..::Football III::..

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'I'm not a casino man but we have a real chance' - Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal says he would not bet on Manchester United to win the FA Cup because he is "not a casino man", but is confident the club can go all the way this season.

After a goalless draw with Cambridge United at the end of January, United made no mistake in their fourth-round replay on Tuesday night as goals from Juan Mata, Marcos Rojo and James Wilson booked a meeting with Preston North End.

And Van Gaal, who prioritised success in the competition before kick-off, believes his team are in a great position.

"We have a real chance now, we are the highest qualifed team in the FA Cup," he told reporters. "Our status is the highest club. People are maybe betting on us. I'm not allowed... I'm not a casino man.

"Of course I think that the highest qualified teams have the highest possibilities to win than lower, but Arsenal is still in the cup, and is also a very high competitor, Liverpool is also there, we will see tomorrow, Bolton Wanderers is not so easy.

"For the club, the fans and the coach and my staff, we want to win a title this year. The biggest chance is the FA Cup, but we still have to win four games to do that.

"Tonight, I don't think we played a very good match. But it is always difficult against a defensive team. We could have done better but I am pleased with the result."

Cambridge boss Richard Money left Manchester in positive mood, but admitted that victory was always unlikely for his side even if Tom Elliott had converted his gilt-edged opportunity in the very first minute.

"I thought it [Elliott's shot] was in," he told BT Sport. "It probably wouldn't have made any difference, but he has done everything right.

"It was a good chance, not sure how much more he could have done.

"I think 3-0 is par for the course. We walked off the pitch with our pride intact.

"In the second half we have done ourselves proud. We gave everything we wanted to give, we have got to use it to keep going as a team and football club."

 

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Blanc warns Verratti over discipline

Laurent Blanc says Paris Saint-Germain will have problems if Marco Verratti continues to pick up yellow cards after he was cautioned yet again in Tuesday's 1-0 win Coupe de la Ligue semi-final win over Lille.

Maxwell's first-half thunderbolt was the difference between the sides as PSG remained on course to retain the trophy they won last season.

But the evening wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience for Blanc, who was angered by Verratti picking up his eighth booking of the season for a 45th minute-altercation with Florent Balmont.

"With Marco, he is penalising himself but most of all he's penalising the team," said the PSG boss.

"He has been warned every time he's been booked but he obviously doesn't understand.

"I love him, he has so much talent, but we are going to have problems if he continues to get booked. Maybe I should have brought him off at half-time."

The Italy international was eventually substituted on 60 minutes and replaced by Yohan Cabaye.

Blanc again opted to play Marquinhos as a right-back rather than in his preferred centre-back role and the former France boss believes he has all the attributes to master the position.

"He defends well, he is strong on his feet, he's fast and anticipates well," added the coach.

"With his pace, he can definitely play as a right-back. But tonight I congratulate everyone, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Maxwell - they were all great."

PSG will play the winners of Wednesday's match between Monaco and Bastia in the Coupe de la Ligue final.

 

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Guardiola 'very, very satisfied' despite Bayern draw

Pep Guardiola defended his Bayern Munich side following their 1-1 draw with Schalke, after praising their strength of character in the face of adversity.

With just 17 minutes gone the Bundesliga leaders were reduced to 10 men as Jerome Boateng was handed a straight red card for bringing down Sidney Sam inside the penalty area.

The visitors were also awarded a penalty for the foul but were unable to capitalise as Manuel Neuer kept out Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's spot-kick.

Arjen Robben then headed Bayern into the lead but Schalke's numerical advantage eventually told when Benedikt Howedes nodded home an equaliser on 72 minutes to make it 1-1.

The draw means the Bavarians are still without a win in 2015 having been stunned 4-1 by second-placed Wolfsburg last Friday, but Guardiola put on a positive front after the game.

"I'm not satisfied, I am very, very, very satisfied," said Bayern coach Guardiola, despite seeing his side drop points for a second successive game.

"Of course we wanted three points, but 70 minutes outnumbered against Schalke is not easy. We had the game very well controlled and had enough chances."Our performance was much better than in Wolfsburg. Everything is okay. The red card - no discussion! We were lucky that they have missed the penalty."

Bayern's lead at the top of the table remains eight points, with Wolfsburg failing to take advantage of their rivals' slip as they drew 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

 

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'Neymar choosing Barcelona has not gone down well' - Bartomeu attacks Madrid

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has suggested Real Madrid could be behind the ongoing investigation into the transfer of Neymar.

The Catalans' signing of the Brazil international in 2013 has created great controversy, with the club initially claiming they had spent €57.1 million on him, only to later admit that it took €86.2m to complete the move.

Bartomeu and the club are accused of fraud to the tune of €2.8m and the latest documents encouraged judge Pablo Ruiz to press charges against the current president as well as former chief Sandro Rosell.

Bartomeu has insisted Barcelona have not done anything wrong, though, and believes politics have come into play.

"The big question here is what’s going on? Neymar had two offers, one from Madrid and one from Barca," Bartomeu told 8TV.

"Neymar was playing well a year ago and all of a sudden there was a complaint we had misappropriated funds in the deal. Maybe somebody didn’t like it that he was doing well...

"Now he’s playing great again and there’s another judicial action... I will not say Real Madrid are behind all this, but Neymar had two offers...

"A year ago we provided the Camp Nou for the ‘Concert per la Llibertat’ (Concert for Freedom), we play in the Senyera [the Catalan flag]... maybe that hasn’t gone down well in the capital.

"I see a break, both sporting and political but we’re going to keep working to get to the bottom of the matter. My duty is to get to the bottom of the matter.

"Barcelona have not committed any crimes and we would do it all exactly the same again."

 

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Dani Alves ready to leave Barcelona

Dani Alves is ready to leave Barcelona this summer because the club are still to offer him a new contract, the defender's agent has said.

The right-back's current deal expires at the end of the season but it was thought he would sign an extension as a result of Barca's transfer ban, which prevents them from making any signings until 2016.

But, despite risking leaving themselves short in defence, the club have not been in touch with Alves and his representative has been angered by the Catalans' approach.

"They haven't contacted us," Dinorah Santana told Cadena SER.

"I interpret that silence to mean they don't want Dani Alves, so we will begin searching for a new club.

"We won't wait for Barcelona, they have to take the plunge. Alves has spent seven years here and he has behaved like a professional at all times.

"Barcelona have not had a sporting director for a month and Alves is free to negotiate with any club. Zubizarreta didn't tell us anything."

Alves joined Barcelona in 2008 after spending six years with Sevilla, where he won the Uefa Cup in successive seasons in 2006 and 2007.

The 31-year-old has since gone on to lift the Champions League twice with the Blaugrana, as well as four La Liga titles.

 

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Guardiola's stubborn line costs Bayern - and Gotze

When Bayern Munich were thrashed by Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, head coach Pep Guardiola was quick to admit that he got his tactics wrong against the eventual winners.

However, rather than learn from what went wrong in his side’s shock defeat, the Spaniard has continued to field an incredibly high defensive line that leaves Bayern vulnerable against counter-attacks.

The reigning German champions generally got away with it in the first half of the season as they proved to be far superior to their rivals, resulting in an 11-point lead over second-placed Wolfsburg halfway through the season, yet Guardiola has since been given a timely reminder of his side’s shortcomings at the back.

Bayern were first destroyed by Wolfsburg on Friday, with Kevin De Bruyne and Bas Dost each netting twice to defeat the Bundesliga leaders 4-1, before Guardiola’s naïve approach once more cost them versus Schalke on Tuesday.

After a sublime start for the Bavarians, a familiar problem reared its head again and one moment completely turned the game on its head.

David Alaba lost an aerial challenge after a long ball from the Schalke goalkeeper, with Sidney Sam taking full advantage of the space behind the Austria international as he charged into the area. Jerome Boateng saw no other option but to hack down the attacker, resulting in a straight red card and a penalty for the hosts.

Manuel Neuer managed to keep out Maxim Choupo-Moting’s poor attempt, but the damage was done as Bayern had lost the momentum and eventually had to settle for a 1-1 draw against a poor Schalke.

Guardiola’s high defensive line not only cost Bayern in general, but also particularly hurt Germany international Mario Gotze on an individual level.

The creative forward has been struggling to find his best form in recent months after an impressive start to the 2014-15 campaign and has not scored or assisted a goal in Bayern’s last seven league games.

He returned to the starting XI against Schalke after being benched for the loss against Wolfsburg, but it was once more not to be for the former Borussia Dortmund man.

Gotze blasted a good chance high and wide early on after a fine Xabi Alonso corner, only to again fail to deliver shortly after following an intelligent pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger, with an inaccurate header for Thomas Muller while he was clean through.

With Bayern reduced to 10 men, Guardiola then opted to take off Gotze rather than Mitchell Weiser as the 22-year-old’s slump continued.

After his heroics at the World Cup in Brazil and his superb start to the season for Bayern, Gotze appeared to be fulfilling his enormous potential at last after a difficult first year at the Allianz Arena. His recent form, however, suggests that the attacking midfielder still has a long way to go if he is to reach the same heights as peers such as Barcelona forward Neymar and Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, let alone match superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and team-mate Arjen Robben.

Unsurprisingly, the latter nearly bailed out Guardiola and Gotze as he gifted Bayern the lead halfway through the second half with his 11th Bundesliga goal of the season.

Benedikt Howedes eventually prevented a Bayern win with a goal of his own after a Schalke corner, yet there is no doubt about it that the Netherlands international remains the Bavarians’ undisputed star man in attack.

For now, Gotze can only dream of having a similar impact.

 

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FA Cup Replay Fixture 2015.02.04

FA Cup Replay Fixture 2015.02.04

Bolton Vs Liverpool​

 

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La Liga 2015.02.04 Fixture

La Liga 2015.02.04 Fixture

Real Madrid Vs Sevilla​

 

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Coppa Italia 2015.02.04 Fixture

Coppa Italia 2015.02.04 Fixture

Napoli Vs Inter​

 

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Adebayor: Levy blocked my Tottenham exit

Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy blocked his exit from the club at the end of the January transfer window.

The Togolese striker appeared set to leave White Hart Lane after falling out of favour under manager Mauricio Pochettino, making just 11 Premier League appearances in 2014-15.

West Ham made a deadline day move to sign Adebayor on loan having seen their attempt to recall Mauro Zarate from QPR fail, and the striker was understood to be keen on the prospect of joining the Hammers.

But the 30-year-old has now revealed that Levy personally intervened to stop any such switch, due to the rivalry between the two clubs.

The striker told Sky Sports News: “The club decided to send me out on loan, which I was pleased with.

"I was lucky enough to have five good clubs in my hand. I decided to go to three, and then when I decided the one I wanted to go, Mr Levy was against it, because they’re a rival.

"He decided I should stay at the club and I’m happy to stay at the club and do my job."

Adebayor has scored just two goals in all competitions this season, and has slipped behind Harry Kane - who signed a new contract on deadline day - and Roberto Soldado in the pecking order in north London.

 

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Godin: Losing Madrid derby wouldn't kill Atletico title hopes

Diego Godin does not think defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday would spell the end of Atletico Madrid's hopes of defending their Liga championship.

If Sevilla are beaten by the European champions on Wednesday and Atletico subsequently lose in the derby, Diego Simeone's men would be 10 points behind the Liga leaders with 16 games to go.

Atletico defender Godin is certain they can catch their rivals even if they lose at the Vicente Calderon and does not think their unbeaten streak of three wins and two draws against Carlo Ancelotti's side since last year's Champions League final defeat gives them an advantage."Losing the game is not saying goodbye to the title," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"We aspire to win and gain some points off Real, reducing the gap. But losing will not change our goal. La Liga is very even and it is too early to pronounce any race as over.

"We are not the favourites this weekend. In derby games it does not matter who won the last game. Prior results mean nothing – it is 50/50."

Godin also stressed that he is “fed up” of Atletico Madrid being portrayed as a violent team; the latest criticism about their attitude on the pitch coming after a feisty clash with Barcelona last month in their Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg.Diego Simeone's team finished with nine men, with Gabi and Mario Suarez red carded, while Arda Turan was incredibly fortunate not be sent off for appearing to throw his boot at a linesman as they were eliminated by Lionel Messi and his Catalan team-mates.

"Of course we are not violent," the Uruguayan continued. "We are fed up of hearing this, we do not believe this is true. We don't know where such a notion stems from, but it is removed from the truth.

"We compete and we have done it this way for years. Everything we have achieved recently has been done through hard graft, top effort and good work – we are intense, yes, but not violent."

 

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Odegaard included in Madrid's Champions League squad

Martin Odegaard's meteoric rise is set to continue after the Norwegian teenager was included in the Real Madrid squad for the knockout stages of this season's Champions League.

Clubs had until midnight on Tuesday to submit the 25 players they wanted to contest the final rounds of Europe's elite club competition.Goal understands Odegaard has been included by the defending champions despite the plethora of options available to coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The 16-year-old was signed by Madrid last month from Stromsgodset, penning a three-and-a-half-year deal after opting for the Bernabeu following a tour of Europe's major clubs.

He has been training predominantly with the Castilla squad since, under the watchful eye of coach Zinedine Zidane, although his ability has caught the eye of several of Madrid's big-name players, including Gareth Bale.

Odegaard, already a full Norway international, made his first appearance in a Blancos shirt earlier on Wednesday and impressed, playing a major part in two goals as Castilla drew 3-3 in a friendly with Beijing Guoan.

Should he play against Schalke in the last 16 he will become the youngest player to play in the Champions League, beating the current record held by Celestine Babayaro, who was 16 years and 87 days when he appeared for Anderlecht against Steaua Bucharest in 1994.

 

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Schurrle: Leaving Chelsea stressed me out

Andre Schurrle has revealed he was stressed out over his switch from Chelsea and feared a switch to Wolfsburg would not be completed in time.

The Germany international completed his return to the Bundesliga for a reported €32 million on Monday, ending a week of intense speculation.Schurrle is said to have agreed terms early on in the negotiations, but talks between the clubs took the deal perilously close to the transfer deadline.

"Towards the end, everything did draw out somewhat, which was stressful for me and really frayed my nerves," the attacker told reporters. "Now I am finally at VfL Wolfsburg and I am very, very happy about that.

"It wasn't my first transfer, so I was aware that these things can take longer than expected before all parties have agreed on the terms.

"That considered, I was a little tense, because I really wanted to make the move to Wolfsburg. Despite that though, I was always pretty convinced that it would work out in the end."

After 18 months of failing to break into Chelsea's first team on a regular basis, the 24-year-old was keen to come back to the Bundesliga and saw second-placed Wolfsburg as an excellent opportunity.

"It was my express wish to return to Germany," Schurrle added. "I had offers from Spain and France too but, at the end of the day, I really wanted to return to Germany.

"Wolfsburg made their interest known very early on. I took a look at the team and the prospects of the club, which seem very good."For me it quickly became apparent where the journey was going to take me."

Schurrle was part of Germany's World Cup-winning squad in Brazil last year, and says he took advice from national team coach Joachim Low ahead of his move.

"I chose to speak to him about it because we have a good understanding of one another and I rate his opinion very highly," he added. "He told me what he honestly thinks, which he also did before my moves to Leverkusen and to Chelsea.

"We first spoke about a move to Wolfsburg quite some time ago because he believed that, considering the tactical approach and playing style of the team, the move to Wolfsburg would be the right move for me."

 

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West Ham fined €95,000 over Sakho saga

West Ham have been fined €91,000 for fielding Diafra Sakho during their FA Cup clash with Bristol City, but will not be expelled from the competition, Fifa have confirmed.

Sakho pulled of the Africa Cup of Nations because of a back problem but then went on to score for West Ham in their 1-0 win over the League One side on January 25.

Senegal's Football Federation subsequently lodged a complaint with Fifa after learning of Sakho's involvement in the contest but the world governing body has opted not to expel the London club from England's most prestigious cup competition or punish Sakho with a suspension.

Instead West Ham have been fined 100,000 Swiss Francs, which works out at approximately €91,000, while Sakho has been issued with a reprimand.

The decision does, however, cost West Ham most of their €120,000 prize money for winning in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

A Fifa statement read: "The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has found the club and the player to have violated art. 5 of Annexe 1 of the Regulations in relation to the match played by Sakho on 25 January 2015.

"The club has been fined 100,000 Swiss Francs in accordance with art. 10 c) and art. 15 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC) and issued with a reprimand, while the player has been sanctioned with a reprimand in accordance with art. 10 b) and art. 14 of the FDC."

 

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Tevez: Ballon d'Or win impossible in Serie A now

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez believes it will be nearly impossible for a player in Serie A to win the Ballon d'Or right now.

The Argentina international has been in sublime form this season and currently leads the Italian goal scoring charts with 13 goals in 20 appearances.Nevertheless, the 30-year-old gives himself little chance of ever winning the prestigious individual award.

"Winning the Ballon d'Or is difficult, especially given that in Italy football is different," Tevez told JTV."There aren't as many goals in Serie A as elsewhere."

Juventus are on course to win their fourth consecutive Scudetto, holding a seven-point lead over second-placed Roma at the moment, and Tevez is keen to make history with the Turin giants.

"Winning four consecutive championships is not an easy feat, especially in such a tactical and physical league."If we were to secure our fourth Serie A title on the spin, we'll be making even more history."

Tevez enjoyed successful spells at West Ham United, Manchester United and Manchester City before joining Juventus in 2013 and he has fond memories of his time in England.

"I think the Premier League is the best league to play in. But here in Italy you run more and it all comes down to tactics."

 

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Berahino: I'll keep West Brom up then move on to bigger things

Saido Berahino is confident West Brom fans would not mind him moving on "to bigger things" should he help salvage the club's Premier League status.

The Burundi-born striker has 14 goals in all competitions for West Brom this season, with his strong form leading to a call-up to the England squad in November.

Despite some off-the-field problems, Berahino - whose contract runs out in June 2017 - has been continually linked with a move away from The Hawthorns, with Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal an admirer.

West Brom have always vehemently denied the forward will leave, however, while Berahino wants to make sure the Midlands club are in the top tier next season, he views his long-term future elsewhere.

"I've got to stay focused on what I'm doing right now, which is scoring the goals and keeping West Brom in the Premier League," Berahino told Sky Sports News.

"If I can keep them in the Premier League and score as many goals as I can, I'm pretty sure the fans wouldn't mind me pushing on and going on to bigger things."

West Brom sit 15th the Premier League, three points above the relegation zone, and have taken four points from their last three top-flight games since the appointment of Tony Pulis as head coach on New Year's Day.

 

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Huntelaar handed four-match ban

Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo will have to make do without the services of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for a while after the striker was handed a four-match ban, plus two suspended games if he receives another red card in the next 12 months.

The Dutchman was dismissed in the 1-0 win over Hannover at the weekend after a reckless tackle on Manuel Schiemedach and was initially slapped with a six-game suspension for his action.Schalke appealed the decision, though, and Huntelaar's suspension has now been reduced by two games, which have been turned into a suspended sentence.

The 31-year-old has already missed Schalke's 1-1 draw with Bayern due to the punishment and will also be forced to sit out the games against Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen.

He could make his comeback in the derby versus Borussia Dortmund on February 28.Alongside the suspension, the Schalke forward has also been ordered to pay a €15,000 fine.

Huntelaar has been a key figure for Schalke so far this term, scoring seven goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances.

 

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Man Utd boss Van Gaal charged by FA

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been charged by the Football Association in relation to comments he made about referee Chris Foy after the club's 0-0 draw at Cambridge United.

The Dutchman, who rested several key stars for the FA Cup fourth round clash on January 23, said that "every aspect of a match is against us" after the shock draw.

And the FA has now charged Van Gaal in relation to his comments, the first time that the Manchester United manager has been punished by the governing body.

An FA statement read: "It is alleged that the Manchester United manager’s comments allege and/or imply bias on the part of the match referee and/or bring the game into disrepute."

After being held to a goalless draw at the R Costings Abbey Stadium, Van Gaal told reporters: "We have to come here, the pitch isn’t so good, that can influence that you can play in another style. The opponents always give a lot more than they normally give and defending is always easier than attacking.

"Then you have seen the referee – it’s always the same. Everywhere I have coached these games, and I have coached them with other clubs, it’s always the same."Van Gaal, who saw his United side beat Cambridge 3-0 in a replay on Tuesday, has until February 9 to respond to the charge.

 

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'World-class Bale has justified his €100m fee' - Freund

Tottenham's International Technical Coordinator Steffen Freund believes Gareth Bale has justified the €100m fee paid for him by Real Madrid since his arrival in the Spanish capital.

The Wales international left Spurs in the summer of 2013 for Santiago Bernabeu and played a key rolein the club winning the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first season at the club.

And though some supporters have recently turned on the former Southampton youngster, Freund told Goal that the winger has already paid back much of the hefty fee Real spent on bringing him to the club.

"Let me answer that as a CEO: with his transfer, Real Madrid wins two titles. In the Champions League final he scored the decisive goal for 2-1 and in the Copa del Rey against Barcelona he made the difference," he said.

"This brings lots of money and his shirt sells easily. I would say he is worth the money.

"To Tottenham he was a big loss. World-class players like him can't be replaced over a long period."

Freund worked closely with the 25-year-old during his time at White Hart Lane and has always been impressed by the drive to succeed Bale has shown in his career.

And he was quick to defend the Welshman for his style of play after he came under fire for a perceived selfishness when on the ball.

"He is exceptional," Freund added. "Even at a young age he had an incredible drive for the goal and was unstoppable. His physical skills are unbelievable and he keeps working on them. His dynamic is scary. Plus, he knows how to benefit from his technical strength.

"The most impressive thing to me is his free-kicks with the left foot. He must be the first football player who can shoot in four directions at the same time. I remember a goal against Liverpool in 2012. The ball flew so strangely and Pepe Reina stood in the wrong side of the goal. Everybody thought it was deflected, but it wasn't.

"People in Germany would call him an individualist. This is not unusual for stars like him. He is introverted and not one who gets in front of the team to hold a speech.

"He leads with actions. If nobody wants the ball, he goes and takes it so his colleagues can breathe. His quality is phenomenal."

 

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Mkhitaryan wants to leave Borussia Dortmund, says Raiola

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's agent Mino Raiola has revealed that the Armenia international wants to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.The 26-year-old joined Dortmund from Shakhtar Donetsk in July 2013 and has since developed into an important first-team member at the club.

However, he has grown unhappy with life at Signal Iduna Park, with Dortmund scrapping against relegation and the future of a number of stars shrouded in doubt.

The attacking midfielder has been linked with Juventus in recent months and Raiola admits he is ready to explore Mkhitaryan's options."Henrikh wants to leave Dortmund at the end of the season," Raiola was quoted as saying by Bild.

"We will have to wait and see what we can do."The midfielder has scored twice in 21 appearances in all competitions so far this term.

Mkhitaryan has a contract with Dortmund until June 2017, but the Bundesliga outfit could be tempted to cash in on the Armenia star if they can recoup a large part of the €27.5 million they paid for him in 2013.