..::Football III::..

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You don't need to be Einstein to see 'Mona Lisa' Pogba is the best - Raiola

Mino Raiola has said Paul Pogba is the best young midfielder in the world and suggested he could be set for a world-record transfer from Juventus this summer.
The France international has been in inspired form for the Italian champions this season, once again fuelling reports linking him with a move to Real Madrid and Manchester City.

And Raiola says it’s clear to see that the 21-year-old former Manchester United midfielder is in a league of his own, and that a summer move could see become football’s most expensive player.“As of today, there is no 21-year-old who shows that he can take charge of a team at the highest level the way that Pogba does,” Raiola told Telefoot.

“Paul does that with Juve and France. You don’t need to be Einstein to see that he can play in for very best teams.“If the summer is the right time for a move, then we will seize the opportunity. But if he wants to, he could stay one more year.“He will beat Ronaldo’s transfer record, because there can be only one Mona Lisa.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s €94 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 was eclipsed by Gareth Bales’s €100 million move to the Bernabeu in 2013, though club president Florentino Perez claims fluctuating exchange rates mean the former was the more costly.

Pogba starred for Juve once again on Saturday, inspiring his side to a 3-1 victory over AC Milan, carving out a match-high four opportunities for his side.

 

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Zidane: Neuer is a phenomenon but Ronaldo is an alien

Zinedine Zidane has described Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as "an alien" and claims he is unique in world football.

Ronaldo claimed the 2014 Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer in January following his exceptional scoring standards throughout the calendar year, though a dip in form and a red card against Cordoba have marred the last few weeks for the Portugal star.

However, while he acknowledges that Neuer has transformed the way modern goalkeepers operate, Zidane is in no doubt that Ronaldo fully deserved the prize.
"Neuer is a fantastic player, who lifted the keeper's game to a new level," he told Welt am Sonntag. "He is a phenomenon between the posts."But at the same time, Ronaldo is from a different planet. He is like an alien. What he does is unique."

Real Madrid take on Schalke in the Champions League last-16 first leg on February 18 and Zidane has warned the Liga leaders not to take Roberto Di Matteo's side lightly.

"I would love to say Schalke have no chance and Real are already safely in the quarter-finals," said the Castilla coach. "But, especially in the knockout stage, anything can happen.

"In two matches there is always a chance the underdog will rise. You have to be careful, especially against a German team."Zidane also paid tribute to Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola for the improvements he has made to the German champions' style, and admits a Champions League final between Madrid and Bayern would be the "logical" expectation.

"He has that special something," he said of Guardiola. "With him, Bayern reached the absolute top class. He gave them a boost and brought his own touch to Bayern's game. That makes the difference.

"[Bayern vs Real] would be the logical final, but logic has no place in football. From a certain level onwards there are no small clubs anymore, and that goes for the Champions League, too. No victory is easy there, those days are long one."

 

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Robben: Bayern magic will always shine through

Arjen Robben has warned Bayern Munich's Bundesliga rivals that the champions will always produce a "magic moment" after they stayed on course for yet another title by beating Stuttgart 2-0 on Saturday.

The champions started 2015 in disappointing style with a 4-1 loss at Wolfsburg and then drew 1-1 against Schalke on Tuesday.

Normal service was resumed at Stuttgart, though, with stunning strikes from Robben and David Alaba either side of half-time securing the points.

In-form winger Robben took his tally to eight goals in his last nine games when he struck with a fine first-half finish and the Netherlands international felt Bayern's clinical attack made the difference.

"Stuttgart pulled everyone back and defended so it was important to score just before half-time," Robben told reporters. "It put us in a good position and made the second half a bit easier. It was time we took three points, that was very important to us.

"Stuttgart were very defensive and used their wingers as full-backs. You have to go in search of the gaps. The magic moment always comes, we always make chances - but you have to take your chances.

"We scored from our first chance and that's what you need in a game like that."
Bayern hold an eight-point gap over second-placed Wolfsburg and welcome Hamburg to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

 

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Pearson remains in charge as confusion surrounds Leicester

Leicester City have issued a statement clarifying the current position of manager Nigel Pearson, amid confusion surrounding his job security.

The Foxes currently lie bottom of the Premier League table and were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace on Saturday, leaving them four points adrift of safety, and it was understood on Sunday that Pearson had been sacked.

Indeed, many members of the Leicester playing staff believed their manager had gone but the Foxes have now moved to clarify the situation.

"Contrary to media speculation on Sunday evening, Nigel remains the club’s first-team manager," read a statement on Leicester's website.

Pearson, who was appointed for a second spell at the club in 2011, has overseen just four wins in the Premier League this season.

Pearson won the LMA Championship Manager of the Year award last season, with Leicester having won the division with a staggering 102 points.

The ex-Hull manager's spell at the King Power Stadium has been plagued by controversies, however, as he reportedly exchanged abuse with a fan earlier this season, before appearing to grab Palace's James McArthur by the throat during the defeat to Palace.

 

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'Long-ball United!' - Allardyce laments Fellaini influence

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has lamented that his team were unable to get anything more than a 1-1 draw against "long-ball" Manchester United.

The Hammers had gone in front through a fine Cheikhou Kouyate goal and looked set for all three points as the visitors laboured for large periods on Sunday.

United manager Louis van Gaal's first change was to bring on Marouane Fellaini with just under 20 minutes remaining and Allardyce, with more than a hint of irony, pointed out that his men struggled to cope with their direct threat.

"I suppose in the end we couldn’t cope with long-ball United," he told reporters. "It was just thump it forward and see what they could get in the end. It paid off for them.

"Coping with that long ball sometimes, when you've got someone like Fellaini up there, was difficult for us. It’s not how you normally how you see United play but it got them a point in the end."

West Ham captain Mark Noble agreed that Fellaini was the architect for the hosts' downfall, with his direct passes ultimately leading to Daley Blind steering home a late equaliser for the visitors.

"They brought big Fellaini on, got the ball on the halfway line and just stuck it on his head for the last 10 minutes which was difficult," he told Sky Sports.

"It feels like a loss to be honest. It shows how far we've come, we drew with Man United at home with some really world class players out there today, and I feel in many spells we were the better team, we just couldn't hold out until the end."

 

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Benitez: Napoli never had any doubts about Gabbiadini

Rafael Benitez is not in the least bit surprised by Manolo Gabbiadini's fine start to his Napoli career, revealing that the club didn't think twice about signing the striker.

The Partenopei coughed up €13 million to prise the 23-year-old away from Sampdoria during the winter transfer window and the Italy international is already proving his worth at the San Paolo.After opening his Napoli account in last weekend's 2-1 win at Chievo, Gabbiadini netted his ninth goal of the Serie A season in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Udinese.

Benitez was not entirely happy with his side's performance against the Zebrette - and the concession of a goal to Cyril Thereau in the 27th minute in particular - but the Spaniard praised the club's new forward and paid tribute to Marek Hamsik's improving form.

"I'm satisfied with the win but we could have done better in the first half," the Partenopei boss told Sky Sport Italia. "We conceded too much ground after going 2-0 up."With his ability, Gabbiadini was able to give us a big hand up front and he also scored a goal.

"We did not have a minute of discussion about his signing because we were all in agreement."Hamsik is also working well, recovering his confidence and this was also seen on the field."

Napoli's win over Udinese was their fourth in a row in Serie A and means they currently sit third in the table - seven points clear of fourth-placed Fiorentina and just four behind Roma in second.Benitez, though, is taking nothing for granted, suggesting that he expects the battle for Champions League football to go right to the wire this season.

"We have to continue like this, always taking one game at a time, keeping an eye on Roma and Juventus above us, but also Samp, Fiorentina and Lazio behind us," he added.

 

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Carver: Referee used common sense over Colback decision

Newcastle United head coach John Carver praised Kevin Friend's "common sense" after the referee elected not to send off Jack Colback in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City.

Colback gave Newcastle the lead in the 74th minute at St James' Park with a low strike from just inside the penalty area.

The goal came just three minutes after the former Sunderland midfielder had escaped a second booking for a foul on Victor Moses, although Stoke subsequently grabbed a point courtesy of Peter Crouch's 90th-minute header.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes expressed his frustration at referee Friend's decision, but Newcastle head coach Carver was quick to leap to his defence.

"I think the referee has used his common sense," Carver told Sky Sports. "Jack's not a nasty guy. He's competitive and he has to be, but it works both ways.

"I think one or two of those lads on the Stoke City team got away with one or two things. It does even itself out."

Carver admitted that Newcastle were their own worst enemy in the final stages, and has called on his side to be more adventurous in attack in future.

"I thought we'd stole the three points but we shot ourselves in the foot," he added.

"We've got possession in the final third, I think there's about two minutes left on the clock, and I think we've played four or five passes back to the goalkeeper.

"We're out of shape, the goalkeeper kicks it, they pick up the ball, they break on us, they put it in the box and it's in the back of the net. At 1-0 when we were leading and we had two great chances.

"Gabriel Obertan had a great chance and could have put them out of sight and then Ayoze Perez with a bit of individual skill had a great opportunity, usually slots them in the bottom corner but on this occasion he sent it high and wide.

"I thought we defended extremely well, we've just got to be a little bit more ambitious when we're going forward."

 

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Inter 3-0 Palermo: Guarin and Icardi fire Mancini's men to victory

Inter defeated Palermo 3-0 on Sunday to register their first victory in four Serie A matches.Roberto Mancini's men had suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two games – part of a run that saw Inter slip to 13th.

The hosts looked the better side at San Siro on this occasion and went ahead through a Fredy Guarin header in the 16th minute, although they did have to ride their luck at times.

Palermo will wonder how they were unable to pull level in the 50th minute, when a remarkable series of goalscoring opportunities culminated in Paulo Dybala blasting over from two yards out.

Inter struck the woodwork twice at the other end before Mauro Icardi doubled the lead with a low drive in the 65th minute, and the Argentine put the result beyond doubt with a headed effort two minutes from time.The result sees Inter climb local rivals Milan on goal difference into ninth.

Guarin came into the Inter starting XI as one of three changes to the side that suffered a 1-0 defeat to Napoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Wednesday and, after Juan Jesus had tested Stefano Sorrentino with an early header, the Colombia international broke the deadlock.The former Porto man rose highest from a Xherdan Shaqiri corner to head the ball against the ground and beyond Sorrentino.

Dybala had curled over a free kick from a dangerous position prior to Guarin's opener, and Palermo's first chance to equalise went begging as Luca Rigoni found the side-netting from an Achraf Lazaar cross.

Yuto Nagatomo was forced from the field after receiving treatment for an apparent thigh injury, with Dodo coming on in his place, and Inter struggled to test Sorrentino after going ahead – Gary Medel's optimistic long-range strike about as close as they came before half-time.

Palermo should have been level five minutes into the second half, but a series of glorious opportunities failed to bear fruit.

Edgar Barreto squared to Dybala when shooting was arguably the better option, before the ball broke to Franco Vazquez on the edge of the penalty area.The 25-year-old's low drive hit the left-hand upright but bounced across the face of goal to Dybala, who inexplicably blasted over from point-blank range.

Inter hit the woodwork twice at the other end soon after – Icardi sending a clever looping header against the right-hand upright, before Andrea Ranocchia headed against the crossbar.Mancini's side doubled their advantage in the 65th minute, though, when the ball found Icardi in space inside the Palermo box, and the Argentine converted a low strike.

Both goalscorers combined for Inter's late third - Guarin chipping in a cross from the byline for Icardi to head home and make sure of three points and a position above Milan in the table.

 

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Athletic 2-5 Barcelona: Catalans attackers seal confident win

Barcelona ended a poor run at San Mames to beat Athletic 5-2 and close in on Real Madrid at La Liga’s summit.

Atletico Madrid sensationally thrashed their city rivals 4-0 on Saturday and second-placed Barca took full advantage of their old enemy's humiliation to reduce the gap to a single point.

Lionel Messi chalked up his 23rd league goal of the season via a deflected free kick and Luis Suarez's 26th-minute strike set Luis Enrique's men on the road to a first win in four attempts in Bilbao.

The hosts retained attacking ambition and pulled a deserved goal back after the break through Mikel Rico, but an Oscar De Marcos own-goal and a sublime Neymar strike in quick succession put the result more or less beyond doubt - even if it was Athletic striker Artiz Aduriz rounding off a frantic period of four goals in seven minutes.

Xabier Etxeita was deservedly sent off for a shocking 75th-minute lunge on Suarez, leaving Barcelona to close out victory with a fantastic fifth in the 86th minute - Messi showcasing mesmerising footwork to feed Sergio Busquets, who crossed to give substitute Pedro Rodriguez a tap-in.

The in-form Aduriz hooked a sixth-minute volley over at the near post as slack set-piece marking almost undid Barcelona.Luis Enrique's team were far from their fluent best during the opening exchanges and required a slice of fortune to take a 14th-minute lead.

The chance was presented by a needless handball from Iker Muniain and Messi's resulting free kick spun wickedly off the defensive wall to elude Gorka Iraizoz.

Claudio Bravo in the Barcelona goal showed superb reactions to thwart Aduriz when he prodded goalwards in the 20th minute - a save that was soon bettered by opposite number Iraizoz keeping out a Suarez header from point-blank range.

Markel Susaeta's free kick was pushed clear by Bravo before Suarez ended a period of dominance for the goalkeepers, driving at the Athletic defence and exchanging passes with Messi to rifle a 20-yard drive that Iraizoz got a hand to but could not stop.

Barcelona should have led 3-0 in the 29th minute as Xavi sprung the offside trap to round Iraizoz but Neymar's effort from his cutback was cleared off the line by Aymeric Laporte and Suarez was unable to convert the follow-up.

Aduriz almost hauled Athletic back into the match when Gerard Pique failed to clear Mikel Balenziaga's cross and the striker nodded against the left-hand post, while Unai Lopez side-footed a volley wide when given ample room to reduce the arrears after 53 minutes.That early second-half miss spurred Athletic on and they finally found the net as Rico tapped home on the rebound when Bravo saved from Aduriz.

Messi conceded possession in the build-up to that goal, but made amends by helping to restore Barcelona's two-goal advantage in the 62nd minute - steering Suarez's dinked cross towards goal where it struck the unfortunate De Marcos and crossed the line.

Two minutes later, Ivan Rakitic and Messi orchestrated a sublime counterattack, the latter's pass was dummied by Xavi and Neymar stroked home a clinical finish from the edge of the area.The goal-rush continued as Muniain caught Busquets napping to play in Aduriz for the goal his efforts deserved.

Etxeita somewhat soured a magnificent exhibition of football with his X-rated challenge, but only temporarily as Pedro - Suarez's replacement - capped victory in wonderful style.

 

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Lyon 1-1 PSG: Controversial Ibrahimovic penalty shares spoils

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's retaken penalty kept Paris Saint-Germain within touching distance of Lyon at the top of Ligue 1 as the sides shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Defending champions PSG headed to Stade de Gerland knowing a win would see them leapfrog Lyon at the summit of the French top flight.

But Laurent Blanc's men appeared destined for defeat after Clinton N'Jie put Lyon ahead just after the half-hour mark - the Cameroon international opened the scoring with a powerful low finish.PSG were continually thwarted by a string of fine saves from Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, who was eventually beaten from 12 yards by Ibrahimovic.

After seeing the Portuguese creep off his line to keep out his first effort, Ibrahimovic dispatched the to keep the capital club within two points of Hubert Fournier's side.

PSG looked to have taken the lead in the seventh minute, when Ibrahimovic latched on to a long ball from Thiago Silva and powered home, but the Sweden international was denied by the offside flag.

Corentin Tolisso was then unfortunate not to open the scoring at the other end as he struck the left-hand post with a fierce long-range drive, and PSG were denied again moments later - this time by the brilliance of Lyon goalkeeper Lopes.

Lopes produced a strong one-on-one save to prevent Edinson Cavani from breaking the deadlock after the Uruguay forward had been superbly played in by Ibrahimovic.

The visitors continued to dictate proceedings and would have deservedly gone ahead had David Luiz not nodded wide with the goal at his mercy after Cavani had flicked Thiago Motta's corner into his path.

PSG were made to pay for their profligacy in the 31st minute - N'Jie finishing off a well-worked team move.Jordan Ferri whipped in a left-wing cross for N'Jie, who worked a superb one-two with Nabil Fekir before emphatically lashing the ball beyond Salvatore Sirigu.

Blanc's men will have been frustrated to go into the interval behind given their relative dominance, which became apparent again after the restart as Lopes continued to keep PSG at bay.

The Portuguese shot-stopper produced two fantastic diving saves to keep out two close-range Ibrahimovic headers in the space of three minutes.

Cavani then failed to get enough purchase on a low cross from Blaise Matuidi and was thwarted by Lopes again shortly after when through on goal following Thiago Motta's excellent throughball.

PSG finally did break Lopes' resistance in the 69th minute, though.Lindsay Rose conceded the spot-kick for hacking down Marco Verratti in the box, but Lopes looked to have saved the day with a diving save to his left from Ibrahimovic's initial penalty.

However, referee Clement Turpin intervened and ordered a retake, which the Swede duly powered into the top left-hand corner, with Lopes having moved off his line and players encroaching on the first attempt.

A last-ditch challenge from Marquinhos prevented Fekir from restoring Lyon's advantage, as PSG settled for a result that at least prevents the leaders from taking control of an enthralling title race.

 

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Cote d'Ivoire 0-0 Ghana (9-8 on pens): Elephants win Africa Cup of Nations final

Cote d'Ivoire goalkeeper Boubacar Barry was the hero for his side as they defeated Ghana 9-8 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a goalless 120 minutes in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Barry - who appeared to be struck down by cramp on two occasions during the shootout - was only selected because Sylvain Gbohouo picked up an injury in Cote d'Ivoire's semi-final.

He saved the spot-kick of opposite number Brimah Razak, before stepping up himself to convert the winning kick as the Ivorians lifted the trophy for the second time.

Cote d'Ivoire's only previous triumph in this tournament also came against the Black Stars, courtesy of an epic 11-10 shootout success in Senegal in 1992, and history was to repeat itself at the Estadio de Bata on Sunday.

It was also a repeat success for their coach Herve Renard, who lifted the trophy in 2012 when his Zambia side defeated his current employers, also on penalties.All three of Cote d'Ivoire's previous final appearances had ended goalless, and it was the same story in Bata as the two sides could not separated after two hours of scoreless action.

For Ghana coach Avram Grant, it was yet more penalty heartache after his Chelsea side lost out to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.
Ghana looked the more likely to find a winner throughout normal time, both Christian Atsu and Andre Ayew striking the woodwork, but otherwise goalmouth action was scarce.

Both sides were fortunate to finish the game with 11 men on the field. Serey Die was booked for a dangerous studs-up challenge on Wakaso Mubarak - which could have resulted in a red - before the Stuttgart midfielder escaped unpunished for a subsequent cynical foul on Atsu.

Returning Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan trod on the foot of Eric Bailly off the ball in the first half in an incident that went unseen, before his team-mate John Boye was lucky to get away with a headbutt on the same opponent after the interval.

Both sides made one change following their semi-final victories as Barry replaced Gbohouo, while Ghana welcomed back Gyan in place of Jordan Ayew.

The first effort of note saw Yaya Toure bring a simple save out of Razak with a free kick in the 14th minute, before Die was perhaps fortunate to receive only a yellow card for a high boot which caught Mubarak in a sensitive area.

Max Gradel fired off target from a difficult angle in the 16th minute, and Gyan was lucky that referee Bakary Gassama did not spot an off-the-ball stamp on Bailly.
Atsu went agonisingly close to an opener when his thumping drive got the better of Barry but rebounded off the right-hand upright and away to safety 25 minutes in.

Die, having already been cautioned for his earlier transgression, was extremely lucky not to be shown a second yellow card when he scythed down Atsu a minute later.Ghana hit the woodwork again nine minutes prior to the interval, as Andre Ayew sliced his attempted cut-back off the left-hand post.

There was little let-up in the feisty nature of the encounter after the break when Boye appeared to headbutt Bailly after the pair grappled while waiting for a free kick, but once again there was no action from Gassama.

Boye headed wide of the target midway through the second half as Ghana continued to look the most likely to make a breakthrough.

In the final minute of normal time, Serge Aurier broke free down the right and saw his dangerous cross parried by Razak, but Jonathan Mensah was on hand to hack the ball away before substitute Seydou Doumbia could provide the finish.After extra-time proved uneventful, Ghana looked in control of the shootout when Wilfried Bony and Junior Tallo missed the first two kicks for Cote d'Ivoire.

However, Afriyie Acquah and Frank Acheampong also erred for Ghana, and as the shootout reached its 11th round, Barry saved from Razak.

The Cote d'Ivoire shot-stopper, who had gone down with cramp earlier during the kicks, fell to the ground again but, after receiving treatment, picked himself up and successfully converted the winning penalty to spark scenes of jubilation among his team-mates.

 

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Congratulations Cote d'Ivoire!​

 

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Egyptian police and Zamalek fans clash leaving 22 dead

At least 22 people have been killed during violent clashes ahead of an Egyptian Premier League game on Sunday.

Ticketless Zamalek fans fought with police before their match against ENPPI at Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium.

The Egyptian interior ministry claimed the violence was sparked by supporters attempting to storm the ground, although this version of events was denied by a group of Zamalek ultras.

"The Zamalek fans tried to get in by force, and we had to prevent them from damaging public property," a statement from the government claimed.

Zamalek fan group Ultras White Knights disputed the ministry's account, however, alleging that fans were tear-gassed as they scrambled to get in the stadium, with a "tiny metal fence surrounded by barbed wire being the only gate opened for us".

This is the latest fatal outbreak of violence at an Egyptian league game, with the last one occurring in February 2012 when over 70 Al-Ahly supporters were killed during a riot started by Al-Masry fans in Port Said.

Since that ban, heavy restrictions on football crowds have been in place. For instance, on Sunday only 10,000 tickets were made available for Zamalek's game with ENPPI.

The Council of Ministers has opted to suspend professional football in Egypt indefinitely following the death of Zamalek fans on Sunday.

 

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Blind unhappy with blunt Man Utd showing

Daley Blind was unhappy with Manchester United's overall display as they battled to a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday.

Blind bailed a mis-firing United forward line out of jail as he fired home a 92nd minute equaliser in east London, cancelling out Cheikhou Kouyate's brilliant opener.

Despite earning his side a point, Blind conceded that he and his team-mates were disappointed with the result and says they struggled to cope with the intensity of the game in the first half.

"It’s a reward for not giving up but of course you want more," Blind told Sky Sports. "The first half was a real battle. We couldn't really play the ball how we want, we couldn't play possession football.

"The second half started well for us but then they got the early goal and after that we had to fight again for the good moments.

"I think we picked it up well and showed we are capable of fighting but, of course, we are unhappy with the draw."

United moved one point clear of fifth-placed Tottenham and consolidated their position in fourth with Sunday's result.

 

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Mihajlovic: Eto'o apologised for training row mistake

Sampdoria boss Sinisa Mihajlovic says there is no problem between him and Samuel Eto'o, revealing that the striker has apologised for their bust-up.

The pair clashed after Mihajlovic decided to hold a double training session on Monday in response to the club's 5-1 Serie A defeat at Torino.

Eto'o stormed out of the club's training complex and returned to Milan, with initial reports suggesting that the Cameroonian was considering quitting the club he had only joined from Everton the week before.

However, Samp president Massimo Ferrero promptly played down the severity of the incident and Mihajlovic has now confirmed that both parties have put the argument behind them, with Eto'o having come on as a substitute in Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to Sassuolo.

"He apologised for his mistake and now everything's fine," the Serbian coach told Sky Sport Italia ."He has won it all, so he can give us a big hand. However, he's still not in shape. He's working hard to get back to his best, though."

The draw with Sassuolo saw Samp slip to fifth in the Serie A standings and leaves them seven points behind third-place Napoli.Consequently, Mihajlovic is pessimistic about his side's hopes of securing Champions League football for next season.

"We're not running away from our goals but we will look at the table in another 10 rounds," he added. "At the moment, it doesn't make sense to talk about finishing in third place."

 

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Mancini: Icardi wrong not to celebrate goals

Inter coach Roberto Mancini was disappointed that striker Mauro Icardi refused to celebrate either of his goals in Sunday night's 3-0 win over Palermo.

The Argentine was involved in an angry confrontation with Nerazzurri fans following last weekend's Serie A loss at Sassuolo, with the 21-year-old having been enraged by the fact that the jersey he threw into the crowd at the end of the game was returned to him by a disappointed supporter.

Mancini thinks that Icardi remains upset by the incident but says the forward should put the whole affair behind him and get back to enjoying what he does best.

"He was very good tonight, although I didn't like that he didn't celebrate after his goals," the Nerazzurri boss told Sky Sport.

"Maybe there was still some residual disappointment from the events of last Sunday. However, the fans applauded him and therefore I think that everything has now been resolved in the best manner."

Fredy Guarin got the other goal in Inter's first Serie A win since January 11 and Mancini was full of praise for the Colombian's performance.

"He is a midfielder that has everything: quality, strength and a great shot," the former Manchester City boss added. "He can play in both a two-man and three-man midfield. He doesn't seem to have any problem adapting.

"Gary Medel was also perfect. He provides great protection for the defence. But when you win one game, everything changes. We produced a great performance tonight.

"We obviously still have to improve more, though, given all of the dangerous situations Palermo had came from our mistakes."

Inter's victory sees them move above city rivals AC Milan and into ninth place in the Serie A standings.

 

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Suarez: I always knew the goals would come

Luis Suarez says he never lost faith in himself during a tough start to his Barcelona career, insisting that he always knew that the goals would come.

The Uruguay international joined the Catalans from Liverpool last summer but was unable to play until October due to his four-month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

Suarez subsequently struggled to justify his €94 million transfer fee, but his form has improved since the turn of the year and the 28-year-old played a key role in Sunday's thrashing of Athletic.

He netted one goal and combined wonderfully with Lionel Messi and Neymar throughout, leaving the striker delighted that he finally seems to have rediscovered his goalscoring touch.

"I did not get nervous, because the only thing I worry about is not being able to help the team," Suarez told Canal Plus. "I'm very self-critical and when I play badly, I get very angry."But I knew that the goals would come and, with the support from my team-mates and my family, now they have arrived.

"It is a pleasure to play alongside phenomena like Leo and Neymar."Suarez was whistled by the home fans at San Mames as they felt that he exaggerated the foul that prompted the late dismissal of Xabier Etxeita but the attacker was mystified by the crowd's reaction.

"I think it was unfair, but I will not enter into any controversy," he added. "As you will see on television, I was hurt by the challenge."

 

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Van Gaal: Man Utd were really bad at times vs West Ham

Louis van Gaal admits that Manchester United were "really bad" at times in their 1-1 draw at West Ham on Sunday.

The Red Devils struggled to create chances in a sluggish first half and fell behind shortly after the break through Cheikhou Kouyate’s strike.

West Ham looked on course for victory before Daley Blind found the net in injury-time to rescue a point for United, who remain fourth and a point behind third-placed Southampton.

“I think we played really badly in the first half and we showed a lot of spirit in the second half, especially after the goal in the beginning, we gave that goal away, and then we played football after the goal. But you have to do it from the first minute,” Van Gaal told Sky Sports.

“But I have to say what spirit my team showed after 1-0 behind, and I have to thank my players for that.”

United increased the pressure on West Ham’s goal after Marouane Fellaini replaced Adnan Januzaj in the 72nd minute and Van Gaal felt his side could have registered a win following the former Everton midfielder’s introduction.

“I think with Fellaini you have to change your play style and that we have done and because of Fellaini we have created a lot of chances because I think we had three open chances before the goalkeeper [saved them], and normally you can win the game in spite of the bad first half,” said the United boss.

“But I’m pleased we have a draw here.”

When asked about the problems United faced at Upton Park, Van Gaal replied: “Especially when we had the ball, we don’t play the ball along the floor, but also, when we lost the ball, you have to win the first and the second balls much better than we did in the first half because we know they are playing long balls in advance.

“But all the second balls were from West Ham, and that’s why we have a lot of pressure. And that’s why I think the players lost their confidence with playing the ball on the floor.”

 

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Van Gaal: Man Utd were really bad at times vs West Ham

Really bad thamai1st half 1ke play karapu widiya anthimai & anith 1ka thamai Falcao ge finishing nam improve karaganna weiWest Ham match 1ke anthima hariyedi miss karagattha chance 1ka aparade​

 

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Neymar: Suarez, Messi and I will get even better

Neymar fired an ominous warning to the rest of La Liga by claiming that Barcelona's "spectacular" attacking triumvirate are only going to get better.

The Brazilian combined wonderfully with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez throughout Sunday's 5-2 rout of Athletic Bilbao, with all three forwards on target at San Mames.

Neymar played down talk that the South American trio are becoming unplayable, but acknowledged that they are capable of achieving great things together."I don't believe that we're unstoppable but we do a lot of work to help the team," the striker told Canal Plus. "I'm sure that we will win more and more, and will get better. "We are going well but we need to keep doing the things we're doing. We're very happy because we are performing how we want to on the pitch right now."There are still many games left, though, and the season is long. But we're happy to be among the leaders.

"Now we only have to focus on what we're doing. We have to keep working on the pitch but what we did today was spectacular."

Barca's ninth successive victory in all competitions sees them go within a point of Liga leaders Real Madrid, who were hammered 4-0 by city rivals Atletico on Saturday.