..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Navas still waiting on Real Madrid switch

Keylor Navas is remaining tight-lipped over his proposed transfer to Real Madrid from Levante, insisting he has "signed nothing yet".


The Costa Rica shot-stopper was instrumental in his nation's most successful World Cup campaign ever, famously saving from Greece striker Fanis Gekas as los Ticos won their second-round game 5-3 on penalties.


Navas is expected to make an imminent move to Madrid after the club agreed to pay Levante €10 million to activate his release clause and his agent confirmed talks were ongoing earlier this week.

However, the keeper is refusing to get carried away with the developments until the transfer is finalised, hinting that negotiations could go on for some time yet.

"I hope in the future to be talking differently with all of you and to tell you my situation," the 27-year-old told reporters."I hope things go well and can be sorted, but so far I have signed anything with anyone at the moment .


"I'm still waiting - that's where we are."I cannot say my representative is not in negotiations with a team but these things are not done overnight. There are many points at which you have to agree."


Navas has played 70 times for les Granotes since arriving from Albacete in 2012.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Filipe Luis targets Champions League and Premier League with Chelsea

New Chelsea signing Filipe Luis has set his sights on a Premier League and Champions League double.

The full-back completed his move from Atletico Madrid to Stamford Bridge on Friday, penning a three-year deal, and is determined to go one better than Diego Simeone's side did in Europe last term.

Filipe was part of the Atletico side who won La Liga on the final day of 2014-15 and then lost in extra time in the Champions League final against local rivals Real Madrid.

"Last season was brilliant but I've come here to do exactly the same," Filipe told his new club's official website.

"I want to go one better in the Champions League and, in terms of the Premier League, I want the trophy badly.

"Chelsea is the best club for me to do that; we have the best coach and an amazing squad, we have some brilliant players and I hope the supporters will see the Premier League trophy at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season."

The prospect of playing under Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho – a winner of the Champions League with Porto and Inter – was a major factor in Filipe's decision to swap Madrid for London.

"Jose was one of the reasons which made my decision to come here so easy," the full-back enthused.

"He's an amazing coach, he's won everything. Wherever he goes, he wins titles so I know I will grow a lot under him and my football will improve.

"I'm really happy to have him as a coach."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Blanc demands PSG improvement

Laurent Blanc has challenged his Paris Saint-Germain players to "keep working" after a 4-2 defeat to RB Leipzig on Friday.

Les Parisiens twice led the Bundesliga 2 side through goals from Hervin Ongenda and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck.

But the Ligue 1 champions tired as the game went on, with Terrence Boyd, Yussuf Poulsen and Denis Thomalla scoring before a late own goal from Marquinhos made certain of the defeat.

However, despite the defeat Blanc felt that his side were demonstrating good progress ahead of their upcoming Asian tour beginning later this month.
"It was a very difficult match, especially in the second half," the 48-year-old told the club's official website.

"No doubt the German team felt physically stronger than us as the game went on. There's not much more to say, really. We now move on, and keep working, to prepare for our tour of Asia which is coming up very quickly."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who featured for the first time in pre-season, remained positive about the fixture, describing it as excellent preparation for his side's Ligue 1 defence.

"I felt good in this friendly," the Sweden striker said.

"It was important for me, to keep working on my fitness because I had a long holiday. I have to keep working. I felt good out there, it's a great stadium, a great atmosphere and we were against a very good team."

PSG now face Nice on Wednesday as they continue to warm up for next season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

The Dossier: Why Schneiderlin would be the perfect signing for Arsenal

It has been a move long in the offing but Arsenal are at last ready to make a concerted push to sign Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton this summer.

With Chelsea moving ahead in the race to capture Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira – a move that would make a great deal more sense for the German than the Gunners – Arsene Wenger has turned to a long-term target as the north Londoners make a preliminary approach.

While there will have to be some haggling involved – Arsenal value Schneiderlin at around £15 million while the Saints want at least £18m and are in a position to play hardball after other huge sales this summer – the France international is keen to look for his next challenge and the Emirates Stadium is the ideal place for him to flourish.

Arsenal’s need for an imposing defensive midfielder has been hanging over them for so long that it has become something of a standing joke, but the Southampton star offers an engine-room presence that Wenger’s men have lacked since Gilberto Silva’s heyday.

With the trust and freedom to develop in the first team throughout the Saints’ run from League One to the top half of the Premier League, Schneiderlin has become a fearsome defensive beast and is still far from his peak at 24-years-old.

Only two Premier League midfielders made more than his 113 tackles in 2013-14, while he was in the top 10 midfielders for duels won (213) and interceptions (68). His 215 recoveries put him joint-12th.

Indeed, over the past two Premier League seasons, no player has had a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions than Schneiderlin’s 466.

Not only exceptional at winning back the ball, the ex-Strasbourg man is also adept at passing it on. He completed 1726 passes in the league last term with an accuracy of 89.34 per cent – and his range of passes has steadily improved since Saints returned to the top flight.

If, as seems ideal, he were next to Aaron Ramsey in central midfield, the 24-year-old would be comfortable feeding his partner whether or not the Welshman had started his advance into a more attacking position.

There is also plenty of room to be flexible in how Wenger would integrate Schneiderlin into the team. Mikel Arteta has only one year left on his contract at the Emirates Stadium but has been a pivotal part of the team and would likely not be completely jettisoned straight away – plus Arsenal’s record with injuries suggests that they will need options in every position.

But the France international’s experience of playing alongside Jack Cork at Southampton should stand him in good stead to work with Arteta when needed. Like the Spaniard, Cork is the type to receive the ball from deep and pass out calmly, which often gave Schneiderlin the freedom to push out and win the ball aggressively further up the pitch. He also comes with experience of playing in both a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation.

Coming from Southampton, Schneiderlin should be prepared for a battle to establish himself at Champions League level, which makes him not only the right talent to replace Arteta in the long term but also the right head to accept some rotation as Wenger makes the transition.

After years of excellence at St Mary’s Stadium, Schneiderlin would be a more than worthy buy even at £18m. He is the player for whom Arsenal have craved for years.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Stats balanakotanam Schneiderlin patta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Navas 'has the maturity' to handle Real Madrid pressure

Keylor Navas has been backed to deal with the expectation that comes with a move to Real Madrid by compatriot Luis Gabelo Conejo.


The Costa Rica goalkeeper is reportedly on the brink of joining los Blancos from fellow La Liga club Levante following his exploits at the World Cup, with Madrid thought to have agreed to pay his €10 million release fee.


Former los Ticos international keeper Conejo, who earned 29 international caps and appeared at the 1990 World Cup, thinks Navas has all the right attributes to succeed in Madrid."There is more pressure than received in Levante as [they are] a small team," the 54-year-old told AS.

"But inside the soccer field when you have the maturity he has, that does not matter."Navas was one of the star performers in Brazil, keeping three clean sheets - only Jasper Cillessen, Sergio Romero and Manuel Neuer managed more - as Costa Rica reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.


"He is the most complete goalkeeper in every sense of the modern goalkeeper," Conejo said of the 27-year-old."He has exquisite technique with both legs."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid send Casemiro on loan to Porto

Real Madrid have confirmed that Brazil international midfielder Casemiro will join Porto on loan for the duration of the 2014-15 season.

The 22-year-old joined the European champions from Sao Paulo last summer but was restricted to just 12 league appearances as he struggled to break into Carlo Ancelotti's first-team plans.

Madrid have now allowed Casemiro to join Porto for next season and the Portuguese giants will retain the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the campaign.

"Real Madrid and FC Porto have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Casemiro for the 2014-15 season," a statement from the Spaniards reads.

"Porto reserve an option to buy at the end of the season. If the Portuguese club execute this, Real Madrid will retain an option to buy back the player."

Casemiro, who has been capped five times by Brazil, made 25 senior appearances for Madrid last season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

M'Vila eager to help Inter 'back to the top' after completing loan move

Yann M'Vila has said that the prospect of helping Inter return to the top of Italian football motivated him to join the club.

The 24-year-old France international completed his move from Russian Premier League outfit Rubin Kazan earlier this week, on an initial loan deal with the option to make the move permanent, bringing an end to weeks of speculation.

M'Vila had been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool earlier in the close-season but it soon became clear that Inter was the most likely destination for the midfielder.

Inter completed a treble of the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho in 2010, but the past two seasons have seen the club finish ninth and fifth in the league.

However, under new owner Erick Thohir, Inter have set about rebuilding the side to mount a challenge for the top of Italian football once again and M'Vila has revealed that the project appealed to him more than the prospect of earning higher wages elsewhere.

"I chose Italy and Inter because this club wants to get back to the top," he said at his official unveiling. "I was a bit worried the deal might go up in smoke but fortunately everything worked out well in the end.

"Better offers? It's not just about the money but what the club can offer on the field. Inter is a massive club.

"I didn't have any problems in Russia, but when the chance arose for me to join Inter I grabbed it."

In the past M'Vila has gained a reputation as a "bad boy" off the pitch, most notably when he received a ban from the national team for an unauthorised night out while on France Under-21 duty.

However, he added: "My bad boy fame? It's just French newspaper talk. I'm nothing like that at all.

"I'll give my all for Inter. I'm happiest in front of the defence but will play where the coach wants me."

Meanwhile, Inter midfielder Alfred Duncan has joined Sampdoria on a two-year loan deal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rummenigge: Bundesliga clubs want to hurt Bayern

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticised Bundesliga sides for damaging Bayern Munich's preparations by starting the season too soon after the World Cup.


The Bundesliga begins with the Bavarians opening their defence against Wolfsburg on August 22, less than six weeks after Germany's World Cup final win against Argentina.


Commenting on the fact that Bayern had seven players in Joachim Low's squad in Brazil, Rummenigge was dismayed that other German sides were not willing to listen to his request to push back the season opener.


"Three weeks rest is too short, two weeks of preparation is not enough," the 58-year-old told Bild."I miss some solidarity by the Bundesliga. At a manager meeting I wanted to let the Bundesliga start on August 29th and not already on the 22nd but it was denied.


"It's the only chance to get Bayern in trouble they said. I miss the solidarity towards those clubs who had a lot of players at the World Cup. I mean from Dortmund there were eight or nine in Brazil too.


Die Roten have money to spend following the sales of Toni Kroos and Mario Mandzukic to Real and Atletico Madrid respectively, but the Bayern chief insisted that Pep Guardiola would not necessarily look to make big changes.
"I'm not sure if we will buy someone," he continued.


"It would be nice if we can end up with a plus of €42 million but our salary for the players is expensive too. Quality costs money."Pep Guardiola is happy with the team right now. We need to be careful that the competition between the players is not getting too bad."


Rummenigge also commented on the subject of TV money, suggesting the Bundesliga needs a better deal to compete with the best leagues in Europe.
"If we want to be on top we need a new push upwards with the next TV deal," said the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finalist."I have always said we need Italian conditions. They earn €1 billion!"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Maria would shine in the Premier League, says Caballero

Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero has tipped Angel Di Maria to shine in the Premier League should the Argentina international leave Real Madrid this summer.

Manchester United were close to reaching an agreement to sign the winger this summer but could miss out to Paris Saint-Germain, who have now emerged as frontrunners.

Caballero, who recently completed a move from Malaga to the Premier League champions, says that his countryman would do well in England.

"[Di Maria's] way of playing and his pace would make him a success," he told Goal.

"He'd shine. I think some people doubted him when he moved to Spain but he has been excellent.

"He shut the mouths of many journalists in Spain who doubted his talents. I think he would shine in any league."

Caballero also revealed that he was looking forward to playing in the Premier League, which he feels will be a step up.

"I think it's a great league – a fabulous league," he enthused. "On a personal level, it will be a big change, like when I moved up from the second division to the first [in Spain].

"The demands are great. Lots of team-mates, like Roque Santa Cruz, spoke very highly of the Premier League. They told me it was the best, that it's fantastic. Now I have the chance to experience it first-hand and I hope I'm up to the task."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Maria ganna puluwan unoth
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

BREAKING NEWS: Morata completes €20m Juventus move

Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has completed his transfer to Juventus, who have signed the promising Spaniard for €20 million.

Morata arrived in Turin on Friday ahead of a medical with the Italian champions after weeks of speculation over a possible summer switch.

Juve have now confirmed the 21-year-old has agreed a five-year deal with the Turin giants, and have also revealed that Madrid will retain a buyback option in the player's contract which could rise to €30m.

"Juventus announce that it has reached an agreement with Real Madrid for the definitive purchase of the rights to the player Alvaro Borja Morata Martin for a fee of €20m, payable over three years," a statement on their official website read.

"The agreement also provides an option for Real Madrid, exorcisable at the end of the 2015-16 season or 2016-17 season, for the outright repurchase of Morata, up to a maximum of €30m depending on the number of games the player has played for Juventus.

"Juventus have signed with the same player a five-year contract of employment."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Morata!
​

 

[rcccc]

Godak durata oya dennama ganna chance 1ka thiyanawa bro​

ekkenek hari gaththoth hondhayi

 

[rcccc]

Ibrahimovic: Lahm has gone out on top

 

[rcccc]

Stats balanakotanam Schneiderlin patta​

kohomath oya wage DM kenek thmayi one. last season eke match godak kawe hoda DM kenek nathi nisa

 

[rcccc]

BREAKING NEWS: Morata completes €20m Juventus move

congratz Morata

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wimbledon 2-3 Chelsea: Terry double spares Blues blushes

A John Terry brace and a Mohamed Salah goal gave Chelsea a 3-2 win over Wimbledon in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

Having beaten Wycombe Wanderers 5-0 in their first pre-season fixture on Wednesday, Chelsea would have expected a similarly strong showing against Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow.

But Jose Mourinho's men were up against it as Bennett scored inside the first minute and Tubbs - who joined from Bournemouth last month - scored from the penalty spot shortly before the break.

Chelsea improved after the break, however, and three goals in the last 15 minutes saw them complete their comeback

Centre-back Terry - on as a half-time substitute - scored either side of Salah's equaliser, while young midfielder Lewis Baker had a hand in all three goals.

Wimbledon made a flying start and Mark Schwarzer was picking the ball out of visitors' goal inside 40 seconds as Bennett leapt above Andreas Christensen to head home a corner at the back post.

Chelsea applied plenty of pressure in an attempt to get back into the game with midfielder Jeremie Boga looking particularly lively, but the away side were frustrated by Wimbledon's deep defensive line.

Things worsened for Chelsea five minutes before the break. Kurt Zouma, signed from St Etienne in January, was adjudged to have felled Tubbs in the area and the striker picked himself up to coolly dispatch the penalty to the right of Schwarzer.

The away side upped their game after the break and Marco van Ginkel wasted a great chance to pull a goal back when he headed straight at goalkeeper James O'Shea.

Chelsea did find a goal in the 74th minute, however, Terry poking home after a spell of pinball in the Wimbledon box from a Baker corner.

Parity was restored with seven minutes remaining when Salah drilled home a left-foot half-volley after collecting Baker's pass.

And the comeback was complete in the 89th minute, as Wimbledon failed to deal with another Baker corner, leaving Terry free to head home the winner.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Boreham Wood 0-2 Arsenal: Ramsey features in Gunners stroll

Kris Olsson and Benik Afobe both scored as Arsenal began their pre-season preparations with a tame 2-0 win over Boreham Wood on Saturday.

In their first fixture since lifting the FA Cup in May, Arsene Wenger named a youthful starting XI before making wholesale changes at half-time.

Substitute Olsson opened the scoring with an impudent dink from inside the area eight minutes after the hour before Afobe doubled the lead from the spot late on.

However, Wenger will likely be more pleased to see the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Wojciech Szczesny and Mathieu Flamini all come through the friendly unscathed against the Conference South side.

Yaya Sanogo spurned an early chance for the visitors when he shot straight at Boreham Wood goalkeeper James Russell.

Wenger's men continued to dominate possession with Ramsey next to go close with a low drive that flew marginally wide half an hour in.

Jon Toral should have scored shortly after following a well-worked move, but he sidefooted his shot wide.

The hosts enjoyed a late spell of pressure close to half-time, but both sides were goalless at the break.

Wenger made a host of changes at the break, with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky, Flamini and Abou Diaby all getting a taste of the action.

Chuba Akpom, 18, was another introduction at the interval and he was quickly among the action, going close twice early in the second half.

Two substitutes then combined to end Arsenal's frustrations as Rosicky dinked a throughball into Olsson's path, with the Swedish midfielder chipping the ball over Russell.

The lively Akpom was fouled in the box four minutes from time, allowing Afobe to convert the second, with Arsenal now due to gear up for their next friendly against the New York Red Bulls in the United States.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Preston 1-2 Liverpool: Lambert starts but Can limps off in comeback win

Emre Can last just 20 minutes of his Liverpool debut after limping off with a calf injury as Preston were beaten 2-1 at Deepdale on Saturday.

The new £10 million signing appeared to strain a muscle with no challenge causing the injury and promptly left the field for further treatment before Josh Brownhill put the League One side ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Suso then equalised 20 minutes from time after collecting a pass from Can's replacement, Jordan Ibe, and Kris Peterson went the Premier League side ahead four minutes later.

Rickie Lambert made a disappointing debut after failing to catch the eye before coming off at the break while recent signing Lazar Markovic looked on from the stands, but was not given his first Liverpool outing.

The visitors looked disjointed and vulnerable at the back as Preston made a bright start.

Joe Garner called Brad Jones into action just five minutes in, then Can's debut came to a premature end when he limped off after contributing little.

Brownhill somehow headed wide from close range and Jones palmed away Garner's strike as Preston continued to threaten.

Ibe fired wide at the other end after his touch had let him down and he was made to pay when Brownhill opened the scoring just before the break.

Liverpool's defending left a lot to be desired as Brownhill pounced from close range after a corner from the right was not dealt with and Jones had no chance after keeping out an initial strike.

Ibe almost levelled with a right-foot effort that deflected just past the post after he had cut in from the right.

Jose Enrique made his return after a lay-off with a knee injury before Suso levelled 17 minutes from time.

The Spaniard showed great composure to pick his spot with a fine left-foot finish, a moment of class in an otherwise disappointing display from Brendan Rodgers' men.

And Peterson was on hand to score the winner five minutes later, when Ibe got to the byline and cut the ball back into his path and he applied a right-foot finish that deflected in.

Defeat was harsh on Preston, who were more than a match for the Merseysiders.