..::Football III::..

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Lerner wants Villa to 'rise to the occasion' and beat relegation

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has challenged the club's players to beat relegation from the Premier League in the wake of former manager Paul Lambert's departure.

Lambert left Villa Park on Wednesday after the club slipped into the bottom three for the first time this season following defeat at fellow strugglers Hull City.

A chronic lack of goals – a paltry 12 in 25 league games – has dragged Villa into another survival scrap, with Lerner urging the squad to improve or risk slipping into the Championship - though he has placed on record his gratitude to the departed Scot.

"Following several brutally challenging years at Villa, Paul Lambert arrived with a fresh view and a proven style and track record," read a statement from Lerner on the club's official website.

"It was our hope, and belief, that Aston Villa would find its footing and strengthen during Paul's tenure with the club.

"Adding players and investing in the squad over the last three years has strengthened Villa, and it is our hope that given the quality, leadership and team spirit at Bodymoor Heath that we can rise to the occasion for the remainder of the season.

"I want very much to thank Paul for his commitment to me personally, and to Villa, and wish him well personally and professionally in his future endeavours."

Lambert issued a statement himself earlier on Thursday praising Lerner, adding: "You never stop learning in football management and I certainly believe the invaluable experience from my time as Villa manager will prove hugely beneficial in the next stage of my managerial career."

 

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Smalling: Man Utd letting ourselves down

Chris Smalling admits Manchester United were below-par and "let ourselves down" during their 3-1 win over Burnley on Wednesday.

United struggled to break down a resilient Clarets side at Old Trafford before Smalling opened the scoring with his first touch, having replaced the injured Phil Jones.

Danny Ings swiftly equalised, but Smalling doubled United’s advantage on the stroke of half-time, though he concedes that United turned in one of their worst performances of the season in the opening 45 minutes.

"It wasn't a 3-1 scoreline game,” he told reporters. “Especially in that first half, we all let ourselves down. We could have played much better.

"That first half was probably the worst we've had all season, we were lucky to go into the break with a lead.

"We knew that it wasn't good enough in the first half. We were lucky to get away with it, and we had to stand up and fight in the second-half.'”

Louis van Gaal admitted his displeasure with the first-half performance afterwards, telling reporters: "I think you have seen the first half was not a good performance. Burnley were the better team, they pressed us and we could not beat the press.”

And Smalling has revealed that the Dutchman wasted little time in conveying his fury to the side at half-time.

"I think the manager was shocked at half-time.

"The manager said in the dressing room that the first half was unacceptable and all the players know that.”

 

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De Rossi: My love for Roma stopped me leaving

Daniele De Rossi admits there have been times when he almost left Roma, but claims his love of the club convinced him to stay.The Italy international is a one-club man and has made over 350 Serie A appearances since his debut in January 2003.

De Rossi, who earned his 100th cap for Italy last year, has followed in the footsteps of his father Alberto, who has been involved at Stadio Olimpico for the past 21 years as a player and a coach.

The 31-year-old's talents on the pitch have seen him linked with the likes Real Madrid and Manchester City in the past, but De Rossi stated that he and his father share a bond with the club that would make it difficult to walk away.

"At certain times there was a slight possibility of leaving, but deep down my father and I share a love for this club and that's what keeps us going," he told Uefa's official website."In modern-day football loyalty is an exception, there are a lot of things to consider nowadays."

De Rossi has made 14 Serie A appearances for Roma this season, helping Rudi Garcia's men to second in the league table - seven points adrift of leaders Juventus.
He is currently sidelined with a calf injury, although he is expected to return in the coming weeks to help boost the Giallorossi's efforts in the Scudetto race.

 

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Coentrao ruled out for Madrid until March

Fabio Coentrao is expected to be out of action for Real Madrid until March after picking up a calf injury in training this week.

The European champions confirmed in a statement on Thursday that reports suggesting Coentrao had a problem with his right calf were true and he is suspected to be facing three weeks out of action.

The left-back has been a bit-part player for Real Madrid this season having fallen behind Marcelo in the pecking order.

Coentrao has started just three games in La Liga this season and two of those were defeats to Atletico Madrid, including last weekend's humiliating 4-0 derby loss. The 26-year-old was sent off against Espanyol on the only other occasion he has been named in the starting XI.

However, the Portugal international being sidelined leaves Carlo Ancelotti with fewer options for rotation with the Champions League knockout stage about to begin.Holders Real Madrid have been drawn against Schalke in the last 16 after winning all six matches in the group stage earlier this campaign.

As well as certainly missing next Wednesday's opening leg against Schalke at the Veltins Arena, Coentrao is expected to be absent from the squad for Liga clashes with Deportivo La Coruna, Elche and Villarreal.

If he can make a full recovery in three weeks, as predicted, then he could make his next appearance at Athletic on March 7 or in the return leg of their clash with Schalke three days later.

 

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I'm not an actor or show-off - Benzema

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has declared he is "not an actor" on or off the field and believes his grounded attitude has made him popular with supporters and the general public.

The likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have been accused in the past as caring too much about their image as football has evolved into a more money-spinning sport over the past two decades.

The France international, however, says crafting a persona for his efforts on the pitch does not interest him and he just wants to be himself, which he believes is doing wonders for his popularity.

"I'm not an actor," he told Surface Magazine. "I'm not in the game to look good for the cameras. There are others who do that in life but I like to laugh and I get along with everyone.

"When people see me on the street - whether they are old, young, women or children - everyone shows me affection."

Real Madrid were criticised from all quarters for the way they crumbled to a landslide 4-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid at the weekend.Although the 27-year-old admitted the European champions' performance was "a disaster", Benzema takes disapproval which stems from fans or the media with a huge pinch of salt.

"I will take criticism seriously from those who have played the game at the highest level," he continued. "But if it comes from someone who has never played the game then I don't take it seriously.

"All that matters in my position is scoring goals. Up front, if you are lazy then people notice - you have to score goals."

 

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Giroud: Arsenal cannot underestimate Boro

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has warned his team-mates that they will pay dearly if they underestimate Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.

Aitor Karanka's men defeated Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium to set up their clash with the Gunners, with goals from Patrick Bamford and Kike enough to earn a shock 2-0 victory.

And Giroud believes the Gunners must upset Boro's rhythm early on if they are to beat another Championship outfit in their bid to defend their trophy - having defeated Brighton and Hove Albion 3-2 at the Amex Stadium last time out.

"If they are here it's because they succeeded in beating a great team like City, so we need to be aware of that," he told Arsenal Player.

"We need to play our game straight away from the beginning and not let them take confidence. Every game is a tough game in the FA Cup - it's always a big fight.

"We know that even though a team is playing in an inferior division, they will really want to beat us at home, especially Arsenal.

"We have the spirit because we won it last year, we have more experience maybe and hopefully we will keep this trophy with us."

 

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Roma: We nearly signed Odegaard

Roma have revealed they came close to signing Norwegian wonderkid Martin Odegaard several years before his move to Real Madrid in January.

The 16-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects in world football and the Serie A club were alerted to his quality when he was just 12-years-old.

Odegaard was one of Roma sporting director Walter Sabbatini's first targets upon his appointment at the Stadio Olimpico in 2011 and the Italian said he did his best to lure him to Rome.

"During my first year in Rome we became aware of Odegaard," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport."I made a big mistake. It was partly my fault, but also that of the environment and the coach, both of which played a part. We were very close to Odegaard, long before he went to Real Madrid, but ultimately it did not happen."

As recently as last autumn Roma again attempted to persuade Odegaard to move to Roma, with former Norway star John Arne Riise revealing he had advised the club to make a bid."I have recommended Roma try to sign Odegaard," the APOEL defender told TV2.

Madrid paid a reported €3 million to sign him from Stromsgodset, the eighth highest fee ever paid for a 16-year-old.

 

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Three weeks and I'm back - Modric

Real Madrid star Luka Modric has revealed he is on course to make his return from a ruptured thigh muscle within the next three weeks.

The Croatia international suffered the problem in the first half of his nation's Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy on November 18, with the midfielder told he would be on the sidelines for more than three months.Thankfully for both his club and international side, the 29-year-old's recovery has gone according to plan and providing he has no reaction to the final stages of his rehabilitation, he should be fit enough to resume full training by the start of March.

Modric told Sportske novosti: "My rehabilitation is going according to plan, it is going very well. I am happy and I will soon be back on the pitch! I have been aware just how serious this injury is ever since it happened, and we all agreed we have to be patient because a rupture is very complicated.

"Yes, I miss playing very much but I am disciplined and I don't want to rush things. I know it could end very badly, with a new injury, if I return too soon."

The risk of repeating the injury was emphasised by the Croatia FA's head of medical services Boris Nemec, who added: "He will begin to run now and in three weeks he should make full training sessions with the team.

"If he feels the smallest pain, he should postpone his return because with muscle injuries, especially ruptures like this one, there is a big chance of renewing the injury. Thirty per cent of players renew their muscle injuries because they return too soon. His injury, the rupture of the rectus femoris, is something I've not witnessed in my career."

If he was to suffer the misfortune of rupturing the muscle for a second time, the former Tottenham star could face an even longer absence, according to national team doctor Zoran Bahtijarevic: "If he were to rush things he could be out for a year."

The news means Modric could make his return to action against Athletic Bilbao in March, while he should be fit in time for the second leg of Madrid's last-16 Champions League tie with Schalke.

 

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Dante unhappy at lack of respect

Bayern Munich defender Dante has claimed criticism of his recent performances is typical of the “lack of respect” he has been shown since the World Cup.

The 31-year-old made his only appearance for Brazil last summer as a replacement for the suspended Thiago Silva in the semi-final against Germany but turned in an awful defensive display as the tournament hosts were thrashed 7-1.

Dante believes that result has damaged his profile in Germany despite him being a key member of the Bayern side that has won back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Jupp Heynckes and Pep Guardiola."What is happening is unfair," he told Bild. "Since the World Cup semi-final against Germany people give me less respect.

"No-one thinks about whether it could break my career or the pressure it has put on me."The criticism of Dante intensified when Bayern’s first game after the winter break ended in a crushing 4-1 defeat at Wolfsburg.

Honorary president Franz Beckenbauer singled the former Borussia Monchengladbach defender out afterwards, claiming he was not fit.The comments did not sit well with Dante, who said: "With that I am very, very, very, very, very, very, very disappointed."

Bayern are eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after returning to winning ways following the defeat at Wolfsburg and a draw with Schalke by beating Stuttgart 2-0 last weekend.

Guardiola’s men take on Hamburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

 

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'Disrespected Suarez the victim of a witch-hunt'

Uruguay boss Oscar Tabarez believes Luis Suarez was "disrespected" and the victim of a "witch-hunt" in the aftermath of his World Cup biting controversy.

The Barcelona striker will not be available for the Copa America later this year following his nine-match ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's clash with Italy in Brazil.

Tabarez branded the punishment as "excessive" at the time and quit his role with Fifa's strategic committee, but insists he is over the incident despite taking one last opportunity to hit out at the sanctions against his star player.

"I'm not angry," told ca2015.com, the official website of the Copa America. "I can't object to a punishment for a footballer when he has done something that is not permitted in the rules – that's not good.

"But when there's a witch-hunt and one does not respect a person that has made a mistake, that upsets me. But that is a closed case.

"I don't hold any malice towards them [FIFA] and don't want to cause any issues. During the World Cup, I just said what I was feeling at the time, that was how I saw things. But I have a clear conscience and it's something we don’t need to talk about too much now."

Uruguay are the reigning Copa America champions after winning the tournament in 2011 and Tabarez revealed he is working on a plan of action in Suarez's absence.
He added: "We are working to make sure we have a competitive team without Suarez.

"We have played games without him before, like the one against Venezuela [in June 2013] which we had to win to qualify for the World Cup and we won without Suarez then. "It's the same as asking what happens to Argentina if they don't have [Lionel] Messi. Or which defender would play if Spain didn't have Sergio Ramos.

"Nearly all teams rely on their individuality, but I don't believe Uruguay will lose what they have because Suarez is not there.

"He will only miss the Copa America, but he will be back for the next World Cup and for the qualifying games."

 

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I lost my confidence - Mathieu

Jeremy Mathieu has opened up about his early struggles at Barcelona by admitting he "lost confidence" after being criticised as the club stuttered towards the end of the year.

The France defender joined Barca for €20 million from Valencia and signed a four-year deal with the Catalans but injuries hampered his attempts to make a good first impression at Camp NouMathieu has since settled into Luis Enrique's side and impressed during their 3-1 victory over Villarreal in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

"From the beginning I felt very comfortable in the team," said the 31-year-old. "At some point I lost a little confidence, but in practice I try to give 100 per cent.
"I've had a bad time but now I'm back to my level. I'm happy with my game against Villarreal."

Mathieu added that he and his team-mates must not start dreaming of the final just yet with a tough second leg at El Madrigal on the horizon on March 4.

"Villarreal have a good team and are very strong collectively," he added."Our team has incredible patience, though, and we will move to contain them."

 

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Hazard signs new Chelsea deal

Chelsea have confirmed that Eden Hazard has signed a new five-and-a-half-year deal with the club.

The Belgium international has been in talks with the Blues over a new contract for several months and reports in recent days suggested an announcement was close.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho joked this week that the delay had been caused by the need for him to go out and "buy a nice new pen".

And the former Lille man has now committed to a new deal that keeps him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2020, as well as putting an end to speculation over a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

"I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea," he told the club's official website. "Since I came here in 2012 I have always felt good and the club has been very supportive to me.

"The manager has helped me improve a lot, the fans have been fantastic and I have an amazing understanding with my team-mates.

"I always try to give pleasure to the supporters with my style of play and it is nice to know they appreciate my work.

"I hope we can repay that support by winning lots of trophies, beginning with the League Cup at Wembley, and after that, we can push hard towards the end of the season."

Mourinho added: "I am very happy that Eden has signed a new contract. It shows he believes in the club’s coaching staff and players to help him become the best player in the world.

"He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic. He is still very young and he can become the best."

Hazard has scored 13 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions this season to help fire Chelsea to the top of the Premier League and into the knockout stage of the Champions League.

 

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Gerrard awaits scan results

Steven Gerrard is to have a scan on a hamstring injury as Liverpool wait to find out the extent of the problem.

The Liverpool captain was withdrawn midway through the second half of Tuesday's 3-2 Premier League win over Tottenham at Anfield.

With Brendan Rodgers away in Europe on "club business", assistant Colin Pascoe faced the media on Thursday and confirmed that Gerrard would be sent for a scan.

"Unfortunately, he felt his hamstring just towards the end of the game," he said. "He's having a scan this morning and we're just waiting for the results to come back on that one."

Gerrard was replaced by Dejan Lovren on Tuesday, with Emre Can moving from defence into midfield, and his performance earned the praise of Pascoe.

"Midfield is his position, he wants to play there, but he will play anywhere for Liverpool," he told reporters.

"When we monitored him to go in at Liverpool he could play at centre back but when he's had the opportunity to play there he's been fantastic.

"When he came into midfield the other day he was fantastic again. He's worked hard and waited for his chance and grabbed it with both hands.

"He's young and learning his game but yeah in years to come I'm sure he'll progress to be one. He's been fantastic."

Mario Balotelli came off the bench to score a crucial late winner on Tuesday - his first Premier League goal for the club after a slow start to his career at Anfield.

"Mario is Mario. He comes in every day, works hard, he's one of those guys who when out there he wants to work well," Pascoe said.

"Every team is picked for certain occasions. Mario probably does need a run of games but we've also got Daniel Sturridge to come back in as well."

 

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Yaya Toure returns to Man City after Afcon triumph

Yaya Toure has returned to Manchester City's training complex following Cote d'Ivoire's victory at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The midfielder has not taken part in training on Thursday morning but is at City's Etihad Campus for an initial fitness assessment.

Following their FA Cup fourth-round exit at the hands of Middlesbrough last month, City do not have a fixture this weekend and are back in action against Newcastle United on February 21 before facing Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie three days later.

City remain seven points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea after Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory over Stoke City - their only win in Toure’s six-game absence.

Wilfried Bony is also set to begin training with City for the first time since his €35 million move from Swansea City in January.

 

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Morata not thinking about Real Madrid return, insists agent

Alvaro Morata's agent Juanma Lopez has stressed that the Juventus striker is not thinking about a potential return to Real Madrid.

The 22-year-old left Madrid for the Serie A champions in the summer of 2014 after failing to secure regular first-team action at the Santiago Bernabeu side and has since become a valued member of Massimiliano Allegri's squad.

The Champions League holders have an option to buy back Morata for a set fee of €30 million at the end of the 2015-16 or 2016-17 campaign, though, and a number of recent reports suggested Madrid are keen to lure him back to La Liga.
Nevertheless, Morata's representative has made it clear that the young attacker is focused on Juventus for now.

"All I can say about it at this moment is that Alvaro is happy at Juventus and is only thinking about Juventus," the striker's agent told Calciomercato."Madrid are keeping a close eye on his development, but he is only thinking about Juventus."

Morata has netted five goals in 17 Serie A appearances so far this term.

 

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Negredo: Manchester City are still in my heart

Alvaro Negredo has admitted that personal reasons were behind his shock move from Manchester City to Valencia last summer.

The Spain international hit the ground running after joining City from Sevilla in 2013, scoring all 23 of his goals for the club before the end of January in 2013-14.

But the 'Beast', as he became known by supporters, picked up a shoulder injury and his form tailed off in the second half of the season as Manuel Pellegrini's team secured a Premier League and League Cup double.

"I still follow Man City," he told Goal. "I have many friends there and I am happy with what they are doing. I learned a lot and won some titles there so, of course, they are still in my heart.

"It was very difficult. I waited to the last hour before leaving but I was feeling a bit homesick.

"It was good for me to go back to Spain but it was very difficult to leave Manchester City as the fans have always been wonderful to me.

"Homesickness is not the whole reason. I needed more playing time to build up my performance levels after my shoulder injury. With my way of playing I did not feel I was getting the same opportunity so I left."

Negredo, who will be one of 10 players to represent New Balance Football, only moved to Mestalla on a loan deal but is widely expected to seal a permanent move at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old has helped his new side climb to fourth in the table and but he does not expect the club to challenge the newly established top three of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid just yet.

"We have to say that the basics to achieve this are not there yet," he added. "You look at Real Madrid and Barcelona, and then at Valencia there is a difference in structure.

"It is not like the Premier League where more or less it is more balanced.

"We hope to grow and reach this target of competing with the other three, but now it is just the start."

 

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Iniesta: I never doubted Barcelona

Andres Iniesta has insisted that he never had any doubts Barcelona could be successful this season.

The Catalans went through a difficult moment at the start of 2015 and there were doubts as to whether head coach Luis Enrique was the right man for the job.

However, they have since embarked on a 10-game winning streak, with Wednesday's 3-1 Copa del Rey win over Villarreal being their latest victory, and Iniesta is keen to make the most of their good run of form."I've always been confident about the team’s performances," Iniesta told the official Barcelona website.

"It's true that at the moment the team's playing well and when that happens you have to make the most of it and try to improve."Iniesta then went on to voice his satisfaction with the midweek first leg semi-final victory, yet insisted that nothing has been decided just yet.

"We made a big effort; it was a shame about conceding a goal. The most important thing is that we're 90 minutes away from the final. We'll have to go to Villarreal and put in a complete performance and be switched on in every sense.

"We know we could have scored more goals, but the chances have to be taken. The result is what it is and we aren't unhappy. The goal was to win and get a good result.

"El Madrigal is a stadium that's demanding. It's a small ground. There's almost a month before the second leg and we have to be happy about the goals."
The return in Vila-Real is scheduled to take place on March 4.

 

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Mourinho: I was right to play Cech over Courtois

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho feels justified in his decision to replace a "tired" Thibaut Courtois with Petr Cech for Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Everton.

Courtois has been the regular number one for the Premier League leaders this season, but was left on the bench for the meeting at Stamford Bridge.

Cech was in impressive form, producing two key saves from former Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku, and Mourinho explained his decision to rotate his goalkeepers for the game.

"Courtois played consecutive matches, against Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa, games where he needed to be very focused," he told the club's official website.

"Every detail is so important, even when he doesn't touch the ball, the focus must be permanent and I think a goalkeeper can also be tired. The tiredness isn't just physical, it's also from your nervous system.

"Petr has been working really well and hard. In every training session I was getting the feeling his condition was magnificent. Tonight he was the best option for the team, also in terms of leadership.

"John Terry was ill this morning and he was probably out of the game until the last minute, so I thought I needed Petr's personality and capacity to communicate at the back. The decision was good."

 

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Deschamps extends France deal

France head coach Didier Deschamps has extended his contract with the French Football Federation (FFF) until after the 2018 World Cup.

The 46-year-old's previous deal was due to expire after Euro 2016 in France, but Deschamps has now committed himself to the national team beyond that by inking a two-year extension to his existing contract.

"Didier Deschamps has extended his contract until after the next World Cup in 2018," a statement on the federation's website reads.

"At president Noel Le Graet's initiative, the FFF's executive committee has decided to extend Deschamps' contract as national team coach until after the 2018 World Cup."The coach will be accompanied by his assistants Guy Stephan and Franck Raviot to carry out his mission until the next World Cup."

Deschamps has been in charge of France ever since replacing Larent Blanc after Euro 2012.He guided France to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where les Bleus were eliminated by eventual winners Germany in the quarter-finals.

The former holding midfielder previously coached Monaco, Juventus and Olympique de Marseille.

 

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Manchester United debt rises to €514.9 million

Manchester United have recorded an increase in debt to €514.9 million in their latest financial results.

The 20-time Premier League champions' overall debt rose by €32.1m from the previous three-month figures, with the exchange rate between the US Dollar and Pound Sterling contributing in part.

Overall revenue is down to €143m (14 per cent) from 12 months ago, largely due to the reduced broadcast revenue as a result of the club's absence from Champions League football and an early exit in the League Cup.

However, the club's wage bill is down by €3.9m (5.6%) despite the British-record arrival of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao on loan commanding big salaries, with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra all leaving in the summer.

United's chief executive Ed Woodward is upbeat despite the reduction in income, citing the newly-agreed Premier League television rights deal which is set to start from 2016.

"The recently announced Premier League broadcasting rights package for 2017-19, representing an increase of just over 70%, once again demonstrates that we are part of the top football league in the world," Woodward said in a statement.

"Notwithstanding no European football this season, our Revenues and EBITDA remain strong and demonstrate the underlying strength of our business model, with commercial revenues up year over year.

"On the pitch, the team is well positioned to challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League and we look forward to the rest of the season."