..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho had great power at Madrid - Hierro

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho enjoyed a huge amount of power while at Real Madrid, former Spain international Fernando Hierro has claimed.

The Portuguese coach endured a turbulent relationship with his squad in his final season in the Spanish capital, culminating in a high-profile falling-out with club captain Iker Casillas, and former defender Hierro suggests the 50-year-old's sway at Santiago Bernabeu may have contributed to such disputes.

"Every club is different and Madrid is even more so," the 45-year-old told Fifa.com.

"Madrid is a club where you have to win and it’s a place that can wear you down – where people have a different way of thinking.

"If you were to ask me to look at the last 20 years in Madrid’s history and say which coach has had the most decision-making power at the club, I’d say there’s no doubt he [Mourinho] is the one.

"If you ask him though, perhaps he’d say he didn’t have as much authority as he’d have liked. But everyone knows him perfectly."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aubameyang: Ronaldo is my role model

Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he seen Ronaldo as his role model whilst learning to play football.

The €13 million summer signing from Saint-Etienne would have impressed the great Brazil No.9, by scoring a hat-trick on his debut for BVB during their 4-0 thrashing of Augsburg.

But it was not just any hat-trick as it encompassed a variety of skills akin to what the former Selecao star could produce while he was in his prime.

"My role model? Ronaldo, but the Brazilian, not the Portuguese one," Aubameyang told Kicker.

"I think Ronaldo has revolutionised football with his way of playing.

"He was dynamic, great with his headers, technically strong and fast. He was an enormous player."

The 24-year-old added that he has not forgot about his defensive duties and is keen to hone these skills at Dortmund where he believes he will receive the best coaching.

"I have to perform consistently and show that I am able to keep up in Germany," he continued.

"That's a process which can take some time, as we could see with Robert Lewandowski. It's up to me whether I'll be able to adapt more quickly.

"A striker at BVB is not allowed to stand up front all the time.

"Only by learning that, can I become a top player. That's why I have opted for Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp."

Die Schwarzgelben are set to face Eintracht Braunschweig at Signal Iduna Park on August 18.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Downing in West Ham medical as Liverpool exit nears

Stewart Downing is undergoing a medical at West Ham as he closes in on a move from Liverpool, Goal understands.

The winger will complete a move to the London club by Tuesday if he passes the medical tests.

West Ham have agreed a fee of around €6 million with the Reds for the England international, who turned 29 in July.

The Londoners registered an interest in the former Aston Villa man earlier in the transfer window and then made a formal move for the player last week.

Downing is set to become the third player to be offloaded by the Merseysiders to Upton Park this year, following in the footsteps of Andy Carroll and Joe Cole.

He has been deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield by manager Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool continue to pay the price for their signings in 2011.

Liverpool have already bought forwards Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto from Spain this summer and are still understood to be in the market for attacking talent as huge doubt remains over the future of prize asset Luis Suarez.

Downing was captured from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011 in a deal worth up to €23m but he has failed to establish himself on Merseyside.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Fiorentina to launch Scudetto challenge' - Rossi

Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi says his team have set their sights on winning the Serie A title this term.

Rossi, who joined the Viola from Villarreal in January for an undisclosed fee, feels the 2013-14 campaign will see several sides competing for silverware in Italy's top flight - which Juventus won this year for the second successive season.

And the forward insists Vincenzo Montella's outfit will be one of the challengers, having strengthened the squad this summer with the acquisition of stars such as Mario Gomez, Josip Illicic, Massimo Ambrosini and Joaquin.

"It will be a very balanced championship this term," the 26-year-old told Marca, adding: "I’m sure it will be an interesting season.

"It won’t just be Juventus, Inter and Milan who will be going for the Scudetto. Fiorentina, Napoli and Roma have built strong sides who can beat each other in direct games.

"That’s why I believe that we will be in a position to compete for the title right until the very end."

Fiorentina will kick off the new campaign with a match against Catania on August 25 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

David Luiz tight-lipped on Barcelona rumours

Chelsea defender David Luiz has refused to be drawn on reports linking him with a move to La Liga champions Barcelona.

The Camp Nou club are poised to make a second bid for the centre-back after having an initial €25 million move rejected.

Luiz is currently away with the the Brazilian national side as they prepare for a friendly fixture with Switzerland in Basel.

But the 26-year-old is not answering questions on his club career, preferring to focus instead on Wednesday's game at St Jakob-Park.

"I will only talk about the national team because this is all I can think about when I come here, that's how I think," Luiz is quoted as saying by Globo Esporte.

"It was like this in Brazil during the Confederations Cup, and it will be like this here.

"You (the media) can try everything, but you won't get anything from me."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool boss Rodgers prepared to wait for Suarez apology

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes to "fix" the Luis Suarez situation and will not back down in his demand for an apology.

The 26-year-old striker has been training alone after pushing for a move away from Anfield and Rodgers revealed on Saturday that he wants the Uruguay international to show remorse over his public outburst against the club last week.

Rodgers intends to do everything he can to mend the rift with Suarez, who has twice been the centre of two rejected bids from Arsenal, but has also indicated the forward could be left out of first team affairs if he does not apologise.

"It is something that we have to do everything we can to fix," he told the club's official website.

"There has been a lot said and a lot reported, and we have made a stance, as a club and as a manager, of the commitment and the standards required.

"If you don't have that commitment, and those standards, then you won't play. It's as simple as that.

"If we have got to sit and wait, then so be it. But this is a club that has got great values, and we hope that the situation can be resolved amicably, and I am sure it will be."

Suarez's future continues to be up in the air, with Arsenal the only club to so far make an official approach to Liverpool.

The former Ajax star will miss the first six matches of the new Premier League season as he completes the 10-match ban handed to him for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

Rodgers added: "It doesn't matter who you are, if they're not pulling their weight then they are letting down the club, the city and everyone who has stood by them.

"So until I get that assurance that we are going to get nothing but 100 per cent commitment, then there will be no solution."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gotze: I understand Dortmund fans' frustration

Mario Gotze has admitted that he understands the anger of Borussia Dortmund fans following his €37 million summer move to Bayern Munich.

The Germany international's decision to leave BVB for one of their biggest rivals caused uproar among Dortmund supporters, yet the 21-year-old feels people should also look at it from his perspective.

"I can definitely understand their frustration. I played for Dortmund for quite a while and then joined Bayern. A lot of fans simply don't like that. I can understand their feelings," the attacking midfielder told ZDF.

"One should also look at it from my side, though. I want to keep on developing as a player. People should look at it from that angle, too.

"It was a combination of things that convinced me to join Bayern. There were a lot of reasons for me. The coach, the club and I wanted to try something new."

Gotze made his Bayern debut in the 4-1 friendly win over Gyor on Sunday, netting twice during his 30 minutes on the pitch.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Newcastle move for Gomis in doubt

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says the departure of Lisandro Lopez to Al Ghafara could scupper Newcastle's hopes of landing Bafetimbi Gomis - but did not completely rule out a deal.

Aulas is refusing to accept an offer lower than €9 million for the French international, who scored 16 goals last season in Ligue 1, and the loss of Lopez means the Lyon are now looking to recruit more forwards.

However, the 64-year-old is keen for all parties to find an agreement before the end of the transfer window, which could mean that Gomis will still be sold.

"Obviously the departure of Licha [Lisandro] is a new problem," he told the club's official website. "I'm trying to get everyone around the table to hold discussions.

"There are no offers for [Gomis]. With the departure of Licha, [we must] recruit a centre-forward or a player to play on the right side. But, I repeat, I am ready to discuss the sale of Bafe.

"We must be humble, me first. Bafe needs to play. I think it would be a mistake to stay camped in our positions. We must work with his agents to find something that suits him, or to stay at OL on good terms."

Magpies midfielder Moussa Sissoko says he is still hopeful that new director of football Joe Kinnear can resurrect a deal to bring Gomis to the north-east of England.

The 28-year-old would join a plethora of French speaking players at Newcastle should he be granted a move and Sissoko would be the first to welcome him.

"Bafe Gomis is my friend and he says to me that he wants to come to Newcastle, but it is not easy with the president (of Lyon) or an agent," Sissoko told reporters.

"I don't know if its finished yet or not. If he comes here, it is a very good move for him. I will keep the message the same to him - we would like him to come to Newcastle. Maybe I will talk to him this week again."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern need to be more compact, says Beckenbauer

Honourary Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer says Pep Guardiola needs to make his team more compact following their Bundesliga opening win against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Die Roten beat Gladbach 3-1 on Friday thanks to goals by Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic and David Alaba.

However, Beckenbauer was not impressed with the victory, saying his former side needed to tighten up at the back as there were too many spaces for their opponents to exploit.

"I was surprised at how Bayern struggled," the 67-year-old told Sky.

"During the pre-season matches, they played flawlessly, except for the [DFL Supercup defeat] against Borussia Dortmund.

"On Friday, however, they played normally again.

"I'm curious as to how quickly they will be able to implement Guardiola's philosophy and which players will prevail in the end.

"Shifting between offence and defence can still be improved. It's important that Guardiola makes the team more compact."

The 1990 World Cup winner went on to praise €37 million signing Mario Gotze, who scored twice during Bayern's 4-1 friendly win against Gyor on Sunday.

"He shares exactly the same philosophy that Pep expects from the team," he added.

"He's exceptional with everything that happens on the ground. However, his team-mates should avoid providing him with high balls."

 

[charitha chandi]

Rooney 'confident of Chelsea move'

I wonder why Rooney is trying to leave man utd.. Coz of RVP.. he's no longer 1st striker..!? man utd will not sell him to a EPL club .. it will be huge mistake if they sell him to EPL club like CFC , City , Arsenal , Specially to Chelsea where still lack of a good striker,clinical finisher. , Chelsea will be the biggest threat to man utd if they sell him to them.. so is this deal is never gonna happen...

 

[charitha chandi]

Barcelona 'wasting their time' with David Luiz pursuit, says Mourinho

 

[charitha chandi]

A fulltime Mourinho hater...Used to love Mou so much as i'm an Inter fan..But he is just a
wizard type person...See Inter now, See FC Porto now Madrid didn't fail bung...

i don't understand what you mentioned here..! you mean mou failed those clubs..!

 

[unicornx]

i don't understand what you mentioned here..! you mean mou failed those clubs..!

Mou bought the players, Developed the players...But soon he vanishes, and the club is hopeless...Where ever he go, he tend to develop short term strategies rather than Long term strategies.(FC Porto and Inter i'm referring to) But for Chelsea its a different story. He loves the club and vice versa

 

[sandrew101]

fantasy league code 620942-351320

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Llorente: I need time to adapt at Juventus

Fernando Llorente has admitted that he will need time to settle in at Juventus, but remains confident that he made the right call to sign for the Serie A champions.

The Spain international joined the Bianconeri from Athletic Bilbao on a Bosman transfer after deciding not to renew his contract with the Basque outfit and he has urged the fans to remain patient as he will have to adapt to his new surroundings.

"I still think joining Juventus was the right decision. I need a bit of time to adapt to my new surroundings, but I have been received very well here," Llorente, 28, told El Larguero.

"The coach has been using me as one of the two forwards in a 3-5-2 formation. I am doing things that I didn't used to do at Athletic, so I need to get used to my different role.

"I will need to improve my movement and the understanding with my team-mates.

"It's not true that [Antonio] Conte has told me that he's not happy with me so far. He's said that he's pleased with my work up till date."

The 28-year-old could make his official Juve debut in the Supercoppa Italia clash versus Lazio on August 18.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vidic calm over Man Utd contract talks

Nemanja Vidic is calm about his Manchester United future, despite talks over a new deal having so far failed to materialise.The Serbia international defender is in the final year of his current contract at Old Trafford, with discussions over an extension apparently yet to take place.The 31-year-old has battled through injuries in recent years, with a knee problem limiting his impact during the last campaign.

However, he is confident that he can remain part of new United manager David Moyes' plans. "I'm not expecting anything. I'm just trying to perform as best I can and we'll see where I am and what the plans are," he told The Sun.

"I'm not worried. I never like to make promises about how many games I could play, but I feel good."Despite his injury problems last season, Vidic still managed to make 23 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

He also played from start to finish at Wembley on Sunday as United won the Community Shield against Wigan to give Moyes his first trophy since taking over at Old Trafford.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea tell Barcelona to up Luiz bid to €50 million

Barcelona have been told to double their opening offer for Chelsea centre-back David Luiz if they want to sign the Brazil international this summer.

After rejecting a bid worth a potential €25 million, the Blues have placed a valuation of €50m on the versatile defender.

Such a fee would represent a new high-water mark for a defender, exceeding the €42m Paris Saint-Germain paid to beat Barcelona to the signature of Thiago Silva last year. The Spanish champions have spent the entire summer attempting to solve the problem left by that transfer market failure.

Seeking a defender with sufficient physical and technical ability to strengthen their porous backline while contributing to their possession-based tactics, Barca initially attempted to recruit Thiago Silva again only to be rebuffed by PSG before suffering the ignominy of losing the race to sign Marquinhos from Roma to les Parisiens.

The subsequent bid for David Luiz - with €20m guaranteed and a further €5m dependent on performances - was less than the 26-year-old's purchase price from Benfica and was quickly rejected.

However, Camp Nou coach Gerardo Martino is aware that the Catalans are very unlikely to pay the figure Chelsea are demanding and looks set to settle on his current options - the likes of Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Marca Bartra and Frank Bagnack - unless he can find an alternative.

"If they need a central defender my advice is that they have to go to the second name they have in the list because they are wasting their time," said Mourinho after the offer became public. While Barcelona are ready to increase the sum to €25m plus variables, Chelsea will not sell at that level.

The Catalans have looked at two other Premier League defenders as alternatives, opening discussions with Tottenham over Jan Vertonghen and placing a bid with Liverpool for Daniel Agger. Neither move has been well received.

Spurs expect to lose Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, so have no interest in selling a defender who excelled in his first season in English football, scoring seven goals in 48 appearances and being named in the Premier League's Team of the Year.

Vertonghen is aware of Barcelona's interest in signing him and, according to a friend, he has long held an ambition of playing for the Camp Nou club. He has, though, enjoyed both his first year at White Hart lane and is thought unlikely to push for a transfer in the manner Bale has.

Liverpool flatly rejected Barca's proposed €6m transfer fee for Agger, a player who was close to moving to Manchester City for several times that amount 12 months ago.

"We are aware that Barcelona have made an offer for Daniel that Liverpool have rejected," said the Dane's agent Per Steffensen.

"Daniel has a contract with Liverpool for the next three years and it would be up to the clubs to agree a fee for his transfer in order for that to change."

If a deal remains impossible to agree for one of their three Premier League targets, Barca may turn to France international Mamadou Sakho, who has been relegated to reserve status at PSG.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid braced for Man City Pepe bid

Manuel Pellegrini has given the green light to Manchester City's renewed pursuit of Real Madrid's Pepe, Goal can reveal.

City made a tentative enquiry for Pepe last month but were unwilling to meet the Spanish giants' €35m valuation of the 30-year-old but are hopeful of finding a resolution, particularly with Madrid keen to secure funds in order to finance their attempts to broker a deal to bring Gareth Bale to the Bernabeu.

Matija Nastasic’s ankle injury, which he picked up during the club’s pre-season tour of Hong Kong, will keep the Serbia international out of action for the first six weeks of the season and has accentuated City’s need for a new defender.

Having been eliminated during the group stages of the Champions League in each of the last two seasons, Pellegrini had identified the need for an experienced centre-half before Nastasic was stretchered off against Sunderland in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy a week ago.

The Spanish giants are unlikely to let the man they signed from Porto for €27m six years ago leave without a fight, especially considering Raphael Varane, the player who took Pepe's place in Jose Mourinho's starting XI last season, is still nursing his way back from knee surgery.

Moreover, the player himself insisted earlier this week he was determined to battle for his place in the plans of new Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He said: “I have signed a contract with Madrid, my future is an issue for the president," he said. “I just train hard and try to give my best for the team. I am ready to fight for my place.”

City have already spent close to £100m on reinforcements this summer in the shape of former Sevilla duo Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas as well as Brazil international midfielder Fernandinho and Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic. They begin their Premier League campaign against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Monday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guzman dreams of Barcelona move

Newell's Old Boys goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman has admitted it would be a dream come true if he was to be reunited with Gerardo Martino at Barcelona.

The Catalans have been linked with a number of goalkeepers in recent months as they prepare for life after Victor Valdes, who will leave Barca at the end of the 2013-14 season when his contract expires and Guzman is keen to make the move to Camp Nou.

"Obviously, it would be a dream to join Barcelona. It is clear that I have that illusion," he told El Mundo Deportivo.

"To be part of a team like Barca would be very nice, a dream.

"Now my challenge is to sustain what I have been doing at Newell's. After achieving a championship, the most difficult thing is to maintain that level personally and in the team."

Guzman then moved to lavish praise on Martino, hailing his personal and coaching attributes.

"He is a very special technician. I have learned a lot from him and his assistants," he added.

"He is a great person, which is perhaps more important than the kind of coach he is. He greatly impressed me and also managed a championship."

The 27-year-old Guzman worked with Martino from 2012 until the latter's departure to Barcelona this summer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villas-Boas: Defoe and Sigurdsson will stay

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas wants Jermain Defoe and Gylfi Sigurdsson to stay at the club.Defoe has been pushed down the pecking order at White Hart Lane following the arrival of fellow striker Roberto Soldado from Valencia, and he is believed to be a target of former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp at QPR.

Iceland international Sigurdsson has also been linked with an exit in the transfer window, after failing to feature regularly in Villas-Boas' side last season. However, the Tottenham boss insists that neither player is on their way out, with both firmly in his plans for the upcoming campaign. "They are players we count on 100 per cent," he was quoted as saying by The Daily Express.

"Sigurdsson is completely in our plans. Defoe is a hero for Tottenham and has been doing well. He faces competition which he has always faced during his career."
England international Defoe has been at the club since 2009, while Sigurdsson moved from Hoffenheim in 2012 after a brief loan spell at Swansea.