..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Vidic praises Manchester United's team spirit after winning title off City


The 31-year-old captain was delighted to see him and his teammates triumph over their neighbors, before thanking the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson for guidance during his career Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic says he and his teammates "deserved" to win back the Premier League title off Manchester City.

United saw its local rival triumph on goal difference last term with a last-gasp goal from Sergio Aguero sealing a first title in 44 years.

But the Red Devils fought back this season and reclaimed the crown with four games to spare, with City boss Roberto Mancini being sacked soon after, and Vidic believes the team spirit within the squad saw them better their neighbors.

"I'm definitely proud to play for this club with these players and to play for the manager as well," Vidic told MUTV. "I've had a great seven years with the club where we’ve had so much success and we did so again this year so I’m very pleased.

"I think we’ve had 20 players who have scored goals this season which is amazing. It shows how good the spirit is within the team and how hard we pushed to win this title. Obviously, with all the good work on the training ground, we’ve managed that.

"You saw the players at the parade jumping and singing the songs and we had a good time sharing the title with the fans - they deserve it as they support us all year. It’s been a great comeback after last year and we deserved to win this title."

Sir Alex Ferguson bows out at Old Trafford having won a 13th Premier League crown, the last of his 38 trophies over a 26-year tenure, and Vidic has hailed the impact of the Scot during his time at the club.

"It was a real pleasure to play for the manager," Vidic continued. "It's always difficult to talk about him as he was my manager!

"Now I can express myself and have to say he's a great person who always cares about his players and he's always driving them forward. He believes in them and that's why the players always like to play for him. It's a pleasure to play for this club and for this manager."

 

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Fiorentina: Arsenal yet to make contact over Jovetic switch


Daniele Prade insists the north London club has not made an approach for the 23-year-old Montenegro striker, before dismissing a possible move to Serie A rivals Juventus Arsenal have not made contact with Fiorentina regarding a move for Stevan Jovetic, according to the Serie A's sporting director Daniele Prade.

The 23-year-old striker is a long-term target of Arsene Wenger’s and the Gunners had opened preliminary negotiations a number of weeks ago before intensified their interest recently.

However, Prade has now claimed that Arsenal and Fiorentina are not discussing a possible 23 million euro move for Jovetic.

"With Arsenal we have not had any contact, it's a route that does not exist," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "The situation for the player will be resolved directly by the president Andrea Della Valle and we will see what happens.

"We would be happy for him to remain in Florence."

Meanwhile, Fiorentina’s league rival Juventus has confirmed interest in Jovetic but Prade has again insisted there have been no further developments.

He added: "I have not been authorized to speak to Juventus. If the club owners do not authorize me to do so, then I will continue along this path."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Piszczek to undergo hip surgery

The Polish fullback is expected to miss around five months of football when he goes under the knife at the end of the season Borussia Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek will undergo hip surgery to rid himself of a long-standing problem after Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

The Poland international has been nursing the problem for several weeks but has played through the pain barrier, with BVB competing for the European title.

However, once he undergoes the surgery, he is expected the miss around five months of action, meaning that he will be absent for the start of next season.

Piszczek endured a similar problem during his time at Hertha Berlin, forcing him out for around half a campaign.

The 27-year-old joined Signal Iduna Park in 2010 and has since become a key member of Jurgen Klopp's team, making 45 appearances in all competitions this term.

 

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Giroud urges Arsenal to improve in Champions League


The Frenchman has enjoyed a promising maiden campaign for the Gunners and commended the side for wrapping up a top-four finish, but maintained it must progress in Europe Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud has urged the Gunners to make further progress in the Champions League next season.

Arsene Wenger's side will be required to qualify for the group stage in August after sealing fourth-place on the final day of the season ahead of rivals Tottenham.

Although the Gunners will compete in Europe's elite competition for the 17th consecutive campaign, the north Londoners have fallen below expectations in recent seasons, suffering elimination at the last 16 stage for the third year in a row after losing on away goals to Bayern Munich.

Giroud was keen to praise the efforts of his team-mates, before switching his attention to next season's Champions League - a tournament he feels the club must make better progress in.

"On the bench [against Newcastle] it was really nervous," Giroud told the club's official website. "It's always worse when you don't play. It was really difficult but in the second half Laurent [Koscielny], my French friend [scored]. I'm so happy that he scored.

"The goal relieved us and we could dominate the game after. We became more confident. We had our destiny in our hands. It was very difficult but the finish was amazing.

"It's 16 years in a row we've succeeded to qualify for the Champions League. We knew it was really important. For me it will be the second season in the Champions League.

"When you play in the Champions League, you always improve yourself and it's better for competition.

"We are competitors and want to play in the top games. I really enjoy playing against big clubs like Bayern Munich. I would like to go further next year."

After making the switch to Emirates Stadium from Montpellier last summer, Giroud netted 17 times in 47 games (all competitions) in his debut season at Arsenal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Malaga confirms Pellegrini departure


The Andalusian club has announced that the Chilean will leave La Rosaleda at the end of the season, ensuring that his jump into the Manchester City hot seat is imminent Malaga has confirmed that Manuel Pellegrini will leave his position as head coach at the end of the season, opening the door to a move to Manchester City.

The Chilean has been linked with a switch to the Etihad Stadium since earlier in 2013 and Roberto Mancini's sacking earlier in May added fuel to the fire that Pellegrini would be leaving La Rosaleda for the Blues in the summer.

The coach told his outgoing club's website that "sporting reasons" are behind his departure from the Liga side but believes the Andalusians have a good future ahead of them regardless of the split between coach and squad.

"Everyone has the right to follow their own path and Malaga have to take another now," he said. "The club have the funding and the will to have a successful future.

"I would like to thank the owners of the club for putting their trust in me. The most important foundation of this club is on the team and not individuals."

Pellegrini's Spanish side was seconds away from a place in the last four of the Champions League, before two late goals in the second leg quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund knocked it out dramatically.

Despite its financial woes in the past 12 months, Malaga is in sixth place with La Liga almost at an end, and the former Villarreal boss will take charge of the team's final two matches before likely becoming a Premier League manager in June.

The coach, who spent a season in charge of Real Madrid before Jose Mourinho's arrival, is set to take over a Man City side which finished second behind Manchester United this season and lost in the FA Cup final to Wigan.

 

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Buffon: Pogba has to be more mature

The Juventus skipper says the young Frenchman has made a great impact in Turin but feels the midfielder still has some growing up to do.Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is delighted with Paul Pogba's performances for the club but feels the young Frenchman needs to become more mature.

The midfielder arrived in Turin last summer from Manchester United and made 28 Serie A appearances, scoring five goals in the process, and the Bianconeri skipper has been pleasantly surprised by his teammate's impact.

"You have to say that he's been a bigand great surprise because we didn't know how strong he could be when he arrived," Buffon told RMC. "He's shown on the pitch that he can be very strong and we have got to know him. He's an exceptional kid, very humble.

"He still has problems with punctuality but that's normal because he needs to become more mature. But I'm certain that he will leave his mark on the history of Juventus and the France national team."

Buffon and Pogba helped the Old Lady retain their Serie A title, finishing nine-points clear of Napoli in second.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic: I miss Italy

The PSG striker has voiced his love for the footballing culture in Serie A and refused to rule out a move away from the Parc des Princes this summer.Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has he could be on the move again at some point as talk of a return to Serie A intensifies.

The Swede swapped AC Milan for the French capital last summer and promptly led Carlo Ancelotti's side to the Ligue 1 title, but has since been linked with a move back to former club Juventus.

"Will I stay at PSG? We'll see. A lot of things can happen," he is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "All the times [in the past] that I have said that I would be staying, at the end I changed clubs. This time I am not going to say anything. I still have two more years left on my contract but anything can happen. I have changed teams several times and then I planned to stay at a single club for a long time but it did not happen."

The big forward then went on to say that the culture in Italy makes a move back to Serie A attractive.

"I miss Italy. It's my second home," he said. "The clubs I've played for, Juventus, Inter and Milan are the biggest in the world, I won with them and I know what it means to be a footballer in Italy. There is is a big difference, Italy is the most fanatical about football. Italians are used to big football stars and when they arrive they treat them in a certain way.

"If you play for a big club and go out to eat the owner of the restaurant tells you: 'My restaurant is yours'. It's not like that in Spain. There are different cultures and the Italian one is the one I like a lot."

 

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Mourinho and Ronaldo receive two-match Copa bans

The Portuguese duo have both been punished for their part in the ugly scenes at the end of Real Madrid's 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid last week.Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho and forward Cristiano Ronaldo have both received two-match bans for their respective roles in the fracas that marred the Copa del Rey final.

Mourinho was sent to the stands during the eventual 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid after remonstrating with the officials over a decision on the pitch.

While he will be allowed to take his place on the Blancos bench for the final two fixtures of the Liga season, he could be banned from the touchline for two cup ties if he makes his move to Chelsea, should the FA choose to enforce the ban.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, was sent off late on for aiming a kick at the face of Atleti captain Gabi and will miss his side's first two Copa games next season.

Madrid finished the campaign without a trophy thanks to the loss to the club's city rival last Friday and Mourinho's departure from the Spanish capital was confirmed on Monday.

 

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[Wolverine GTR]

Mario Gotze to miss Champions League final

The 20-year-old has been struggling with a thigh injury and has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with Bayern Munich at Wembley.Borussia Dortmund has confirmed that Mario Gotze will miss Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old sustained a thigh injury during the 2-0 semifinal second-leg defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, but had been hopeful of recovering in time to feature at Wembley.

He returned to training on Tuesday but was seen grimacing and underwent scans on Wednesday to determine whether he would be fit to play on Saturday.

However, he has now been ruled out of the clash against the Bavarians and apologized to fans.

"The final was my big goal and I fought hard for this in the past weeks," he was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "I'm incredibly sorry that I can't help the team in this crucial game. I trust our team totally and will of course be heading to London to support the lads off the field."

The Champions League final would have been Gotze's final game for Borussia Dortmund as he has already agreed a summer move to Bayern Munich.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic: Ancelotti has a better relationship with his players than Mourinho

The Sweden international has hailed the successful coach's role at PSG and hopes that the former Chelsea boss will not leave the club this summer.Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken the time to praise Carlo Ancelotti and feels the Paris Saint-Germain coach has an even better relationship with his players than Real Madrid trainer Jose Mourinho.

The Italian is sitting in pole position to take the departing 59-year-old's place at the Bernabeu this summer, yet the former AC Milan striker remains hopeful that the Italian coach will stay put.

"I have a fantastic relationship with Ancelotti and I don't want him to leave the club," the Sweden international said at a press conference. "He is the only coach I have had who has such an excellent rapport with his players, even more so than Jose Mourinho.

"He always explains his decisions to the players when he benches someone. When we won the title, he gathered us in a small room to thank us personally and he had a personal message for all of us. He has contributed a lot to PSG's project and has already built a lot here. If he leaves, seven or eight more of the staff could go. He would leave a huge void if he left and we all want him to stay put."

Paris Saint-Germain has so far been adamant that the club will not let go of Ancelotti easily, but sporting director Leonardo has admitted that the team is willing to open talks with Real Madrid over a potential move.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Robben and Van Persie make Netherlands squad for Asia trip

The former Bayern boss has called up a number of fresh faces as he shuffles his pack with several regulars at this summer's Under-21 European Championships.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has included Lerin Duarte, Dwight Tiendalli, Miquel Nelom and Jens Toornstra in his 23-man squad for this summer's trip to Asia, where the team will play international friendlies against Indonesia (June 7) and China (June 11).

Van Gaal will have to make due without the services of regulars such as Kevin Strootman, Bruno Martins Indi, Stefan de Vrij and Jordy Clasie, who have all been included in the Holland Under-21 squad for this summer's European Championship in Israel.

Therefore, the national team coach has not only included a number of new faces, but also recalled the likes of Erik Pieters and John Heitinga after a lengthy absence.

The squad will gather on May 29, with Jonathan de Guzman, Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart all joining their teammates on June 3.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ribery: Bayern is simply stronger than Dortmund

The attacker realizes that BVB will not be pushovers, but is convinced the Bavarians will conquer Europe this time around Franck Ribery is confident that Bayern Munich will beat Borussia Dortmund in Saturday's Champions League final as he feels they are "simply stronger".

The Frenchman has stressed that Bayern should focus solely on their own game and has little doubt that they will emerge victorious if they do just that.

"I was impressed how Dortmund managed to dismantle Real Madrid in the semi-finals, but we should only be thinking of ourselves. Put simply, we’re stronger," Ribery told the official Bundesliga website. "If we’re all ready and willing to give 100 percent then we’ll emerge victorious.

"We know Borussia Dortmund inside-out. It will be crucial not to put too much pressure on ourselves. BVB are a difficult side to play against as they’re physically strong and defend very well.

"I don’t know whether we’ll make it to the final of the Champions League ever again, which is why we want to give it everything we’ve got to finally hold the trophy."

 

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Bundesliga chief slams summer World Cup 2022

Christian Seifert believes the choice to host the international tournament in Qatar will be "hard, if not impossible" if FIFA continues to avoid staging it in the winter
Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert has slammed FIFA’s decision to host World Cup 2022 in Qatar during the country's summer.

Traditionally, the four-yearly international tournament is held during June, overlapping with May or July slightly depending on where in the world it is being hosted.

However, numerous senior football figures have called for FIFA to change the time of year that the World Cup is held in Qatar due to the extremely high temperatures and the German league's CEO has voiced his dismay at the "political" decision.

"If you make a decision which is so far away from a sporting perspective, if it is so politically driven, it is wrong. Maybe FIFA should change the claim [on its logo], this is not 'for the good of the game'," Seifert told reporters in London on Wednesday.

"I am convinced it is hard, if not impossible, to play a World Cup in the summer in Qatar. In Germany it was a special atmosphere, but I doubt that could work in 48 degree heat. Summer in Qatar is not the right time.

"The priority is the health of the players, and a decision was made here which ignores the health of the players."

Despite Seifert's doubts about a summer tournament in Qatar, he also expressed his opinion that FIFA would be treading on thin legal ice if it chooses to change to the winter months in 2022.

"I am not sure if legally it can be played in the winter; the lawyers will decide in the end if it has to go to a re-vote," Seifert said.

"Talking to other leagues, I have the feeling they are very upset the decision was taken, that a four-week tournament will affect three years of leagues. This shows me FIFA as a body deciding what is good for the game, ignoring the day-to-day business of leagues."

Seifert was in London ahead of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich's clash on Saturday in the Champions League final at Wembley.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Fiorentina announces Jakovenko signing

The Viola revealed the signing of the well-traveled winger, who has signed a contract which will keep him at the Serie A club until 2016 Fiorentina announced the signing of winger Oleksandr Jakovenko on a four-year deal from Anderlecht on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact with the Belgian club initially, being loaned out for two seasons to fellow Belgian side Westerlo before another loan spell at OH Leuven last season.

The attacker has enjoyed an excellent campaign this season, however, notching up 38 appearances in all competitions and scoring nine goals in the process as Anderlecht retained the Belgian Pro League.The Viola have moved quickly to sign reinforcements after their narrow miss at gaining qualification to the Champions League next season following AC Milan’s late win against Siena.

Instead, the Serie A side will compete in the Europa League next campaign under Vincenzo Montella and Jakovenko - who signed a contract until 2016 - will be part of that run.

 

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Adriano extends Barcelona deal

The Brazilian has put pen to paper on a new contract that will keep him at Camp Nou until the summer of 2017 with a 90 million euro buyout clause Barcelona utility man Adriano has signed a new contract with the Catalan club which will expire in the summer of 2017.

The Brazilian moved to Camp Nou in 2010 for a fee of 9.5 million euros and has since filled a variety of roles for the Blaugrana, most commonly in defensive positions.

His current contract was due to expire at the end of next season but the 28-year-old has committed his future to the club.

"Barcelona have agreed terms with Adriano to renew the player's contract for four additional seasons, through June 30 2017," a statement read. "The agreement was reached this afternoon in Barcelona after club officials discussed terms of the contract extension with the player's representative."

The contract includes a buyout clause worth a sum of 90 million euros.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Persie picks up Premier League Golden Boot

The Manchester United striker scored 26 goals as Sir Alex Ferguson's side secured a record 20th title, notching two hat tricks to win the award by three strikes.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has picked up the Golden Boot for the second year in a row after finishing as the top goal scorer in the Premier League with 26 goals in the 2012-13 season.

The Netherlands international finished above Liverpool's Luis Suarez (23 goals) and Tottenham's Gareth Bale (21 goals), in his debut season at Old Trafford to help Sir Alex Ferguson's side become Barclays Premier League champion for the 13th time.

Since scoring with his first shot as a United player in the 3-2 home win against Fulham, Van Persie has scored a number of memorable goals including the stunning volley against Aston Villa that helped the club clinch its 20th league title.

The left-footed volley, following a fantastic 40-yard pass from teammate Wayne Rooney, was not only a part of his second hat trick of the season, but also won Manchester United's Goal of the Season.

He received the Golden Boot trophy after United's thrilling 5-5 draw against West Brom at the Hawthorns and will be given 30,000 pounds by Premier League sponsor Barclays to donate to a charity of his choice.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations RVP!

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[Wolverine GTR]

Ramos urges Bale to join Real

Sergio Ramos has described Tottenham's Gareth Bale as a "Real Madrid-quality signing", fuelling reports of the Spanish giants' interest in signing the Welshman.
Bale, 23, has been linked with a move away from White Hart Lane after Spurs failed to qualify for next season's Champions League.Despite giving his broadest hint yet on Wednesday that he is willing to stay at Tottenham, Bale has been backed by Real defender Ramos to move to the Bernabeu.

"Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid-quality signing," Ramos said, according to the Sun. "He has had an exceptional season. He can punish any team in the world and has the footballing qualities we look for in Madrid.

"I am sure Madrid will not be the only team that want to sign him, but he is the right mould for us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney open to PSG move

Wayne Rooney has moved a step closer to a long-anticipated transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, with his exit potentially opening the way for Robert Lewandowski to move to Old Trafford, according to a source at Manchester United. The French club have started dialogue with Rooney's representatives, and the forward is understood to now be open to the idea.PSG actually made contact with United as far back as February over a possible transfer, upon learning that the Old Trafford club had made the decision to sell the forward for the right price.Negotiations have continued since then intermittently, explaining much of the unrest that has characterised Rooney’s inconsistent campaign going back to the March Champions League game against Real Madrid, in which he started on the bench.

For his part, Rooney has not been completely settled at Old Trafford this season. As his relationship with former boss Alex Ferguson worsened, many around the United dressing room noticed he wasn’t as content as in recent years.Although new manager David Moyes has patched things up with Rooney to a relative degree since the forward's spell at boyhood club Everton ended in acrimony, he is understood to be open to the move should personal terms be agreed. Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly prepared to pay Rooney in excess of £250,000 a week.

Rooney's sale may also set a chain of events in store that brings Lewandowski to Old Trafford, with United encouraged by the Pole's representatives that a deal may be possible. A club source has stated that much of the Premier League champions' transfer policy has been dependent on whether the English attacker leaves. If he does, United will attempt to act on their long-standing interest in Lewandowski.

Although the Borussia Dortmund striker's representatives have apparently agreed the principles of a provisional deal with Bayern Munich, they remain open to other high-profile offers. His current Bundesliga club, meanwhile, would be more willing to sell to anyone other than Bayern after the Bavarian giants' contentious signing of Mario Goetze. Lewandowski is out of contract and can move for free in 2014, but United would look to bring him in before then, thereby trumping Bayern too.However, Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp is holding onto the idea that Lewandowski will remain with the club.

“There is no topic on Lewandowski’s transfer right now,” Klopp told the Daily Star. “The rest of the team and I talk and think only about the final right now.“My conclusion is that Robert is not leaving Borussia. He will play here for the next season. That is why I don’t want to even think about which club he may fit better.”