he played a big part in the club's successes in recent years, too.

"I feel very much part of what was done before and therefore I’m competing against myself," he continued.

"The 5-0 win over Madrid and the Champions League final in London are the highlights of my time with Pep."

Vilanova also had his say on Guardiola's future, and believes that his former boss will do well wherever he goes.

"It’s great news that Pep is eager and ready to return. Football needs the best trainer to coach again. I’m sure it will go very well for him wherever he goes."

Guardiola has attracted the interest of clubs such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea and both Manchester sides.

 

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Sneijder: My decision is not about money

Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder has insisted that his decision whether to join Galatasaray or not has nothing to do with money, and has voiced his dismay with the way the Nerazzurri are trying to put pressure on him.

Club president Massimo Moratti urged the Netherlands international earlier this week to make up his mind quickly, but the player has made it clear that he will not be forced into make a rushed decision on his future.

"This is not about the money," Sneijder was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Like every player who could be on the move this window, I have to make a decision by Jan. 31. I do not want to rush anything, and I don't like it how Inter have put pressure on me.

"I am almost being forced to make a rushed decision about my future at a crucial moment in my life. After all that's happened in the past few months, I feel that I do not deserve to be pressured like this."

Sneijder has not featured for Inter since September 2012 after he was frozen out over a contract dispute, and he is widely expected to leave the Giuseppe Meazza side this window.

 

[මුගටියා]

Manchester United return on Ronaldo's agenda

For the first time since arriving in 2009, a dissatisfied Cristiano Ronaldo no longer sees his long-term future at Real Madrid and has made it known to Manchester United that he favours an eventual return to Old Trafford.

The development, which has been revealed to ESPN by well-placed figures close to both clubs as well as the player, tallies with Ronaldo's recent public comments regarding his next move.In the last week, although initially unwilling to discuss his future, the forward has admitted that "anything is possible" and that, after his current contract runs out in 2015, "I don't know what will happen in the future".

Tellingly, those comments themselves mirror Ronaldo's statements when he was trying to engineer a move to Real Madrid back in 2008 and 2009. Although that eventual world-record transfer was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream for the Portuguese, he has become concerned about the Spanish champions' capability of regularly matching his current ambitions.


Ronaldo is said to be dismayed at the state the team are currently in as well as the rapid regression following last season's record-breaking title win. Exacerbating that are issues like a perceived failure to back the player in his Ballon d'Or campaign, the state of siege in which his manager Jose Mourinho now finds himself and the apparent infighting as a result of the unrest. With the Real boss almost certain to depart the club in the summer, Ronaldo is concerned about where the club go next.

The situation is a far cry from the stability and regular trophies he experienced during his last three years at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson - with whom he has maintained contact.Those at United were surprised but encouraged by the developments, although they understand that the situation is far from straightforward and any transfer would only come in the long term.

For a start, a major trophy like the Champions League - which would ironically have involve a victory over United this season - could help to ease the situation at the Bernabeu. That was what happened with Mourinho's own uncertain situation last season after the league title win.

Secondly, if that does not happen, Ronaldo's emotional connection to Old Trafford and his strong willingness to work with Ferguson again must still be balanced against his long-held ambition to become the best-paid and most prestigious player in the world.Although the Glazers have been occasionally willing to deviate from transfer policy to keep United competitive at the top level - as with the Robin van Persie signing - they still generally operate within the financial constraints they have themselves imposed.

An example came following the capture of Van Persie. Although Ferguson was still insistent on capturing Leighton Baines, Everton's greatly increased asking price of £18 million for the left-back meant the Glazers were unwilling to sanction another high fee so soon after Van Persie.

Meeting Ronaldo's market value - of which the player is understandably aware, despite any emotion about his old club - would involve a few big decisions. The club's hierarchy, however, would also look at his commercial potential, which has grown dramatically since he left in 2009.

However, if Ronaldo chooses to leave Real at the end of his current deal in the summer of 2015 that would negate the need for any transfer fee and create much greater flexibility on the value of his playing contract.

Ronaldo may still look to Paris Saint-Germain. The forward is understood to be too loyal to his past to consider a move to either Manchester City or Chelsea, leaving the French side as one of the few elite clubs that could afford him in the event he leaves Madrid.One Old Trafford source said that "the situation can change but it's one to keep an eye on".

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Arsenal 1-0 Swansea: Late Wilshere winner sends Gunners through

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amme muwa ganda giyoth kochchara ganak yai da

Mamanam hithenne naha bro oka wei kiyala

 

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Guardiola: I have missed the game

Pep Guardiola has admitted that he has missed football in the wake of his decision to take charge of Bayern Munich at the end of this season after a one-year sabbatical.

The Spaniard moved to New York after leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2012 to take a break from football, and even though he has little interest in all that is going on outside the game itself, Guardiola is looking forward to making his comeback.

"I've missed the game itself. All the stuff that surrounds it, not so much. But I have missed [figuring out] the way a certain team plays and how you can beat them, deciding on which players to select to try and win a match," Guardiola told FIFA.com. "For me at least, that’s the only reason I’m in this game. If it wasn’t for that...

"Everything else, well, they’re not things that I have a constant need for. I can live perfectly well without them. In fact I’d say you can have a much better life without them. But the game itself, that’s what draws you in."

The 41-year-old then went on to discuss Barcelona's title chances, and stressed that something special would have to happen for the Catalans to miss out on La Liga success.

"Too many things, far too many things, would have to go wrong for Barcelona to lose this Liga title," he said. "I don’t see it happening, the gap’s virtually insurmountable. Not because Madrid aren’t capable of winning all their games, but because I don’t see Barcelona losing enough matches either.

"It’s too big an ask. The Barcelona players are used to success and they’ve got so many qualities. I think that this La Liga race is pretty much over."

Barcelona currently holds an 11-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid.

 

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Wenger: Cavani is a player I like

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed his admiration for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, but understands that the striker would "cost a lot of money".


The Uruguayan international has notched 16 goals in just 17 Serie A appearances so far this season, and has added a further nine in seven domestic and European cup games to take his tally to 25 goals in 24 outings.

Manchester City assistant Angelo Gregucci has previously revealed the Premier League champion's interest in Cavani, but this marks Wenger's first public acknowledgement of the forward.

"Cavani is a player that I like. What is for sure is that he costs a lot of money," Wenger told reporters.

Wenger also claimed last Friday that Theo Walcott's ongoing contract dispute was heading towards a "happy conclusion."

The Arsenal manager stepped up his certainty of a contract extension being signed by the England international on Thursday by adding: "My optimism [regarding Walcott's new deal] is at 99 percent now."

Reports have suggested that the England international was after a clause in his contract guaranteeing him more chances to play as the central striker, after being used mainly as a winger during his time with Arsenal, but Wenger has denied those claims.

 

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Liverpool striker Suarez admits to diving

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has admitted to diving to try to win a penalty earlier this season, but insists he is unfairly scrutinized because the media is controlled by Manchester United.

The Uruguayan has confessed to attempting to con referee Lee Mason by throwing himself to the ground as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke at Anfield back in October.

However, Suarez also claimed that his recent handball against Mansfield Town was unintentional and believes his high profile has led to the criticism he receives from the press.

"I don't listen [to] all the nonsense some people say about me. I'm accused of cheating here. People say I throw myself all the time inside the box," he told Fox Sports Argentina. "Let's see: they said that when we played against Stoke, for instance, and in that case they were right. I invented a foul because we were drawing 1-1 against Stoke and I wanted to win.

"Sometimes on the pitch I say to myself: 'What have I done?' But the name of Suarez sells papers.

"The other day, for instance, I touched the ball with my hand accidentally, and I was criticized because I kissed my hand. The media make up a lot of things about me because they want to sell papers. I say to the media: You should talk more about football, not about other stuff."

The 25-year-old went on to cite his spat with Manchester United defender Patrice Evra as proof that the current Premier League leader is supported by the press and accused the English media of treating South American players poorly.

"Manchester United controls the media, they are powerful and the media will always help them," he continued. "I was arguing with a person [Patrice Evra] and maybe I thought he spoke Spanish when he didn't speak Spanish.

"When someone comes and says to me something bad about being a South American, I don't cry, because that happens inside the pitch.

"I have my conscience clean. I can help Liverpool today. We are united and we can play well. Liverpool doesn't depend on me.

"It's complicated to play here in England. As Carlitos [Tevez] and Kun [Aguero] have said, it's complicated for a South American footballer to be here as we are treated differently to the local footballers. But they have their culture, they are like this, you know."

The Salto-born striker also expressed thanks to his family for their support during the more difficult moments of his career.

"I have to play football, which is what I always wanted, but I have suffered a lot for being a footballer," he added. "If I take notice of what people say on the outside, I couldn't play football. If I listen to what people say then I go home to my family and the joy of seeing my daughter is lost.

"But I have important people that, having been through everything I have been through, are still there and they love you for who you are and who you have been, not for the 'interest' that exists today.

"Also [I have] the support of my wife, who was there for me more than anyone when I was going to the trial every day, and the support of the club, which was amazing."