..::Football III::..

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Snubbed Falcao denies storming out of Old Trafford

Radamel Falcao has attempted to quell speculation that he stormed out of Old Trafford after being omitted from Manchester United's squad in their defeat to Southampton on Sunday.

Falcao, who joined United on a €10 million loan from Monaco on transfer deadline day last summer, was not even named among Louis van Gaal's substitutes on Sunday.

Stories quickly circulated that he had stormed out of the stadium after a picture appeared online which alleged to show him walking towards a car.

But on Tuesday evening he retweeted messages from a Colombian journalist denying the rumours and added his own short rebuttal.

Luis Restrepo, of DirecTV, posted: "To clarify: Falcao was at Old Trafford on Sunday, a game that I attended. Also, he was seen with Van Gaal in the tunnel after the game.

"Additionally Van Gaal verified it in his press conference and I verified it myself. You have to filter what is said and written from here in the UK."

Falcao also appeared to manually retweet the second message, adding "Aprendan", which translates as "learn", to the end. That tweet has now been removed.

The Colombia striker was caught up in a Twitter storm ahead of his move to Old Trafford, when a message appeared on his account hailing an impending move to Real Madrid, before it was withdrawn and a denial issued.

Earlier on Tuesday, Falcao's agent Jorge Mendes stated that he is not sure where his client will be playing his football next season.

 

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Champions League is in Southampton's sights - Steven Davis

Southampton midfielder Steven Davis says that the dream of Champions League qualification is starting to come into focus.

Ronald Koeman's side have exceeded expectations in the Premier League and currently sit third in the table, two points clear of Manchester United in fourth.

Sunday's 1-0 win at United continued a run of good form for Southampton that has seen the Saints pick up 13 points from a possible 15, with morale at St Mary's Stadium high after wins over the likes of Everton and Arsenal as well as a 1-1 draw with leaders Chelsea.

"We're growing as a team and we know we can come against these teams and compete on a consistent basis," Davis told the club's official website.

"I think if, when we get to the end of January [to] end of February and we're in a similar position, then we can start to realistically go at it [the Champions League].

"We're in a great position, we're enjoying our football, every game we look forward to and we can't ask for anything more at this point in time.

"It's just about trying to keep that consistency and keep the desire within the team to go out and get results."

 

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I want Ozil's role - Cazorla

Santi Cazorla has admitted he craves Mesut Ozil's central role at Arsenal after thriving in the position during his team-mate's recent absence through injury.

Having started the campaign in a wider attacking role for Arsene Wenger, Cazorla has moved inside in recent months and flourished.

Since the start of December, the Spaniard has scored all four of his season's tally of league goals, while contributing two assists as Arsenal have closed in on the top four.

The 30-year-old says his new-found role enables him to have more of an impact on games, something he hopes will continue despite the return of club-record signing Ozil from a knee injury.

"I have more space [in the middle], more possibilities to score and assist, and I like this position very much," he told the club's official website. "I always can help the team and I love when I play in the middle.

"I want to continue to play at this level for the rest of the season. I always want to help the team with goals.

"I hope to score more until the end of the season. It’s very important for me and the team."

 

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Barcelona need Messi to stay - Busquets

Sergio Busquets is convinced Lionel Messi will still be a Barcelona player next season and admits the club can't afford to lose him.

Messi, 27, lost out to Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Ballon d'Or on Monday evening, finishing in second place, but stole the headlines by revealing he didn't know where he would be playing next season.

That admittance follows on from a week of intense speculation linking him with Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City.

The Argentina star has reportedly grown unhappy at Camp Nou as a result of a strained relationship with coach Luis Enrique, with Messi left on the bench for the recent defeat to Real Sociedad.

However, Busquets was quick to calm fears his team-mate could be set for a shock departure, but did admit the club couldn't afford to sanction his exit.

"The owner of his future is himself, he's not thinking about leaving and for us is very important that he stays," the midfielder said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"He said what everybody says in the football world, you don't know what will happen in the future, you don't know what can happen but, he also said that he doesn't want to leave the club.

"Leo is a common guy, he said the other day that he's just another part of the team, we know he makes the difference, he offers different things but he's just another player in the team.

"When there's a debate, everybody can see it in different way, the fans only know what they see in the media, not what really happens."


Discussing Ronaldo's success in winning a third Ballon d'Or on Monday, Busquets added: "For me, Lionel Messi is the best but, Cristiano is a fair winner."

 

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Lewandowski: I was wrong to vote for Ronaldo


Bayern Munich attacker Robert Lewandowski has rued his decision to pick Cristiano Ronaldo in the Fifa Ballon d'Or vote ahead of Manuel Neuer.

The Poland skipper gave the Real Madrid star five points ahead of his Bayern team-mates Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger, but he now feels the Germany goalkeeper would have been a better choice in hindsight.

Neuer eventually ended third in the running for the prize with 15.72 per cent of the votes, just 0.04 per cent behind Lionel Messi, while 37.66 per cent picked Ronaldo.

"Voting for Ronaldo instead of Neuer was a mistake," Lewandowski was quoted as saying by Welt.

"I would clearly vote for Neuer now if I had the chance. But I already cast my vote back in August or something. I would vote different now.

"I am sorry for Manu. I am really surprised that he did not even come in second and the big gap to Ronaldo also baffles me. Manuel is an amazing goalkeeper and person."

Neuer was one of four Bayern Munich players to make the top 10, with Arjen Robben (fourth), Thomas Muller (fifth), Philipp Lahm (sixth) all earning a spot among the world's best, too.

 

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Man Utd doing fine with back three - Jones

Manchester United defender Phil Jones is adamant that he and his team-mates are comfortable playing with a three-man defence.

Louis van Gaal has frequently adopted a back three since taking the reins at Old Trafford in July, though fans and pundits are not completely convinced by the system, with Southampton boss Ronald Koeman identifying it as a weakness after he masterminded a 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday.

But Jones insisted to the press: "I think we are comfortable playing in it. Whether we have a back four or three, we are comfortable with both.

"Sometimes maybe we play that pass in the defence that we shouldn't but we are comfortable playing in both formations the manager has shown.

"We are still improving as a team. It's a learning curve. It doesn't just happen overnight. You don't just click your fingers and you are used to playing in a new formation. It's like anything, it takes time, but we are improving in training and we want to get better. That's the main thing.

"Every one of us in the changing room wants to get better, to learn and that's only good for us."

 

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Man Utd doing fine with back three - Jones

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Ronaldo: Madrid need Bale

Cristiano Ronaldo has stressed that he does not have any problems with Gareth Bale and feels the Welshman remains a key player for Real Madrid.

The former Tottenham Hotspur attacker was jeered by a number of Madrid fans after going for goal himself rather than passing the ball to the unmarked Ronaldo in the 3-0 win over Espanyol at the weekend, with the Portugal international reacting angrily, too.

However, the Fifa Ballon d'Or winner has insisted he has a good relationship with Bale and he is keen to move on from this weekend's incident.

"The Madrid fans are always the same. They are very intense, they show what they feel," Ronaldo said.

"They know that Gaz is a very important player for us. What happened on Saturday is the past.

"Some days I make mistakes too. It’s part of business and part of football, so I think people will be nice to him.

"He is a good player and a very important player for Real Madrid and we are going to need him again this year."

Florentino Perez, meanwhile, also stressed that Madrid are happy with Bale.

"Bale has said he is delighted to be at Real Madrid and Real Madrid are delighted to have him."

The 25-year-old has a contract with the Santiago Bernabeu side until June 2019.

 

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Javi Martinez: It hurts to see Bayern play

Javi Martinez has admitted that it is not easy for him to watch Bayern Munich from the sidelines due to injury, but he is optimistic about his recovery and hopes to be back with the squad come March.

The Spain international ruptured the cruciate ligament in his left knee in the German Supercup loss to Borussia Dortmund in August and has since been out of action.

The 26-year-old is nearing his return, but he has acknowledged that he's finding it hard not being able to play yet.

"Watching my team-mates play sometimes makes me sad. My exercises are much more boring [than playing a game]. It hurts in the head," the Spaniard was quoted as saying on the official Bayern website.

"Building up muscles again is the most difficult bit. It takes a lot of hard work. But I’m a little bit better with every passing day. I worked hard on my knee every day over the holidays, so I’ve come back feeling good.

"I am already capable of light exercise and jogging and that was good for me mentally. It gives you the feeling you’re getting nearer.

"Guardiola and I talk every day. He’s keeping informed about my recovery and asks me how I am. I’m hoping to be back with the squad in March, but it all depends on the knee."

Martinez joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in August 2012 and has since won two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokals, the Champions League as well as the European Supercup and the Club World Cup.

 

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Real Madrid open talks over €5m Batalla

Real Madrid have opened talks with River Plate over the January transfer of promising goalkeeper Augusto Batalla.

The Santiago Bernabeu side are keen to sign the 18-year-old on loan until the end of the season, with an option to sign him on a permanent deal for a fee of €5 million come June, potentially rising to €10m depending on a number of variables.

Batalla has been capped at Under-20 level for Argentina, but has yet to make his senior debut for River Plate.

Madrid have been keeping a close eye on the youngster's development ever since seeing him in action in Doha at a training camp organised by the Aspire Academy and the Iker Casillas foundation back in December 2013, while the shot stopper also shone at an U-17 tournament with River Plate in Madrid that same year.

Batalla would start his time at Madrid with the club's Castilla side in order to allow him to adapt to his new surroundings before potentially making the step up to the senior side, a strategy Madrid previously employed with Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

The Champions League holders are hopeful of concluding a deal by the end of the week, allowing Batalla to focus on the South American Under-20 Championship, which is due to kick off on Wednesday January 14.

 

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I have great affection for Isco - Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has described his "great affection" for Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

The pair worked together at Malaga before the Chilean moved to England in 2013 and the midfielder subsequently joined Real Madrid, where he is now establishing himself after a difficult first season.

However, City's abandonment of their pursuit of Madrid target Marco Reus could open up the possibility of a reunion with Isco and Pellegrini remains in admiration of the youngster.

"I have great affection for him," the City boss told AS.

"I was lucky enough to guide him during his passage to La Liga. He has to continue progressing because of his youth and because of the quality he has.

"He chose Real Madrid as his destination and I am happy each time that I see him."

Isco has scored two goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances for Madrid in La Liga this season.

 

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Balotelli is wasting everything - Mancini

Roberto Mancini has warned that Mario Balotelli is in danger of wasting his entire career unless he changes his attitude significantly.

The Liverpool striker has had a tumultuous career, having been no stranger to controversy and had fall outs with Jose Mourinho during his time at Inter as well as Mancini when the pair worked together at Manchester City.

The Italy striker was deemed suprlus to requirements at AC Milan before being sold to the Reds in the summer for €20 million, where he has failed to make any kind of impression.

Mancini says he has been surprised by the 24-year-old's demise and feels he is in danger of falling even further.

"I have not heard from Mario since we worked together at Manchester City," he told Corriere della Sera.

"He was still a kid when we were together at Inter. He would do anything I asked him and he also behaved well at City. It has all gone downward a bit since he left City. I thought he would do well at Milan, but it didn't happen.

"Mario is at risk of following the same path as Adriano. I hope that he wakes up one morning and realises that he is wasting everything."

Mancini returned to Inter this season after replacing Walter Mazzarri at the helm and the Giuseppe Meazza side currently sit only ninth in the Italian top flight.

However, Mancini has little doubt they are destined for greatness again in the not too distant future and thinks they can fight for domestic glory again next term.

"Inter need time in order to become great again," he added.

"We lost the first two games, but have rapidly made progress. We are taking the right steps. I am here at Inter because I think the club can become great again.

"It irritates me a bit to talk about finishing third this season, but Inter will be challenging for the Serie A title again next season."

 

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Sunderland close in on Defoe signing

Sunderland are on the verge of completing a deal for Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe.

Gus Poyet's side opened talks with the Major League Soccer club last week over a deal for the England international, who has previously made it known that he would be prepared to leave the Canadian club.

Defoe, who scored 11 goals in 19 appearances during his first season in MLS, has been training with Tottenham's development squad in recent weeks as he attempts to maintain his fitness while his future is resolved.

The likes of QPR, Hull City, Crystal Palace and Leicester City have all shown an interest in signing the 32-year-old but it is Sunderland who are closing in on a permanent deal for the former England forward.

The Black Cats have agreed personal terms with Defoe, who will sign a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

A source close to the talks told Goal: "The deal is very close and everyone at the club is buzzing with the prospect."

As part of the deal, Toronto have agreed to take out-of-favour USA striker Jozy Altidore back to MLS, with Greg Vanney's side willing to match the former Villarreal striker's wage demands.

Should there be a breakdown in talks over Altidore, however, it would not affect the completion of the Defoe deal, although Sunderland would be expected to up their cash offer for the striker.

 

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Barcelona job would drive Guardiola crazy, says Javi Martinez

Bayern Munich midfielder Javi Martinez believes Pep Guardiola would be driven crazy if he became sporting director at Barcelona.

The current Bayern coach has been touted as a potential replacement for Andoni Zubizarreta, who saw his contract terminated earlier this month.

However, Martinez has insisted that Guardiola is happy at the Bundesliga champions and would not be suited for the position anyway at this stage of his career.

"I have read what people have said, but I know that Pep is really happy at Bayern," Martinez told Sport Bild.

"He loves the city of Munich, the people here and the club itself.

"Plus, I honestly cannot imagine Guardiola in the role as sporting director. He needs to be on top of things on a daily basis and needs the smell of grass, or he will not be happy.

"It would drive Pep crazy if he had to watch the training sessions through his office window."

Guardiola left Barcelona at the end of the 2011-12 campaign, before taking charge of Bayern in 2013, where he won the Bundesliga title, DFB Pokal, Club World Cup and European Supercup in his first season in charge.

 

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Lahm: I will finish my career at Bayern in 2018

Philipp Lahm has made it clear he has no intention of retiring in Qatar or the MLS and wants to hang up his boots at Bayern Munich instead when his contract expires in 2018.

The versatile defender - currently recovering from a fractured ankle - still has three more years to go on his current deal with the Bundesliga champions and he is hungry for more silverware before eventually saying farewell to the game.

"My contract with Bayern expires in 2018. I will be 34 by then, that will be the right time to end my career," Lahm was quoted as saying by L'Equipe.

"I don't see myself making the move to Qatar or the USA. I want to end my active career while I'm still on top of my game.

"I want to win another Champions League title with Bayern. It's the biggest goal I have now and I think we can even win it this season.

"Our main rivals are Real Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona. PSG? I'd like to see them against Chelsea. They make progress every year, so we will have to wait and see whether they can also challenge for the Champions League."

Lahm also had his say on Franck Ribery's decision to retire from international football after the 2014 World Cup and believes the winger's France snub benefits Bayern.

"Ribery was injured a lot in 2014, but he has been back at his best in recent months. He is very important when he plays like he did before the winter break.

"He left the national team and consequently has more time and energy for Bayern. We are quite happy with his decision."

 

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Blind: Manchester United are a great team

Daley Blind believes that the money that Manchester United have spent since Louis van Gaal took over as manager has turned them into a "really great team".

The Red Devils forked out over €180 million on new players during the summer, including a British-record €75m on Angel Di Maria as well as €17.5m to bring Blind from Ajax.

Despite the huge outlay, they sit fourth in the Premier League table but the Netherlands international says that the competition for places is turning the squad into something special.

"The prices in the team are expensive and the manager has said that as well so you have to train every day, very hard, to show yourself and show that you really want to play," he told reporters.

"We are one team, we have to do it with each other, whichever XI the coach chooses. We are supporting each other and it feels like a really great team."

Blind has suffered an injury-hit start to life with the 20-time English champions after suffering damage to his knee ligament that ruled him out of action for two months but the midfielder is keen to put the knock behind him and build on some postivie early showings for the club.

"It was disappointing but it was an injury I couldn't really do anything about," he remarked. "Somebody fell on my knee. It was not a muscle injury or something that happened because of tiredness so it was really just unlucky.

"It could have been worse but I tried to feel positive and work hard every day to come back stronger. I hope to start now. Apart from this injury I've been really fit during my career so I hope it stays that way.

"It was bit hard getting over the injury but it's a nice group and everybody was really helping me every day and every week. It's just like home so I feel good being here."

Despite his long lay-off, Blind was thrown straight back into Van Gaal's starting XI as United suffered their first defeat in 12 matches at the hands of Southampton on Sunday. He and Di Maria were surprise inclusions, having just recovered, and some have criticsed the manager for rushing back his summer signings.

And though Blind admits that he found playing 90 minutes of Premier League football difficult after his time away, he is pleased to have got straight back into the action.

"I'm a fit player," he continued. "Maybe that's why I was brought back straight away!

"I'm conditioned most of the time, always OK, so it should not be a problem to play 90 minutes. I showed them in training that I had worked hard and that I’d be fit for the game.

"It's up to the manager what his choices are but he put me in the starting XI and I'm really happy with that. It was my first game in seven weeks so it was a bit heavy going in the end but I think I felt pretty good after 90 minutes. It’s good to be back; I'm only disappointed that it was not with a win."

 

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Pellegrini: Alexis is Premier League's best

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has labelled Alexis Sanchez as the "best player in English football" after making a flying start to life at Arsenal.

The Chile international has scored 12 Premier League goals since joining the Gunners in the summer for €41 million, including a curling effort against Pellegrini's City earlier in the campaign.

And the former Malaga coach, who has previously hailed his own striker - Sergio Aguero - as one of the best players in the world, believes that Alexis is as good as it gets in the English game.

"Every game I see him making a great effort, showing great commitment, ambition and the maturity needed to keep improving year after year," he told AS.

"I'm happy for him because, at this time, he is the best player in English football.

"I always thought [he was going to be world class]. The only thing you could criticise him for before was that he didn't score enough goals. He wasn't a scorer but he has improved this a lot in the last two campaigns.

"Alexis has progressed in recent years. His spell at Barcelona has been very useful for him as well as sharing a team with great players."

Pellegrini will come face to face with his compatriot when reigning champions City host Arsene Wenger's side on Sunday.

 

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Ronaldo: Injury no excuse for disappointing World Cup

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he was not fully match fit heading into the 2014 World Cup, but has no regrets over his decision to travel to Brazil and refuses to use his injury as an excuse for his disappointing performances.

The Portugal star was unable to take part in regular training action for Madrid in the weeks ahead of the World Cup - playing in the Champions League final against Atletico irrespective of his physical problems - but opted to represent his country at the tournament nonetheless.

Ronaldo would be unable to make an impact in Brazil, however, scoring just once as Portugal were eliminated in the group stages, prompting criticism across the globe.

"I’ve no regrets about what I did, as things happen for a reason. After winning the Champions League, for which I was injured - I had to sit out training for two weeks ahead of the final because of pains – I headed off to the World Cup," Ronaldo told Fifa.com.

"I could’ve told the coach not to consider me. I could’ve headed off on holidays instead without the worry and it would’ve been easier for me. Nobody would have been able to talk about me out there.

"However, I like to face up to things directly. First of all, I don’t want to use the fact I was injured as an excuse, but it’s true that I wasn’t 100 per cent, as many people knew, and some didn’t want to know.

"But, as I said, I’m not making excuses. That I’m here today is down to my sacrifices, dedication and the sweat of my brow."

The 29-year-old then went on to stress that lifting the Champions League trophy was a historic moment for him, before admitting that 2014 was arguably the best year of his career.

"Finally winning it and lifting the trophy was my most memorable Champions League moment. It’s the culmination of everything – the tide of emotions during the final itself, all the suffering, then scoring in the last minute. Also the fact that the game was in Portugal – it all made it a beautiful and historic moment.

"It was unforgettable for the Madrid fans. Anyone who plays there can tell you how important it is to win the Champions League – and especially La Decima.

"It was the highlight of an extraordinary year, both with club and country. I’ve great memories as it was possibly my best year at both an individual and team level."

 

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Henry: I thought Wenger abuse was a joke

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry says that he could not believe that some of the club's fans had abused Arsene Wenger after their 3-2 defeat at Stoke City in December, initially believing it was a joke.

The Gunners were beaten at the Britannia Stadium after going three goals down by half-time in a nightmare display and some supporters were caught on video aiming jeers and insults at Wenger as he and the team boarded a train home.

Henry, who ended his playing career after New York Red Bulls' season came to a close in 2014, was horrified by the reception to such a key figure in the team's recent history.

"I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it," he told The Independent.

"You can be upset, I totally understand that but, when I saw what had happened at Stoke, it was totally unnecessary. Fans do have a voice but that was out of order.

"But in the game we have at the moment that, unfortunately, is the way it is."

Arsenal extracted some revenge on Sunday when they beat Stoke 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the reverse fixture, with Laurent Koscielny and two Alexis Sanchez goals securing a comfortable win.