..::Football III::..

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Pellegrini: We will wait over Lampard's contract

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini saluted Frank Lampard's telling contribution during the 3-0 win at Southampton but insists he won't rush to secure the midfielder's future.

The former Chelsea talisman was introduced midway through the second half as City led 1-0 and, in trademark fashion, scored from range to double his side's lead at St. Mary's.

However, the City chief insists that he will wait until December before speaking with the player on extending his loan deal from New York City FC, whom Lampard agreed to join after parting company with Chelsea last summer.

He said: "Frank is an important player – he plays the last 25 minutes and then he scores.

"I trust in him and Milner to make a difference when they come on. He cannot play 90 minutes in every game but he knows what he is doing – he always makes the difference.

"We will wait until December to make a decision on what happens with Frank’s contract.

"Frank is not only a top player but a great professional. He is very happy in the team and how we play. It allows him 25-30 minutes to make an impact and we are very happy with him.

"Players have longer careers than some years ago and important players know how to do that – they could have two or three more years at a top pace but they have to decide the best way to carry on."

Lampard admitted his pride over reports that the Citizens could extend his deal, but insists that he has yet to formally discuss any plans with the club.

"I haven't spoken to them on that front at all, so I don't know and I'm not looking that far ahead," he said.

"It's nice that they are saying that, it's much better than them saying they can't wait for me to go, but we'll see what happens."

 

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Hooligans are criminals and murderers - Atletico chief Cerezo

Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has branded the hooligans, whose violence resulted in the death of a Deportivo La Coruna fan on Sunday, "criminals and murderers".

Spanish police made 24 arrests at last count following the brawl in Madrid between four sets of ultras ahead of Atletico's 2-0 win over Deportivo, with one man in his 40s rushed to hospital after allegedly being hit on the head and thrown into a river.

He was unable to be resuscitated after suffering a cardiac arrest and it was confirmed after the match that he had died, which the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) claims it tried to call off after realising the extent of the violence nearby the Vicente Calderon.

The Atletico chief executive was unrelenting in his criticism of the Atletico hooligans who had played their part in the death of a fellow football fan and suggested anyone who was involved in the fighting on Sunday will be barred from attending games indefinitely.

"In a group of 4,000 people there will always a motherf****r," Marin told reporters.

"These kind of criminals and murderers are hidden in the mass of people. They seize every opportunity to appear. What they have in their head is garbage.

"Atletico Madrid have banned 13 people for life for other, much-less-serious incidents. Those involved shouldn't be at Vicente Calderon ever again, they should be in jail.

"The most important is to determinate who is behind all this. I have friends with their sons who live in the area [where Atletico ultras Frente Atletico are located] and they are healthy people.

"The criminal have to go to prison and we are asking that anyone who knows anything to notify us. This incident hurts all of the work we done during recent years."

Police in Spain claimed over 100 hooligans had been identified as having been involved in the fighting in Madrid, which left at least 24 people injured.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone and club president Enrique Cerezo condemned the fighting after Saul and Arda Turan had reduced the gap between in La Liga them and first-place Real Madrid to four points.

 

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Barca were lucky - Busquets

A delighted Sergio Busquets conceded Barcelona were lucky to come away with a dramatic 1-0 win at Valencia on Sunday.

The midfielder scrambled in a 94th-minute winner from close range to see Barca to their victory at the Mestalla.

Busquets netted the rebound after a Neymar header was kept out by Diego Alves and admitted that Luis Enrique's men were lucky to get their late chance."We were very fortunate to get that chance in the last minute. It makes us feel delighted after a very hard struggle," Busquets told television reporters.

"We knew it was going to be difficult and it certainly was, but we kept fighting until the end."The goal was Busquets' first in La Liga since September 2013, when he struck against Real Sociedad.

Barca's win lifted them to within two points of leaders Real Madrid, and Busquets said it was an important victory."In this league you could say a draw is never a good result," he said.

"But obviously at the end of the day when you come here and attack as much as we have done in the closing minute."Diego made an amazing save against Neymar and fortunately the ball fell for me and I was able to put it into the back of the net."

 

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'Aguero never dives' - Pellegrini backs Man City star

Manuel Pellegrini was quick to defend Sergio Aguero after the striker was booked for diving in Manchester City's 3-0 win at Southampton.

Television replays showed that Aguero was fouled in the box by Jose Fonte early in Sunday's game, but referee Mike Jones showed him a yellow card for simulation instead of awarding a penalty.

Fortunately for City, they recovered to secure a convincing victory, courtesy of second-half goals from Yaya Toure, Frank Lampard and Gael Clichy.

But Pellegrini felt the need to publicly back the Argentina international in his post-match media conference, whilst also refusing to condemn Jones.

"I thought it was a penalty, but one thing I was sure of is that Sergio never dived," said the Chilean. "He is not a player who ever tries to cheat the referee and only fell down because of a kick.

"But given the way we won after that decision, it is not important. The referee made a mistake and nothing more.

"If we had drawn 0-0 we'd be talking more about it, but the referee is a human person and everyone can make a mistake."

City also had to overcome the dismissal of Eliaquim Mangala when only 1-0 up, and Pellegrini had no complaints over the French defender's two bookings.

"It was a correct decision," he added. "He had already had another yellow card and it was a foul when they may have scored.

"But I was glad that with 10 men we still tried to score again and didn't look to just stay in our own half."

 

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Roma response delights Garcia

Roma coach Rudi Garcia was pleased with the way his players responded to midweek disappointmntent with a 4-2 win over Inter.

The Stadio Olimpico outfit conceded a late equaliser at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday, but bounced back to maintain the pressure on leaders Juventus in Serie A.

Inter equalised twice after Gervinho and Jose Holebas gave Roma the lead in the 21st and 47th minutes respectively, before Miralem Pjanic netted twice to settle the contest.And Garcia says he could not have asked for more from his players.

"You must always respond on the pitch and tonight we did that in every way possible," he told reporters after full-time. "I wasn't worried about today. I know the team is united and can hurt the opposition."We conceded from a set-piece and a deflected shot. That means that from a tactical point of view we did well."

The win took on added importance after Juventus scored a late winner to beat local rivals Torino earlier in the day, but Garcia claims he is only focused on his own side.

"It doesn't matter what the other teams do," he stressed. "We just have to keep focusing on ourselves, and we were superb today."Roma host Manchester City in a fixture that will decide which, if either, of the teams reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League on December 10, but Garcia insists the match is yet to enter his thinking.

"I'm not thinking about City in the slightest," he added. "For now our biggest game of the season is against Sassuolo next Saturday."We have to make sure we keep going as we are in Serie A. There'll be time to worry about the Champions League later."

 

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Klopp: I won't resign

Jurgen Klopp has ruled out the possibility of resigning from his role as Borussia Dortmund coach following a 2-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt which leaves his side bottom of the Bundesliga.

Goals from Alexander Meier and Haris Seferovic gave Frankfurt all three points and doomed BVB to 18th place in the league following wins for Stuttgart and Werder Bremen. Last season's runners-up now find themselves 22 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Despite the awful domestic form, though, Klopp insists he will not quit his post unless he is told by the club that there is someone else who can turn the team's fortunes around.

"The game fits into our cabinet of curiosities," he said after their eighth league defeat this term. "The opponent doesn't need to do much to score a goal, yet we do a lot for nothing. This is the situation."I am responsible and as long as no one comes and says 'we have someone who can do it better', I cannot go yet.

"As long as there is no better solution then I cannot leave. The responsibility that I feel is great. If it's just that our luck has run out and a new coach will bring back good fortune then call someone and give me a guarantee, then I will make way. But it is not easy."

Dortmund's fans made their frustration clear at the end of the match by whistling the players off the pitch and Klopp admits he sympathises with the supporters.

The coach said: "I can understand the displeasure of the fans, it is perfectly fine, but the team still tried everything."We wanted to improve our situation dramatically but we didn't succeed. We will continue nevertheless. We do a lot for nothing and to break through that is a big challenge."

The club's sporting director, Michael Zorc, has insisted there is no intention from the club for the 47-year-old's six-year stay at the helm to come to an end.

"Jurgen assumes responsibility and we are 100 percent confident that we come out of this with Jurgen there," he said.Dortmund player Sven Bender pulled no punches in his assessment of morale in the dressing room, stating: "The mood is at rock bottom. It is a really difficult situation. It's a bitter day."

 

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BVB la godak unlucky meh season 1ke​

 

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Messi struck by bottle after Barcelona winning goal

Lionel Messi was struck on the head by a bottle as the Barcelona players celebrated Sergio Busquets’ stoppage-time winning goal against Valencia on Sunday night.

The Argentine star had played a part in creating the goal after his cross had found Neymar, whose header was saved before Busquets lashed home the rebound to seal a 1-0 win in the 94th minute.

Barca players enthusiastically reacted to the match-winning strike and soon jumped on the goalscorer near the corner flag after he had slid to the ground in celebration, at which point Messi was hit by the object thrown from a section of the home support.

As the away players began heading back to the centre circle following the goal, Messi was still down on the ground clutching and rubbing his head. He was helped up to his feet by Rafinha, at which point he picked up the bottle with which he had been struck and threw it off the pitch.

The 27-year-old then rushed to the referee and protested while holding his head, only to be shown a yellow card with the official believing he was trying to waste time.

The final whistle blew just seconds after the re-start and Messi hugged a few of his team-mates despite being visibly irritated by the incident. He then stopped to receive treatment from the onrushing physio, with a cut already evident on his forehead.

The attacker continued to rub his head and returned to the referee in a second attempt to explain what had taken place before he left the field of play holding a tissue to the spot of his injury, giving the home support an ironic thumbs-up signal as he entered the tunnel.

Valencia released an official statement after the match pledging to ban the perpetrator from the Mestalla for life if they are tracked down.

"Valencia CF regret and condemn the isolated incident in the game against FC Barcelona, in which a small, uncapped bottle of water was thrown from the stands at opposition player Lionel Messi," read the statement.

"The club will endeavour to locate the person who threw the bottle, and they will be banned for life from Mestalla. Valencia CF operate a zero tolerance policy on such actions and rigorously enforce all security measures set out by legislation."

 

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La Liga 2014.12.01 Fixture

La Liga 2014.12.01 Fixture

Almeria Vs Rayo Vallecano​

 

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Serie A 2014.12.01 Fixture

Serie A 2014.12.01 Fixture

Sampdoria Vs Napoli​

 

[panchaz]

Hala Madrid

 

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Valencia returns to training ahead of West Brom clash

West Ham have been boosted by Enner Valencia's return to training as they try to cope with the demands of playing two games in three days.

Allardyce's men moved back up to fifth in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Upton Park last Saturday, but face a quick turnaround as they travel to take on West Brom on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old conceded that his side are suffering from the effects of tiredness heading into the trip to The Hawthorns, with midfielder Mark Noble a doubt, but he is hopeful that Ecuador international Valencia will be available.

"We've got a little bit of fatigue still from Saturday's game," Allardyce said. "We got one or two knocks and bruises but we they should be fine. The biggest doubt is Mark Noble who had another kick on his calf which he played through against Newcastle.

"Enner Valencia is back in the squad and he'll be training with is today. Winston Reid comes back from suspension.

"To have Enner back, with is pace is a great option for us. He's an exciting player and I think we have yet to see the best of him."

The former Newcastle and Blackburn Rovers boss also indicated that top scorer Diafra Sakho, who has seven goals this season, could make his comeback from a back problem on Sunday when West Ham welcome Swansea City to Upton Park.

"He [Sakho] won't be far away," Allardyce added. "It's a disappointment as he's been out for a while as he was in such good form. If all goes well he could be back to face Swansea on Sunday."

 

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Benitez: The referee had a bad day

Rafael Benitez believes referee Gianluca Rocchi made several mistakes in Napoli's 1-1 draw with Sampdoria on Monday night.

Napoli came from behind to rescue a point against Sinisa Mihajlovic's side thanks to Duvan Zapata, who cancelled out Eder's earlier goal with a 90th-minute header, despite his side going down to 10 men five minutes earlier when Kalidou Koulibaly was shown a second yellow card.

The visitors had two penalty claims waved away, with David Lopez and Raul Albiol being felled inside the box, and Benitez feels the referee had a bad day at the office.

"I think the in the first half we had two or three chances to score. In the second half we controlled the match and actually conceded a goal when we were controlling the game more," he said after the game.

"We attacked them, but Sampdoria put us under pressure and it was a physical game. They are strong and playing here is not easy.

"Without speaking about the incidents, I believe that every person can have a bad day and we can say that today someone did."

Napoli are now third in the league, eight points behind Roma and a further three behind Juventus but Benitez insists his side are trying not to look at the table.

The former Liverpool, Inter and Chelsea boss said: "We knew it could be a difficult season. We know our strengths: we know what we do well and what we need to improve.

"I am optimistic, but at the moment the team has to look forward to playing the games without looking at the table."

 

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Evans nears Manchester United return after playing 90 minutes for Under-21s

Jonny Evans stepped up his return from an ankle injury by completing 90 minutes for Manchester United Under-21s on Monday evening.

The 26-year-old has featured in just four games for United this season and has been sidelined since the 5-3 defeat to Leicester City on September 21.

Evans played 64 minutes for United’s reserve side against Blackburn Rovers last Tuesday but was able to complete a full game against Southampton Under-21s on Monday.

United have been hit with a string of defensive injuries this season, with Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, and Rafael still absent.

Louis van Gaal is also without Daley Blind, who is recovering from the knee injury he suffered during Netherlands’ Euro 2016 qualifier against Latvia on November 16.

Angel Di Maria will also be missing for Tuesday’s home fixture against Stoke City. The Argentina international was forced off with a hamstring problem after 14 minutes in the 3-0 win over Hull City on

 

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I want Messi to win the Ballon d'Or - Bielsa

Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa has pledged his support to Lionel Messi in the race for the 2014 Ballon d'Or, saying the Barcelona star winning the prize is the "only thing" he wants from this year's award.

Messi, who has won the individual accolade four times, was named in the three-man shortlist alongside current holder Cristiano Ronaldo as well as World Cup and Bundesliga winner Manuel Neuer.

Real Madrid's Ronaldo is the favourite to win the prize for a second straight year and take his overall tally to three, but the former Argentina coach hopes it is the Barca talisman who takes home the trophy.

"The only thing I want is for Messi to win the Ballon d'Or," Bielsa said at a press conference when asked for his opinion on the award.

The 59-year-old went on to discuss his side's game against Lorient on Tuesday and admits that he has worries over two of his attackers, but has confidence in his defence.

Beilsa continued: "Andre Ayew and Romain Alessandrini are out for the game. I think my defenders have understood the three-at-the-back system. Professional players have no problems adapting."

The coach then went on to praise Dimitri Payet, who has been a key player for the team who are currently top of Ligue 1. The 27-year-old is first in the league's assist charts with six and has also scored three goals so far this term.

"Dimitri Payet is a very complete player," Bielsa said.

"He can play as well in the middle as on the flank. He has the talent to know where he should put the ball."

 

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Barcelona offer assistance in bid to tackle fan violence

Barcelona have condemned the violence which saw one fan killed ahead of the clash between Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna and offered to collaborate with the authorities to take steps to eradicate the behaviour.

The clashes between groups of Atleti and Depor supporters before Sunday's game saw one fan fatally wounded and many more badly injured and Spain's Secretary of State for Sport, Miguel Cardenal, outlined plans to clean up the game after the shocking events.

Barca have insisted they are completely against such behaviour and will look to assist the authorities in their battle to eradicate fan violence.

"Following yesterday’s events in which one person was killed and several were injured as a result of a confrontation between supporters of Atletico Madrid and Deportivo, FC Barcelona wishes to express its absolute rejection of any act of violence in the world of sport and of football in particular.

"In this regard, on Sunday, the club contacted the Secretary of State for Sport, the Professional Football League and the Spanish Football Federation to make its opinion heard and to offer to collaborate in any way necessary with the eradication of violence in association to sport to ensure that events like those on Sunday never happen again.

"FC Barcelona has always taken a zero tolerance attitude to violence in sport and adds its name to the many expressions of condolence for the victim of the incidents in Madrid."

 

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Herrera happy to fill in for injured Di Maria ahead of Stoke clash

Ander Herrera says he is happy to play as a No.10 for Manchester United following injuries to Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria.

The star duo both picked up knocks during the 3-0 win over Hull City at the weekend, with Di Maria injuring his hamstring and Rooney taking a kick to the calf.

Manager Louis van Gaal admitted afterwards that while Rooney should be fit to face Stoke City, Di Maria faces an enforced absence, and Herrera insists he is happy to step into the breach following a man-of-the-match display from the bench against the Tigers.

“I played like a No.10 and it is good because I can change positions,” Herrera told United’s official website. “I can give the manager more options.

“I think this was the best game of this season for us but we have to keep working and keep winning games because we want to be in the top places in the league.”

Herrera also hailed the control United exhibited during the win over Steve Bruce’s side, with the possession statistics a particular point of pride for the Spaniard.

“It was because we kept the ball,” Herrera replied when asked what made United’s performance so impressive. “We didn’t lose too many balls. I think we have done what the manager wants because I heard we had 77 percent possession.

“This is a great stat. We are very happy and I think we played very good football because we kept the ball and had possession of it.”

United face Stoke on Tuesday and Herrera admits that the Potters will not roll over, having run Liverpool close during a 1-0 defeat on Saturday.

“I have never seen Stoke losing one game like 4-0 or 5-0,” he added. “They always fight in the games and, this season, they are playing much better and more on the ground.

“It is going to be a difficult game because Stoke have good players but we are at Old Trafford and we want to win all the games.”

 

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Schneiderlin to miss Arsenal clash

Morgan Schneiderlin will miss Southampton's clash with Arsenal, manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed.

The France international sustained an adductor injury in Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at St Mary's Stadium and was forced off at half-time.

Koeman confirmed on Monday that Schneiderlin, who has been a key figure in the club's fine early-season form, will miss Wednesday's trip to Arsenal with a scan yet to confirm the full extent of the midfielder's problem.

"He's not ready for Wednesday. He's now having a scan on his right leg, we have to wait and see the results of the scan," Koeman explained.

"His injury is up in his adductor. It's not too soon to say he can't play Wednesday but for how long we don't know.

"We know exactly what Morgan means for our team, he's one of our key players and without key players it's always difficult for the rest of the team.

"We can't do anything about that. We don't have the bench, the number of players, that big teams have."

 

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Mata: Manchester United can climb up the table now

Juan Mata has called for Manchester United to carry their recent fine form into December to build a Premier League title challenge.

Louis van Gaal's side beat Hull City 3-0 on Saturday to collect their third consecutive win and return to fourth place in the table.

The Red Devils trail league leaders Chelsea by 11 points, but Mata, 26, is hoping that United can keep their run going towards the New Year and close the gap on his former club.

"On Saturday we won the first of two consecutive games in Old Trafford in just four days," he wrote on his official blog. "The team had a solid performance with spells of very good football. Personally, I enjoyed myself a lot on the pitch.

"Angel [Di Maria's] injury is a pity; we hope he gets fit again soon. As for Wayne [Rooney's] problems, hopefully it’s nothing too serious. In this regard, we keep being really unfortunate with so many injuries.

"After the game, in the dressing room, the feeling was that we had played a good game to be proud of, because it had showed all our efforts in the training sessions during the week.

"This win adds up to a good run of results. Let’s hope to consolidate that in December, a very busy month that can take us closer to our goals. For a start, we play Stoke this Tuesday, again at home."

Mata's joy at Saturday's win was tempered by tragic events in Spain on Sunday - a mass brawl allegedly involving four sets of ultras broke out near the Vicente Calderon approximately three hours before Atletico Madrid's La Liga clash with Deportivo, resulting in the death of a 43-year-old man.

"Sunday didn’t start the same way," Mata wrote. "After finishing the training session we were told about the incidents in Madrid prior to the game between Atletico and Deportivo. Sadness... incredulity... I can’t find the words to describe it.

"As any other sport, football should help to unite, not to divide. This is not the first time that something like this has happened, in Spain or here in England. Such barbarisms must be eradicated, once and for all, through education and common sense."

 

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Vidal: My knee is still bothering me

Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has admitted that his knee is still causing him discomfort.

The Chile international was forced to undergo surgery on the joint at the tail end of last season but returned in time to represent his country at the World Cup.

However, Vidal's fitness remains a major concern for Juventus and the 27-year-old has admitted that he is still not at 100 per cent.

"The knee caused - and is causing - me problems," the former Bayer Leverkusen told reporters. "But I'm trying to get in top shape."

Vidal was speaking after Juve's Serie A derby with city rivals Torino, with the South American having netted a penalty in a 2-1 win for the reigning Italian champions.

He was once again used in a more advanced position by Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri and Vidal claimed that he is enjoying playing further upfield.

"I'm trying to adapt to my new role, which I like," he stated. "Playing there, I'm much closer to the goal, where I'm very comfortable.

"For now, though, I've still only played a few games. So we'll see at the end of the championship if I will have scored more goals in front of the midfielders."

Regardless, Vidal is happy with the way in which Juve's season is progressing, with the Scudetto holders currently three points clear of Roma at the summit of Serie A and needing only a point at home to already-qualified Atletico Madrid next week to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

"We're growing in confidence, playing a lot of big games," he enthused. "We have Fiorentina in the league on December 5 and then Atletico in Europe on December 9.

"We cannot give an inch in Serie A because Roma are having a great season."