..::Football III::..

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I still have to earn World Cup place, insists Rooney

England star Wayne Rooney hints that nobody's World Cup 2014 ticket is safe and expects a battle to earn his place this summer.

The Three Lions struggled to break down Denmark in a friendly on Wednesday but improved slightly when the Manchester United forward was withdrawn, scoring the only goal through Daniel Sturridge.

With Brazil now firmly on the horizon, Rooney is well aware that everyone will have to fight for a place in Roy Hodgson's plans.

"It's the last squad before the manage names his 23-man squad [for the tournament] so there's 29 of us here and we all wanted to show what we can do," he told Sky Sports.

"That goes from me to everyone else. We all still want to show the manager what we can do and I'm sure the manager's got a bit of thinking to do now."

Southampton's teenage left-back Luke Shaw was introduced at half-time against the Danes for his senior international debut and Rooney was impressed with the youngster's performance.

"He's done really well," the 28-year-old enthused. "You can see he's confident on the ball, he's a good athlete, he's quick.

"He's done really well so it's down to the manager. He's got some tough decisions ahead of him but that's what he's here for - to make those decisions."

 

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Ronaldo: I cannot guarantee goals


Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear that he will give his all for Portugal at the World Cup, but the Real Madrid star insists that he cannot guarantee goals.

The 29-year-old netted twice in his country's 5-1 friendly win over Cameroon on Wednesday to take his tally for the Seleccao to 49 goals, thus becoming his country's all-time record scorer, a title he had previously shared with Pauleta.

However, Ronaldo insists that it would be a mistake to simply presume that he will carry his rich vein of form into this summer's World Cup.

"I cannot guarantee any goals at Brazil 2014. I can only guarantee hard work, effort and dedication at the World Cup," the Ballon d'Or holder was quoted as saying by AS.

"I’m not looking to break records. These things just happen in the natural way – as a result of hard work, effort and dedication and with the excellent national team we have and a great coach.

"I knew that sooner or later I would reach that figure."

Ronaldo had already matched Pauleta's number of 47 goals for the Seleccao back in 2013.

The Madrid attacker needed 110 appearances to dethrone the former Paris Saint-Germain hitman.

 

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Messi: Barcelona will miss Puyol

 

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Hodgson 'very sad and disappointed' by Wilshere injury

 

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Taarabt: I want to stay at Milan for a long time

Adel Taarabt has revealed his hopes to stay at AC Milan beyond his half-season loan spell for years to come.

The Moroccan had spent the first half of the season on loan at Fulham from QPR, but the Rossoneri convinced his parent club to send him to Serie A for the latter stage of 2013-14.

Taarabt has looked a transformed player under Clarence Seedorf's wing and he hopes that his "wasted" time in England is now behind him and he can continue playing alongside the likes of Mario Balotelli and Kaka for many more seasons.

"There is no comparison between where I was [QPR and Fulham] and where I play now," he told Le Matin. "Milan are a great club and I've adapted well.

"With the Rossoneri there are all the conditions to allow me to show the best side of me. It's true that my first few games were promising, but I need to keep it up.

"I've blossomed at Milan and this is evident on the field. I'm happy to be at Milan and I hope to stay as long as possible. I'd say I've wasted two or three years of my career with QPR. A period in which they have not improved much.

"People judged me for my behaviour off the field, which wasn't fair. I'm not saying I did not do s**t, but the reactions were a bit exaggerated. Now I hope you will judge me for my performances on the field.

"At Milan, you look at a player like Kaka who is just class. A Ballon d'Or winner and a very serious professional. When you play alongside these players like him and Balotelli, you are willing to work hard. Alongside professionals of this calibre, I will learn and improve."

Milan are back in action this weekend at Udinese in Serie A following the midweek international break, then they will try to overcome their 1-0 deficit in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday.

 

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Moyes set to experiment ahead of Vidic departure

Manchester United manager David Moyes will look to test out new defensive partnerships before Nemanja Vidic leaves at the end of the season.

The United captain will join Serie A side Inter when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, having been at Old Trafford since 2006.

Moyes is eager to hand opportunities to young central defenders ahead of Vidic's departure, although he conceded this would likely happen closer to the end of the season.

"We've got a few games to go [before the end of the season]," Moyes said, before hinting that the Old Trafford side may look to promote from within.

"I've got young centre-backs to see and I'll be looking to introduce them in the final month or two of the season."

The Premier League holders went into the international break off the back of a dismal showing in Greece as they lost 2-0 to Olympiacos in the Champions League.

Moyes feels the pause denied them the chance to bounce back immediately from the loss in Athens but the Scot was pleased to see the likes of Darren Fletcher, Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa play for their respective countries.

"It's allowed some players to get games, but it's also been a hindrance on the back of a bad performance and bad result against Olympiacos," he said.

"We wanted to put that right much sooner but the way the fixtures worked out meant we didn't have a game.

"We need to get back to creating more opportunities than we have done. We've played quite well in games but not scored and taken our chances.

"The introduction of Juan Mata and his interplay with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie has helped the creativity.

"[But] creativity isn't just the key. We also need to keep the back door shut."

 

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Monaco's priority is pretty football, says Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri says Monaco are prioritising playing attractive football over good results ahead of their clash with Sochaux.

Last Saturday's 2-0 reverse was the first of 2014 for les Rouge et Blanc and, coupled with Paris-Saint Germain's victory over Olympique de Marseille, saw Ranieri's men slip eight points behind the Ligue 1 leaders.

Ranieri is not concerned at the gap between Monaco and PSG, maintaining that the side's style of football is more important."The most important thing for me as coach is the way Monaco plays football," he reporters. "I want to see Monaco play the game well.

"For me, it's about the philosophy of the football itself. The idea is obviously to win with the desire to also play well. The results will come for us if we play good football."Ranieri expects a tough encounter at the Stade Louis II when Sochaux, a side fighting to stay in Ligue 1 under Herve Renard, visit on Saturday and doubts they will suffer relegation this season.

"The most important thing is to think about the next game against Sochaux," the Italian coach added. "It will be a difficult game, difficult like the game against Reims.

"It's going to be a really, really difficult game and a tough test for our team.
"Everybody thinks that Sochaux will be relegated, but I believe they will save themselves in Ligue 1 this season. It will be a really hard game for us and we need to secure a win."

 

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Costa's Madrid derby yellow card appeal fails

Diego Costa will serve a one-match Liga ban after his yellow card during the Madrid derby was upheld by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The Atletico Madrid forward was booked in the 64th minute of Sunday's 2-2 draw at the Vicente Calderon after the referee deemed him to dive under a challenge from Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa.

The Rojiblancos appealed the decision made by referee Carlos Delgado, but the RFEF ruled on Friday that the caution was justified, which means Costa will now miss Saturday's clash with Celta Vigo as it was his fifth yellow of the season. The striker, who made his Spain debut against Italy on Wednesday, will also have to pay a fine of €800 while Atletico will face a €350 charge.

"In the full viewing of the play in its various outlets it is not apparent that the cause of the fall of the player is contact with the opponent," a league statement read.
"So it does not disprove the contents of the referees report when he says the player simulated a foul."Accordingly the claims are dismissed, confirming the warning and disciplinary consequences."

Costa will not be the only player unavailable for Atletico coach Diego Simeone on Saturday, with Diego Godin and Arda Turan also serving one-match bans following bookings against Real.

 

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Blanc: Cavani will miss PSG's visit to Bastia

Laurent Blanc has confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain will be without striker Edinson Cavani for the trip to Bastia this weekend.

The forward returned to Uruguay earlier in the week for personal reasons and will not be back in time for Saturday's match and it is unclear whether he will feature in the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie with Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old, who has scored 14 goals in 22 league appearances for PSG this season, made a goalscoring return from injury at home to Olympique de Marseille last weekend but the Parisiens coach ruled out his involvement again.

"Cavani will not play tomorrow for the match against Bastia," Blanc told reporters. "I think apart from Cavani no other player will be unavailable."Christophe Jallet is back in the group, this will allow us to be able to breathe a little about Gregory van der Wiel."

Blanc is wary of the threat that Bastia will pose as PSG seek to extend their eight-point lead over Monaco, who host Sochaux later on Saturday."We know that we are in a very favourable position. But we must stay focused," the coach added.

"Bastia will want to exploit tomorrow, they are very motivated. We will try to be very effective in recovering the ball."

PSG attacker Jeremy Menez, who has been linked with a summer move to Atletico Madrid after falling out of favour at Parc des Princes, has been left out Blanc's squad for the visit to Bastia.

 

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Atletico can't afford to lose again, says Simeone

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes his side cannot afford to drop more points if they are to keep up their Liga title bid.

The capital club are currently third in the Primera Division standings, just three points off leaders Real Madrid following a 2-2 draw with Carlo Ancelotti's side on the back of a costly 3-0 loss to Osasuna.

And, when asked whether they could do anything but win against Celta on Saturday, the Argentine replied: "Clearly, the last two outings have hurt our chances.

"Celta are a team with a lot of variety. They have a lot of possession. If we start the game, we will have our chances and that's what we have to do.

"We believe in the team and the group we have. There are guys who didn't play against Real Madrid. Hopefully we can have a great game and play as a team."

Diego Costa had a difficult debut for his adopted nation of Spain, but Simeone is confident his star striker will be able to make an impact for la Roja.

"Diego has ideal characteristics for any team. The trainers of the national team always follow us."

 

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Conte's future is at Juventus, says Agnelli

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has insisted that Antonio Conte will remain at the club.

The former Siena coach has led the Bianconeri to back-to-back titles since taking charge in the summer of 2011, but his current contract expires at the end of next season.

However, the club chief says he is planning the club's future with the 44-year-old in charge of the team.

"The future of our team will certainly be with Conte on the bench," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We started on a path almost three years ago. We began to win ahead of schedule. And winning is not important, it's the only thing that matters.

"My dreams are the same as Antonio's, so we will achieve them together."

Agnelli went on to say that Juventus will try to win the Europa League this season to help with their European coefficient points ahead of next season's Champions League.

"In the meantime, we want to honour the Europa League's importance. It gives you Uefa ranking points and there is a touch of romance with the final being played at our stadium."

 

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Mourinho defends Pardew over Meyler headbutt

Jose Mourinho has defended Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew over his altercation with David Meyler.

The 52-year-old faces a lengthy ban from the Football Association for headbutting the Hull City midfielder during Newcastle’s 4-1 win at the KC Stadium last Saturday.

Pardew has accepted a misconduct charge from the FA and was also fined £100,000 by his club.

But Mourinho, whose own two-game suspension for poking Tito Vilanova in the eye during Real Madrid’s clash with Barcelona in August 2011 was subsequently overturned, believes the Newcastle boss realises his error and human nature "is open to mistakes".

"I spoke with Alan a couple of hours after the incident and he knows he made a mistake, and knows he has to pay for it,” said Mourinho.

"I prefer to stay with the good friend than the mistake.

"The problem is the human nature, and the human nature is open to mistakes. I made mistakes too. I paid for mistakes.

"In my case, the biggest punishment is you to recognise yourself you made a mistake, that you feel it - the self-blame.”

Mourinho also confirmed Eden Hazard, who suffered a minor ankle knock during Belgium’s friendly against Ivory Coast on Wednesday, is fit to face Tottenham on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ashley Cole has been ruled out of the match after picking up an injury during training on Thursday.

 

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'He is an outstanding talent' - Everton boss Martinez baffled by Cleverley criticism

Everton manager Roberto Martinez does not understand some of the criticism levelled at Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley.

The 24-year-old is the subject of an online petition calling for him not to be taken to Brazil as part of England's World Cup squad that has amassed more than 15,000 signatures.

However, Martinez, who signed Cleverley on loan while manager of Wigan, is at a loss as to why the England international is being targeted.

Martinez feels Cleverley has huge talent, but suggested he may be suffering from having to take on too big a role in a struggling United side under former Everton boss David Moyes.

"I don't understand it. Tom is part of this new generation of outstanding English talent," he told reporters.

"There are only a few players who look as if they could have been brought up in Holland or Spain or France because of their understanding of the game, their tactical awareness and their technical quality. Tom has got that.

"Then as a boy, he has got the perfect temperament. He is a level-headed boy.

"I just don't understand this campaign. Tom was maybe given a bigger role than he should have been given but all of a sudden he is being judged like this? He’s young."

Cleverley's national team manager Roy Hodgson defended the midfielder prior to Wednesday's friendly with Denmark, stating he had been singled out as a result of United's difficult campaign.

 

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Clerverly ge performance nam madi

 

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Guardiola: Bayern won't sign many players

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says that he is only planning minor changes to his team this summer.

The German champions are set to sign Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund at the season's end and are likely to add Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sebastian Rode.

However, the former Barcelona coach says the core of his XI will remain the same at the end of the summer transfer window.

"I think the basis of the team will be more or less the same," he told reporters.

"There will be just a few additions."

Bayern face Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga this weekend and Guardiola says the vast majority of his players are fit to take on Dieter Hecking's men, whom he is refusing to underestimate, despite their 6-2 loss to Hoffenheim last week.

"All the players are fit whenever the Champions League is coming," he joked. "It's the case in other big clubs. I don't know why.

"Wolfsburg are one of the big teams in the league. They are a dangerous opponent, despite their 6-2 defeat last week.

"They have some very good players. It won't be easy. It will be a big challenge, and we can take another step towards defending the title."

 

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Ancelotti: Madrid don't need Vidal

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that his side do not need to sign Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal.

The Chilean has been linked with a variety of clubs after leading the Bianconeri to two straight Serie A titles, most recently the Liga leaders and their arch rivals Barcelona.

However, Ancelotti has denied that Juve director Beppe Marotta came to visit Madrid's training centre to thrash out a deal for the former Bayer Leverkusen man.

"He came to see the sports centre," he told La Stampa.

"In midfield we won't take anyone. We don't need anyone and [Sami] Khedira will return."

The Italian also voiced his admiration for Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti, but says that too much should not be expected of the youngster.

"He doesn't miss anything. He has personality and isn't afraid, but he shouldn't play because he is young. At Madrid, I have Jese, who is a phenomenon, but we have many champions."

 

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Moyes defends Cleverley over England place

Manchester United manager David Moyes has hit out at an online petition which has called for Tom Cleverley to be banned from making England’s World Cup squad.

The petition, which has gained over 17,000 signatures, argues that the 24-year-old should not be included in Roy Hodgson’s squad which will travel to Brazil this summer.

The England boss had earlier rubbished the calls for Cleverley to be axed, and Moyes has also leapt to the midfielder's defence, insisting he is a “fantastic” player who deserves to be in contention for an England place.

“First and foremost I'm surprised the media are picking up on something on social media and making a big case of it, because I think that's wrong if that's the way it's come about,” the United manager said on Friday.

“Tom Cleverley is a fantastic young player who is developing all the time, he's a great trainer, he's someone who is first out, and every day he gives his best in training.

“From that point of view that is why Tom would succeed.”

Hodgson's views on the petition echoed those of the United manager, and the former Fulham and Liverpool boss is adamant he will pay not attention to the criticism surrounding Cleverley.

"It [the petition] doesn't impress me,” said Hodgson prior to England's 1-0 win over Denmark. "He deserves to be in this 30-man group. He's done an awful lot of good."

 

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Kehl: Bayern are on another level

Sebastian Kehl has admitted Bayern Munich are out of Borussia Dortmund's reach in the Bundesliga, but is confident BVB can beat the Bavarians if they meet in the DFB-Pokal final or the Champions League.

Dortmund trail Bayern by 20 points in the German top flight, but they have made it to the semi-finals of the domestic cup - where they will meet Wolfsburg - and are on the verge of reaching the quarter-finals of European club football's elite competition after their 4-2 first-leg win over Zenit St Petersburg.

"Bayern have been on another level this season. But we will not just raise the white flag and surrender to them," Kehl told Bild.

"There is always a point in a game where they can be beaten. You never know how many times we can defeat them in the various competitions we are still competing in..."

The holding midfielder then went on to stress that Dortmund must show consistency if they are to hold off Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke in the race for second spot in the Bundesliga.

"We have insane quality, but we have to be consistent in order to ensure we hold on to second place. We have already spilled too many points, so we have been warned."

 

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Atletico Madrid winger Arda 'wants to play for Wenger', says agent

Atletico Madrid midfielder Arda Turan wants to move to England and play for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, according to the player's agent.

The Turkey international is an important part of the Atletico Madrid team who are challenging for the Primera Division title in Spain and on the verge of the Champions League quarter-finals.

He has been linked with the Gunners, Manchester United and Liverpool in the past but, although a move to England is on the agenda, he does not yet want to leave Madrid.

"He is interested in working under Arsene Wenger and Arda would like to play in England," Ahmet Bulut is quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.

"Arda will not leave Atletico. They are part of the title race and he is a key player. Arda plays for a big club and he will be part of Atletico's success."

The 27-year-old renewed his deal at the Estadio Vicente Calderon until 2017 back in September and Bulut was keen to stress that, although English clubs have been in contact about a transfer, the player's priority is Atletico.

"We have received offers from English clubs," he added. "There are two parties in any transfer, the player and the club. Both must decide.

"However, for now I would like to insist once more that Arda renewed his contract recently and wants to stay at Atletico."

 

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Thiago: I don't owe Barcelona anything

Thiago Alcantara has taken another dig at Barcelona following his transfer to Bayern Munich at the start of the 2013-14 campaign.

The creative midfielder, 22, came through the ranks of the Barca youth academy, but opted to leave the club last summer after failing to secure regular first-team action and he feels he does not owe his former team anything.

"I am grateful to Barcelona, but I do not owe them anything anymore," the midfielder told El Pais.

"I would have left Barcelona for any team, just so I would no longer be warming the bench.

"It was my own decision to leave Barcelona. Nobody put a gun to my head and forced me to go. I didn't get the feeling the club believed in me. That's why I moved on.

"I left Barcelona because I wanted to be happy again and play football on a regular basis. I found exactly what I was looking for here at Bayern."

Thiago has made 12 Bundesliga appearances so far for Bayern, scoring twice in the process.