..::Football III::..

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Ribery: Bayern can remain unbeaten all season

Franck Ribery has shrugged off his Fifa Ballon d'Or disappointment and is targeting another treble-winning season with Bayern Munich, as well as remaining unbeaten in the Bundesliga all season.

Ribery finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and initially expressed grievances with the decision to award to the prize to the Real Madrid man.

However, the 30-year-old is now focused on securing further honours with the Bavarian giants as he aims to help Bayern retain their Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles and hopes Pep Guardiola's men will be able to finish the 2013-14 campaign without tasting defeat in the German top flight.

"It hurt a lot to miss out on the Ballon d'Or, considering I had won everything with Bayern. However, the subject has been put to bed in my eyes. I'm only focusing on the future now," Ribery told the Bundesliga's official website.

"We have an incredible amount of untapped potential at Bayern. We're capable of retaining our status as German champions, but also of winning the DFB-Pokal and becoming the first-ever team to defend our Champions League title.

"I can promise you one thing: I'm still hungry for more. We want to continue winning everything and create even more history.

"My aim is to become German champions without suffering a single defeat. We want to attempt to win every game and put in convincing performances every time we play."Bayern lock horns with Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday evening and will be looking to extend their 41 league games unbeaten run.

 

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Inter are my eternal love, says Zanetti

Javier Zanetti has stressed that Inter will forever be in his heart and is grateful for everything the club has given him over the past 20 years.

The Argentine joined Inter from Banfield in the summer of 1994 and has since developed into a key figure at the Nerazzurri, making over 800 official appearances for the Serie A giants.

"It’s been almost 20 years and it’s been very intense. I’m still proud to belong to this fantastic club and to still be a part of it. Inter have given me everything," Zanetti told the official Fifa website.

"My relationship with Inter one of eternal love, definitely. Those are my honest feelings for this amazing club, for the Moratti family and all the fans.

"It was love at first sight and that feeling has grown stronger with each passing day, week, month and year. The respect shown to me means so much.

"I’d like to stay as part of this wonderful family forever, even after I retire as a player. One thing is certain: I always want to serve and be of use to this club."

Zanetti has made just five Serie A appearances so far this term as he missed a large part of the first half of the season due to injury.

 

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Simeone hails Bilbao bout as 'cup classic'

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was a happy man after watching his side scrape a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in a "classic cup" clash on Thursday.

Diego Godin scored the only goal of the Copa del Rey quarter-final, first leg at the Vicente Calderon, the defender heading home just four minutes before the break.

Simeone was enthused by his side's battling performance but praised Athletic for taking the game to the Rojiblancos.

"This was a classic cup game, that is competitive, in which the two teams play for a positive result," Simeone told reporters.

"A 2-0 loss would not have suited Bilbao but a 1-1 draw would so they went for it.

"We didn't expect to see a very open game, perhaps we thought it would be more open in the second one with the result to play for, but not in the first cup games.

"From the experiences I've had, the first legs are always much more studied, but I don't think that was the way tonight."

Indeed, Simeone knows that Atletico still have a lot of work to do at San Mames, particularly as the Liga co-leaders face a trip to Rayo Vallecano this weekend.

"After Sunday night, we will prepare for the second leg in the best way because it will be a tough match in a beautiful environment to play football with a team that is strong," the former midfielder said.

"Bilbao is having a very good season so far, they are fourth in the league and playing good football.

"To keep that place in the league would be exhausting, so we must be attentive and make sure we are focused.

"We have to be aware of what they need to do."

 

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Kagawa will stay at Manchester United, says agent

Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa will stay at Old Trafford, despite the expected arrival of Juan Mata from Chelsea, according to the Japan international's agent.

Kagawa has started just seven Premier League matches this season, after it was predicted by the club's former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, that he would "be better" in his second campaign in England.

The 24-year-old has been switched between wide left and central roles this season, and reports have linked him with a return to Germany, and possibly to former club Borussia Dortmund, with Mata set to seal a club record £37 million (€45m) transfer.

But his agent, Thomas Kroth, does not expect an exit.

"At this moment I am sure Shinji will stay. There has been no contact and so it is just rumours," he told Sky Sports.

When asked if Mata's arrival would directly impact Kagawa's future, Kroth added: "No, it is my opinion that he will stay."

Mata was expected to fly into United's Carrington training base by helicopter on Thursday, but was delayed by Chelsea's negotiations with Basel for Mohamed Salah.

The Premier League champions are not concerned by the hold-up, though, and expect the transfer to be completed on Friday.

 

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Klopp writes off Dortmund's title hopes

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has written off his side's Bundesliga title hopes, admitting that they have no chance of catching Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Die Schwarzgelben currently sit fourth in the standings, 12 points adrift of their Bavarian rivals, who have also played one game less.

Consequently, Klopp feels that Dortmund are no longer in a position to win the title, conceding that their target now must be on finishing second.

"The initial premise for the second half of the season is that we are fourth, trailing by many points behind Bayern Munich, who also have a game in hand," the 46-year-old German told reporters.

"Bayern Munich isn't our aim for the moment. We are focusing on Augsburg, and then we want to pass in front of the teams that are ahead of us.

"That should be possible. It's not a certainty but it should be possible. And our fighting spirit is definitely awake to achieve this."

Dortmund resume their Bundesliga campaign against Augsburg at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday buoyed by four friendly victories during the winter break.

"The question of whether our preparation went well can only fully be answered on Saturday which will also depend on our opponent," Klopp warned.

"Everything that we have been able to assess, like many of you have witnessed, has been assessed.

"The boys have trained extensively with very few free days because we felt like we wanted to use as much of the time as possible and it was necessary."

 

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Capello extends Russia contract

Fabio Capello has reached an agreement with Russia over a new contract until after the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

The 67-year-old took over from Dick Advocaat in July 2012 and successfully guided the country to qualification for this summer's tournament in Brazil, losing just two games as they topped Uefa's Group F ahead of Portugal.

Capello's previous deal was due to expire afterwards, but he has now been rewarded with an extension until the end of the 2018 World Cup, which Russia will host.

"I am grateful to the president of the RFU (Russian Football Union) and to the Russian minister of sport (Vitaly Mutko) for their confidence in me," the Italian said in a statement on the RFU's official website.

"I am very pleased to continue working with Russia. We have big plans and I will do everything I can to ensure the Russian fans are happy."

Russia have been paired with Belgium, Algeria and South Korea in Group H at this summer's World Cup.

They failed to qualify for the previous two editions of the World Cup, while they were eliminated in the group stages in 2002.

 

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Keller: Draxler not yet ready for Arsenal

Schalke coach Jens Keller believes Julian Draxler must develop a stronger personality before moving move abroad as he feels the Germany international is not ready for a club like Arsenal just yet.

The 20-year-old has a contract with Schalke until June 2018, but the Gunners are keen to lure the attacking midfielder to the Premier League either this month or at the end of the season.

However, Keller feels Draxler should not rush into a transfer to a foreign league and pointed out that the youngster already earns good money at his current club, so financial gain should not be a factor.

"Julian is only 20 years old and has all the time in the world to go abroad," Keller was quoted as saying by Bild.

"In order to succeed in another league, you need a strong personality. Plus it's not like he's earning peanuts here at Schalke."

Draxler has developed into a key player at the Gelsenkirchen side since breaking into the first team in 2010-11.

He has made 24 appearances in all competitions for Schalke so far this term, scoring five goals in the process.

 

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Wenger hails Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of Arsenal return

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has lavished praise on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ahead of Friday's FA Cup tie with Coventry.

The 20-year-old is expected to start for the Gunners having recovered from a knee injury picked up in the defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season in August.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has featured as a substitute in Arsenal’s last two games, against Aston Villa and Fulham, but is expected to start on Friday with Wenger full of praise for the youngster.

"He is in advance of where every player of his age is,” the Frenchman told reporters.

“He is in the national team, a regular player here and he has just been handicapped by a four-month injury but overall he is in a very strong position.

"He can play central and that is not some way off. It is always just finding the right balance because around him you also need a more defensive player.

“But I like his qualities in the middle because he can penetrate and has good power to get out of pressure, that is a very important quality in the middle of the park.

"He can pass people, can accelerate the game, has a good final ball and a good long pass."

Wenger also insisted his side would not be taking Friday’s fourth round FA Cup clash against League One opposition lightly, having been the victims of a cup upset last season.

"We go into this game with a serious attitude," he added. "Last year was a big blow for us [being knocked out by Blackburn] and we want to deal with the game seriously.

"When you are on a run, it is important not to interrupt it with a setback. That is what is at stake - every win makes the team stronger and more confident. We do not want to be up and down and up and down. It is important we continue our consistent run.

"This is a very prestigious competition for me. It was the only competition I could watch in France when I was a kid was the English FA Cup Final. On black and white television, every year we saw the cup final.

"It is true that maybe it does not have the glamour nowadays that it had in the 1960s and 1970s, but it is still for me a very important competition.

"I just remember that I was always admiring Wembley's pitch, because I used to play on really bad pitches, and the white ball ... It was for me a dream to have this kind of ball. I played with a ball with laces at the time, so that was always something special to watch."

 

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Vargas leaves Napoli for Valencia

Napoli have confirmed that Eduardo Vargas has joined Valencia on loan for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

The attacker had only recently returned to the Stadio San Paolo after a loan spell at Brazilian side Gremio, but head coach Rafael Benitez told the 24-year-old he was not a part of his plans.

Vargas has therefore opted to move the club again on a temporary basis in order to keep his chances of making Chile's World Cup squad alive.

"Napoli have formalised the transfer of Eduardo vargas to Valencia CF in the form of a loan until the end of the season," the Serie A side confirmed on their official Twitter account.

Vargas joined Napoli in an estimated €13million deal from Universidad de Chile in January 2012, but he has since been unable to establish himself at the Partenopei.

The forward has made 19 Serie A appearances so far, but has yet to find the net in the Italian top flight.

 

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Lewandowski denies assault charges

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has denied assaulting a 17-year-old who is alleged to have insulted him in front of his family on Thursday evening.

The Poland international - who will leave BVB for Bayern Munich at the end of the season - claims he was verbally abused by a group of teenagers over his summer move, prompting him to get out of his car and demand an explanation for their behaviour.

One member of the group afterwards filed a complaint with the police claiming that Lewandowski hit him in the face, but the Dortmund star has insisted that he did not use any violence.

"The situation at my home forces me to react before the media turn this into a scandal," read a statement on the striker's Facebook account.

"I have no intention of trying to teach 17-year-old teenagers who feel tough in a group how to behave, but I will not let anyone insult me or my family.

"At the same time, I want to make it very clear that I did not use any violence against the people who invaded my privacy.

"I hope that this will prove to be an isolated incident and that I can focus on Borussia Dortmund now and play the second half of the season without any distractions."

Lewandowski's imminent transfer to Bayern has led to uproar among Dortmund fans and the striker's agent recently already suggested that he might hire bodyguards.

 

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Carrick facing new scans amid ligament damage fears

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will undergo a scan on his injured ankle on Friday morning amid fears he has sustained ligament damage.

The 32-year-old had to be withdrawn after badly twisting his ankle during extra-time of the Capital One Cup semi-final, second-leg clash with Sunderland on Wednesday night.

The injury was still too badly swollen on Thursday for a forensic diagnosis to take place at the club's Carrington medical centre, meaning the player has been scheduled for further tests on Friday morning.

It is expected that the injury will keep Carrick out of action for a month.

It is a further injury blow to the England international, having already missed more than a month this season with an ongoing calf problem.

And it leaves Red Devils boss David Moyes increasingly short of midfield options, despite the imminent arrival of new record signing Juan Mata.

However, Marouane Fellaini's return to training this week has provided the Scot with some welcome relief in the midfield area, while attackers Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young are also well on the road to recovery.

United face Cardiff in the Premier League in their next game on Tuesday, with Moyes hoping to get back to winning ways following two disappointing results against Chelsea and Sunderland in the league and cup, respectively.

 

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Get Well Soon Carrick!

 

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Kroos stalls over new Bayern deal

Bayern Munich are still trying to convince midfielder Toni Kroos to sign a new deal, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed.

The 24-year-old Germany international sees his current contract expire next year and the Bavarian giants are desperate for him to commit his future to the club.
But those talks have stalled, with Bayern – who have recently seen David Alaba and Jerome Boateng sign contract extensions – still battling to secure the signature of Kroos.

"To be honest…because the talks so far have not led to a new contract…it's always about the money in every agreement," Rummenigge told Kicker."We are interested that Toni prolongs his contract."

Rummenigge also reiterated that Bayern are interested in extending Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic's contract.That is despite the impending arrival of Poland forward Robert Lewandowski, who will join on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.

"He (Mario Mandzukic) is under contract until 2016. I have dropped hints to both him and his agent that we would be willing to hold talks," Rummenigge said."We are very pleased with him. There were quite a few people who shook their heads in disbelief when we signed him form Wolfsburg.

"But he was exactly the type of player we wanted. He has brought in those qualities, and we are very pleased."

 

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Schalke stars would welcome Holtby arrival

Schalke duo Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Benedikt Howedes believe Lewis Holtby would be a useful addition to their side, were he to return this January.

Goal exclusively revealed earlier this month that the Tottenham midfielder was in talks with Schalke - and Huntelaar and Howedes believe the signing would add a lot to the Bundesliga outfit.

"Holtby would help us," Huntelaar said in BILD.

"Lewis has quality and Schalke can use him very well. He can play in midfield at almost all positions - in the offensive and the defensive."

Schalke captain Howedes added: "He is a good player, if it fits for both clubs, it would help us in any case."

Meanwhile, Holtby's agent Marcus Noack hinted that a move back to Germany would be favourable following a successful first spell at the club for the 23-year-old.

"Lewis has felt very well at Schalke," Noack said.

"I am struggling to find a good solution for Lewis so he is happy again. The important thing is for him to play."

Holtby has made 21 appearances for Spurs this term, although only 12 of them have come in the Premier League.

 

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Falcao retains World Cup hope

Monaco striker Radamel Falcao has not given up hope of featuring at the World Cup despite suffering a serious knee injury.

The Colombia international was carried from the field on a stretcher during the Ligue 1 club's 3-0 triumph over Monts d'Or Azergues in the Coupe de France on Wednesday.

Monaco confirmed on Thursday that their record signing will undergo surgery after scans revealed he had damaged the anterior cruciate in his left knee.

The 27-year-old's hopes of playing at the World Cup in Brazil later this year would appear to be over, but Falcao is retaining hope of appearing at the tournament.
"I want to thank all of you for your messages in the last hours," he wrote on social networking site Twitter. "I have been touched by all the support and love of all the people around the world.

"I am not going to hide that I am very sad. My heart is destroyed. But I have faith (that I am) holding right now to keep my dream alive to be at the World Cup.
"God makes the impossible possible. I believe in Him."

 

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Mourinho Confirms Mata Move Close

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Juan Mata is set to sign for Manchester United having been given permission to meet the club and have a medical.

It is the first time anyone from either club has made any comment on the transfer, with ESPN sources on Wednesday revealing that a 37 million-pound deal had been agreed to take Mata to Old Trafford.The deal is now in its final stages and should be completed ahead of United's home game with Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Mourinho also revealed the transfer of Mohamed Salah to the club moved very quickly once the "surprise" sale of Mata was agreed, with the Basel player seemingly stolen from under the noses of Liverpool -- just as Willian was in August.In his press conference ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie against Stoke City, Mourinho said: “Things are really going in a good direction and I think sooner rather than later things will be finalised."

Asked why Chelsea had taken such a decision over a player so popular, the manager said it was out of “respect” for him.

“I think this club is a special club, it cares with people, and is respectful with the players, especially with the players that wrote the history of the club, and Juan is one of these cases. I think, and I still think, he could be important for us and of course he’s a fantastic player."In spite of not playing for us, especially in the last period, he could be a very important player for us but Juan had this fantastic opportunity, another big club wants him, in a country where he loves to be and loves to play.

"It is an offer that is the right offer for us, so in spite of probably many clubs, many boards and many managers who think you shouldn't sell a top player to a rival club, especially not in the same country you play, we feel and we think differently.
"The player deserves respect, deserve to be happy and play where he wants to play, and because the offer is obviously what we consider the right offer for the quality of the palyer, we allowed him to negotiate with them, and didn’t close the door.

“It’s a good offer. I don’t want to say one more million, one less million, it’s a good offer, respectful to us, respectful to the value of the player that allows to try to bring in another player, because we need another player.

"We still have fantastic profit on the investment Chelsea made in the past with Juan, and with the two deals, Juan and Kevin de Bruyne, we have put ourselves in a very good position in relation to financial fair play.

“I asked him 'are you really happy to go,' and he was saying 'yes, I am really happy to go,' so after that we have mixed emotions. Here we are all happy, but at the same time we are all sad and I think for him it was a bit the same: very happy to go from Chelsea to Man United, still in England, still in Premier League, probably with guarantees that he’s going to play, and going to be important player for them.

"We decided not to stop him, it’s good for Juan, good for the Premier League and the offer, with financial terms for us, is the right offer. Compared to what the club played two years ago it is fantastic.”

On Salah, Mourinho confirmed that he has spoken to the player and been told he wants to come to Chelsea, but the “situation is still open.” Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers still believes he has a chance of winning the race for the Egyptian.

"It was a surprise for us Juan was leaving, we were not prepared to make a bid [for Salah] so everything happened very fast. We tried to work on that and see which could be good options for us. So when we try for Salah, we go from zero.
"We didn't even know who the player's agent is. The first step was agreement with Basel... it's subject to a medical."

 

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Arsenal 4-0 Coventry: Podolski hits double as Gunners cruise into FA Cup fifth round

Arsenal cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.

Lukas Podolski opened the scoring for the Gunners, slotting home after being sent through by Mesut Ozil and adding a second with a far post header, before Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla added late strikes.

Arsene Wenger named a strong line-up for the clash against League One opposition with Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski all featuring, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made his first start since August.

The hosts showcased their superiority in the opening stages, with Carl Jenkinson looking particularly threatening at right-back, and it was no surprise when Arsenal took the lead on 15 minutes after a wave of attacks.

Podolski collected Ozil's nicely weighted pass and calmly rounded Murphy before firing into an empty net.

After being a spectator for the early part of the match, goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi had to be on guard to maintain Arsenal's lead when tipping Carl Baker's 20-yard strike over the crossbar following a fine solo run.

Yet things worsened for the visitors on 27 minutes when Per Mertesacker flicked Ozil's corner to the back post and Podolski headed home from close range.

From there Arsenal were queuing up to try and get on the scoresheet.

Jenkinson dragged an effort across goal, while Podolski spurned a chance to secure his hat-trick by blazing high and wide from the edge of the box.

After being over-run in the first half Coventry almost halved the deficit early in the second when Clarke broke free on the right only to shoot straight at Fabianski.

Clarke came even closer on 57 minutes. Franck Moussa finished a surging run by laying into the path of the striker, whose left-foot effort from the edge of the box hit the woodwork.

Looking to restore calm, Arsenal could have pulled further clear after the hour mark when Nicklas Bendtner shot wide from eight yards after strong build-up play.

With the game petering out, Wenger replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain with 16-year-old Gedion Zelalem, the first player to feature for Arsenal having been born after the Frenchman took over at Arsenal in October 1996.

Fellow substitute Giroud - who replaced Podolski - made it 3-0 in the 84th minute when he met Kieran Gibbs’ cut-back to drive home from eight yards.

There was still time for Arsenal to score again, Cazorla on hand to finish after Jenkinson's initial effort had been saved, while Ozil hit the post in injury time.

 

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Gladbach 0-2 Bayern: Gotze & Muller see off stern hosts

Bayern Munich brushed aside third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach with a 2-0 win at Borussia Park on Friday.

Pep Guardiola's side had the majority of possession on Friday and created more than double that of their opponents as they extended their lead at the top of the table to 10 points.

Mario Gotze opened the scoring with a cool finish in the seventh minute, with Thomas Muller doubling the lead in the second half from the penalty spot.

Despite offering an impressive response, Gladbach were unable to get back into the game as Manuel Neuer made a couple of good saves and Patrick Herrmann hit the post.

The win moves Bayern 14 points clear of their third-placed opponents, giving Borussia Dortmund the opportunity to overtake the Foals with victory over Augsburg on Saturday.

Bayern, the first team in Bundesliga history to win 15 of their first 17 matches, started with Gotze in a false-nine position and Xherdan Shaqiri, Muller and Thiago Alcantara offering support.

Mario Mandzukic was not included in the squad due to "not training hard enough", according to the Bavarians sporting director Matthias Sammer.

Gotze pulled his first opportunity wide of Marc-Andre ter Stegen's goal in the fifth minute, but made no mistake two minutes later with a crisp first-time finish.

Muller was released down the right by Rafinha and reached the byline before pulling the ball back to an unmarked Gotze, who calmly stroked the ball into the back of the net.

Bayern continued to dominate possession but were unable to work their way through the Gladbach defence and the hosts eventually started to threaten at the other end.

However, Max Kruse again wasted a good opening as Neuer saved down low to deny the forward.

Thiago came close to doubling Bayern's lead early in the second half with a 25-yard strike, the Spaniard keeping his effort on target only for Ter Stegen to tip it round the post.

Eight minutes after the break the visitors did get their second goal as Granit Xhaka handled inside the penalty area.

Muller assumed responsibility from the spot and made no mistake in sending Ter Stegen the wrong way.

Neuer was called into action just after the hour and had to make two low saves.

When Gladbach did beat the goalkeeper, Herrmann's shot crashed against the post and bounced to safety.

Bayern negotiated the final 20 minutes comfortably and were able to introduce Arjen Robben following the Netherlands international's recovery from a knee injury sustained at the end of 2013.