..::Football III::..

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Szczesny: I am at Arsenal for good!

Poland international Wojciech Szczesny is happy at Arsenal and wants to see out his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal, who successfully defended their FA Cup crown after Szczesny kept a clean sheet in Saturday's 4-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley.

Szczesny - whose current deal runs until 2018 - has not played in the Premier League since he was dropped on New Year's Day, with manager Arsene Wenger favouring David Ospina and, despite the possibility of a new keeper arriving at the club, Szczesny has no plans to leave.

"I am very grateful for the manager, he has been good with me over these last couple of months and has shown all the faith in the world in me and I am very thankful for the chance to play in the cup final and am very glad of a clean sheet," the 25-year-old said.

"You [media] like to speculate, but I am happy where I am.

"I have got all the support in the world from the manager and I have fantastic relations with him, so you can stop the gossip now because I am here for good. I will stay."

 

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Xavi: I will not play for PSG

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has denied reports he could join PSG on loan.

The 35-year-old will end his 24-year stay at Barcelona in Saturday’s Champions League final against Juventus, having agreed a two-year deal with Qatari side Al-Sadd.

And reports in the French media last week suggested the veteran could make a temporary move to the French capital, with Al-Sadd owned by the brother of PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

“I will not play for PSG,” Xavi told Qatari newspaper Al-Watan.Xavi helped Barca to a 3-1 Copa del Rey final victory over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in what was his final appearance at Camp Nou.

His last match as a Barcelona player will be on Saturday in Berlin as Barca face Juventus in the Champions League final and victory would see him lift the trophy for the fourth time in his career.

Xavi claimed eight Liga titles and three Copa del Rey crowns during his time with Barcelona.

 

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Arsenal reprimand Wilshere over Tottenham 's***' taunts

Arsenal have reminded Jack Wilshere of his responsibilities after the midfielder led foul-mouthed chants mocking rivals Tottenham following the Gunners' 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The England international mocked the Gunners' north London rivals with a series of anti-Spurs songs at the club's FA Cup trophy parade on Sunday afternoon.

Grabbing the microphone outside of the Emirates Stadium, Wilshere shouted to the Arsenal fans below: "I have one question and one question only: what do we think of Tottenham?" After the crowd responded: "S**t", the England international continued: "And what do we think of s**t?" Before joining in with a chorus of "We hate Tottenham and we hate Tottenham... we are the Tottenham haters."

Wilshere sang another expletive-laden song aimed at Tottenham, forcing Arsenal to cut the live in-house broadcast of the parade and apologise for swearing.

It is understood that the club have spoken to the Gunners midfielder and will deal with the issue internally, although the matter will not be treated as a serious incident.

Wilshere came off the bench in the second half of the FA Cup final as Arsenal romped to a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, with Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud all on target.

 

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Low: Wolfsburg are now Bayern's biggest rivals

Germany coach Joachim Low says Wolfsburg are ready to usurp Dortmund as Bayern Munich's closest rivals.

Dieter Hecking’s side finished second in the Bundesliga this season before seeing off Dortmund 3-1 on Saturday to claim the German cup.

And after years of dominance from Bayern and Dortmund, Low believes Wolfsburg are ready to squeeze out BVB and become Germany’s second team.
"Wolfsburg has the potential to become the second force behind Bayern,” Low told Bild.

Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs added that the club's target for next season is to close the gap on Pep Guardiola's side.“We want to move in the direction of Bavaria, which is a major challenge,” he said. “Add this title the club has taken, we are now runners-up and cup winners.”

Wolfsburg ended the season 10 points behind Bayern and handed Guardiola’s side their heaviest league defeat in six years with a 4-1 victory over the champions in January.

 

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'He makes David Luiz look very silly' - Suarez punishes PSG


The Champions League final is just days away and, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Carlos Tevez on show, it promises the spectacular.

There has been plenty of brilliant attacking play to enjoy already this season, and Goal has sat down with former Celtic manager Neil Lennon and ex-Liverpool star Emile Heskey to relive the pick of this year's goals.

The Bolton duo start with Luis Suarez, the man who "made David Luiz look very silly" in the first leg of Barcelona's quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

 

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Klopp: I'm taking a break from coaching

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he plans to take a break from coaching having left his post with Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp's seven-year spell at Signal Iduna Park came to an end on Sunday as his side suffered a 3-1 defeat in the DFB-Pokal final to Wolfsburg.

The 47-year-old had been linked with a potential move to replace Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager, while Germany icon Franz Beckenbauer has earmarked him as the ideal successor to Rafael Benitez at Napoli.

But the former Mainz boss says he has no plans to walk straight into another role after bringing his Dortmund spell to an end.

"I will take a break until further notice," he said.

"After seven intense and emotional years of "Real Love" [Dortmund's slogan], I consider it sensible to process all these memories until I'm fresh and full of motivation to take on a new task, together with my team."

Early reports had suggested Klopp could also be in the running for the Real Madrid job, but the Santiago Bernabeu side are poised to appoint Benitez as Carlo Ancelotti's successor later this week.

 

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Ramos: I wouldn't have sacked Ancelotti

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos admits he does not believe sacking head coach Carlo Ancelotti was necessarily the right decision.

The former AC Milan boss was relieved of his duties last week after Madrid ended the 2014-15 season without claiming a major trophy.

While Ramos claims he may well have acted differently were he in president Florentino Perez's position, he hopes Madrid fans can at least savour the memories of the Decima triumph they achieved under Ancelotti last year.

"I'm not the best placed to decide these things. Perhaps, in my case, I would not have done this but that is what the club directors are there to do," he told reporters when asked whether changing coach was the right decision."Madrid fans can savour the taste of not only a great person but a great coach who gave us a lot of titles that we didn't win for a long time."

Rafael Benitez is poised to be named Ancelotti's successor this week and Ramos believes the experience he will bring to the role could be vital.

"Obviously we can't comment much until it's made official by the club. He's a great coach with a lot of experience in Italy, England, Spain... a coach who brings experience is always good for a dressing-room like ours," said the centre-back.

Madrid continue to be linked with a summer move for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Ramos says he is happy to see his international team-mate performing so well at club level.

"De Gea is a great goalkeeper, he's shown that. It's important he does well for his club so he's available for the national team," added the former Sevilla man.
"One hears that he could come to Madrid but, out of respect for Keylor Navas, Iker Casillas and Pacheco, I won't say anything."

 

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Buffon: 'Outstanding' Allegri key to success

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has hailed coach Massimiliano Allegri's impact in Turin as they close in on a memorable treble.

The former AC Milan boss's July 2014 appointment raised eyebrows around Europe after he was sacked by the Rossoneri just six months earlier.

But the 47-year-old now stands on the verge of an historic treble after leading the Old Lady to the league and cup double ahead of Saturday's Champions League showdown with Barcelona, and Buffon has revealed how impressed he has been by the man in charge.

"What has impressed me most is his great intelligence in terms of settling in with the squad and trying to find out not just our technical qualities but also the mentality and morale of the whole team and each individual player," Buffon told Uefa.com.
"His tactical knowledge is outstanding – after years of playing a certain system, he managed to get us to try alternatives and to perform even better.

"Even so, he has not tried to completely change how we've played because in some situations or matches we have returned to how we played before. So I think this is his biggest achievement."Juve are hoping to secure their first Champions League crown since 1996 but Buffon concedes the Italian champions will be the underdogs in Berlin.

"Against Real Madrid [in the semi-finals] we might have had a 35 per cent chance of making it past them, so I guess the chances of now winning the trophy against this Barcelona side are even slimmer," he said.

"But like I said about Real, we have a few weapons to compete and ways to try to make things difficult for them. So we will play based on that."

 

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Wilshere apologises for Tottenham taunts during FA Cup celebrations

Jack Wilshere has apologised for leading several explicit chants during Arsenal's celebrations in the wake of Saturday's FA Cup final victory over Aston Villa.

The England international led a series of foul-mouthed chants mocking rivals Tottenham during Arsenal's trophy parade in north London on Sunday and was subsequently reprimanded by the club.

And the 23-year-old has now publicly apologised for any offence caused by his actions, tweeting to his followers that he had been largely caught up in the emotion of the occasion.

This incident marks the second time in the space of five months that Wilshere has fallen foul of Arsenal's code of conduct; in February he was disciplined by Arsene Wenger after pictures emerged of him smoking on a shisha pipe with friends.

 

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Benitez: I can't wait to get to Madrid

Rafa Benitez has broken his silence on his imminent move to Real Madrid, revealing he “can’t wait to be there".

The 55-year-old left Napoli this morning and headed to the Spanish capital to finalise his appointment as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at the Bernabeu.

Benitez flew to Madrid via a private jet sent by the club and is set to sign his contract on Monday before being officially presented to the media on Wednesday.
“I am ready,” Benitez told AS as he left for Spain. "I can't wait to be there."Upon arrival in Madrid Benitez said he was "excited and happy", before answering in the affirmative when asked whether the "dream starts now."

His stay at Napoli came to a disappointing end on Sunday night after a home defeat to Lazio ended their hopes of Champions League qualification.Benitez joined the Partenopei in 2013, leading them to the Coppa Italia and a third-placed finish in his first season in charge.

The former Liverpool boss spent most of his playing career with Real Madrid's B team before going on to coach at every level of the club, excluding the first team.
Madrid vice-president Eduardo Fernandez de Blas revealed the club's intention to appoint Benitez as coach, calling him one of the best in the world on Sunday.

 

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Rooney swims with pigs in the Bahamas

How would you warm up for two summer matches with England at the end of a long, draining Premier League season? If your answer isn't 'swimming with pigs in the Bahamas, you should probably have a long look at yourself.

Wayne Rooney has made the most of his time off ahead of a friendly with Republic of Ireland and Euro 2016 qualifier with Slovenia later this month by taking his family on an idyllic Caribbean break.

But the Manchester United captain encountered something he didn't expect when he visited Big Major Cay - informally known as 'Pig Island' - in the Exumas Cays district of the Bahamas.

"Didn't expect to see pigs in the sea in the Bahamas! Haha," Rooney wrote on Instagram alongside an image featuring wife Colleen and youngest son Klay posing behind one of the spotted critters.

Legend has it that the pigs were introduced to the island by passing sailors in the hope that they would prove to be a convenient and tasty food source, but they have long since become part of its unique attraction.

 

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Liverpool owners set for Rodgers talks

The Liverpool hierarchy are set to hold talks with Brendan Rodgers this week amid persistent speculation surrounding the Northern Irishman's future at Anfield.

Chairman Tom Werner will travel to Merseyside with Mike Gordon, the executive at Fenway Sports Group responsible for overseeing day-to-day business at Liverpool, though Goal understands owner John W. Henry will not make the trip.

Rodgers' position has been subjected to new levels of scrutiny in the wake of a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Stoke City on the Premier League's final day that cemented a sixth-placed finish to a disappointing season.

Speaking immediately after that defeat, a dejected Rodgers admitted: "I've always said if the owners want me to go, then I go."

Tensions at Anfield have been raised further by the increasingly acrimonious nature of Raheem Sterling's contract stand-off after explosive comments by the player's agent, Aidy Ward, to The Evening Standard earlier this month.

Sources at Liverpool insist that the uncertainty over Rodgers' future is not the sole purpose of Werner and Gordon's visit and no change of manager is expected this summer.

But for some the meeting will evoke ominous memories of the sacking of club legend Kenny Dalglish in May 2012 after face-to-face talks with Henry and Werner in Boston.

Rodgers received a boost from an unlikely source on Monday with the news that the coveted Jurgen Klopp will take a break from football upon ending an illustrious seven-year spell in charge of Borussia Dortmund.

 

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Man-marking Messi is impossible - Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri says attempting to man-mark Lionel Messi is "impossible" as his side prepare for the Champions League final against Barcelona.Juve are one match away from completing a famous treble having already secured the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles this term.

Barca are also on the cusp of their first treble since 2009 after a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the weekend saw them add Copa del Rey success to their Liga triumph.

Superstar Messi once more grabbed the headlines with a double at Camp Nou, including a sublime first goal in the 57th minute.Yet Allegri believes it would be a huge mistake for Juve to focus all their attention on Messi, considering the wealth of talent at Barca's disposal.

The Juve coach told reporters: "We have to be ready, we have to be good. We know Messi's skills, but we can't forget the likes of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta also.

"Man-marking Messi is almost impossible. We have to be good at working well around him. I think beyond stopping Messi they have Neymar and Suarez - players with technical skills so we have to be brave."

After struggling in Europe in recent seasons, Juve have defied their critics and reached Saturday's showpiece in Berlin courtesy of an impressive semi-final victory over last season's champions Real Madrid.

On Monday, Allegri was asked if comparisons can be made with Inter's treble-winning team under Jose Mourinho in 2010, but the Italian was more focused on Juve's accomplishments.

"We will see afterwards [if comparisons can be made to Inter], if we manage to win the cup. If not it will be different," he said.

"Regardless of anything a final must be played and I think it will be a more than extraordinary result winning this cup. The squad have had a great season - winning the Champions League would be something uncommon having won Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

"It's a Champions League final - it's normal to face the best players in the world, but we're not afraid of facing Barcelona.

"Preparing for a game like this is enjoyable. Everyone dreams of doing so and I consider myself very fortunate to coach players who have brought great joy over these past four years. It's been an extraordinary season that will go down in history, and winning the Champions League would make it even better.

"The meeting with Real was a useful test for us, enabling us to pit our wits against top quality players, as we will be doing when we face Barcelona. It will be even tougher in Berlin, but it's a one-off game and that perhaps represents a slight advantage for us.

"We need to appreciate that we'll be in for some difficult spells but also moments that will go in our favour. We're not travelling to Berlin to make up the numbers. It's the final and taking on the world's best players is something that's perfectly normal, but this shouldn't make us anxious as we have great character.

"We need to stay compact and keep it tight. They possess great quality, but so do we. We will prepare for every eventuality, including penalties, but I don't think it will go to spot-kicks."

 

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Monaco confirm Berbatov departure

Monaco have confirmed that striker Dimitar Berbatov has left the club.
The Bulgarian forward moved to Stade Louis II from Fulham in January 2014 and he scored 13 goals in 38 Ligue 1 appearances.

Berbatov, though, will not be extending his stay, with Monaco releasing a statement on Monday praising the 34-year-old for his "character, his professionalism and his great talent".

Monaco president Vadim Vasilyev added: "He is clearly among the greatest strikers who have played for Monaco. We are proud of what he brought to the club and wish him the best in the future."The former Tottenham and Manchester United striker has been linked with a return to the Premier League with newly promoted Bournemouth.

Monaco also confirmed that Maarten Stekelenburg will return to Fulham following the end of his loan deal.

 

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Berba ayeth EPL awi wage​

 

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Pastore signs new PSG contract

Javier Pastore has signed a three-year contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain.

Pastore's contract at the Parc des Princes had been due to expire at the end of the next season, but he has now inked a deal that will see him remain with the club until 2019.

The Argentina attacking midfielder enjoyed a superb season for PSG as they marched to an unprecedented domestic treble and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the third straight year."I am delighted to extend my contract. I just experienced the best season of my career," Pastore told PSG's official website.

"I am very proud of the year I made, but I could not have done it without my team-mates. So, I want to thank them, as well as the technical staff and all the people who work at Paris Saint-Germain.
"I hope tocontinue to win titles here, and get to play in a Champions League final with this team. That's my main goal now.

"I think we can achieve that in the coming years, and why not next year?"My goal is to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain. That would be the ultimate."

 

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Messi: Dani Alves is the world's best full-back

Lionel Messi has described his Barcelona team-mate Dani Alves as the best full-back in the world.

The Brazilian defender's future remains shrouded in doubt as he nears the end of his contract at Camp Nou, with the 32-year-old unhappy with the current terms offered by Barca.

Paris Saint-Germain were one of the favourites to land Alves' signature but head coach Laurent Blanc believes it is only a matter of time until he commits to his current club.And Messi undoubtedly wants the former Sevilla man to stay, claiming he is something of a unique player in the modern game.

"He is the best full-back in the world. It is very difficult nowadays to find someone else like him," Messi told Uefa.com.Both Dani Alves and Xavi could play their final matches for Barcelona in the Champions League final on Saturday, with the veteran midfielder departing for Al Sadd in the summer.

"Everyone knows what Xavi is on the pitch," Messi said of his long-time team-mate. "He's a player who dictates tempo, gives you a pass where you want it, reads the game very well."It was a pleasure for me to spend so much time alongside him. He's the best player in the history of Spain."

Messi also warned of the threat posed by Juventus in Saturday's meeting in Berlin. The Argentine has scored in his two previous Champions League final appearances - both against Manchester United - and he admits they were two special moments in a remarkable career.He said: "We suffered a lot to reach the final. Juventus are a great team, they are dangerous.

"The two goals were important for me - very special. The first secured the game at 2-0 and the second came at 2-1, when that match was very equal."

 

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Lukaku: It's time for me to win trophies

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has reiterated his desire to play big matches on a regular basis and win trophies.

The Belgium international has previously stated that he wishes to return to a "top club" following his arrival at Goodison Park on a permanent deal from Chelsea in 2014.

And now Lukaku feels he is at a stage in his career where he needs to be challenging for silverware.

"I want to win titles, not just be shadowing at the top," he told Sport Voetbal.

"I want to know how it feels to play in the big games. I'm 22. It's time to win trophies."

Lukaku finished the season with 20 goals in all competitions, though he was not always utilised by manager Roberto Martinez as a central striker.

And the former Anderlecht forward has revealed he was unhappy at being played in a wide role and had to request he be moved back up front after some disappointing performances.

"I am a striker. At one point I went to the coach and I said to him 'With all due respect, as winger I'm hopeless. I will only score goals if you put me up front'," said the Belgian.

"That was true. The games that I did not score, I was on the flank. I played in the middle, then I scored."

 

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Thiago Silva: Ancelotti likely to return to Milan

Paris Saint-Germain ace Thiago Silva believes that there is a strong possibility of Carlo Ancelotti returning to AC Milan.

Ancelotti was sacked by Real Madrid last week and promptly announced that he would be taking a year out of the game to recover from a back operation he will undergo in Canada this summer.

However, AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi had sent club CEO Adriano Galliani to the Spanish capital and is alleged to have tried to persuade Ancelotti to rejoin the Rossoneri, whom the 55-year-old coached between 2001 and 2009.Ancelotti is expected to make a decision on his future on Wednesday and Thiago Silva suspects his former coach will end up back at San Siro.

"I believe that with the two people behind this club, Galliani and Berlusconi, there is a good chance that Ancelotti will return to AC Milan," the ex-Rossoneri centre-half told Sky Sport Italia."A great club deserves a great coach and Ancelotti is a great coach. I am confident that a solution can be found."

Thiago Silva played under Ancelotti twice during his career, first with Milan and subsequently with PSG.

 

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Wilshere: I look up to Ozil

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere says he is always looking to learn from team-mates Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

The Gunners thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 at Wembley on Saturday to win back-to-back FA Cups, with the club's fans voting Ozil the man of the match, although Wilshere was criticised for the manner of his celebrations the following day.

Ozil has been criticised frequently during his two-year stay in north London but his probing performance on Saturday was recognised by his own fans, while Alexis fired home a stunning second at Wembley to put the match beyond Villa.

And Wilshere says he looks up to the pair of them, telling the club's official website: “We’ve got players who can hurt teams with Alexis and Ozil, world-class players we’ve added in the last two seasons.

“Ozil has had a great season, he’s settled, and Alexis having a first season like he’s had is unheard of, so we are looking forward to next season.

“Mesut’s a player I look up to. When he’s on the pitch, surrounded by players and under pressure, he’s always got his head up and looking around.

"There’s more to come from Mesut and I’m sure he’ll improve [even more] next season.”