..::Football III::..

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Prandelli: Our finishing let us down

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was disappointed with his side's finishing in the 2-1 home defeat by Argentina but believes his experiments still paid off.

In the first meeting between the two teams in 12 years, Lorenzo Insigne scored for Italy after Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega had given Argentina a two-goal cushion.The young Napoli forward was one of the bright sparks for Prandelli, while Daniele De Rossi also shone filling in at centre-back.

"We met a team of great quality, one of the best in the world," Prandelli told RAI Sport. "We made mistakes coming out of defence and started badly, but in my view we moved the ball well. We lacked that grit and finishing around the box that a team needs. Credit to Argentina, as they are a very strong side.

"We have to qualify before talking about the World Cup and I want to get there quickly. The experiment with De Rossi, if we want to call it that, went pretty well.
"We all wanted this friendly and I am happy because we saw so many children and families in the stadium. It was not easy to bring 40,000 people to the stadium on August 14, so it means the message was received."

Italy, who currently top World Cup qualifying Group B, still have four matches to go to secure their place at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.Their next qualifier is against second-placed Bulgaria on September 6.

 

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No chance of Luiz exit, says Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has reiterated that David Luiz will not be sold this summer.

Goal exclusively revealed on Tuesday that Chelsea have told Barcelona to double their opening offer of €25 million for the Brazilian.

Luiz has refused to comment on speculation regarding his future, while Mourinho has once again insisted that the 26-year-old is a vital part of his plans this term.

"No chance he is going to leave. He is a player we want to keep," Mourunho told BT Sport.

"He is a player with four years [on his] contract, he just signed a contract last year.

"We like him. He is an important player for the club and the club is not ready to sell him for any price."

Reports have suggested that Luiz had told Chelsea that he wishes to join the Spanish champions this summer but Mourinho suggests the defender is happy to remain at Stamford Bridge.

"I don't know if he said that. What I can say is that he is not going to," Mourinho continued.

"The last quotes I read were Luiz saying he is not speaking about clubs when he is with the national team, which is a fantastic quote that I appreciate.

"When they are with the national team they are national team players, they are not club players.

"That is the last quote I have and it is an intelligent one."

 

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Eriksen's agent confirms Italy interest

Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen has attracted interest from Serie A and the Bundesliga this summer, according to his agent.

The 21-year-old is seen as one of the best young creative talents in Europe at the moment and both Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Liverpool have been linked with the young Dane.

Martin Schoots, Eriksen's representative, says that there has been genuine interest in the Denmark international but insisted that he would only leave the Amsterdam ArenA for a side with a shot at European and league success this season.

"There has been contact with an Italian club but I would rather not say which one," he told Tuttomercatoweb.com. "There has also been a proposal from a German club."

"He will only leave Ajax for a side challenging for a league title and one whom have automatically in the group stages of the Champions League.

"He is still very young, very grateful to Ajax and quite happy to stay there. At the moment there are no negotiations but we will certainly discuss it with the club after the summer if he is still an Ajax player.

"One thing is for sure: he won't leave on a free transfer."

Eriksen joined Ajax in 2008 and made his debut in 2010 at 17.

 

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Eriksen niyama player

 

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Kaka: Madrid first-team football will win me World Cup spot

Real Madrid midfielder Kaka hopes that featuring in more first-team games this season will see him win a spot in Brazil's World Cup 2014 squad.

The 31-year-old was used predominantly as a substitute or in less important games under Jose Mourinho in 2012-13 and was left out of Luiz Felipe Scolari's victorious Confederations Cup side as a result.

However, under former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti he hopes to get more game-time in order to impress at the Santiago Bernabeu and make the Selecao squad next summer.

"My challenge for this season is to play more regularly," Kaka told Adidas. "I want to be physically fit and then if I do well for my club I can get back in the national team."I want to play in the World Cup next summer. Carlo is an open coach who is helping me a lot. Personally, it’s great to train with him."

Kaka has made 87 appearances for Brazil since his debut in 2002 though, since joining the Blancos in 2009, he has struggled to find the form which saw him win the Ballon d'Or while at San Siro.

 

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Arsenal cannot sign Sebastian Perez, reveals Atletico Nacional director

Atletico Nacional midfielder Sebastian Perez will not join Arsenal, according to the Colombian club's director.

The 20-year-old spent time on trial at the Premier League club during the close-season and turned out for Arsene Wenger's side a 3-1 friendly win over Manchester City on Saturday but Victor Marulanda has confirmed that the Colombia Under-20s internationalhas been refused a work permit and will therefore not be moving to the Emirates Stadium.

When asked about Perez's move to north London, Marulanda told winsports.co: "That wasn't possible and the player will keep working with us.

"The possibility of joining Arsenal has been ruled out."

Nevertheless, Perez could still depart the Estadio Atanasio Girardot Medellin, with Marulanda revealing that the midfielder is of interest to two other sides.

"There are two clubs interested in him, it's true," the Nacional boss added. "If there is any other concrete possibility, he will leave."

 

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Skrtel insists knee injury is not serious

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel is confident he will be training in a "few days" after a knee ligament injury.

Skrtel was due to play for Slovakia in a friendly against Romania on Wednesday, but instead stayed in England to undergo treatment on the problem, which he described as minor.

"I stretched ligaments in my knee. Luckily it is not a serious injury," Skrtel wrote on his website.

"I can basically run but it hurts when I kick the ball. I can feel the pain in the back of my knee. It is not one of the major muscles but it is still not very comfortable.

"I spoke with Mr [Jan] Kozak, who is a new coach of Slovakia, and I also spoke with the medical staff and we agreed that it would be better when I stay in Liverpool.

"I hope it is not a serious injury, though, and I want to be back on the pitch as soon as possible."

There was better news for Liverpool on Tuesday, however, with striker Daniel Sturridge scoring two penalties against Newcastle in a friendly.

The match was played behind closed doors and was organised to let Sturridge prove his fitness after an ankle injury.

 

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Kompany: Manchester City have the squad to compete for top honours

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes that his side are primed to challenge for top honours this season under new boss Manuel Pellegrini.

The Belgian's men were unable to retain their Premier League crown in 2012-13, while also falling to Wigan in the FA Cup final and exiting the Champions League at the group stage, but the centre-back sees a more powerful City team this time around.

"It puts a smile on my face because there is nothing better than to know you are going to be competing for some of the most wanted prizes in the world - and we have the team to do it," Kompany told the club's official website.

"I hope we will take all of the work we have done, take it into the season and use it to make us stronger."

Kompany also noted the lack of any English team's ability to progress to the quarter-finals last term in Europe's elite competition, indicating that City have taken the right steps to buck the trend.

"It has been a problem for English teams, and ourselves definitely, coping with the Champions League, the Premier League and all of the other competitions," the 27-year old admitted.

"We have changed our approach a little bit, so we will see at the end of the season."

 

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De Rossi open to Serie A exit

Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has revealed that he is open to a move away from Serie A but insisted he would never join another Italian side.

The Giallorossi and Italy veteran has been linked with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in 2013 and, though he did not express his desire to leave the Stadio Olimpico, he admitted that a foreign move in the future is feasible.

"Had I left Roma in the past or if I leave in the future then I would go for an experience abroad," De Rossi, 30, told reporters on Wednesday.

"I feel like an integral part of Roma and Roma are an integral part of my life, but if I was to go then I would not play for another Italian side out of respect to the club. I would move to a foreign outfit."De Rossi also condemned Serie A for being behind La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga and suggested that changes are needed to prevent Ligue 1 from overtaking Italy in terms of quality and appeal.

"The culture of Italian football is about 10-20 years behind the times," he added. "The way we think and live it is all wrong. We are behind English football, Spanish and German. We’ll soon be behind the French championship too.

"For a start, look at our stadiums and our kick-off times. We play in January at 21:00CET at night in Udine. It wouldn’t take a lot to improve, like Serie B who play at Christmas and then have January off."I’m not saying this with venom or anger because if our football is behind then it is also because of me seeing as I am a part of it."

De Rossi has 90 caps for the Azzurri, scoring 15 times, and has represented them at four major tournaments.

 

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Arsenal re-open Sagna talks & target Uchida

Arsenal have made a fresh attempt to reinforce their defence by reopening contract talks with Bacary Sagna and making a move for Schalke right-back Atsuto Uchida, Goal can reveal.

It is understood that Sagna's representatives recommenced talks on a new deal with the club earlier in August but the two parties did not reach an agreement and it is still anticipated that he will leave when his contract expires next summer.

Arsene Wenger has now targeted Japanese defender Uchida to provide defensive cover this season and be groomed as a long-term replacement for Sagna. The Gunners have made recent contact with Schalke to enquire about signing the 25-year-old in the final weeks of the summer window.

Wenger wants a right-back who can fit in with the Gunners' playing style and be groomed to challenge Carl Jenkinson for the first-team slot if Sagna leaves.

Negotiations between Sagna and Arsenal collapsed at the end of last year after the Gunners refused to meet the player's demands for a two-year extension and an upgrade on his £60,000-a-week salary. He has entered the final year of his contract and can depart the Emirates Stadium on a free at the end of the season if there is no formal breakthrough in discussions.

Nevertheless, Wenger wants to hold on to Sagna this season because of the versatility that he brings to the defence.

The France international has filled in as a makeshift centre-back during pre-season in the absence of club captain Thomas Vermaelen, who is out until October with a back injury.

Arsenal have made moves to sign a fourth senior central defender this summer to challenge Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Vermaelen but have been unable to agree deals for principal targets Ashley Williams and Matthias Ginter.

Wenger has now shifted his focus to Uchida, who has two years remaining on his Schalke contract and could be available for around €5.9 million. The Japan international spoke earlier this year of his ambition to play in the Premier League.

Wenger also retains an interest in Sochaux right-back Sebastien Corchia, who is highly regarded in his native France.

The Arsenal boss had been ready to sell Sagna this summer following a breakdown in his relationship with the club in the final months of last season and question marks about his attitude. However, Paris Saint-Germain failed to follow up their interest in the France international with a concerted move and he is understood to have knuckled down well in pre-season.

 

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Lewandowski: Dortmund better than last season

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski believes that the side are in a better shape than they were last season, when they reached the Champions League final.

Jurgen Klopp lost Mario Gotze to main Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich, but has added the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos to the squad this summer.

"I believe that, on the whole, BVB are in a much better position this season compared to last," the Poland striker, who has been denied a move away from Signal Iduna Park this year, told Sport Bild.

Following Aubameyang's electric hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday, Lewandowski was also full of praise for his new team-mate.

"Aubameyang is the fastest player I've ever seen," the 24-year-old continued. "With Aubameyang coming into the squad, that is an immediate improvement in terms of width.

Aubameyang joined the German giants from Saint-Etienne in July on a five-year deal, having scored 41 goals in 96 appearances for the French outfit.

 

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BVB lata Gotze naha kiyala loku balapamak wenna naha.Aubameyang innawane

 

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Negredo: Bale not yet at Messi & Ronaldo's level

Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo believes Gareth Bale is not yet as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Tottenham winger has been heavily linked with a €120 million move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, but the 27-year-old says that the Welshman cannot yet be compared to the two Liga stars.

"Bale is not yet on the same level as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo," he told Marca. "In the future he might be because he possesses many great qualities."

Negredo, who is set to represent Spain in Wednesday's friendly with Ecuador, also spoke about the timing of this week's internationals as well as la Roja's Confederations Cup final defeat to Brazil.

"To play for Spain is always an honour, although the timing of this game is not ideal, considering it's so close to the start of the new season," he continued.

"The Brazil game was just a bad performance, simple as that. It was exaggerated by many people and will not worry us at all."

The Spaniard also revealed his reasons behind choosing to join Man City, claiming that the Premier League holds more appeal to him than a sub-standard Liga.

"I moved to England because the league is becoming less competitive in Spain," he said. "The Premier League is organised better."

 

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Costa signs new Atletico contract

Diego Costa has ended any speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool by signing a new contract with Atletico Madrid until the summer of 2018.

The Brazil international had been strongly linked with a transfer to the Premier League side in recent weeks, but he's now committed himself to Atleti after Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers previously already admitted that the 25-year-old was unlikely to make the move to Anfield.

"I am delighted with this agreement after fighting a long time to win the respect and affection of the fans, the peers and people in the club. It's a very special moment, I am very happy here," Costa told the club's official website."I thank the club for making me this offer to spend much time here and hope to become a much bigger player and conquer all the objectives in front of us."Costa scored 10 goals in 31 Liga appearances last season as Atletico finished third and lifted the Copa del Rey.

 

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Fan jailed for hugging Cristiano Ronaldo

The fan who was jailed for invading the pitch during the International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Chelsea to hug Cristiano Ronaldo last week has stressed that he has no regrets over his actions.

Ronald Gjoka, 19, ran onto the pitch in the 67th minute to embrace his idol, only to be arrested by local police and taken to jail for trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Gjoka spent the night in prison before he was allowed to leave the day after, yet he has stressed that the moment was worth the punishment.

"Honestly, first thing was look straight, find Cristiano and don't look back. Just go," Gjoka told Local10.

"I decided to add a little knee slide on it just for a little celebration. I think Ronaldo always does that celebration so I thought that he would find it funny, and he did, he gave it a little laugh.

"But after that, I gave him a big hug, told him you're one of my biggest idols, always followed you and I said, 'Please, Ronaldo, don't let the cops take me,' and that's when Ronaldo gave me a very big hug.

"I got the opportunity to talk to Ronaldo. It was a unique opportunity and I had to take it. It was worth the detention."

The Portugal international netted twice to help Madrid to a 3-1 win over Chelsea in last week's encounter.

 

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Suarez denies saying he'll stay at Reds

Luis Suarez has denied a report on Wednesday saying that he has abandoned his attempt to engineer a transfer to Arsenal from Liverpool.

With Arsenal continuing to pursue Suarez, he had been quoted as saying in an interview with Uruguayan newspaper El Observador that he was now happy to stay with Liverpool.

But speaking in Tokyo after inspiring Uruguay to a 4-2 friendly win over Japan with a goal and two assists, Suarez denied that he has changed his mind over plans to quit Anfield. "I didn't say that, maybe someone else did and the main thing is that I am here now with the national team," Japan's Kyodo News quoted Suarez as saying.

Suarez had earlier been reported as telling El Observador that the support of Liverpool's fans had won him round, saying: "For now, due to all of the people's affection (for me), I will be staying."

Those comments came after Uruguayan television and radio journalist Martin Charquero claimed on Twitter that Suarez had told him he would not be leaving.
The journalist, who is understood to be close to the striker, also hinted that Suarez would sign a contract to extend his commitment to the club beyond 2016, when his current deal expires. Charquero tweeted: "Luis Suarez confirms to me that he will not leave Liverpool. The support of the fans in recent weeks influenced his decision." He then added: "Suarez sees it as likely that he'll sign a renewal (extension) to the contract that binds him to Liverpool."

Some observers had treated those comments with caution, given that Charquero stated on Twitter three weeks ago that Suarez was "very close" to joining Arsenal - but that tweet was believed to reflect the way the striker himself felt at the time.
Suarez, who signed a four-year contract with Liverpool last summer, has given a number of interviews insisting that he wants a transfer since first declaring publicly his wish to leave Anfield at the end of May. He said at the time that it "would be hard to say no" to Real Madrid, but the Spanish giants have made no move to sign him.

So far, the only confirmed interest has come from Arsenal, who have had two bids for the 26-year-old rejected. The second of those bids - an offer of £40,000,001 on July 23 - was apparently made in the belief that it would trigger a release clause in Suarez's contract. Liverpool, though, insist there is no such clause, and that they are only obliged to inform him of any offers of above £40 million.

Suarez disputed this in interviews with the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Marca at the beginning of August, claiming that manager Brendan Rodgers has personally assured him in the summer of 2012 that he could leave if Liverpool failed to qualify for the 2013-14 Champions League.

Rodgers has dismissed that claim, while principal owner John W Henry said last week that there was no way Suarez would be sold to Arsenal, suggesting the idea was "ludicrous".

The striker, signed from Ajax for £22.8 million in January 2011, has been ordered to train alone for the last week, with Rodgers admitting to concerns about his attitude. Rodgers declared on Saturday that Suarez will not be allowed to rejoin first-team training until he apologises for his behaviour in trying to force a move. The Uruguay international has so far refused to say sorry.

Even if Suarez stays, he will miss Liverpool's first six competitive matches of the season as he completes a 10-game domestic ban imposed after he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a Premier League fixture in April.

He would be able to make his Premier League return against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on September 29, and would also be able to play a few days earlier in the Capital One Cup third round should Liverpool reach that stage by beating League One side Notts County at Anfield on August 27.

 

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Lewandowski: Dortmund better than last season

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski believes that the side are in a better shape than they were last season, when they reached the Champions League final.

Jurgen Klopp lost Mario Gotze to main Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich, but has added the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos to the squad this summer.

"I believe that, on the whole, BVB are in a much better position this season compared to last," the Poland striker, who has been denied a move away from Signal Iduna Park this year, told Sport Bild.

Following Aubameyang's electric hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday, Lewandowski was also full of praise for his new team-mate.

"Aubameyang is the fastest player I've ever seen," the 24-year-old continued. "With Aubameyang coming into the squad, that is an immediate improvement in terms of width.

Aubameyang joined the German giants from Saint-Etienne in July on a five-year deal, having scored 41 goals in 96 appearances for the French outfit.

Totally

 

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Ibrage shots wala sara balapanko

 

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Eriksen niyama player

aniwaa