..::Football III::..

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'Neymar deal could end up costing Barcelona €220m'

Neymar could end up costing Barcelona €220 million due to his transfer, contract deals and potential legal payouts, according to the right-hand man of presidential candidate Joan Laporta.

The Brazil international signed for the Camp Nou club two years ago for a €57m fee, but several months later it emerged the full cost of the transfer with hidden payouts was €86.2m.The fallout from Neymar's transfer from Santos resulted in Sandro Rosell stepping down as Barcelona president and Josep Maria Bartomeu filling his shoes for 18 months.

Bartomeu is Laporta's main rival for the Barca chief position and he insisted on Friday that Neymar's actual cost remained €57m, dismissing the pending fraud trials as without merit.

Laporta's general director Joan Oliver, who will become the Catalans CEO if the former club chief wins July 18's elections, is concerned with how Neymar's deal will impact Barca financially.

"Neymar could end up costing up to €220m," he told Marca. "For now the total cost is €100m, but after the court proceedings it could rise by another €122m due to economic liabilities."

Although Neymar's transfer has cast a shadow over Barcelona since his arrival, the 23-year-old is largely considered to have been a huge success.Under Luis Enrique last season, the forward scored 39 goals in 51 appearances for Barcelona as the club romped to success in the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey.

 

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Milan confirm El Shaarawy departing for Monaco

AC Milan have announced a deal has been agreed with Monaco to seal forward Stephan El Shaarawy's exit from the Serie A side.

The 22-year-old broke into the Rossoneri's ranks in 2012-13 but a plummet in form after the mid-season arrival of Mario Balotelli was followed by a long-term foot injury.

The Italy international never truly shone under Filippo Inzaghi in another fitness-hit campaign and he was deemed surplus to requirements following the arrival of Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano.

It emerged on Friday that Monaco were close to securing a deal to bring him to Stade Louis II and on Milan Channel has now confirmed the attacker will be having a medical with the French club on Monday.

El Shaarawy will initially join Leonardo Jardim's men on a €2 million loan deal, although if he features 15 times for les Rouges et Blancs then it is believed that will trigger a clause to buy for an additional €16m.

Monaco finished third last season in Jardim's first season in charge and reached the last eight of the Champions League, despite having lost star players such as James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao.

This summer they have already sold Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Geoffrey Kondogbia to Atletico Madrid and Inter respectively, while Falcao was once again sent out on a money-spinning loan to the Premier League.

 

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Sterling in, Balotelli out - Liverpool's pre-season squad named

Liverpool have named Raheem Sterling in their 30-man squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand, Australia and Malaysia but omitted Mario Balotelli.

Sterling has informed manager Brendan Rodgers of his desire to leave the club with Manchester City currently preparing a third bid in the region of £45 million for the 20-year-old.

Sterling missed pre-season training with the Reds twice this week, citing illness, before returning on Friday while his agent Aidy Ward, says all trust between Sterling and Rodgers has now evaporated.

Elsewhere striker Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique have all been left out of the squad with all three players having been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer.

Balotelli returned to training this week having been granted compassionate leave following the death of his father, but his absence from the squad suggests his days as a Liverpool player are numbered after a poor first season at the club.

As expected Roberto Firmino and Phillipe Coutinho miss out due to their post-Copa America break while Emre Can is another absentee due to his participation in the Under-21s European Championship.

Full squad: Mignolet, Bogdan, Fulton, Clyne, Gomez, Lovren, Moreno, Toure, Wisdom, Cleary, Skrtel, Sakho, Maguire, Allen, Henderson, Lucas, Milner, Chirivella, Rossiter, Teixeira, Ibe, Kent, Ojo, Wilson, Lallana, Markovic, Sterling, Ings, Lambert, Origi.

 

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Delph to stay at Aston Villa despite Manchester City interest

Fabian Delph has announced that he will stay at Aston Villa, despite having previously been set for an £8 million move to Manchester City.

The England midfielder was on the verge of joining Manuel Pellegrini's side, with a medical booked in for Saturday.

But Delph now looks set to remain at Villa Park after releasing an official statement on the club's website.

"I'm aware there has been intense media speculation surrounding my future in the last 24 hours and I want to set the record straight," the 25-year-old said.

"I'm not leaving. I'm staying at the football club and I can't wait for the start of the season and captaining this great football club."

Delph, who made 32 appearances last season as Villa avoided relegation and reached the FA Cup final, signed a new contract tying him to the club until 2019 in January.

 

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Coentrao sidelined for Madrid with thigh injury

Fabio Coentrao will not feature in the International Champions Cup for Real Madrid after suffering a thigh injury ahead of pre-season.

The Portugal international returned from his holidays to Madrid with the problem and tests have confirmed the full-back has damaged a muscle in his right leg.

Madrid are due to fly to Australia in the coming days ahead of their opening match friendly match with Roma on July 18, but their touring party will be without Coentrao, set to remain in the Spanish capital as part of his rehabilitation.

Coentrao struggled to break into the first team at Santiago Bernabeu last season, making just 16 appearances in all competitions under former coach Carlo Ancelotti.

He is widely expected to be on the periphery once again under Rafa Benitez's stewardship, with fellow left-back Marcelo believed to be in the running for the Madrid captaincy due to Iker Casillas' imminent departure to Porto.

 

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Low: Schweinsteiger will shine at Manchester United

Germany coach Joachim Low has backed Bastian Schweinsteiger to shine at Manchester United following confirmation that a deal has been agreed between the Premier League giants and Bayern Munich for the transfer of the midfielder.

Both United and Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced on Saturday that the Germany captain is set to depart the club where he has spent his entire professional career.

And Low has little doubt Schweinsteiger will carry the form that has seen him win eight Bundesliga titles, one Champions League and a World Cup into his new challenge under former Bayern boss Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.

"Basti is an absolute leader and a world-class player who can put his stamp on any team, including of course Manchester United," said Low.

"He knows Louis van Gaal, who wanted him. These are good conditions.

"I know that he still has big ambitions and goals. He will face the new challenge in England as we all know, with dedication and highly-motivated.

"I expect them to also provide him with a further boost and incentive in terms of the European Championship in France, in which we [Germany] will rely on him and he will lead the national team.

"For Bayern and the Bundesliga his departure is unquestionably a loss."

 

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'Ribery can see light at the end of the injury tunnel'

Franck Ribery's days of sitting on Bayern Munich's sidelines are numbered, according to club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

The French winger, 32, has endured two successive seasons of injury troubles since his efforts helped the Bavarians win the Champions League in 2013.

Ribery was forced to sit out the 2014 World Cup and subsequently played only 23 times for Pep Guardiola's side last season with a string of fitness woes limiting his goal tally to nine.The forward's days on the treatment table at the Allianz Arena could soon be over, though, if Rummenigge is to be believed as his right ankle injury appears to be healing with pre-season starting.

"It is a case of us seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with Ribery's injuries," he told reporters on Saturday. "The latest diagnosis revealed that the irritation has calmed down.

"He is now going to spend the next few weeks in rehabilitation training and then hopefully it won't be too long before he's back on the pitch."Guardiola has already signed Shakhtar winger Douglas Costa to cover for Ribery and fellow winger Arjen Robben following a lack of attacking options at the tail end of 2014-15 when both were injured.

 

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Ibrahimovic should come back to Milan - De Jong

Nigel de Jong has called on "true champion" Zlatan Ibrahimovic to ditch Paris Saint-Germain and return to AC Milan this summer.

Milan are currently revamping their attacking options – Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano are in, Stephan El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini are out – and president Silvio Bersluconi started the club's charm offensive towards Ibrahimovic in June.

The rumours regarding the Rossoneri's pursuit of the Sweden international have refused to die down and new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic admitted he was open to the idea of Ibrahimovic being signed.

Dutch midfielder De Jong, who signed a contract extension with Milan until 2018 this year, would love to reunite with Ibrahimovic, whom he also played alongside at Ajax a little over a decade ago.

"There is no question of whether I'd want Ibrahimovic to sign for Milan for me," he told Milan Channel when asked about the potential signing of the 33-year-old.
"I hope he comes back because he is a true champion."

The striker, 33, has been prolific in his three years since leaving San Siro for Parc des Princes, scoring 75 goals in 91 Ligue 1 appearances.De Jong also spoke positively about the future of Milan under Mihajlovic, who is aiming to return the club to continental football following two below-par campaigns.

"We hope to return to Europe, we have a great team," he added. "In comparison to last year, we have signed some really important players. Mihajlovic is doing a great job at planning for a Champions League place.

"It's too early to talk about the Scudetto, but we are Milan."The Rossoneri finished a lowly 10th in Serie A last season, resulting in the sacking of head coach Filippo Inzaghi.

 

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Manchester United confirm signing of Matteo Darmian from Torino

Manchester United have announced they have secured the services of Torino right-back Matteo Darmian on a four-year deal.

The 25-year-old Italian made 146 appearances and scored five league goals for Torino since making his debut in 2011.The defender also has 13 international caps for Italy and was part of their World Cup squad last summer in Brazil. He has represented his country at every youth level from U-17 to U-21.

Darmian told the United website: "It is a dream come true to be joining Manchester United. I have loved the time that I have spent at Torino and I would like to thank the club and the fans for everything they have done for me.

"I am sure they can understand when the opportunity to join the biggest club in world came along it was something I had to do. To work with Louis van Gaal, a manager that has achieved so much in football is such an exciting prospect."Darmian, born in Legnano, Milan, has agreed a contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2019 with the option to extend for a further year. The fee is believed to be around £13m.

Van Gaal added: "Matteo is a right-sided full back with the versatility of also being able to play on the left. He is a strong defender and has the ability to go forward in the attacking positions which is a fantastic attribute to have and much needed in the fast rhythm of the Premier League.

"Matteo will be a great addition to the team. I am delighted to welcome Matteo to the club and look forward to working with him in the coming days.”Darmian was at Milan from 2001 to 2010 before being sold to Palermo, who are due roughly five per cent of the player's transfer fee, which amounts to around £287,000.

 

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Congratulations & Good Luck Darmain!

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Inter 4-3 Stuttgart Kickers: Nerazzurri hold off German minnows comeback

Inter produced a mixed performance in their opening pre-season friendly as the Serie A side clung on for a 4-3 win over Stuttgart Kickers from the German third tier.


A first-half double from Rodrigo Palacio was followed by goals from Marcelo Brozovic and Mauro Icardi as Inter, looking to put last term's disappointments firmly behind them, raced into a 4-0 lead after 29 minutes.


However, some of the side's troubles returned after the break as Kickers struck three times to come close to denying Roberto Mancini's side victory.Even the introduction of new signing Geoffrey Kondogbia could not lift Inter, the France international playing the final 25 minutes in Brunico.


Palacio - who scored eight Serie A goals last season - gave Inter a superb start with two composed finishes inside the opening 10 minutes, the latter well placed after a neat pass from Icardi.The Argentine turned provider midway through the half as Brozovic added a third before Icardi slotted home the fourth on the half hour.


Inter did not have it all their own way in the opening 45 minutes, but were saved by the crossbar and Samir Handanovic. Handanovic's half-time replacement Juan Carrizo was less fortunate.Manuel Fischer pulled the first back for Kickers after 54 minutes before doubling his tally with five to play.


Although only a friendly, Kickers continued to push and they cut the deficit to just one as Andreas Ivan grabbed a third in the final minute, much to the frustration of Mancini.

 

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Swindon Town 0-4 Everton: Mirallas nets twice as Toffees ease to victory

Kevin Mirallas struck twice before late efforts from Romelu Lukaku and Conor McAleny helped Everton get pre-season under way with a 4-0 win at Swindon Town.

Gerard Deulofeu had lit up a goalless first half on his second Everton debut, former Liverpool trainee Ty Belford keeping the Spaniard out on two occasions.

Roberto Martinez made nine changes at the break and two of them combined to break the deadlock as McAleny put Mirallas in the clear, allowing the Belgian to slot home.

McAleny was heavily involved as he freed Lukaku to set up Mirallas' second before squaring for the Belgium striker to make it three.

The 22-year-old winger is yet to see his Goodison Park career take off, but more performances of this nature could see him force his way into Martinez's plans and he capped a fine outing with a deserved goal in stoppage time, as Lukaku returned the favour to tee him up.

 

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Peterborough United 3-3 West Ham United: Hammers pegged back after a remarkable comeback

West Ham United were held to a 3-3 draw at Peterborough United in Saturday's pre-season friendly after an impressive comeback from the League One side.

The Premier League club led 3-1 less than 25 minutes into the contest at London Road, but goals either side of half-time ensured the game finished all square.

Peterborough opened the scoring after just eight minutes as winger Jon Taylor provided the delivery for Ricardo Almeida Santos to head home.

But West Ham - who have already played two competitive games in the UEFA Europa League - responded emphatically by scoring three goals in 15 minutes.

Midfielder Mark Noble fired in from the edge of the area to level before West Ham were gifted the lead when Peterborough goalkeeper Ben Alnwick's kick ricocheted off Diafra Sakho and over the line.

And the game looked to have been made safe by Martin Samuelsen in the 23rd minute, the 18-year-old forward beating Alnwick with powerful low finish.

However, Peterborough pulled one back six minutes before half-time as Taylor rounded Adrian and slotted home following a good ball from captain Michael Bostwick, who completed the recovery with a penalty on the hour mark.

Bostwick made no mistake from 12 yards after Noble brought down Marcus Maddison in the area.

 

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Barnet 3-5 Crystal Palace: Eagles edge thriller without Cabaye

Dwight Gayle's hat-trick helped Crystal Palace to a 5-3 win over League Two Barnet on Saturday as new signing Yohan Cabaye was made to wait for his debut.

The France international moved to Selhurst Park from Paris Saint-Germain for a club record fee on Friday but was not included in the squad for Palace's trip to The Hive.

While Barnet - preparing for their first season back in the Football League - found their rhythm going forward, Alan Pardew's side had enough quality to claim the victory thanks largely to Gayle's treble.

Barnet scored with their first attack of the game as John Akinde - their top scorer last season - took just 72 seconds to find the mark.

However, the Premier League side restored parity soon after, as Gayle's low free-kick beat the wall before the attacker curled home from outside the box - this time in open play.

Pardew made a host of changes at the break and saw Gayle complete his hat-trick early in the second half as he converted following a Fraizer Campbell flick-on.

Barnet made 10 changes prior to captain Luke Gambin firing home after the hour, but young Palace striker Reise Allassani showed his pace to burst clear and restore the two-goal lead with a smart finish.

The goals continued to flow as veteran striker Kevin Lisbie registered his first Barnet goal nine minutes from time, before Allassani and Kwesi Appiah set up Campbell for the final goal of the game.

 

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Real Madrid confirm Casillas to Porto deal

Real Madrid have confirmed that long-serving captain Iker Casillas will leave the club for Porto.

The goalkeeper had been linked to a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu for some time, with Madrid looking to sign Kiko Casilla from Espanyol and pursuing Manchester United's David de Gea.

The World Cup winning shot stopper had reportedly already agreed personal terms with the Portuguese side, but failure to break from his contract at the capital club was holding the deal back.

Now, though, Los Blancos have revealed that a deal has been struck that will see him bring an end to a glorious career in La Liga.

"Real Madrid and FC Porto have reached a deal on the transfer of Iker Casillas to the Portuguese club," a statement on their official website read.

"The greatest goalkeeper in the history of the club and in the history of Spanish football is moving on to a new stage in his footballing career.

"This goodbye evokes thousands of sensations and memories charged with hope, anticipation, sacrifice, strength and unique triumph.

"Casillas has made our coat of arms even greater. He has been our captain and has forged his legend here since he arrived as a child at just nine years of age.

"He has become one of our finest leaders and has won the respect, affection, admiration and love of the fans beyond colours and afiliations.

"Iker is leaving, but his legacy is here forever. His attitude and actions in the 725 games he played in the our jersey shine a light on the path for those who dream of being part of this team.

"Thank you Iker, for everything you have done. Thank you for being a symbol of the best in our history. You are going but we will never forget that you'll always belong to the heart of Real Madrid."

Casillas spent 25 years attached to Madrid, during which time he won five league titles. two Copas del Rey and three Champions League trophies.

 

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Congratulations & Good luck Casillas!

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I wish I could sell Higuain - De Laurentiis

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said he would like to sell Gonzalo Higuain, admitting he could buy eight players for the transfer fee the club would receive.

The Argentine striker has been linked with a move away from Stadio San Paolo after the club failed to qualify for next season's Champions League. However, the club have insisted that they will not sell the striker for less than their €94 million release clause, although De Laurentiis suggested he could be persuaded into selling him.

"Sell Higuain for €90 million? I'd like to sell him," he told a fan in a conversation that was recorded on their phone. "That way I can buy eight players for the club!"

The 27-year-old striker scored 18 goals in 37 Serie A appearances last season, with a further seven coming in the Europa League.

 

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Mancini hints at Shaqiri exit - 'Inter need to balance the squad'

Roberto Mancini has hinted that Inter may need to sell Xherdan Shaqiri in order to balance out the squad ahead of the coming season.

The arrival of Geoffrey Kondogbia has strengthened the competition for places at Inter after a disappointing 2014-15 campaign, and Mancini says some players may need to depart to offset the new arrivals.

Shaqiri has been linked with Stoke City and Wolfsburg during the close-season, but neither switch has come to fruition, with Schalke the latest club said to be showing an interest.

And Mancini's latest comments could mean the Switzerland international is poised to leave San Siro, as he insists sacrifices must be made.

"Shaqiri didn't play because he is tired," Mancini told Mediaset after Inter's 4-3 friendly win over Stuttgart Kickers on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, as we need to limit the squad to 25 players, for those we sign someone else has to leave.

"I understand it is very difficult to leave Inter, but we have to sacrifice a few of them."

The coach also admitted that the Nerazzurri would be interested in signing Mohamed Salah from Chelsea if he is available, although he admits the 23-year-old winger's situation remains a hindrance to any deal.

"We have no word yet on what team Salah is with, if it's Fiorentina or Chelsea. If he is on the market then he would interest us. But now it's hard to say."

Mancini was also full of praise for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who his side have been linked to, but insists they are not close to signing him."Ibrahimovic is a great player," he added. "If there was a chance to sign him, we all would like to have him, but that does not mean that he will be at Inter.

"We have Mauro Icardi, so if you talk about Ibra, you cannot say anything other than that he is a great champion."He is Paris Saint-Germain's striker - a great team. If he goes to AC Milan, they will be strong enough to challenge for the Serie A title."

Meanwhile, the 50-year-old was not impressed with Inter's second-half display against German third-tier side Kickers, who battled back from 4-0 down to almost spring a surprise.

He added: "I saw some good things. I was satisfied with the first half, albeit with some mistakes that were no doubt down to fatigue.

"The second half, however, did not impress me."

 

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Cech reveals Arsenal shirt number for 2015-16 season

Petr Cech has announced that he will wear the No.33 shirt for Arsenal in the 2015-16 season.

The 33-year-old, who won four Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, took to Twitter to make the announcement on Saturday evening.

Cech becomes the latest Arsenal player to wear the No.33 shirt in the Premier League era, with such luminaries as Gavin McGowan, Michael Black, Greg Lincoln, Tommy Black, Jermaine Brown, Alex Bailey, Graham Stack, Adam Birchall, Nicklas Bendtner and Matthew Connolly all wearing the number in previous years.