..::Football III::..

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Wenger: No side can catch Chelsea


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels that no Premier League side is capable of catching Chelsea this season.

The Blues have made an unbeaten start to the campaign, with Saturday's win over Liverpool their ninth from 11 matches, leaving them four points clear of second-placed Southampton.

Reigning champions Manchester City are a further four points adrift while the Gunners are 12 points behind following their 2-1 defeat at Swansea City.

Liverpool and Manchester United are even further adrift, and Wenger does not believe that, in current form, anyone will stop the Stamford Bridge outfit from lifting the trophy.

"At the moment Chelsea are on course for 100 points this season," he told reporters. "If you look at the number of points they have, if they keep that up nobody will catch them, that's for sure.

"There doesn't look to be anybody capable to challenge them at the moment.

"They had a good start, and we have gone through that [in the past], as long as you don't lose, you don't question yourself, there is a little bit extra spirit in the team that, when it is tight, [that] gets them through."

Goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis secured victory for Garry Monk's side over the Emirates Stadium outfit as Wenger's team allowed a lead to slip away from them for the second time in a week.

On Wednesday, Arsenal allowed Anderlecht to come back from 3-0 down to claim a draw in the Champions League, and after the Swans turned the game on its head following Alexis Sanchez's opener, the former Monaco boss admitted his team had suffered a poor few days.

"We had a very disappointing week, considering the performances we produced and the end result we got it's very disappointing.

"We were 3-0 up against Anderlecht and 1-0 up today and in the end we lose two points against Anderlecht and three points today.

"I think it's very disappointing because you have to be capable, once you are 1-0 up and a big team, to win the game."

 

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A 36% win percentage & all the stats behind Van Gaal's Manchester United start

 

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Real Sociedad appoint Moyes

Real Sociedad have appointed former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes as their new coach, the Basque outfit revealed on their website late on Monday night.

Moyes was the Spanish side's top target after previous coach Jagoba Arrasate was sacked earlier this month, but negotiations dragged on over the weekend and former Betis boss Pepe Mel was waiting in the wings to take over if a deal for the Scot fell through.

Real Sociedad had said that a successor to Arrasate would be named on Monday, however, and the Basque outfit confirmed the 51-year-old's appointment on their website.

"Real Sociedad have reached an agreement with David Moyes to be the club's first-team coach until June 30, 2016," a short statement read. The club added that details of the Scot's unveiling as coach and the names of his backroom staff would be revealed on Tuesday.

Moyes, whose turbulent 10-month spell at Manchester United came to an end in April, becomes the highest-paid coach in the club's history with wages of around €2m per year.

Real beat champions Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Sunday to move out of the relegation zone and are currently 15th in La Liga, with just nine points from their opening 11 games.

 

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Congratulations & Good Luck Moyes!​

 

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Florentino Perez slammed by Calderon

Ramon Calderon has slammed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez for changing the way in which potential candidates can challenge his position.

Recent alterations to the traditional campaigning procedure mean that any figure standing for election must have been a season ticket holder for a minimum of 25 years and be able to guarantee 15% of Madrid's operating budget, which stands at approximately €77 million.

Calderon, who was president of the club between July 2006 and January 2009, believes those changes have made it difficult for anyone to usurp Perez, meaning they are no longer run in a democratic fashion.“I’d rather talk about the good things that are happening at Real Madrid, but if you talk of the social way the club is being run then I’d say it isn’t good, neither for the club nor the president,” he told Sky Sports.

“He’s changed the by-laws and now nobody can dare to be president or to change things. That, as I said, is bad for the club because he didn’t need [to do] that. It’s not a democracy now. It should be. He is always saying the club is for the members but it is not."

Calderon's own reign at Madrid came to end when he resigned as a result of allegations over vote rigging, following claims he had manipulated the supposed financial budget he would install at the club.

 

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Everton hope Barry out for ‘weeks rather than months’

Everton are hopeful midfielder Gareth Barry will only be sidelined for “weeks rather than months” after he was stretchered off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

The 33-year-old was forced off after just 13 minutes at the Stadium of Light after a tackle from Jordi Gomez, with the club initially fearing he may have broken his leg.
Manager Roberto Martinez revealed after the game that Barry had not suffered a break but the club have now confirmed the midfielder is set for some time out of action.“Gareth Barry is continuing to be assessed after being carried off on a stretcher at Sunderland on Sunday,” a statement on the club’s website read.

“The Blues midfielder was taken straight to hospital in the north east where subsequent x-rays thankfully showed that there was no break.“His ankle is still very swollen, which complicates assessment, but the Everton medical staff have confirmed that there is ligament damage in the area.

“The player’s treatment at Finch Farm is ongoing and although it is too early to estimate a length of absence, it is hopeful the time out will be weeks rather than months.”

 

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Messi revels in Argentina meet

Lionel Messi has revealed his happiness at reporting for international duty with Argentina on Tuesday evening.

The Albiceleste are set to face Croatia in a friendly at Upton Park on Friday night before taking on Portugal in another non-competitive fixture on Tuesday.

Argentina reached the final of the World Cup in Brazil this summer but were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the final, with Mario Gotze scoring the only goal in extra time.Coach Alejandro Sabella has since departed, with former Barca boss Gerardo Martino taking over the helm.

His reign didn't get off to the best start, though, as the South American nation were beaten 2-0 by Brazil in a friendly in October, before bouncing back with a 7-0 thrashing of Hong Kong.

 

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Luiz Adriano to make Brazil debut

Luiz Adriano will make his Brazil debut in Wednesday's Gillette Brasil Global Tour friendly with Turkey.

The Shakhtar Donetsk striker has been in sensational form in this season's Champions League, netting nine times in total, including a record-equalling five-goal haul in a 7-0 win at BATE.

As a reward, Luiz Adriano will start up front for his country against Turkey, with Diego Tardelli and every other Brazil-based player having been left out of the Selecao squad in order to focus on the conclusion of the domestic season.

Tardelli served as a 'false nine' in last month's wins over Argentina and Japan but Dunga will ask Luiz Adriano to play as a more traditional centre-forward.

"It's logical that something will change because of the characteristics of the front man, given Luis Adriano's style is different to Diego Tardelli's," the Brazil boss told reporters on the eve of the game in Istanbul."But it will be good to try to play with more of a target man, even if Luiz Adriano also knows how to work the flanks well."

There will be two other changes to the side that routed Japan 4-0 in Singapore, with Fernandinho replacing Elias in midfield and David Luiz getting the nod alongside Miranda at the heart of the Selecao defence, meaning the fit-again former captain Thiago Silva will have to make do with a seat on the bench.

Neymar, who netted all of his country's goals in the win over the Samurai Blue, will once again lead his country, with the Barcelona attacker set to be deployed on the left-hand side of the attack.

Brazil XI v Turkey (4-2-3-1): Diego Alves; Danilo, Miranda, David Luiz, Filipe Luis; Luiz Gustavo, Fernandinho; Oscar, Willian, Neymar; Luiz Adriano.

 

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Ronaldo: I don't call Messi names

Cristiano Ronaldo has firmly denied calling Barcelona star Lionel Messi several offensive names inside the Real Madrid dressing room.

In a new book by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, it is claimed Ronaldo has a cold and distant relationship with Messi and often refers to him in the most unflattering language.

However, after learning of the news on Tuesday, the Madrid man moved to quickly reject the story out of hand and insists he would never treat a fellow professional with such disrespect.Writing on his official Facebook page, he said: "News is circulating that I allegedly made offending remarks regarding Lionel Messi.

"This is absolutely false and I have assured my lawyer takes action to sue those responsible. I have the utmost respect for all my professional colleagues, and Messi is obviously no exception."

The book also suggests that the 29-year-old’s Madrid team-mates jokingly compare Messi to a dog or puppet kept in one of Ronaldo’s designer bags.

The two players have emerged as the outstanding footballers of their generation in recent years and have won the Ballon d'Or – given to the world’s best player over the previous 12 months - six times between them.However, despite the respectful manner in which the pair often greet and talk about one another in public, rumours have persisted that they are far from friends, as a result of their personal and club rivalry.

Last month it was the Portugal star who came out on top as Madrid defeated Barcelona 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first Clasico of the season but Messi then struck back by beating his rival to Raul’s record of 71 Champions League goals after scoring twice in the 2-0 victory over Ajax.

Ronaldo is favourite to retain his crown as the world’s best player and win a third Ballon d’Or in January, which would move him to within one of the Argentine’s tally of four.

 

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I've gone easy on Ronaldo - Varane

France defender Raphael Varane has joked that he and team-mate Karim Benzema resisted mocking Cristiano Ronaldo after defeating Portugal during the last international break.

A goal from Benzema and another from Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba gave Didier Deschamps’ side a 2-1 win over the Seleccao in October, with Ronaldo playing for 76 minutes before being withdrawn.

While a month back together at Madrid has passed since that meeting, Varane says the French duo have elected to go easy on the 2013 Ballon d’Or winner – but suggests it would not be the same if the two sides were ever to meet in competitive action."Me and Karim have been kind with Ronaldo since the game,” Varane said to France Football.

“We decided not to rub salt into his wounds but only due to it being a friendly match - not because we didn’t think we could mock him.”Varane admits Ronaldo is an impressive figure off the pitch as well as on it and pays tribute to his dedication and influence in the Madrid camp.

He continued: “It's hard to criticise Ronaldo. When we come back from an away game at 4am, he is one of the players that goes straight to the training complex to jump in cold water to accelerate the speed of his recovery. He is an example to follow."

The 21-year-old is with the France squad as his side prepare for two more friendlies – this time against Albania and Sweden – as they continue their build up to Euro 2016 on home soil.

 

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Schneiderlin reiterates desire to play for a 'big club'

Morgan Schneiderlin has reiterated his desire to play for a "big club" but hinted that Champions League qualification could see him stay at Southampton.

The midfielder was a €22 million target for Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham during the summer but Southampton blocked his exit, prompting an angry outburst on Twitter by the France international.

However, since then new manager Ronaldo Koeman has guided the Saints to second in the Premier League table to the surprise of many, and Schneiderlin feels such form could convince him to stay at St. Mary's.

"If someone had told me at the end of the transfer window that Southampton would be second, I would not have believed it," he told L'Equipe.

"Even though we lost a lot of people, the club has recruited well and a new coach arrived with a new philosophy.

"A career passes quickly and I want to play for a big club. Today I am at Southampton, we are second in the Premier League, it's going well.

"We'll see at the end of the season if [a transfer] will happen. If we have qualified for the Champions League, I will make the choice."

 

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'Suarez getting better each day' - Bravo

Luis Suarez is quickly becoming an important part of Luis Enrique's Barcelona side, according to Blaugrana goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

The 27-year-old moved to Camp Nou from Liverpool over the summer but had to wait until the Clasico clash with Real Madrid on October 25 to make his debut after serving a four-month suspension.

As a result, Suarez has taken his time to build up match fitness, but shown glimpses of his talent with three assists in his first three La Liga games and Bravo believes the Uruguay star is growing in stature with each traning session."Luis is already an important factor in the team and his level of importance is increasing with each day," the keeper told reporters at a press conference ahead of Chile's games against Venezuela and Uruguyay.

Bravo's own start to life at Barcelona has been a little less high profile, but the 31-year-old has nonetheless established himself as the club's first choice keeper after starting each of their first 11 games in La Liga this term and conceding just five goals - the best defensive record in the division.

The 31-year-old joined the club after spending the previous eight years at Real Sociedad.

 

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Kroos was born to play at Real Madrid - Heynckes


Former Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes feels Toni Kroos was born to play at Real Madrid after the midfielder's impressive start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kroos scored his first goal in a Madrid shirt in their 5-1 drubbing of Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, helping Carlo Ancelotti's men consolidate top spot in the league.

Heynckes coached the Germany international between 2011 and 2013 and the 69-year-old has hailed his former pupil's beginning to his career in the Spanish top flight. "Kroos is playing magnificent football," Heynckes told Perform.

"It's his destiny to play there. He has a leading role as a playmaker in the midfield of Real Madrid and that's a huge achievement because only world-class footballers are playing there.

"The team accepts him, he's wonderfully integrated. "You cannot play the position Kroos plays in defensive midfield besides Luka Modric better than he does.

"I called him, I sent him messages to congratulate him. It's really fantastic, particularly if you consider the pressure there is in Madrid."Meanwhile, former Madrid boss Bernd Schuster has stressed he is not surprised by Kroos' influential start to his Madrid career."Kroos is everything I was expecting because he is an intelligent player," Schuster said.

"That's a very important attribute in this game. He has it all as a player but I still think that his ideal position is a bit more advanced, at least that's where I like him because he can exploit all conditions."You have to adapt the needs of your players to the team. Kroos is adapting fast because of his quality and intelligence. He's got a good understanding with Modric, who is another like him who could play more advanced.

"Because Kroos is often so far back, it's difficult for him to use some of his qualities, like making the final pass or shooting. "German players have always been good long-range shooters... we like having a shot."

 

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Ancelotti: Madrid won't buy in January, Pique shouldn't be punished

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will not make any signings in the January transfer window.

The European champions had a busy summer, bringing in James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Keylor Navas, while Javier Hernandez joined on loan from Manchester United.

The Madrid boss says he has no plans to add to his squad again in January, insisting that the long-awaited return of Jese Rodriguez next month is the only player who will resemble a new signing.

"Jese is our winter signing," he said on Al Primer Toque. "He could play in the next month."The 55-year-old touched on Gerard Pique's omission from the Barcelona team, as reports have emerged that the defender has been dropped because he was caught using his mobile phone on the bench.

And Ancelotti says he would not punish a player for doing so."I wouldn’t punish a player for using his mobile phone on the bench. I believe in discipline but there are things I don’t think should be resolved with punishment, but with talking and explaining.

"Players are intelligent people and I don’t think Pique has been left out because of that."

 

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Unhappy Podolski wants Arsenal talks in January

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will seek clarification on his future at the club this winter as he grows frustrated with his lack of playing time.

The 29-year-old has been unable to nail down a regular place in the team ever since his transfer from Koln in 2012 and his only start this season has come in the League Cup.

Podolski has played a total of only 74 minutes in the Premier League and Champions League during seven substitute appearances and is keen to find regular action somewhere else if needs be.

"Of course I'm not happy when I'm not playing," he told the press. "I want to be playing and enjoying my football.

"We'll have to see what happens this winter. I'm going to seek talks with my club then but there's no pressure."

The Germany international’s only goal so far this season came in a turnaround win in Belgium against Anderlecht, scoring less than 10 minutes after coming off the bench to seal a 2-1 victory.

 

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Evans closes in on Manchester United return as Van Gaal works to bring back injured stars

Jonny Evans is set to give Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal a defensive fitness boost as the centre-back nears full fitness.

The defender has been out of action since picking up an ankle injury in the 5-3 defeat to Leicester City on September 21.

But Evans has been back in training over the last few days and the United medical staff have been pleased with the Northern Ireland international's progress.

United are hopeful Evans, who missed the start of the season with a leg injury, will be available for selection after the international break.

Van Gaal is planning to use the international break to work a few of his injured stars back to full fitness.

Phil Jones has also returned to training having suffered a shin injury in the 2-2 draw with West Brom at The Hawthorns, but his rehabilitation has stalled.

United had hoped Jones would only be out for two to three weeks, but the England international is still some way away from a return to match action.

 

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Fabregas withdrawn from Spain squad

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been withdrawn from Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad due to a hamstring problem.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho revealed on Saturday that the former Barcelona star had played through an injury against Liverpool, but he met with the national team for a medical before being ruled out of their November internationals as they prepare for their Euro 2016 qualifier against Belarus and the following friendly against Germany.

While Del Bosque did not call up Fabregas's Chelsea team-mate, Diego Costa, over his injury issues, he insisted on Monday that his team should examine the midfielder.

Villarreal's Bruno Soriano has been called into La Roja's party to replace the midfielder for the matches on Saturday and the following Tuesday.

Fabregas has started all 11 of Chelsea's Premier League games so far this season, scoring one goal and providing a division-high nine assists.

 

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Mata: Manchester United still aiming for the Champions League

Juan Mata says Manchester United are still aiming for a place in the Champions League next season, despite a poor start to their league campaign.

The Red Devils have picked up 16 points after 11 Premier League games, four less than they had at the same point last season under David Moyes.

Moyes was sacked in April and United went on to finish seventh in the league, 15 points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Despite the club's underachievement on the league table, Mata maintains the team's aim is to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"The aim is to get in the Champions League because the club did not qualify last season," he told Cope.

"We'd all love to the team to score more goals but, in the end, the forwards will end up scoring more than 15 goals."

The Spain international played a full 90-minute match just three times this season and has previously been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford but scored a vital winner against Crystal Palace on Saturday after coming on as a substitute.

And Mata is pleased to be working under a manager who does not sugarcoat anything.

"He is, above all, honest. He tells you the good and bad to your face," the ex-Chelsea man added.

Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been training with United since late October as he aims to regain fitness, though a contract with the club is not necessarily expected, and Mata confirmed that current No.1 David de Gea does not feel under threat for his place.

"I have spoken with Valdes. He's training with the team and we're looking forward to seeing what his plans are soon," the midfielder explained. "De Gea is not nervous."

 

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Kohomahari meh sare Manchester United Champions League select wenna one​

 

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Ibrahimovic pays tribute to brother at Swedish Player of the Year gala

Zlatan Ibrahimovic reflected on the death of his brother and two fellow Swedish football players as he collected his nation's Player of the Year award.

The Paris Saint-Germain player has now won the Guldbollen nine times in his career, with the 2014 award being his eighth in a row.

As he accepted the award, Ibrahimovic gave an emotional speech as he paid tribute to his brother Sapko, who passed away in April at the age of 40 after a long illness, as well as former Marseille player Klas Ingesson, who died of cancer at 46, and former defender Pontus Segerstrom who died of a brain tumour - both passed away in October.

“I am still living my boyhood dream when it comes to football. All these awards I have got and am still getting is proof that one has done something good and that one is good at what one is doing," Ibrahimovic said as he accepted the award.

"But it is all overshadowed by what has happened to Klas and Pontus and I had a brother who also passed away under similar circumstances. So there is a life next to football that is much more important. May they rest in peace.”