..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Neymar: My friend Messi is better than Ronaldo

Neymar has proclaimed that Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi is better than Real Madrid adversary and Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Brazilian forward is in his second season playing alongside Messi at Camp Nou and their link-up play in Barca's current 11-match winning streak has been notably impressive.

Messi's great footballing rival over the past seven or eight years has been Real Madrid star Ronaldo, but Neymar has no doubts that the Argentine is the best player of all time.

"Messi's the greatest footballer I've ever watched play," he told reporters on a trip to a Formula One testing circuit in Catalunya, where compatriot Felipe Massa was driving on Friday.

"Along with Ronaldo, he is the best in the world, but Leo is my friend and - for me - he is the better of the two."

Neymar is relieved that Barca weathered January's storm off the pitch, when rumours were flying that Messi might leave and Luis Enrique was set to be axed, and has his sights set on conquering Spain and Europe in 2014-15.

"Hopefully we can win La Liga and the Champions League," he added, when asked which he'd prefer to triumph in. "We are trying to win it all.

"On Saturday we have a very important challenge against Malaga, but we have all the components to win. We just focus on our football, not our opponents' football. We're all happy at Barca that we got through that foggy period."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Nene not ready for West Ham debut - Allardyce

New West Ham striker Nene will not be make his debut in Sunday's clash with Tottenham, Sam Allardyce has admitted.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco forward was a free agent after his contract with Al-Gharafa expired in January, with West Ham beating West Brom to seal a deal until the end of the season.

West Ham co-chairman David Gold tweeted on Thursday that Nene could feature against Tottenham as a substitute, but Allardyce insists the 33-year-old will not be part of the squad on Sunday.

"Nene isn't ready physically yet," he told reporters. "He's just started training with us, it'll be about 10 days maybe two weeks before he's ready.

"It's great to have a player like Nene, with his CV, at the club. We're all looking forward to seeing him play."

Nene was brought in as cover for Andy Carroll, who will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

"Everyone is disappointed for Andy," Allardyce added. "Injuries happen in football, but he's had more than most.

"Hopefully he can come back fully fit and show us what he can do, because when he's fit, playing to his best, he's fantastic."

Allardyce also confirmed that the trio of Winston Reid, James Collins and Matt Jarvis are all back in training and available for Sunday's Premier League clash at White Hart Lane.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Schneiderlin: Liverpool game is our biggest of the season

Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin believes that Sunday's Premier League visit of Liverpool could be his side's most important match of the campaign.

Ronald Koeman's Saints sit fourth in the table, four points above the Reds, as both vie for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool will arrive at St Mary's Stadium full of confidence, having lost just once in their last 23 matches, and Schneiderlin understands the difficulty of the tie.

"It's a massive game," the France international told Saints' official website.

"I always enjoy the games we play against Liverpool and we've had some joy against them in the last couple of years but, overall, Liverpool is a big team who is back on a winning way at the moment.

"They're on a good run and it will be a very good game – maybe the most important game of the season for us."

Southampton will come up against some familiar faces when the two sides meet, with Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Rickie Lambert all returning to their former clubs after moving on last summer.

Despite winning just one of their last four competitive matches, the Saints are enjoying their most successful Premier League campaign ever and Schneiderlin is eager for further success.

"We want to keep this momentum because we know that big teams will always have good runs at the end of the season. They are teams who won't drop and who have a lot of experience about these kind of things," he observed.

"We know that we cannot let this go. There are 13 games to go and a lot of points and it's the games at home that we need to win – as simple as that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2015.02.22 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2015.02.22 Fixtures

Tottenham Vs West Ham

Everton Vs Leichester

Southampton Vs Liverpool

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga 2015.02.22 Fixtures

LA Liga 2015.02.22 Fixtures

Real Sociedad Vs Sevilla

Athletic Bilbao Vs Rayo Vallecano

Villareal Vs Eibar

Elche Vs Real Madrid
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A 2015.02.22 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.02.22 Fixtures

AC Milan Vs Cesena

Empoli Vs Chievo

Hellas Verona Vs Roma

Lazio Vs Palermo

Parma Vs Udinese

Fiorentina Vs Torino
​

 

[rcccc]

Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal: Giroud’s 50th Gunners goal seals three points

.

Giroud injury eken passe hodata play karanawa

 

[rcccc]

Barcelona 0-1 Malaga: Juanmi dents Blaugrana title bid

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Southampton 0-2 Liverpool: Coutinho & Sterling ensure Rodgers' men march on

A stunning Philippe Coutinho goal set Liverpool on their way to a 2-0 victory over Southampton at a wet and windy St Mary's on Sunday.

The diminutive Brazilian fired an effort into the top corner from 35 yards in third minute amid a frantic start, before Raheem Sterling wrapped up the victory with a calm finish in the second half.

The result moves Liverpool, unbeaten in the league since mid-December, up to sixth in the table - a point behind their opponents and two shy of Manchester United in fourth.

Filip Djuricic was handed a first start in attack for Southampton, who welcomed back defender Matt Targett and midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

A hip injury to Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho meant Dejan Lovren joined Adam Lallana in starting against his former club, while Sterling replaced Daniel Sturridge.

Djuricic was immediately into the action, going down under pressure from Emre Can in the penalty area after 20 seconds, but referee Kevin Friend was unmoved.

Liverpool responded to that uncertain opening by stylishly grabbing a third-minute lead when Lazar Markovic fed the ball to Coutinho, who netted superbly from range via the underside of the crossbar.

There was more frustration for Southampton as another challenge on Djuricic inside the box, this time from Joe Allen, went unpunished and Simon Mignolet made a fine save when the loose ball broke to Eljero Elia.

Friend provoked further ire from the home support two minutes before half-time when Mignolet was not punished for handball, despite charging down Elia's effort from marginally outside his area.

The Belgium goalkeeper then beat away a Djuricic strike to ensure Liverpool's advantage remained intact at half-time.

Having seen his defence under sustained pressure, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers sent on Alberto Moreno in place of Markovic at left wing-back, while Morgan Schneiderlin replaced Steven Davis for Southampton.

Graziano Pelle scuffed wide from 20 yards following a slick passing move as the hosts remained on the front foot.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman introduced Sadio Mane in place of Ward-Prowse and the forward had a shot on the turn blocked by Martin Skrtel as the hour approached.

Sturridge bolstered the Liverpool attack in place of Lallana and some wonderful skill from the England man beat Jose Fonte before he failed to get a shot away.

Rodgers' men then sealed the points when Targett lost his footing in trying to clear Moreno's low cross and Fraser Forster could only touch Sterling's firm low strike into the net.

In the closing minutes, Sturridge twice came close to getting his name on the scoresheet, but his misses mattered little come the final whistle.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool dan pattama form 1kaka inneSeason 1st half 1ke meh wage play kalanam Title 1katath challenge karanna thibba

& Coutinho ge goal 1ka patta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

AC Milan 2-0 Cesena: Ace Bonaventura boosts Rossoneri

Giacomo Bonaventura and Giampaolo Pazzini were AC Milan's heroes after their goals gave Filippo Inzaghi's men a much needed 2-0 win over Cesena.

Bonaventura's low drive after 22 minutes capped a positive start to the game from the hosts, although a sparse crowd inside San Siro were not given much else to excite them before the break.

But Milan finally made sure of all three points in the 90th minute when Luca Antonelli was felled in the penalty area and substitute Pazzini stepped up to fire past Nicola Leali from 12 yards.

The win lifts Inzaghi's men above rivals Inter and into eighth position, while 19th-placed Cesena remain firmly in a relegation scrap.

After missing the last three games through injury, Riccardo Montolivo was restored to Milan’s midfield - and he went close to opening the scoring in the second minute.The 30-year-old's low shot was parried by Leali, and the loose ball fell to Andrea Poli who headed home, but the assistant referee’s flag denied Inzaghi an early goal.

Having survived that scare, Cesena had a promising spell of possession, with Gregoire Defrel and Milan Djuric both testing Christian Abbiati - in for the suspended Diego Lopez - with long-range efforts.

Their dominance did not last, though, as the hosts broke the deadlock midway through the half, Bonaventura finding the bottom corner with a low strike across Leali from 20 yards.

Milan's opener took the sting out of any momentum Cesena had built up, and Inzaghi's team could have been further ahead as the pace and guile of Jeremy Menez created two openings that they were unable to convert.But with half-time looming, the hosts had Abbiati to thank for preserving their lead in stoppage time, the veteran reacting well to deny Giuseppe De Feudis' volley.

A crucial clearance from Antonelli maintained Milan's advantage early in the second half, before Bonaventura was denied a second by the post.

Menez was again Cesena's tormentor with a mazy run down the left, but Bonaventura's fine effort from 12 yards out thudded against the woodwork.The introduction of Pazzini for the ineffective Mattia Destro just after the hour gave the hosts a burst of energy in attack.

And the Italy international was on hand to calm any frayed nerves on the Milan bench when he shot low beyond Leali from the spot after Antonelli had been brought down by Carlos Carbonero.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 2-2 Leicester City: Late Lukaku header spares Toffees

Everton scored in the final minutes to claim a 2-2 draw with Leicester City in Sunday's Premier League clash.

Two errors from home goalkeeper Tim Howard were punished as Leicester responded to Steven Naismith's opener with goals from David Nugent and Esteban Cambiasso.

The Premier League's bottom side looked set to climb within two points of safety as a result, only to suffer late heartbreak as Romelu Lukaku's diving header deflected into the back of the net via Matthew Upson.

Naismith put Everton in front after 57 minutes with a scuffed finish, but the game then turned on a pair of mistakes from the experienced Howard.

The United States shot-stopper spilled a low cross to gift boyhood Everton fan Nugent a 63rd-minute equaliser and failed to deal with Danny Simpson's right-wing delivery in the build-up to Cambiasso's close-range strike seven minutes later.

Lukaku spurned a host of chances for Everton, but the Belgium forward ultimately came good as he met Christian Atsu's cross and saw his diving header brush off Upson to leave Mark Schwarzer with no chance.

Everton saw left-back Leighton Baines return to the side after three games out with a knee problem, but his recall did not inspire a fast start as both teams offered little going forward in the opening stages.

Lukaku perhaps should have given Everton the lead in the 22nd minute, only to blaze over the crossbar from six yards following good work down the right-hand side from Seamus Coleman.

In-form lone frontman Andrej Kramaric then went close for Leicester, who recalled Robert Huth, the Croatian curling over from the edge of the area.

Jeffrey Schlupp may have broken the deadlock with the final kick of the first period had John Stones not produced a fine block to deflect his effort wide with the goal gaping.

But if Schlupp was unfortunate not to score on that occasion, he had no excuse just after the restart as a gilt-edged chance went begging.

The midfielder somehow skewed wide of the right-hand post on the rebound after Howard had only managed to parry a low effort from Matty James.

Leicester were made to pay for Schlupp's profligacy when Naismith struck his sixth league goal of the campaign.

Naismith collected the ball from Lukaku and worked his way into the box before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Everton, seeking a first home league win since mid-December, were subsequently pegged back as Howard failed to collect a low cross from Jamie Vardy, with the ball the ricocheting off Stones and into the path of Nugent to tap home.

Lukaku then curled over when through on goal at the other end and Leicester took advantage by capitalising on another Howard gaffe to complete the turnaround.

The former Manchester United stopper flapped at Simpson's lofted cross, before Vardy pulled the ball back for Cambiasso to turn home.

Cambiasso's strike looked to have ensured a vital three points for Nigel Pearson's men, but Lukaku levelled matters again to rescue a draw for the Toffees.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 2-2 West Ham: Kane rescues point for Spurs

Harry Kane salvaged a point deep into stoppage time as Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with West Ham in a dramatic London derby on Sunday.

Goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho looked to have given West Ham an away victory at the end of a week of frenzied speculation over manager Sam Allardyce's future.

Allardyce has had to contend with yet more questions over his job security, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, but the vastly experienced 60-year-old says he is happy to wait until the end of the campaign to hold talks.

The visitors' display appeared set to give Allardyce the perfect tonic, only for Danny Rose to reduce the deficit nine minutes from time, before Kane scored his 24th goal of the season when he followed up after Adrian saved his penalty in the sixth minute of time added on.

Allardyce masterminded two victories at White Hart Lane last season, but failed to make it three in a row as West Ham were denied a second Premier League win in nine games.

Tottenham remain unbeaten at home in the top flight since November, but the draw is a blow to their hopes of securing a Champions League spot.

Mauricio Pochettino made six changes to the Tottenham side that started Thursday's Europa League draw against Fiorentina, with the in-form Kane among the players restored to the starting line-up and Christian Eriksen dropping to the bench.

West Ham welcomed Winston Reid back from injury at the expense of Kevin Nolan, who was among the substitutes along with fit-again duo James Collins and Matt Jarvis.

Tottenham made a bright start and Adrian made an outstanding save diving to his left to keep out Nabil Bentaleb's rasping long-range drive five minutes in.

Kane then had a great opportunity to open the scoring when he raced onto Rose's ball over the top and his finish trickled past Adrian, but struck the far post.

It was West Ham who were in front after 22 minutes, though, as Mousa Dembele gave the ball away and was made to pay when Aaron Cresswell's inviting cross was met by a bullet header from Kouyate.

Rose almost equalised with a header that looped just over the top of the crossbar after Kane picked out the marauding full-back but Hugo Lloris had to be alert to prevent Enner Valencia from doubling West Ham's lead shortly after.

Sakho ought to have given the visitors breathing space when Mark Noble's incisive pass sent him clear, but the striker's poor finish was saved by Lloris.

The Senegal forward made no mistake after 62 minutes, though, when he crept in at the back post to volley home Noble's cross as Rose appealed for offside against Valencia.

Noble was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card moments later when he upended Bentaleb, which prompted an altercation with Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen.

West Ham should have been three goals in front when captain Noble's free-kick was headed back across goal by Reid and Valencia's close-range effort was kept out by Lloris, and the Hammers were made to pay for their profligacy.

Kane thought he had pulled a goal back at the second attempt after Adrian kept out his initial effort, but the flag was up for offside before Rose set up a tense finale by scoring in the 81st minute.

The left-back drilled the ball into the ground and over Adrian after the Spaniard had flapped at Erik Lamela's cross, with the ball nestling in the bottom corner.

The Spaniard looked to have redeemed himself when he made a brilliant save from a Roberto Soldado volley, but there was one final twist to come, as Kane was brought down by Alex Song in the box at the death.

The in-form striker saw his initial spot-kick saved but Adrian could only parry the effort back into Kane's path, and he made no mistake at the second attempt as Spurs salvaged a point.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hellas Verona 1-1 Roma: Jankovic piles more misery on Garcia

Roma's inability to turn draws into victories continued as their Serie A title bid was dealt another blow in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona.

Francesco Totti, who had not scored since his match-saving double in the Rome derby over a month ago, opened the scoring with a long-distance strike which skidded into the bottom corner.

Verona barely had a sniff of the ball in the first third of the match but were level 10 minutes before half-time when Giallorossi midfielder Seydou Keita deflected Bosko Jankovic's header into the back of his own net.

The second half started at blistering pace, with both sides pushing hard for a winner, but both tired as the 90 minutes wore on and real chances were extremely thin on the ground in the final 30 minutes.

Following Juventus' 2-1 win over Atalanta on Friday, Rudi Garcia's men are now nine points adrift in the Scudetto race while the hosts edge up a place in the Serie A table into 15th.

Roma's form has faltered in 2015 - they had won once in their last six matches heading into the visit to Verona - while Andrea Mandorlini's men had leaked 21 goals in their previous six games, only one of which they did not lose, meaning the pressure was on both sets of players to produce a result.

A terrific, left-footed strike from Radja Nainngolan with 10 minutes on the clock nearly gave the visitors a cracking start, however, with Francesco Benucci's fingertip save kept the scoreline at 0-0.

Three minutes later it was Adem Ljajic who tested the Verona shot-stopper, as he drove a free-kick from the flank, but Benucci reacted and smothered the ball on his goalline.

The Giallorossi kept up the pressure and on the 26-minute mark Benucci was finally beaten when Totti lashed his ninth goal of the season into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Verona's first effort on goal did not come until the 37th minute. Former Barnsley midfielder Emil Hallfredsson found some space on the edge of the box and brought the Bentegodi residents to their feet with a shot which cannoned just wide.

Rudi Garcia's men failed to heed the warning signal and, a little over 60 seconds later, Jankovic rose highest from Hallfredsson's corner and his header was deflected into the back of the net by Keita's knee.

Ljajic, who had been buzzing about Verona's box in dangerous fashion all half, finished the opening 45 minutes by thundering a Roma free-kick on to the crossbar.

After the break Juanito had a glorious chance to put the hosts into the lead just minutes into the second half, but slipped as he shot and fired just off target from 10 yards out.

A few minutes later it took a goalline clearance from Roma substitute Vasilis Torosidis to deny Hallfredsson from converting an excellent counterattack, in the midst of very entertaining, end-to-end fair in Verona.

However, the pace of the game noticeably dropped late on as Roma ran out of ideas and Mandorlini's men settled for a point against the second-placed side.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roma's title charge 1ka iwarai wage​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Milan win means nothing - Inzaghi

Filippo Inzaghi says AC Milan's 2-0 win over Cesena means little unless it is followed up with a succession of positive results.

The Rossoneri had won just one of seven league games in 2015 heading into Sunday's clash at San Siro, but goals from Giacomo Bonaventura and Giampaolo Pazzini made it two victories for the year. However, Inzaghi is refusing to get carried away with one good performance and has demanded that his players now put together a consistent run.

"We’re satisfied, but we’ve done nothing yet. I wanted us to win with a good performance to give the players more confidence and I think we’ve done that today," he told Sky Sport.

"Clearly we need to triumph twice or three times in a row to get properly back on track, but this is a good beginning."Inzaghi's position at Milan has been under scrutiny over the past month, with reports in Italy suggesting club president Silvio Berlusconi was considering giving him the axe, but the Rossoneri legend is convinced his role has never been under threat.

"The president never criticised me," Inzaghi added. "If anything, he’s too good to me. Since we started the bad period of form, he’s been calling me every day to be reassuring."On Friday he rang me at 7.45am and I was asleep, but it was nice to hear from him anyway!"

Milan will aim for back-to-back wins in Serie A for the first time since mid-October with a trip to Chievo next Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pochettino proud of Tottenham fightback

Mauricio Pochettino praised his Tottenham side after they fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with London rivals West Ham on Sunday.

Goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho gave the Hammers a seemingly comfortable lead in north London, as they went in search of a third consecutive win at White Hart Lane.

However, a bizarre goal from Danny Rose with 10 minutes remaining gave Spurs hope, before Harry Kane was fouled in the area in injury-time.

Kane saw his initial spot-kick saved but turned home the rebound, and Pochettino was proud of the way his players fought back to rescue a point.

"When you analyse the full 90 minutes I think we deserved one point," he told BBC Sport . "We started very well, had three chances to score, including the one where Harry Kane hit the post.

"When they scored it was difficult for us to play, because they play very deep and the counter-attack is very good for West Ham with Sakho and [Enner] Valencia who are very fast.

"But in the second half I thought some decisions were against us - the second goal was offside. But we need to finish better and score more goals.

"I think we showed character - that's the most important thing. Going into the last 10 minutes at 2-0 down, to finish the game 2-2 is something to be proud of."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roma woes down to bad luck - Garcia

Rudi Garcia is adamant that bad luck was the biggest factor in Roma's failure to beat Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Francesco Totti opened the scoring with a fine finish from distance midway through the first half but, shortly before the break, Bosko Jankovic's header deflected into the back of the Giallorossi net via the knee of Seydou Keita.

Roma have won just once in Serie A since January 11 and have fallen nine points behind runaway leaders Juventus, who now look almost certain – barring a total collapse – to win their fourth successive Scudetto this season.

Garcia was disappointed with the impatience of his players in the final 45 minutes but firmly believes the hosts were fortunate to come away from the clash with a point at Roma's expense.

"We played well in the first half and it was bizarre to go into the locker room at 1-1. They scored with half a chance," the coach told Sky Sport.

"We are dreadfully unlucky in games at the moment but the lads proved in the first half that when we move the ball around quickly then we can trouble any opponent.
"With a bit of luck we could’ve won it if Adem Ljajic’s free kick hadn’t hit the bar at the end of the first half.

"We were too impatient after the break and made more mistakes, allowing Verona to counterattack. We lacked sharpness and got the final ball wrong. If we don’t make the most of our scoring opportunities, it invites opponents to shore up.

"We need to find solutions for our lack of consistency, as we struggle to play at the same tempo throughout 90 minutes. But don’t forget we played three days ago, so in the final 15 minutes it was normal to feel tired."

January signing Seydou Doumbia was dropped from the starting XI before being brought on in the second half and Garcia admitted the forward could do with a morale-boosting goal."I asked Doumbia to stay in the box when he came on, but he had little service to get his teeth into," the former Lille boss added. "He needs a goal for his confidence."

Roma are back in action on Thursday when they travel to Feyenoord in pursuit of a Europa League last-16 spot, having drawn the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico 1-1 in midweek.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona fans chant 'Ronaldo doesn't drink water'

Barcelona fans chanted "Cristiano Ronaldo does not drink water" in reaction to Spain's Professional Football League (LFP) taking action against them for singing that the Real Madrid forward is a drunk.

Last Sunday at Camp Nou – during their 5-0 win over Levante – home fans taunted Ronaldo following the public revelation that the Fifa Ballon d'Or holder had a birthday party after being beaten 4-0 by Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

The LFP claimed a group of Barca supporters known as Almogavers started the chant, though they subsequently denied they had done so and insisted it was “against their nature".

Barca could still face a fine for the incident and their fans were heard fighting back in tongue-in-cheek fashion during their 1-0 defeat at home to Malaga on Saturday.
Supporters were heard chanting: "He doesn't drink water! Cristiano doesn't drink water, he doesn't drink water! He doesn't drink water."

Ronaldo ended a month without scoring – during which he was suspended for two matches in La Liga after being sent off at Cordoba – on Wednesday when he headed the opener in their 2-0 victory at Schalke.

Real Madrid, who bounced back from losing to Atletico with a 2-0 triumph at Deportivo La Coruna, can extend their lead over Barca in La Liga to four points with a victory at Elche.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

I'm a student of free-kicks - Pirlo

Juventus star Andrea Pirlo has described himself as a student of free-kick taking and says he can still improve his quality from set-pieces.

The 35-year-old is widely acknowledged as one of the best free-kick takers in world football after mastering the knuckle ball-style execution made famous by former Brazil midfielder Juninho Pernambucano.

Pirlo scored a stunning goal from open play as Juventus beat Atalanta 2-1 on Friday night, but remains modest over his ability to produce the spectacular from dead ball situations.

He told La Stampa: "When it comes to free-kicks, I am not a maestro, but a student, because in life there is always something new to learn.”The former Italy international signed a contract extension until June 2016 having originally joined the club on a free transfer after leaving AC Milan in 2011.

He has since gone on to win Serie A three times with the Bianconeri and looks set to add another title to his resume as Juve sit nine points clear at the top of the table.

But while he has enjoyed great domestic success in Turin, Pirlo has been unable to add another Champions League crown to the two he won during his time with Milan and he admits he wants to taste European success again before retiring.

"I came to Juve in order to win and we achieved that. I am very happy, but now we must make the next step up the ladder,” he said. I’d like to win another Champions League before retiring.

Regarding the club's upcoming last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund, Pirlo added: "We will not fall into the trap of confusing Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga status with their real quality. You cannot underestimate a match like this.”

His future beyond his current deal remains uncertain but despite being in his mid-30s the former Milan man retains the desire to continue playing. "When it feels like a chore to come to training , I will be the first to raise my hand and say that’s enough, I quit. However, that moment is not now.”