..::Football III::..

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Heynckes 'not amused' by Bayern's Supercup loss

Jupp Heynckes says he was "not amused" at Bayern Munich's 4-2 DFL-Supercup final loss to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The 68-year-old led the Bavarians to an unprecedented treble last season, only to watch on helplessly as his successor Pep Guardiola suffered defeat in his first competitive match in charge at Signal Iduna Park.

However, Heynckes stated he was not to downhearted at the setback and tipped the Spaniard to achieve further success following his 14 titles in four seasons at Barcelona.

"I barely managed a team which was that perfect and so focused to succeed," he told ZDF Sportstudio. "Of course I'm not amused [by the loss], these are still my guys.

"The team isn't that far from showing a top performance. Pep looks very good, is well-dressed and has a perfect team.

"What could possibly go wrong?"

Guardiola replaced Heynckes in the dugout after the latter's contract expired, but the German insists he has no regrets about walking away from the game.

"At some point you have to decide to retire, this is what I'm going to do now," Heynckes added. "It's important to stay cool with this atmosphere in football. I think I did that well.

"I will watch the start of the Bundesliga from the comfort of my living room now."

 

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‘I have a lot of trust in him’ – Pellegrini praises Manchester City striker Dzeko

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he has “lot of trust” in striker Edin Dzeko after watching the Bosnia international hit the winning goal against Sunderland in the Asia Trophy.

Dzeko scored the only goal of the game with an unstoppable volley after just 10 minutes in Hong Kong to secure victory for City.

The 27-year-old has was also on target in a 1-0 win over South China on Wednesday and Pellegrini was full of praise for the striker.

"Not only in Hong Kong. I have a lot of trust in him,” he told Sky Sports.

"Everyone was talking before I arrived that we will bring in [Edinson] Cavani, [Robert] Lewandowski, all those players.

“But I always trusted in Edin Dzeko and he is now playing the way I want.

“I am sure he will continue improving."

 

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Valencia 1-2 AC Milan: De Jong scores screamer in Guinness International Champions Cup opener

AC Milan kicked off the Guinness International Champions Cup tournament with a narrow win over Valencia in a pulsating clash at the Estadio Mestalla.Robinho made amends to put the Rossoneri ahead following a first-half penalty miss before Nigel de Jong placed an exquisite curling shot beyond Vicente Guaita to double Milan's lead.

Valencia pulled a goal back early in the second half as Dani Parejo netted from close range. However, despite their persistence, los Che could not find an equaliser.And perhaps they would have had Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic included captain Roberto Soldado in his line-up but the striker's absence was somewhat explained by the strong interest shown in him from Spurs.

Instead, Djukic opted for 19-year-old Paco Alcacer up front, while Milan included new signing Andrea Poli and star duo Kevin-Prince Boateng and Robinho in their starting line-up.Robinho – who missed a penalty in a midweek friendly against Juventus – again failed to convert from the spot, as Guaita pulled off a one-handed save, with Valencia's defenders reacting quickly to clear the danger emanating from the rebound.

But the 29-year-old, who had been linked with Santos this summer, made amends less than a minute later drilling a low shot from the edge of the penalty area across Guaita and into the left corner after a fine assist by Poli.It was a terrific finish but drama was to follow for Robinho as he pulled up with a suspected groin problem shortly after, and a melee ensued as Valencia refused to kick the ball out and nearly scored through Alcacer.

Antonio Nocerino and Boateng were shown yellow cards for their involvement in the fracas.The frenetic nature of the match continued as an Adil Rami header was disallowed for offside, while Feghouli wasted a terrific chance moments later for the Spanish side.

Boateng also had a goal disallowed following a foul at a Milan corner before De Jong scored a stunning second for the Serie A side.The Ghanaian fed the ball to the former Manchester City midfielder and from 25 yards he curled a superb effort into the top-right corner, giving Guaita no chance.

De Jong hit a free-kick just wide on the verge of half-time, with the break allowing both sides and the fans to catch their breath.Valencia did reduce the deficit to one shortly into the second half following a flurry of half-time substitutions from both sides.

An excellent Jonas chip found Alcacer in the penalty area, and the youngster had the presence of mind to square for Parejo, who simply side-footed past Gabriel.
It was a deserved goal and Alcacer went close himself just after, with Banega following up with a decent free-kick that fizzed just wide.

Valencia continued to press, Feghouli, Alcacer and Michel all firing attempts on goal but not finding the net.The hosts were desperately unlucky when Federico Cartabia thrashed a 30-yard effort against the underside of the bar, firing one over shortly after.

Oriol Romeu then clipped the crossbar with a cross and Cristian Zaccardo cleared Alcacer's effort off the line, but it was not to be as Milan grimly held on for victory.

Milan will now play the winners of Chelsea or Inter in New York on August 4.

 

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Benzema: Madrid can still grow under Ancelotti

Karim Benzema is eager for Real Madrid to continue going from strength to strength under Carlo Ancelotti after the Frenchman's strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.

The 25-year-old struck in the first-half to ensure Ancelotti's triumphant return to the Parc des Princes and believesthe team can aspire to greater heights under their new coach.

"We are still in preparation. The training sessions are heavy," Benzema told reporters after the match. "But little by little, we grow in strength. Ancelotti is a good coach.

"He is close to his players and it is important. We changed tactics a little bit. It is good for the team.

"I hope we will settle quickly."

Los Blancos embark on their tour of the United States next, with the result against Ancelotti's former employers capping his return to France following Madrid's 2-2 draw against Lyon on Wednesday.

The Italian coach's appointment has seen the likes of Isco and Asier Illarramendi arrive as the Bernabeu outfit aim to reclaim the Liga crown from Barcelona this season.

 

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Guardiola unconcerned by Supercup defeat to Dortmund

Pep Guardiola opted to play down the significance of Bayern Munich's 4-2 DFL-Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

The Bavarians had showcased impressive form coming into the encounter, but were outplayed at Signal Iduna Park as Jurgen Klopp's men dominated proceedings.

However, Guardiola has insisted there is no reason to worry and says he saw promise from his team despite blunders from defender Daniel Van Buyten and goalkeeper Tom Starke.

"They won. I am not here to analyse which team played better today. I am happy with our performance, we played well," the 42-year-old told reporters after the match.

"Congratulations to Dortmund, they won. We did not lose because of that [Van Buyten's and Starke's mistakes]. This is football. We have one week until the cup and another week to the Bundesliga.

"They won 4-2, but I did not have the feeling they were much better than us. But this is football. We will watch the match and work."

Captain Philipp Lahm bemoaned bad luck in the defeat, but reiterated die Roten would work at getting back to their best.

"This is not good, but it is not that bad either," he added.

"We wanted to win this match, but we did not score at the right times and conceded at the worst times possible. We have to analyse and then we will keep working."

Bayern's next competitive match is against BSV Schwarz-Weiss Rehden in the DFB-Pokal before hosting Borussia Monchengladbach in their opening Bundesliga fixture.

 

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Djukic: If Soldado moves to Tottenham we will wish him luck

Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic admits he is in the dark over Roberto Soldado's possible move to Tottenham but says he will wish the Spain striker "all the luck in the world" if he chooses to swap Mestalla for White Hart Lane this summer.

Djukic saw his side lose 2-1 to AC Milan in the ICC Cup opener in Valencia on Saturday without Soldado, who only returned from his holiday earlier in the day after his Confederations Cup exertions with Spain last month.

Valencia has already turned down a €26 million bid for Soldado from Spurs, but the 28-year-old now seems set to move as the Premier League side look likely to pay his release clause of €30 million.

"I haven't spoken to the club," Djukic told the media after watching his side edged out by Milan. "Whatever happens [will happen]...

"I spoke to Roberto this morning. He is a very good professional and if he decides to leave we will wish him a lot of luck and if he chooses to stay with us then we will be delighted because he is a great professional and he can help us a lot. But if his exit to Tottenham is confirmed then we will wish him all the luck in the world."

Djukic, who joined the club from Valladolid earlier this summer, believes Valencia can be competitive next season - with or without Soldado.

"We will keep working," he added. "We are Valencia [and] without Djukic, without Soldado, this is [still] a big club. If he decides to leave then we will bring in someone else. It will be a big loss but we will bring in another player and keep moving forward."

Midfielder Dani Parejo, who scored the second-half goal which gave Valencia hope of a fightback, also claims the club can cope without the star striker.

"We have other team-mates who are good players, like Paco [Alcacer]," he explained. "But Roberto every season scores 22 or 23 goals and that guarantees you are high up in the table. If he goes then others will come in. He is a great footballer but we have other good players as well."

Valencia has been linked with former Tottenham striker and Portuguese international Helder Postiga as a possible replacement for Soldado.

"He is an experienced striker who knows La Liga, has scored goals and is an international player - any club would be interested in him," Djukic said.

 

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Klopp: DFL-Supercup final was a hell of a match

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hailed the efforts of his men after they comprehensively beat Bayern Munich 4-2 to clinch the DFL-Supercup on Saturday.

Die Roten beat Dortmund to the Bundesliga and Champions League double last season, but strikes from Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan as well as Daniel Van Buyten's own goal earned Klopp's men their revenge.

And the German trainer was adamant the result would serve as the ideal springboard for the team's upcoming commitments.

"At this stage of the pre-season with one week until the cup and two weeks until the Bundesliga, this was a hell of a match," Klopp told reporters after the game.

"It was an amazing game. I think you could see that both teams really wanted to win. The winner is always happy and the loser does not care too much – this is the great thing about the Supercup."

BVB goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller reflected his coach's enthusiasm, stating: "We are very happy.

"We know, when we have a plan before a match, and usually it's a good plan, then we can be a difficult opponent for any team."

The Signal Iduna Park side will take on Wilhelmshaven in the first round of the DFB-Pokal next Saturday, before travelling to Augsburg in their Bundesliga curtain-raiser on August 10.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have arrived to boost the options available to die Schwarzgelben this year following the sale of Mario Gotze to Bayern.

 

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Dzeko positive on Manchester City's Asia trip, despite Nastasic injury

Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has described his side's pre-season trip to Hong Kong as "very useful" after they won the Asia Trophy.Dzeko scored the only goal in the final of the pre-season tournament on Saturday, as his 20-yard effort saw City beat Sunderland 1-0 in Hong Kong.

The Bosnian also blasted a penalty well over the bar, in a match that was overshadowed by the injury suffered by City defender Matija Nastasic.

Nastasic fell awkwardly on the poor surface at the Hong Kong Stadium and was carried off on a stretcher, but instead of that, Dzeko preferred to focus on the positives of the club's Asian trip."Two games, two wins. It is definitely good after we lost the first two games in the pre-season," Dzeko told Sky Sports.

"I think it was very useful for us and also for the coach to see his new players. Maybe it could be better if the pitch was a little bit better."But it was like that because of the rain. But still we won and we are happy."We had a good pre-season with the new manager [Manuel Pellegrini] and all of us are looking forward to the Premier League, definitely. We want to achieve some good things this season."

Dzeko, who scored 14 Premier League goals in 32 appearances last term, is competing with Sergio Aguero and new arrivals Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo for a place up front in the upcoming campaign.

 

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Zaragoza interested in Henriquez loan move

Zaragoza coach Paco Herrera has revealed the club are interested in signing Manchester United striker Angelo Henriquez.

The Spanish club finish bottom in La Liga last season, while Henriquez, who was signed from Universidad de Chile in September 2012, was loaned out to Wigan Athletic in January.

"We are very interested in Angelo Henriquez," Herrera told El Mercurio.

"We have been following him and we hope to get a response from their club soon. He is a striker full of technical qualities, and could be a good signing."

 

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Modric: Bale is a great player

Luka Modric has hailed Gareth Bale as a "great player" as Real Madrid continue to be linked with a move for the Tottenham winger.

The Croatia midfielder played alongside Bale during his time at Spurs and witnessed up close his development into one of the world's most sought after quantities.

The Welshman's impressive 2012/13 campaign has seen him linked with Carlo Ancelotti's side for much of the summer, with some reports even suggesting they could smash the €80 million barrier to win his signature.

But, though Modric was quick to praise his former team-mate, he refused to be drawn into a more in-depth response to questions regarding the possibility of Bale joining him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

He told the club's official website: "My relationship is very good with Bale, but do not talk about players who are not in the squad. Just say he's a great player."

Modric, 27, joined Madrid last summer but endured a frustrating debut campaign at the club, scoring just four goals in 46 appearances in all competitions.

And with his first year in Spain under his belt, the former Dinamo Zagreb man has targeted success in Europe as his primary goal this term.

He added: "My challenge is to win titles with Real Madrid. I've been here a year and I have more experience. Real Madrid is the team in which the pressure is bigger but I hope we have a better season than last, because our challenge is to win titles.

"If I can choose, I want to win the Champions League, but the league is also important for us and I would like to win both titles. It's a long season and we have to prepare well. We want to start well in both competitions."

Madrid take on Paris Saint-Germain in Sweden on Sunday before taking part in the Guiness International Champions Cup in America.

 

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Pastore agent rules out PSG exit


Javier Pastore will not be leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer, according to his agent Marcelo Simonian.

The 24-year-old arrived at Parc des Princes from Palermo for a reported €39.8 million in 2011 but has yet to live up to his sizeable price tag following two inconsistent campaigns.

That has led to reports Pastore could move to Serie A outfit Roma in the summer transfer window, but the player's representative has moved to dispell those rumours.

He told calciomercato.com: "Pastore to Rome? Impossible because PSG have never made him available for sale."

It has been a high-profile summer of activity for les Parisiens, with coach Carlo Ancelotti leaving for Real Madrid after winning the Ligue 1 title and sporting director Leonardo also departing following his 13-month suspension for pushing a referee.

Laurent Blanc has since been installed as Ancelotti's replacement and swiftly made his mark by securing the services of Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani in a €64 million deal.

PSG face Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly in Sweden on Sunday before kicking off their league season against Bordeaux on August 3.

 

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Zaha a fantastic talent, says Ferdinand

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has hailed Wilfried Zaha as a "fantastic talent" and believes the winger has already impressed in his early career at Old Trafford.

The 20-year-old helped guide Crystal Palace to the Premier League last season and was signed by United in January before being loaned back to Ian Holloway's side for the remainder of the campaign.

Zaha netted during a pre-season friendly against J.League side Cerezo on Friday and Ferdinand believes the midfielder has the right mentality to improve.

"Wilfried is a fantastic talent. That is why you pay £15 million for a kid," Ferdinand told reporters.

"He is raw, with great individual skills and the early indications are that he is a hard worker.

"He wants to be a top footballer and he wants to improve. With those attributes, that desire and the influences he will have at this club, hopefully we will have a top player on our hands."

Ferdinand also believes Zaha's direct style of play is a positive attribute to possess.

"Wilfried can take people on from a standing start," said Ferdinand.

"He is quick and direct but what has surprised me more is that he gets his shots off.

"I have not watched him loads but obviously he is a winger who has a hunger to get inside and drive into the opponents' box. That is a good thing to have."

 

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Napoli complete Higuain deal

Napoli have confirmed the signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid in a deal believed to be worth up to €40 million.

The Partenopei were in the market for a new striker following the €63 million sale of Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain and quickly earmarked Higuain as the ideal replacement, with the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealing the deal on his official Twitter page.

He tweeted: "This morning we have signed the contract with Higuain."

The 25-year-old had previously been linked with Juventus and Arsenal but has now signed a five-year deal with Napoli instead, becoming the eighth most expensive incoming Serie A transfer of all time.

Higuain came through the ranks of the River Plate youth academy and joined Madrid in January 2007 for a reported fee of €12m and has since netted over 100 Liga goals for the Spanish giants.

"Real Madrid announce that the player Gonzalo Higuain has been transferred to Napoli," read a statement on the club's official website. "The club want to show their appreciation for all his years of dedication and professionalism and wish him luck in this new stage."

The prolific attacker becomes the third Blancos player to make the move to the Stadio San Paolo side this summer after the arrivals of Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol.

Napoli have also secured the services of goalkeeper Rafael from Santos and Dries Mertens from PSV, with Pepe Reina expected to join on a season-long loan from Liverpool soon after successfully completing a medical earlier this week.

 

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Congratulations & Good Luck Higuain!​

 

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Schweinsteiger struggling with fitness

Bastian Schweinsteiger is set to watch Bayern Munich's DFL-Supercup clash with Borussia Dortmund from the substitutes bench after revealing he is still some way off being fully-fit.

The 28-year-old suffered an ankle ligament problem back in February but nursed the injury throughout the Bavarians' treble-winning run-in.

However, his exertions have ultimately taken their toll and though the midfielder returned to action in the 2-0 friendly win over Barcelona on Wednesday, he says he is not yet in tip-top condition.

"It was nice to get some playing time (against Barcelona), but I still need people to be patient with me. I'm still in the development phase of the recovery," he told Bild.

The Germany international's place could be taken by new signing Thiago Alcantara, who has impressed in his first outings for the club since joining from Barcelona.

Schweinsteiger made 43 appearances for club and country last season, scoring nine goals in the process on his way to lifting the German Supercup, Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles.

 

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Mourinho eager to keep Traore at Chelsea

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admits he would love to keep Bertrand Traore at the club this season – but is aware that the youngster will probably have to go out on loan.

The Burkina Faso midfielder has impressed during the Blues’ pre-season tour of the Far East, with Chelsea claiming that he is at the club on a student visa.

However, the 17-year-old has little chance of being granted a work permit, which could see him leave Stamford Bridge on loan this term.

“We want to keep him,” Mourinho told reporters. “Sooner or later the committee has to give him a work permit to play in England.

"If he goes on loan somewhere, he has to go, but if he’s playing for his country at the same time – one of the most important countries in African football – he’ll get his deserved permit.’’

Mourinho is not the only one to be impressed by the teenager, with England defender Gary Cahill praising Traore’s confidence and composure on the ball.

“He’s been working well with the manager for two weeks and scored a fantastic goal in Indonesia,” Cahill said.

“He’s composed on the ball and has great confidence for such a young lad.

“It’s too early to say he’s ready to do this and that, and we don’t want to get carried away, but he’s certainly not looked out of place in training alongside some top international players.”

 

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It would be a 'dream' to sign Fabregas, says Manchester United legend Scholes

Paul Scholes admits it would be a “dream” if Manchester United signed Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

United have pursued the 26-year-old since losing out on the signature of Thiago Alcantara, and are preparing a final €41 million bid for the Barca man.

And Scholes, who spent 19 years at Old Trafford as a player, thinks the Spain international would be a great signing due to his Premier League experience and understanding with striker Robin van Persie.

“Cesc Fabregas is a top, top player, he has been with Arsenal, he knows the Premier League and it would be a dream really to sign somebody like that,” the 38-year-old told the Daily Mail.

“He is a player who can score goals and has set them up for Robin van Persie. That would be nice and hopefully we can do it.”

Scholes is less decided on the impact new Red Devils boss David Moyes can make, however, and believes the Scot needs time if he is to build a legacy like that of predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson.

“We don’t know really. We will have to see in a year or two years' time,” Scholes added. “What we do know is that David Moyes is a top manager who did an unbelievable job at Everton and he knows the game and he has won the Manager of the Year award three times.

“I think he will do well, I hope he will do well. He has a great team to work with and I just hope that he is very successful.”

 

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Kaka is too slow, says Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Kaka is too slow and revealed the midfielder is doing extra work to improve his speed, while adding that Paris Saint-Germain cannot buy success.

The Italian worked with Kaka at AC Milan and played a big part in transforming the Brazilian from one of the world's finest prospects to a polished world-class performer.

But after leaving Milan for Madrid in 2009, the 31-year-old has failed to set the heather alight at the Santiago Bernabeu and there have even been rumours of a return to San Siro at several points over the past four years.

And Ancelotti has revealed Kaka is doing specific work to get him up to speed with the rest of the squad, but stressed he remains motivated to become a regular feature in the side.

He told AS: "“He’s very motivated, as is everyone. He needed to do specific work because he needs to improve his speed. He started individual work two days earlier and we’ll see what happens in the coming days.

"I think his physical condition is going to improve. He’s very motivated; he didn’t play much last season and he wants to do better this year.”

Ancelotti was talking ahead of los Blancos' pre-season friendly with his former club Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, who he guided to the Ligue 1 title last season, and he admitted he is looking forward to facing his former charges.

He said: “Madrid and PSG have the same ambitions, but one is a young club and the other is the greatest in history. PSG are a work in progress and it isn’t easy, because it isn’t enough just to buy players.

"It’s clear that they have worked hard to build a great team. They bought fantastic players last season and now they need time. On the other hand, Madrid are also backed up by their history."

The 54-year-old then spoke about the battle for the No.1 jersey at Madrid but refused to be drawn on whether Iker Casillas or Diego Lopez would become his first choice goalkeeper.

"What’s most important is that we have two very good keepers who have experience and quality. I think that’s what we need for next season: two high-quality keepers."

 

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Real Madrid bid €100m for 'unsettled' Bale

Tottenham Hotspur have yet to respond to Real Madrid’s €100 million bid for Gareth Bale, sources close to the process have told ESPN.The situation is now at an increasingly tense impasse, with the Wales forward determined to go to the Bernabeu this summer, but Spurs chief executive Daniel Levy is just as strong in his refusal to sell.

Despite reports in the Spanish press being widely dismissed in the UK on Friday, it is understood that Madrid did indeed submit the offer and that Bale has also now made up his mind on leaving.Aside from his long-held aspiration to play for Real, the 24-year-old feels it is finally time to experience regular football in the Champions League rather than potentially infrequent forays with Spurs.

Sources have also stated that there is now growing tension between Bale’s camp and Levy due to the London club's refusal to even entertain the possibility of a sale.Those close to the player also insist that there are no current negotiations to sign a new contract at White Hart Lane and he actively wants to leave this summer.

When asked about Bale after his side’s 6-0 win over South China, however, Villas-Boas refused to be drawn into a discussion. "I don't want to comment on anything like that," he said. "I cannot speak about anything."Bale is not expected to play in Tottenham’s friendly against Monaco on August 3.

 

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OMG!

€100m?