..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

No offers for Manchester United target Thiago Alcantara

Barcelona sources have told Sky Sports that they have yet to receive an official approach for Thiago Alcantara. The future of the 22-year-old remains far from certain with Manchester United and Bayern Munich both closely linked with the midfielder, who reportedly wants to leave the Camp Nou.

The player is due to return to pre-season training after playing a starring role in Spain's European Under-21 Championship success. Reports claim that Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta met with the player's father and agent - former Brazilian international Mazinho - on Thursday, and told him the club want a decision on Alcantara's future in ten days.

When approached by Sky Sports, a Barcelona source would only say: "We still have not received any formal offer for the player." It is claimed Barcelona are not looking to negotiate Alcantara's sale with anyone, but he is widely reported to have a buy-out clause of just over £15million so they would be unable to prevent him leaving if this figure was met.

Reports suggest that Alcantara does not believe he will be able to claim a regular starting spot ahead of the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas, which is why he is keen to look for regular first-team action elsewhere. Last season Alcantara started just 15 league games for Barca, and of those he was taken off seven times.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

anemanda mona karanna handanawada kiyalabalagena hitiyoth nam 1ka deal 1kakwath karaganna wena 1kak naha

 

[rcccc]

Del Bosque: Isco is Spain's future

 

[rcccc]

No offers for Manchester United target Thiago Alcantara

 

[Wolverine GTR]

mechcharath Interest kiyala Offer 1kak naha kiyana 1kane bro pudume

 

[kmc madushan]

 

[rcccc]

mechcharath Interest kiyala Offer 1kak naha kiyana 1kane bro pudume

eka thma

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van der Vaart rules out Ajax return

The 30-year-old has ended speculation surrounding a move back home, saying he hopes to spend the remainder of his career with Hamburg Rafael van der Vaart has ruled out a return to Ajax and says that he wants to end his career at Hamburg.


The attacking midfielder scored five goals while adding 10 assists in 27 Bundesliga matches for the German outfit last season after making an estimated €13 million switch from Tottenham in August.

The Netherlands international, 30, is in his second spell with Hamburg and, despite rumours to the contrary, he insists that he is not looking to move back home anytime soon.

"I'd prefer to play here until the end of my career here. I do not want to leave Hamburg,” he told Bild, when asked if he could return to the Amsterdam giants.

Van der Vaart took part in a match to celebrate Ajax legend Sjaak Swart’s 75th birthday this week, pitting former players from the club against each other. Among those in attendance were Johan Cruyff, Guus Hiddink, Frank Rijkaard, Marc Overmars, Edwin van der Sar and Wesley Sneijder.

"Playing with the legendary Johan Cruyff in the same team as me was one of the highlights of my career," he added. "It was really great.

"After all the reports in the newspaper everybody expected that I would appear with a fat belly! On the field everyone wanted to have a look at my stomach. They were disappointed that there was no big belly under my t-shirt."

Van der Vaart has two years remaining on his current contract with Hamburg.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lahm excited by Guardiola arrival

The 29-year-old is enjoying life under the new Bayern Munich coach, while Claudio Pizarro wants the team to improve on their record-breaking 2012-13 campaign Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm is thoroughly enjoying working under new coach Pep Guardiola and is excited about what the upcoming season.


The right-back captained the Bavarians to the treble last season but he believes they still have plenty they can improve on under the former Barcelona boss.

"It’s fun," Lahm, 29, told the club's official website. "We have all the conditions to play football in the coming years successfully. You can really look forward to the future.

"Guardiola’s the pleasant kind. One can talk with him about everything and that is very important for a team. He has a clear vision.

"You can tell that the coach is full of energy and has a clear idea of how he wants to play defensively and offensively. We are hungry again and want to win more titles."

Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro is excited to see what this season has in store for the club and has high expectations under his new trainer at the Allianz Arena.

"It’s a special thing for any player to play under him," he said. "I think for me, he is one of the best coaches in the world.

"I think this will be a very good year for us. I hope it will be better than last year, which of course will be very difficult, but we have the belief and confidence that we are able to achieve important things this season.

"Every time a new coach comes, it is difficult to get into his philosophy. We must quickly learn and watch what he wants from us. We must be very focused.

"He talks a lot with the players and explains what he expects from each player in his position. For a player, it is important that the coach has a lot of contact with them."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ajax set sights on Bojan

Frank de Boer is hoping to bring the Spanish forward to the Amsterdam ArenA this summer and his agent admits that the Eredivisie is his client's first choice Frank de Boer has revealed that Ajax are very interested in signing Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic this summer.


The attacker, 22, spent last season on loan at AC Milan from Roma, scoring three goals in 19 Serie A appearances, but has returned to Barca as part of the deal made in 2011 with the Giallorossi.

After the departure of wide players Ryan Babel and Miralem Sulejmani from the Amsterdam club, De Boer believes Bojan would help bolster their attack.

"He’s a quality player who knows what it’s like to perform at the highest level," the Ajax coach told Voetbal International.

"Bojan is a roving attacker like a Viktor Fischer-type. He’s not a real right winger like Isaac Cuenca, but I would like to have him."

The Spaniard has also received interest from PSV and Feyenoord, but De Boer believes Ajax’s assurance of playing Champions League football would be appealing and cites the club’s strong relationship with the forward as a reason they have an edge on other suitors.

"I myself have talked to him," the 43-year-old added. "He has long been in the picture for us. We have had years of contact with his father. It would surprise me if he chooses another Dutch club to Ajax."

Bojan's agent has exclaimed that the Barca player has is sight set on the Eredivisie and that it will be up to him to choose where he wants to play.

"Bojan only wants to go to the Netherlands," Alexander Bursac said. "A club like Real Betis doesn’t have a chance. There are many reasons [why he wants to go to Netherlands].

"All three clubs [PSV, Feyenoord and Ajax] have positive and negative points. He’s got a good impression of the coaches of the clubs."

Barcelona’s wealth of attacking options have forced Bojan to look elsewhere for first-team football this coming season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Reus buoyed by new Dortmund kit

The Germany international is particularly impressed with the new collar on the defeated Champions League finalists' home and away strips for the 2013-14 campaign Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus has expressed his satisfaction with the Bundesliga outfit's new kit.


The strips for the 2013-14 season were unveiled on Friday at a lavish ceremony at Westfalenpark, the centrepiece of which was a floral representation of the home jersey that covered 1000 square metres and 80,645 flowers.

Reus, though, was more impressed with the real thing, telling reporters: "The design and fit of our new jersey are really fantastic. They have fully met my expectations, especially with the new shape of the collar.

"What I hope is that with this new shirt we will have a richly successful season."

Dortmund were beaten by Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League final and finished well behind their Bavarian rivals points-wise in the Bundesliga, despite ending in second place.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Neymar & Alba surgeries successful

The Barcelona duo had their tonsils removed on Friday and the club have issued a statement saying that the operations went well Barcelona stars Neymar and Jordi Alba underwent successful surgery on Friday to remove their tonsils, the club have confirmed.


The operations were scheduled by the club in the hopes of solving recurring tonsillitis problems suffered by the duo.

The Catalans stated that the operations went according to plan and revealed that they would be out of action for less than a fortnight.

"This Friday, Neymar and Jordi Alba underwent successful operations for their tonsillitis problems which have happened repeatedly in recent weeks," the club revealed on their official site.

"The recovery time for both players is expected to be around 10 days."

The players had to wait until the completion of the Confederations Cup - in which Neymar's Brazil beat Jordi Alba's Spain 3-0 in the final - to have their surgery.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tevez wants Argentina return for World Cup

The 29-year-old has been frozen out of the international fold by current Albiceleste boss Alejandro Sabella, but the Bianconeri striker would welcome a recall Carlos Tevez has revealed that he would be happy to accept an invitation to return to the Argentina squad for next year's World Cup.


The Juventus striker has not featured for the Albiceleste since Alejandro Sabella took charge of the national team in August 2011.

Tevez would love to represent his country in Brazil but accepts that his services are probably no longer required by Argentina, who are currently three points clear at the top of the South American qualification standings.

"I think the Albiceleste are doing well, and it's the same with me," the 29-year-old told Cronica. "I would not say no if they called me for the World Cup, but I think that it [qualification] is already certain.

"Certainly, they are playing well even without me."

For the time being, though, Tevez's primary concern is proving himself at Juventus following his summer switch from Manchester City, a challenge he is looking forward to enormously.

"I have no problem with [the sense of expectancy]," he declared. "In the past, I have demonstrated the ability to withstand any pressure, even the weight of responsibility of wearing this jersey.

"Indeed, I must say that the responsibility excites me."

The Bianconeri paid a reported €12 million to sign Tevez from City in June.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Getafe confirm bid for Real Madrid's Morata

However, the Azulones are not confident that their city rivals will consider allowing the 20-year-old forward to move to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez
Getafe president Angel Torres has confirmed that the club have made an offer for Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata - but admitted that he does not think los Blancos will be willing part company with the striker.

The 20-year-old forward, who is valued in the region of €10 million, scored two goals in 12 Liga appearances last season before playing a starring role in Spain's triumph at last month's European Under-21 championship.

Consequently, while Torres would love to see Morata at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez next season, he does not expect Madrid will come to the negotiating table.

“We made a request to Real Madrid,” the Getafe chief told reporters on Friday. “But I think there’s very little chance of him joining.

“After last season he deserves a place in their first team.”

Morata,who is a product of Atletico Madrid's youth academy, was top scorer at the Euros, scoring four goals for the victorious Rojita and has a contract at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2015.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United captain Vidic: Rooney in best shape in the last five years

The Red Devils star heaps praise on the effort shown by his team-mate and says that the rest of the team will increase their training in a bid to impress new manager David Moyes Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic believes that Wayne Rooney is in his "best shape for five years".

The forward's future has been a subject of constant speculation in recent months although manager David Moyes insisted on Friday that the England star is not for sale and will remain at the club.

Vidic claims that the two have not spoken about his attempts to leave Old Trafford but says that Rooney has reported back for pre-season training in fine fitness.

"He's in very good shape, the best shape in the last five years," the centre-back told reporters.

"I'm looking forward to watching him play for the club. We never talk about his future."

The 31-year-old, who claimed his fifth league title with the club despite another injury-troubled season in 2012-13, previously stated his belief in Moyes's ability to lead the club to further success.

And he is now happy to increase his workload alongside the rest of his team as they look to prove their value under new management.

"Players are going to increase their work," Vidic declared. "David has worked in the Premier League and he knows the players but the players still have something to prove to him.

“You're playing for Manchester United and there is always pressure on the players and we have to work hard and help the manager achieve what he wants."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gerrard urges Liverpool youngsters to 'become men'

The skipper has hailed Brendan Rodgers's attitude towards youth and urged the club's academy prospects to establish themselves in the first team Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has challenged the club's young players to "become men" by establishing themselves in the first team.


The club finished seventh in 2012-13, a season in which Brendan Rodgers gave seven academy graduates opportunities in both domestic and European competitions.

Raheem Sterling accumulated the most appearances, with 36 in all competitions, but Gerrard wants more players to push themselves and make their mark on the first team.

"You only get described as a young lad for a certain amount of time and then it's time to become a man and perform on a consistent basis," the Reds skipper told LFC TV.

"There is great talent at the club at a young age; the manager has been trying to get a young group of players together that can perform well for him.

"It's a big season for a lot of players - you look at Sterling and [Jordan] Henderson. Of course it's a big season for every player we've got but I think the supporters will be looking for the young lads to step up now, try to push people out of the way and become regulars in the team.

"I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what happens with those young players."

Liverpool's academy has previously produced stars such as Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen and Gerrard believes that Rodgers is perfect for the job of nurturing the next homegrown success stories.

He continued: "The manager is fantastic with the way he does it; he invites a lot of young players down to train with the team all the time.

"It's great experience to come down and play with the first team. When they come down permanently, they have sampled it and they know what they're in for."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Marin motivated by Sevilla loan

The 24-year-old struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge last season but is now hoping to "show his value" at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Marko Marin has revealed that he is even more motivated to prove himself at Sevilla than he was at Chelsea last season after joining the club on a season-long loan deal.


The Germany international arrived at Stamford Bridge 12 months ago but managed just six Premier League appearances for the Blues.

Marin has now been sent on loan to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, and the 24-year-old is determined to make the most of this chance to shine in "one of the best" leagues in the world.

“I come here with more ambition than when I signed for Chelsea,” the attacking midfielder told reporters on Friday.

“Sevilla is a club of tradition that I have come to for the new season with the hope of helping them return to a position in the league that they occupied not so many years ago.

“I hope to take on the role of a leader. After talking with 'Monchi' [Sevilla sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo] and [midfielder] Ivan Rakitic, who is also a leader in the team, I have understood the project and the philosophy of this club.

“I want to show my value here."

Marin managed just one goal in 15 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last term.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

David Moyes says Sir Alex Ferguson told him about the Manchester United job

David Moyes says he is thrilled to have become the new manager of Premier League champions Manchester United.And, speaking at his first press conference as boss of the Old Trafford club, the Scot revealed how the job offer was delivered out of the blue by his predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I'm incredibly privileged to be given the opportunity to be the manager of Manchester United," said Moyes. "And very grateful to Sir Alex and the board for making that happen."It was a really strange situation for me, I had no idea whatsoever."A lot of people think I knew something about it. I knew nothing at all about it until Sir Alex gave me a call, and asked me to come to his house.

"I was expecting him to say 'I'm going to take one of your players' or something else, I wasn't sure."We went in and the first thing he said to me was 'I'm retiring'. I said 'Yeah, when?' I mean, he was never going to retire was he? But he said 'next week'."His next words were 'and you're the next Manchester United manager'.

Blood drained from my face

"I didn't get a chance to say yes or no, I was told I was the next Manchester United manager by Sir Alex, for me that was enough."As you can imagine, the blood drained from my face. I was really shocked, more shocked that Sir Alex had chosen to retire. I was incredibly thrilled that I was going to be given the chance to manage Manchester United."

It has been suggested that Ferguson might stay away from United's first few matches for fear that his presence might add to the pressure on Moyes.But the new boss said: "I hope Sir Alex Ferguson is sitting in the directors box. He's been so good. I've already called him two or three times for advice on a couple of matters.

"This is a new era but Sir Alex Ferguson will never go away, he'll always be here. You can see his statue, you can see his stand, and he's certainly someone I'll go to."Hopefully, the supporters will realise it was his time to finish and time for someone else."

We're always interested in the best players

Asked what counted as success in his first campaign, Moyes replied: "This club is about winning trophies and that's something I'm looking forward to doing."Moyes was also asked about Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been linked with a possible return to United this summer.

The new boss would not speak directly about the Portuguese forward but said "this club is always interested in the best players".The United boss says he may add to his squad before the club go on tour next week although "time is closing in a bit."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations & Good Luck Moyes!

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Ginkel completes Chelsea move

The Blues confirm that the Netherlands international midfielder, still only 20 years old, has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge after leaving Vitesse Chelsea have confirmed that Marco van Ginkel has completed his move to Stamford Bridge and signed a five-year contract with the Blues.


The Netherlands international midfielder arrives in London to become Jose Mourinho's second signing after the capture of Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen.

The 20-year-old is delighted to have sealed his move, telling the club's official website: "I'm very happy to be here at such a nice club with great players. I am really happy, the stadium is good and the training ground is fantastic.

"I know about all the players and will meet them on Monday. I expect a lot, I've watched matches and it's really nice to be here."

Van Ginkel, who was named Dutch Talent of the Year last season, made his Netherlands debut in November and starred for the country's Under-21s in the European Championships in Israel this summer.