..::Football III::..

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Arsenal ready for title challenge - Flamini

Mathieu Flamini believes Arsenal can challenge for the Premier League title again after a disappointing finish to the previous campaign.

Arsene Wenger's side occupied top spot in the Premier League for 128 days last term, more than any club in the division, but fell away in the latter stages of the season and ended up battling for a Champions League place.

Arsenal ultimately secured fourth place to ensure a 17th successive season in Europe's elite competition, and also lifted the FA Cup to end their nine-year trophy drought.

And Flamini is convinced those experiences - together with Sunday's Community Shield victory over champions Manchester City at Wembley - will stand the club in good stead for 2014-15.

"It's very good for the confidence," he told Sky Sports News after the 3-0 triumph against Manuel Pellegrini's men. "But now we're going to start the season, we have to be very focussed and ready because it is going to be a long one.

"It's important to not forget that it's a marathon and not a sprint.

"We had a good year last year, even though we collapsed in the last couple of months, and I think we're ready.

"I think we have a strong team with a lot of qualities, we are one of the big teams and I think we can fight for the title."

Arsenal open their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

 

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Neymar makes Barcelona return

Barcelona have been boosted by the return to training of Brazil star Neymar after he completed his recovery from a broken verterbra.

The 22-year-old saw his World Cup campaign ended at the quarter-final stage following a collision with Colombia's Camilo Zuniga at the start of July.

But after just under six weeks of rehabilitation, Neymar joined the rest of his team-mates for full training on Monday, along with new signing Jeremy Mathieu and Xavi who have also overcome knocks.

However, new signing Thomas Vermalean, who arrived at the club from Arsenal in a €19 million deal on Saturday, didn't train and instead underwent specific physiotheraphy work.

Barca begin their quest to regain La Liga when they host Elche on August 24, in what will be Luis Enrique's first official match in charge.

 

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Welcome back Neymar!​

 

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Official: Manchester United's Henriquez joins Dinamo Zagreb on loan

Dinamo Zagreb have secured the services of Angelo Henriquez on loan from Manchester United, with an option to make the move permanent.

The Chilean, who has three caps for his country, signed for United from Universidad in his homeland two years ago.

He failed to make an impact at Old Trafford, however, and is yet to make an appearance for the first team.

After a brief loan spell at Wigan Athletic during the 2012-13 season, the 20-year-old spent last term in Spain with Segunda Division outfit Real Zaragoza, scoring six times in 25 appearances, and has now joined the Zagreb club for a season.

Currently leading the Croatian top flight with a perfect record after four matches, Zagreb face Petrolul Ploiesti in the first leg of their Europa League play-off clash on August 20 and Henriquez is thrilled at the prospect of helping his new side reach the first round of the competition.

"I'm happy with my arrival at Dinamo and I want to do good things," he told the club's official website.

"I have a lot of motivation and I want to prove myself, I believe that Dinamo is a great club for it.

"I want to help the club enter the group stages of the Europa League."

 

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Good Luck Henriquez!

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Ter Stegen injured in Barcelona training

New Barcelona signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen has injured his back in training less than a fortnight before the start of the new Liga season.

The German goalkeeper, who will rival fellow summer arrival Claudio Bravo for the position of No.1 at Camp Nou in 2014-15, suffered a blow to his spine during training on Monday.

Barca's medical team assessed on Tuesday that Ter Stegen's injury is not a major one but have decided to keep him out of first-team training for a short while as a precaution.

"New first team goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a blow to his spine during the second of Monday’s two training sessions," a club statement read.

"Tests early on Tuesday confirmed the injury of the German goalkeeper who will work on his own for the next training sessions."

Bravo's signing means that at least Luis Enrique will not be short of a quality solution should Ter Stegen's injury be worse than at first feared, with former Barca B shot-stopper Jordi Masip also an option for the new coach ahead of their first Liga game of the season on Sunday, August 24 versus Elche.

Ter Stegen has also avoided the fate of another summer signing, former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen, who is out for an indefinite period of time with a hamstring injury sustained during the World Cup.

 

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Sevilla preparing for Ronaldo to play in Super Cup - Emery

Sevilla coach Unai Emery says his team are preparing to face Cristiano Ronaldo in Tuesday's Uefa Super Cup despite rumours that the Real Madrid star remains short of full fitness.

The Portugal international played a part in Blancos' pre-season training for their International Champions Cup endeavours in USA but did not feature in the tournament.

Ancelotti claims that Ronaldo will be part of the starting line-up in the clash between the Champions League winners and Europa League victors but Madrid remain worried by his chronic knee problems.

However, Emery is expecting Los Blancos to field their strongest possible line-up in Cardiff.

"I do not think about who will play for Madrid," he told Marca when asked if it would be better for Sevilla if the 2014 Goal 50 winner Ronaldo did not play. "I'm sure they will play with their best 11 players.

"If Cristiano Ronaldo is fit, he will play. Toni Kroos, though he's had less training, may play. We are working on each of their best players and how to stop them, regardless of rumours."

Although Sevilla head into Tuesday's game as underdogs, Emery has every belief that they can spring a surprise against their fellow Spaniards.

"The Supercopa is a prize which we deserve a chance at winning," he argued. "We're heading into the game thinking only about winning and we have conviction that we can do it.

"The difficulties of beating Madrid are ones we have to face. But we also want to enjoy this occasion with all of Sevilla's fans."

Kick-off between Real Madrid and Sevilla is at 20:45CET.

 

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Thiago Alcantara denies injury setback

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara has publicly denied reports that he has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury.

The Spain international missed the World Cup after rupturing a knee ligament in May as he was building up his fitness following a previous and unrelated knee problem picked upin March.

Thiago, though, has rejected reports in the German media that a botched operation means he will not return until at least October and insisted that his rehabilitation is going as planned.

"There is no setback!" the former Barcelona man wrote on his Twitter in response to the rumours in the German press.

"I'll continue to work hard every day to get my knee back to being strong, and it will take as long as I expected it to."

Bayern kick off their 2014-15 campaign with a DFL-Supercup showdown with Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday, hoping to avenge their defeat in last season's meeting between the two great rivals.

 

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Giroud: Alexis needs time to adapt at Arsenal

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud believes Alexis Sanchez will need time to adapt to the Premier League but has backed him to shine this season.

Alexis has made three pre-season appearances for the club since moving from Barcelona and looks set to challenge Giroud for a place in the starting XI.

And France international Giroud, who came off the bench to score in Arsenal's Community Shield triumph over Manchester City on Sunday, believes that though it may take some time to get used to English football, Alexis will take the Premier League by storm.

"I've played with him in training," Giroud told the club's official website. "We have a good understanding - like Mesut [Ozil] when he signed for Arsenal. It's always easy to play with these kind of players.

"I think he will maybe need some more games to adapt his game to the Premier League but that's normal and he's a fantastic player so I think he will [have] a great season.

"He has different qualities to me, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell. He can bring his pace and his technique in the centre of the park and he's a great finisher.

"We have a good quality squad and now the quantity too, so that's why I think we will be stronger this year."

Despite ending their nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in May, the Gunners were criticised for the way they fell away in the 2013-14 title race and were well beaten by the division's top sides.

But Giroud believes the depth that Wenger has added to the squad over the summer with four new signings, including Alexis, will take the north Londoners right to the wire.

"Last year we did well until March. We had a bad run after but we really wanted to come back and be stronger than last year," he added.

"I think when our Germans join us, we will be stronger for sure and hopefully [we can compete] until May."

 

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Neymar: Barcelona make me hugely happy

Neymar has stressed that he is "hugely happy" at Barcelona despite an opening season without much in the way of silverware.

The Brazilian arrived at Camp Nou to much fanfare last summer but his first year in Catalunya was blighted by injuries and controversy surrounding his transfer from Santos.

However, as he prepares for the 2014-15 season having belatedly joined up with his team-mates for pre-season training a week ago, Neymar insists he is loving life in Barcelona.

"I'm delighted with the affection of Barca fans, they are around the world, in countries that I never expected," the 22-year-old told the club's official website. "It makes me hugely happy.

"I love much of what I do, which is playing football. For me there is a great pride in being part of the history of Barcelona - one of the biggest clubs that exists in the world. "

"I have the pleasure of wearing the Barca shirt and play with team-mates whom I am a fan of and whom I admire very much."

Neymar suffered a back injury while on World Cup duty with Brazil this summer but was declared fit upon his return to Camp Nou and could play a part in the club's next pre-season clash with Leon on August 18.

Barca will subsequently kick off their Liga season on Sunday August 24 at home to Elche.

 

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Emery: We must be well prepared for Bale

Unai Emery has admitted Sevilla will have to make a "triple effort" to stop Gareth Bale when his side face Real Madrid in the Uefa Super Cup on Tuesday.

The Welshman signed for the Spanish giants last season and went on to score 22 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions as Madrid clinched the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

That tally included a brace in a 7-3 mauling of Sevilla in October and with Bale returning to his hometown of Cardiff for Tuesday's game, Emery highlighted the dangers of playing against someone of the 25-year-old's calibre.

"When there is a player like him on the pitch, if he is in your team you are more relaxed," he said in a press conference."If you face him you have to make a double or triple effort to stop him. You have to prepare well before the game, just to know where he is going to be.

"During the game, you have to try to defend against him individually and with plenty of help. We hope to be successful defending Gareth Bale, not forgetting the others who are as good as him."

Sevilla earned their place in the showpiece thanks to a penalty-shootout win over Benfica in the Europa League final in May and Emery underlined their desire to enjoy the occasion."We come here happy, but also knowing that this game is going to be totally different to the rest of the pre-season," he added.

"Facing Real Madrid will be the biggest challenge for us. I think we are absolutely ready, basically, in terms of mentality. We have our guns and if we develop them we can beat Real Madrid.

"We are now in a final, but it's still pre-season. There are players who haven't trained a lot, so we have to enjoy the game. It's a prize to play this final, we've deserved it and we are full of excitement."

 

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Casillas: I've learned from my mistakes

Iker Casillas says he has learned from a poor spell of form but insists he has been through worse periods in his career than his current slump.

The Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper has come in for criticism after a mistake in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid was followed up with a disastrous World Cup for Spain.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Uefa Super Cup tie against Sevilla in Cardiff, the 33-year-old said he was confident of a successful season and had analysed his recent mistakes.

"I haven't been at my best in the last few games for Real Madrid and Spain, but I have analysed and learned from them," he told reporters.

"I have been through worse moments in my career. You go through good moments and bad moments. Everything is temporary. I have not been at the level I was when maybe people became spoiled.

"You have to grin and bear it and face up to situations like this. I have always done so and I am not going to hide now.

"I understand that when you play for Real Madrid you are always being watched and your name is talked about when things are good and when they are bad. Luckily, in my case it has almost always been when things are good.

"I don't feel targeted. The club has treated me very well, I have no complaints. I want to push myself even harder than last year."

Casillas said Carlo Ancelotti’s side were determined to continue picking up silverware after winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey last season, starting with the battle against Europa League winners Sevilla.

He continued: "I'm excited about getting back to winning. We can't live on the memory of what we did a few months ago. We have to win the Super Cup to gain confidence and then go for the Spanish Super Cup as well.

"This is an important game for Madrid after the prize of winning la Decima. It is a day to be enjoyed and to win. At Real Madrid we are obliged to win and to go for the trophy."

Madrid have signed Keylor Navas from Levante this summer to provide competition to Casillas, while Diego Lopez is on the brink of leaving to join AC Milan.

 

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Pochettino hints at more Tottenham transfer activity

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted he will add to his Tottenham squad before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Spurs have signed Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Michel Vorm since Pochettino joined the club from Southampton in May.

Villarreal centre-back Mateo Musacchio is reportedly close to joining, while a deal to bring in USA youngster Deandre Yedlin is also set to be confirmed.

But Pochettino has also indicated some players could leave the club this summer due to the size of his squad, with the Premier League opener against West Ham on August 16 on the horizon.

"We have a week of hard work to go and there could be some changes," he told reporters after the 2-1 friendly win over Schalke. "But I already have in my mind the personnel important for the game.

"We currently have 32 players so we need to be clinical in our selection."

Pochettino has also targeted Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who did not feature in a friendly defeat against Bayer Leverkusen.

 

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Chelsea make Remy enquiry following Drogba injury

Chelsea have made a shock enquiry for Queens Park Rangers forward Loic Remy following Didier Drogba's injury, Goal understands.

The Blues are still awaiting confirmation regarding the severity of Drogba's ankle knock, sustained during the club's 2-1 friendly victory against Ferencvaros on Sunday, and are keeping their options open.

Remy had been set for an €10 million transfer to Liverpool earlier this summer before the move broke down amid reports of a failed medical.

He had attracted interest from Tottenham and Arsenal prior to the Reds making their move, and now Chelsea have entered the frame in the wake of Drogba's set-back.

The Ivorian could miss the start of the Premier League season, with the Blues kicking off against Burnley next Monday.

Jose Mourinho had declared his summer spending over in mid-July, with Diego Costa brought in from Atletico Madrid to bolster the club's forward line, but then clinched the signing of Drogba on a one-year deal.

And Mourinho may be forced back into the market to secure another striking option with the severity of Drogba's knock still to be determined.

Remy, 27, has been back in training with QPR and Hoops boss Harry Redknapp hopes he will be fit to face Hull City on Saturday."He's here, he wants to work and get in the team," he said.

"He's worked really hard on the training ground, I couldn't have asked for any more from him. He's trained great and his attitude's been first class. "Hopefully with a week's training he'll be fit to play next week."

 

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Napoli 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain: Ibrahimovic and Pastore give Parisiens the win

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva could be facing a spell on the sidelines after he was injured in a 2-1 win at Napoli on Monday.

The Brazil centre-back was forced off just 13 minutes into the Acqua Lete Cup friendly clash at Stadio San Paolo and limped to the dressing room with heavy strapping on his right leg.Silva's injury is a blow to coach Laurent Blanc, who handed a debut to big-money signing David Luiz on Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani's respective returns to Naples.

Cavani, whose future with the French champions has been the subject of much speculation, was ineffective before being replaced by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at half-time and Lavezzi was given a great reception by the Napoli fans when he was replaced just after the hour-mark.

Gonzalo Higuain put the Serie A club in front just six minutes after being introduced as a half-time substitute, but Sweden captain Ibrahimovic levelled soon after having also scored twice in PSG's 2-2 draw at Reims in their Ligue 1 opener on Friday.Javier Pastore then won it with a fine individual goal 13 minutes from time.

PSG were caught napping 11 minutes before the break when Duvan Zapata's header was cleared off the line, then captain Marek Hamsík's vicious volley was well saved by Salvatore Sirigu.

Michu had another fine volley palmed away by Sirigu early in the second half, but fellow substitute Higuain was on hand to put Rafael Benitez's side in front 51 minutes in after the Italy goalkeeper had kept out Lorenzo Insigne's left-footed strike.Ibrahimovic then made his mark three minutes later, as he poked the ball home in typically clinical fashion after Rafael could only get his fingertips to a cross from the left.

Lavezzi was given a rapturous reception when he was brought off after 62 minutes and Insigne almost put Napoli back in front but was denied by a fine fingertip save.
David Luiz then had a downward header saved as PSG went in search of a winner, which duly arrived when Pastore picked the ball up and drove into the penalty area before finding the back of the net with a fine finish.

PSG will go in search of their first Ligue 1 win of the season against Bastia on Saturday, while Napoli face a Champions League play-off first leg clash with Athletic Bilbao next Tuesday.

 

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James & Kroos will make debuts in Super Cup - Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed big-money signings James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos will make their Real Madrid debuts in the Super Cup clash with Sevilla.

The coach confirmed he is ready to unleash both the Colombia attacker and Germany midfielder on the Europa League holders for Tuesday's Super Cup tie in Cardiff.

A star-studded Madrid line-up will also include Gareth Bale as he returns to Wales, while Ancelotti said he is confident Cristiano Ronaldo's injury problems are behind him.

The Portugal captain struggled with a knee problem towards the end of last season and was short of full fitness at the World Cup, but Ancelotti believes his star forward is now refreshed.

"James and Kroos will play," he told reporters at the pre-match press conference.
"Kroos has done well in the last five days and will help us because he has a lot of skill. James is a very good player with great qualities who is physically good - I am very happy with his signing.

"We have made a great effort in the transfer market and we have a better team than last year.

"The problems Cristiano had last season are gone and he is in shape. This is a new season for him."Keylor Navas has also arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu ahead of the new campaign, but Ancelotti refused to reveal who his first-choice goalkeeper is despite confirming Iker Casillas would be between the sticks in Cardiff.

"Casillas deserves to play this game because he had a good Champions League last season," the Italian said.When asked who his No.1 will be, he added: "I don't know… or I do know but I'm not going to say."

 

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Bale: We want to win everything this season

Gareth Bale says he wants to win every competition Real Madrid play in this season and is feeling confident ahead of his second season at the Bernabeu.

The Wales international won the Copa del Rey and Champions League with the Spanish giants in his first campaign and could win a third medal within a year when they meet Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup on Tuesday.

Bale is optimistic heading into 2014-15 as he prepares to play in front of his home fans in Cardiff, saying he is in better condition having gone through a full pre-season this time around after last summer was disrupted by his transfer from Tottenham.

"It is great to be starting the season and to be settled in," he told reporters. "It is much better from my point of view and nice not to be the new kid!"I feel in better shape and can start the season at a better rhythm. It is a lot easier having a proper pre-season under your belt rather than waiting for a transfer to go through.

"We want to win every competition we are in, it doesn't matter who we are playing. We will try to win everything."The 25-year-old has bulked up noticeably over the summer but says he hasn't done anything special to improve his physique. Bale said: "I didn't do anything new in particular in the gym. I trained while I was on holiday, a bit of running. It was just conditioning training. I've worked hard in the off-season and feel in good shape."

The attacker insists he isn't concerned about marking his return to Wales with a goal against Sevilla and says winning the game is his main priority.

"I don't get caught up in that sort of thing," he replied when asked if he would score."The most important thing is to win the Super Cup and it doesn't matter who scores the winning goal. It's great to be back home [in Cardiff] but the most important thing is to win the game and the cup. We need to focus on that and not on me playing in my hometown."I don't feel any extra pressure, it is another game and another one I have to put 110 percent into to perform at my best."

 

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Contento joins Bordeaux from Bayern Munich

Diego Contento has completed his transfer from Bayern Munich to Bordeaux, the French club have confirmed.

The left-back emerged in the Bayern team in 2009 but failed to make a lasting impact and has since been a bit-part player at the club.

The 24-year-old had been long linked to a move away from the Allianz Arena and has now completed his move to France after he underwent a medical on Monday and signed a four-year deal.

Bordeaux confirmed the deal on their official website, releasing a statement which read: "FC Girondins de Bordeaux is pleased to announce the signing of Diego Contento.

"The left back from Bayern Munich has passed his medical before signing his new contract. He is committed to the club for the next four seasons."

Coach Willy Sagnol spoke of his delight at signing the German player, saying: "Once we targeted improving the left-back position, it became clear that Contento could be interesting choice. "He spent five years with the first team in Munich, even if he didn't play a lot of matches. We have a highly motivated player with a desire to show his true level."

 

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Khedira going nowhere, Ancelotti warns Arsenal & Chelsea

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has warned Arsenal and Chelsea off Sami Khedira, stating that the midfielder is not for sale.

The Germany international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu since winning the World Cup in July, with England said to be his most likely destination.

The signing of compatriot Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich looked set to hasten the 27-year-old's exit but Ancelotti has reiterated that Khedira is under contract until the end of the upcoming season and that he will stay with the club for the time being.

The Italian told reporters ahead of the Uefa Super Cup: "He’s not leaving, he’s a Real Madrid player. He has a contract until June 30, 2015 and that’s all there is to say."
Los Blancos risk losing Khedira on a free transfer if he fails to agree a new deal with the European champions during the 2014-15 campaign, with reports suggesting that contract talks have stalled.

 

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Di Maria tath okama weida manda.​