..::Football II::..

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Gomez: My future is in Bayern's hands

The prolific attacker is not thinking about a summer transfer and has stressed that the club decides where his future lies.

Mario Gomez has insisted he is content with life at Bayern Munich and says it is up to the club to decide whether he will stay or leave at the end of the season.

The Germany international has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga leader - despite signing an extension to his contract in April last year - after having lost his starting place, but he is not thinking about a summer transfer just yet.

"I do not like all the questions about my future. My job is to play football. The people in charge at Bayern are the ones who decide where my future lies," Gomez told Tuttosport. "I'm only a player and I do not have the power to decide whether I will stay here or be sold. The club has already stated that I'm going nowhere, so there's not much more to say on this topic.

"I am happy at Bayern Munich and I would not have signed a new contract if I didn't feel that was the right choice."

The striker then went on to dismiss claims he would not fit new head coach Pep Guardiola's football philosophy.

"Guardiola's Barcelona approached me a few years ago, but I decided to stay with Bayern instead. I think that first of all he will assess the squad and then he will decide how to play and whether Gomez has a role to play," he continued. "Obviously, if Messi were to come here and keeps scoring like he does now, Bayern would not only not need Gomez, but no other attackers at all ..."

However, the Germany international revealed he could be on his way out if he fails to secure regular first-team action again next term.

"If I were to end up on the bench again, I would have to consider my options and see what's best for me and the club," he said. "It's still early, though."

Gomez has mainly been warming the bench this season as head coach Jupp Heynckes has preferred Mario Mandzukic up front.

 

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Balotelli: Milan wants to win all remaining games

The controversial attacker is full of ambition for the remainder of the season, and is determined to help his new team find success.

Mario Balotelli has stressed that AC Milan wants to win all of its remaining games this season as the club is gunning for automatic qualification for the Champions League.

The Rossoneri sit third in the Serie A table at the moment after a difficult start to the 2012-13 campaign, yet Balotelli is hungry for more and believes the team can climb to second spot in the table if it keeps up its current form.

"We have to think one game at a time and not look at any of the other teams. We want to win all our matches from here to the end of the season," Balotelli was quoted as saying on the Milan website.

"I’m here to win and I have to do all I can to make sure this team wins. If I play I try and score and if I don’t play, I try and build up my teammates, some of them are even younger than me. I settled in immediately here as soon as I arrived. I’m working well, I’m improving and by working hard I’m sure I can improve a lot."

Balotelli has netted seven goals in six Serie A appearances so far for Milan.

 

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Villa happy with Messi chemistry

The Barcelona star combined well with the Argentine during the 3-1 win over Rayo on Sunday and is happy with his relationship with his teammate.

Barcelona striker David Villa says he is happy about his understanding with Lionel Messi after his side's 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

The forwards have been rumored not to get along very well, but combined to great effect in the Liga clash, with each creating and scoring the Blaugrana's goals.

"The three goals were between Messi and me. I'm happy to participate directly with him on so many," the 31-year-old told Canal+.

Stand-in coach Jordi Roura added that the two players have a perfectly good relationship, despite rumors to the contrary over the years.

"People have always talked about this, but it seems absurd to me," the 45-year-old told reporters. "Currently their relationship is the same as always, very good. I see no significance.

"I always said that Villa is very important for us and would have his moments. He plays good matches and scores."

 

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Mertesacker dismisses reports of move away from Arsenal

The towering center back has denied reports linking him with a move back to Germany and insists he intends to stay in north London with the Gunners for a while longer Per Mertesacker has dismissed reports linking him to German club Wolfsburg and insists he intends to remain with Arsenal.

The Germany international has been linked with a move back to the Bundesliga after it was reported that Arsene Wenger had lost patience with his center back. However, the 28-year-old featured in both victories over Bayern Munich and Swansea, keeping two clean sheets in the process.

Klaus Allofs, Wolfsburg's sporting director, also recently expressed his admiration for Mertesacker, acknowledging that the club would be interested in him should he be made available for transfer by the Gunners.

The defender, who has been capped 86 times by his country, has however stated that he has no plans to return to Germany, despite being flattered by the attention.

Mertesacker told Sport Bild Plus: "Of course I noticed that [the comments made by Allofs]. But I took it with a smile.

"Everybody including my family keeps calling, and they ask: What's going on? Of course I've always had a good relationship with Klaus Allofs.

"No, I don't consider a return to Germany. I still intend to stay here in England at Arsenal for a while."

 

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Villa still very important for us, says Roura

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[මුගටියා]

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Mourinho: Benitez tried to remove my photos at Inter

The 50-year-old built a close relationship with his players at San Siro and believes the Spaniard was envious of that connection during his tenure with the Nerazzurri
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has launched a scathing attack on Rafa Benitez, accusing the Spaniard of attempting to remove any memory of his time at Inter.

The Portuguese led the Italian giants to Champions League glory in 2010 before being replaced by Benitez after his move to the Spanish capital.

However, the former Liverpool manager was dismissed from his post at San Siro after just six months and Mourinho believes the current Chelsea interim boss struggled to replicate the relationship he had developed with the Inter players.

He told RTP1: "Benitez wanted to remove my photos, but they came back once he was gone."

Mourinho was also keen to distance himself from comparisons with Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, who served under the 50-year-old in his spells at Porto, Chelsea and Inter, although claimed to be aware of his success prompting youngsters in his native Portugal targeting coaching careers.

"I don't see anything of myself in Andre Villas-Boas. He has accessed places others couldn't. I follow his career regularly," Mourinho added.

"I know there is a Jose Mourinho effect in the young Portuguese. There is a lot of young people who dream about being a coach. Twenty years ago the youngsters wanted to be players, not coaches."

There has been much speculation regarding the Madrid boss' future, with rumors suggesting that a return to England could be on the horizon and Mourinho confirmed that he is unlikely to seek employment outside mainland Europe.

He said: "I don't see myself managing outside Spain, England, Italy or France."

 

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Falcao is blessed, says Teo Gutierrez

The Colombian says his compatriot is the finest forward in world football and has set his sights on six points in the national team's coming two games Teofilo Gutierrez believes that Colombia strike partner Radamel Falcao is the best player in the world in his position.

The Atletico Madrid star has led his side's impressive Liga campaign with 21 goals in 25 appearances, and the 23-year-old is in awe of his compatriot.

"Falcao is blessed and he's a wonderful person too," he told FIFA.com. "He's the best center forward in the world and whenever he gets on the ball, he scores. It's an amazing experience to have him as a teammate."

Looking ahead to the national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela, Gutierrez said he was hoping for six points from the two encounters.

"We haven’t achieved anything yet, but we have won three vital games that have put us in among the direct qualification places," Guterriez continued. "[Bolivia and Venezuela] are going to be very tough opponents but I think we can take all six points."

 

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Di Santo eager to extend Wigan contract

The Argentine striker has revealed that he is looking to extend his deal at the DW Stadium, as long as he is guaranteed first-team football by manager Roberto Martinez Franco Di Santo insists is happy to remain with relegation-threatened Wigan, despite his contract expiring at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea man is happy with the Latics' progress this season and wants to be a key part of Roberto Martinez's plans at the DW Stadium.

He told TyC Sports: "We're doing fine at Wigan. We are in the semis of the FA Cup. My contract is up in June and I haven't been playing a lot lately because there are too many things going on.

"It'd be key for me to keep playing. I'd love to stay in the Premier League. We'll see about that.

"The beauty of our situation, even if it's complicated in the Premier League, is that we depend on what we can do for ourselves.

"If we beat the teams around us, we have a chance to stay up and you can't prioritize one competition over the other because Wigan fans are incredibly excited about playing in the FA Cup semis."

Di Santo made his Argentina debut earlier this season and is in line to make his first competitive appearance against Venezuela on Saturday.

He added: "I'm happy to be part of the Argentina national team. This is my first in a World Cup qualifier. I hope I get to play a bit.

"It's a very proud moment for me or any footballer to share a training session or anything with a player like Lionel Messi."

 

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Tom Marshall: Chicharito's lack of minutes a worry for Mexico

He's vital for El Tri, but Javier Hernandez's bit part for the Red Devils is a potential problem for Mexican fansIs Chicharito’s club situation at Manchester United good or bad for El Tri?There has been an ongoing debate for some time now about striker Javier “Chicharito Hernandez’s situation at club side Manchester United that is worth bringing up ahead of Mexico’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and the United States.

The fact is that Mexico’s number one forward has only played 63 minutes of soccer in March for the Red Devils, has only featured in three Premier League games in 2013 and was notably absent in both of those crucial Champions League games against Real Madrid.

As much as Sir Alex Ferguson heaps praise on the forward at every opportunity and that demanding a move from a club firmly established in the top echelon of European football would be premature, Hernandez’s situation is far from ideal.
This season, it is Manchester native Danny Welbeck that has stormed up the depth chart at Old Trafford ahead of Guadalajara’s finest and Robin Van Persie’s presence has been an unmovable obstacle to more minutes for Chicharito.

Whereas Chicharito watched from the bench in those games against Real Madrid, Welbeck was both starting and impacting the tie. But it wasn’t always that way. In the 2011 Champions League, Chicharito started the final against Barcelona, both quarters against Chelsea and one of the semifinal legs against Schalke.

With that in mind, it is difficult to argue that Chicharito has not slipped down the pecking order at Manchester United. 400 of his total 576 minutes of first team action in 2013 have come in the FA Cup. As much as Ferguson has stated the FA Cup is firmly on the agenda this season for United, there’s little doubt it paled in comparison to the Champions League when both were still on the table.But there are two sides to this Chicharito debate from the Mexico national team point of view.

Would Mexico fans be happy if the player that has 28 goals in 44 appearances at a rate of one every 109 minutes for El Tri was being started by Ferguson twice a week? Combined with the long and difficult trip back over the Atlantic for national team duty, would we see the best of Chicharito for Mexico?After all, Hernandez is training with top quality players on a daily basis and is still banging in the goals for Manchester United when he has been given the chance. In fact, Hernandez has netted six times in his eight appearances in 2013 at a rate of a goal every 96 minutes.That considered, it could be argued that having a fresh Chicharito turning up well rested for crucial qualifying matches is a blessing in disguise.

The truth of the debate is probably lies somewhere in between both points of view. No national team coach wants a player showing up that is exhausted from overwork at club level, but having the nation’s star player come into two World Cup qualifiers having played just an hour’s football in the previous three weeks isn’t good either.

If Chicharito continues to get minimal minutes for Manchester United, it will eventually become a major worry for Chepo, if it isn’t already.

 

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Bale misses Wales training

The Tottenham star sat out Tuesday's session with a minor scare, but is still expected to take part in this weekend's World Cup qualifier Tottenham's Gareth Bale sat out training for Wales on Tuesday, but is still set to be a part of the side to face Scotland in Friday's World Cup qualifier.

A late double from Bale inspired Chris Coleman's side to a 2-1 win over the Tartan Army at the Cardiff City Stadium back in October and is again expected to be the center of attention as the Welsh aim to keep their slim hopes of World Cup qualification alive.

Neither Coleman or the Welsh FA have not revealed any doubts over Bale's participation and team-mate Sam Vokes was quick to calm fears over his absence from training.

"We think he is going to be fit," he told BBC Sport. "He is in and around the team and will be training in the next couple of days with Friday in mind.

"It is fantastic to play alongside him, the last couple of goals I have scored for Wales have come from his assists, and in the Scotland game here he turned the game on its head.

"He has been different class for club and country for a while now, every game he plays in he is excellent and he will be a big player for us on Friday."

 

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Michu praises Swansea's growing international contingent

The Spaniard has made an excellent start to life in the Premier League and feels that the atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium is ideal for players moving from abroad
Swansea City star Michu has hailed the setup in south Wales, which he believes is ideal for players aiming to make an impact on the international scene.

Jonathan de Guzman has recently received a call-up to the Netherlands squad, while Ashley Williams has been installed as Wales captain, which the former Rayo Vallecano man believes is testament to the work done at the Liberty Stadium.

He told Swansea's official website: "When we see a lot of our players being called up for their national team that is a very good thing for Swansea.

"I think the club can be very proud of that, because I don't think it had many players in the national teams before this time.

"Already we have Ash and Michel [Vorm] who are always in their national teams, but this season you see De Guzman earning his place in the Dutch squad, and that is a compliment to both him and the club."

The 26-year-old has impressed many this season by scoring 19 goals in all competitions, however he was quick to admit that it will be difficult for him to break his way into Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad.

He added: "Of course, I would love to play for my country, but it's not so easy when your country is the best in the world.

"All I can do is just try my best and play as well as I can for Swansea, and then see what happens."

 

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Diarra: My France career is finished

The 28-year-old feels his public support for former coach Raymond Domenech has counted against him, having not received a call-up since 2010 Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder Lassana Diarra believes that his France career is over after being overlooked for the last three years.

The former Real Madrid man 28 caps for his country, representing them at Euro 2008, and while he remembers his time with the national team fondly, he is not optimistic of a recall.

"My career with les Bleus is finished," he told FIFA.com. “It was great, I met [Patrick] Viera, [Lilian] Thuram, [Claude] Makelele and [David] Trezeguet."

The 28-year-old went on to say that he feels his public support for former coach Raymond Domenech counted against him when Laurent Blanc took the reins.

"I praised him in the media, but that did not please his successor who thought I was pro-Domenech. I was just pro-France."

France plays Georgia on March 22 and faces World and European champion Spain on March 26.

 

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Lampard: Rio Ferdinand still has an England future

The 34-year-old believes the Manchester United veteran will feature for the national side again, despite withdrawing from the current squad due to a conflict of fitness schedules Frank Lampard says Rio Ferdinand is "certainly not finished" playing for England, despite withdrawing from Roy Hodgson’s squad earlier this week.

Ferdinand was selected for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro but pulled out due to the very specific fitness program he is currently on.

The 34-year-old defender told Hodgson that he still wants to be kept in mind for future England squads and Lampard thinks that Ferdinand is playing well enough to feature again for the national team.

Lampard told reporters: “He's a top-drawer player Rio, and he's certainly not finished. Looking at his performances against [Real] Madrid, especially away, he was outstanding.

“Regular performances week-in and week-out, he's a top performer, has been and still is. I don't know the ins and outs of his future but the way he's playing at the minute he one of the top defenders in the Premier League for sure.

“We're losing a player of quality. As I said, now it's very important that the squad gets the results that it needs so there are no personal issues - it's about all of the team.”

The Chelsea veteran believes his former West Ham teammate is correct to want to take extra care of himself as his career draws to a close.

He added: “Being one of the older lads, once you pass 30 years of age you have to manage yourself differently, maintain yourself, train more, train less, rest periods... particularly lads who have picked up injuries.

“I know Rio picked up a few injuries earlier in his career and he's been very disciplined in keeping on top of himself to make sure he gets the most out of his career, so a lot of respect for that, and everyone is different.”

 

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Mourinho: We need to win first Galatasaray game

The Real Madrid boss is expecting a tough encounter with the Turkish champion but is determined to win the first leg Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has told his side that it must win the first leg of the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal with Galatasaray.

The Spanish champion drew its home encounter with Manchester United in the last 16, forcing it to win at Old Trafford, and the Portuguese is determined not to have to do the same thing again.

"The draw is not something to get nervous about because there is not much to choose between the teams," he told the club's official website. "It will be tough but we need to try to get something positive from the first match, something we didn't manage against Manchester United. We have to make sure we go there with a small advantage."

Mourinho went on to warn his side not to rest on its laurels after its win against Manchester United and to make the last four of the competition.

"It was a great win, but Real Madrid can never be happy with getting to the quarterfinals and we always have to look to go further. That’s why we are already thinking about making it to the semifinals."

Madrid and Galatasaray clash in Spain on April 3 before meeting in Istanbul on April 9.

 

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Bayern-Juventus will be like a Champions League final, says Rummenigge

The Bavarian chief is of the opinion that the two European giants are set for a tough encounter in the last eight of the competition Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes that the club’s Champions League quarterfinal clash with Juventus is the sort of match which would befit the final.The two European giants have been drawn against each other having knocked out Arsenal and Celtic respectively in the last 16.

Rummenigge, a former Bayern and Inter star, expressed his opinion that it will be a difficult tie for the Bavarians but one that will be entertaining due to the quality of the two sides."It will be a tough game for us, and for them it will be an open meeting," he told Sky Sport 24. "There were weaker teams that Juventus could have met, but also weaker teams that Bayern [could have met].

"It's a possible final. There is no expectation in Munich but I think there is also none in Turin. Anyway it will be an interesting round between two teams of the highest level."

The last time the pair clashed in the Champions League was in 2009, when FCB emerged 4-1 victors away from home in a group stage game.The other three quarter-final fixtures to look forward to in early April are Real Madrid-Galatasaray, Barcelona-Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund-Malaga.

 

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Tottenham target Eriksen hints at Ajax summer exit

The young Denmark international has added to speculation that he could be leaving the Eredivise giant soon, insisting his has not been offered a contract extension yet
Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen has hinted at a summer exit from the Eredivisie giant, insisting he has not been offered an extension on his expiring contract.

The 20-year-old, who has scored 10 and assisted 17 goals for his side this season, has previously stated his unwillingness to pen new terms on his current deal according to club technical director Marc Overmars.

Goal.com exclusively revealed last year that Tottenham was keen on the midfielder, with Eriksen reportedly interesting a number of other European sides - and he has now admitted his future at Amsterdam ArenA is in doubt.

"I have not got a definite offer of an extension, but my agent has had some talks with the club about it," Eriksen told Sporten. "How it's going to look after the summer, I do not know. I do not know if I'm playing at Ajax after the summer."Eriksen came through the ranks at Ajax, and has since gone on to make over 100 appearances despite his tender age.

 

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Manchester United defender Vidic: International break is good for me

The former Serbia man is among a small number of players who will train at Carrington this week after retiring from his national team, which he says will benefit him.Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic believes the international break comes at a good time for him, and says he will be working hard to improve while others are representing their countries.

The defender retired from international football after Serbia failed to qualify for Euro 2012 and as a result will train with a small number of non-internationals at Carrington over the next two weeks.

But the 31-year-old is looking forward to the quiet period because he can work on his game on the training ground without having to worry about preparing his body for matches.

"The international break is good for me," he told MUTV. "During the 10 days, I can work on my individual stuff like fitness and other technical things.

"It is also always good to have a few days for yourself. When you have lots of games, like we have recently, you just manage yourself until the next one and you don't work on yourself that much. Sometimes it is nice to have these days to work on yourself."

Vidic struggled with injury in the early part of the season but has since made a successful return to Sir Alex Ferguson's side, making 18 appearances in all competitions so far this term.