..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Debts thawath increase wenawa meh sareth Champions League qualify wenna bari unoth

Doubt 1ka thiyenne meh play karana widiyata Champions League spot 1ka sure karanada puluwanda kiyana 1kaBig matches ahead​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Guardiola must change his attitude'

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has been warned about his future conduct by head of the German Football Association's referee commission Herbert Fandel following his behaviour during the 1-1 draw with Schalke last week.

The ex-Barcelona trainer raced to confront the assistant referee during the 1-1 draw with Schalke earlier this month after Robert Lewandowski saw a goal disallowed, only to raise eyebrows again minutes later when he embraced the fourth official back in his technical area after Arjen Robben netted the opening goal for Bayern.

Although Guardiola dismissed the incidents after the game, Fandel has now hit out at the Catalan and warned him to not repeat the act."Pep Guardiola would do well to adjust his attitude," Fandel told Sport Bild.

"With all due respect to strong emotional reactions, we crossed a line. A coach leaving his technical area to rush towards an assistant at the corner flag needs to be sent to the stands."The fact that he got away with a warning against Schalke should remain an isolated case.

"You cannot touch the body of a referee. Pep Guardiola should change his behaviour immediately."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's leader, says Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo's leadership skills and added that the Portugal international is always happy to help out youngsters.

The 30-year-old is among the Champions League holders' most experienced players and Ancelotti has stressed the prolific attacker finds himself right at the top of the dressing room hierarchy.

"Ronaldo is one of the leaders of this Madrid team," Ancelotti told A Bola.

"He talks to all the members of the squad, especially the younger players, and he’s an important part of the squad, just like Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Marcelo."If he maintains his passion for the game, his playing career can continue for some time due to his superb physical condition.

"Cristiano is a player with a unique efficiency in modern football. He has an extraordinary talent and he enjoys this with professionalism and a level head that is difficult to find amongst players at this level."

The former Manchester United attacker has been in stunning form for Madrid so far this season, scoring 28 goals in 19 La Liga appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo has a contract with the Santiago Bernabeu side until June 2018.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benatia: I learn something new from Guardiola every day

Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia is delighted to be working with head coach Pep Guardiola, saying that he learns something new from the Spanish coach every day.

The 27-year-old joined Bayern from Roma ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and he has hailed Guardiola's role in the progress he has made since his transfer.

"It is fascinating to work with Guardiola," the defender said when answering questions from fans via the official Champions League Twitter account.

"Every day you learn something new. Many believe there is nothing more a Bayern player can learn but it's not the case with a coach like him."It's a great pleasure."

The Morocco international then went on to discuss his side's chances of winning silverware and he's confident Bayern can make an impact both domestically and in Europe."We can certainly win the Champions League and the Bundesliga this season."We have to improve and believe in what we're doing. The entire team are focused on achieving our objectives."

Benatia also answered questions about his most difficult opponent so far in his career and the centre-back admitted that Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the one who troubled him the most."Ibrahimovic was my toughest opponent. He is the complete player who has caused me lots of trouble.

"He's a great player who can create problems for any team."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Gaal: This is the Rooney I want to see

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal praised the performance of Wayne Rooney in his deep midfield role against Burnley on Wednesday.

A head injury to Daley Blind in the first half of United's 3-1 win over the Premier League strugglers saw Rooney switch to a holding position, even deeper than the midfield role he has played in for much of the season.

Used primarily as a forward throughout his career so far, Rooney's withdrawn position under Van Gaal has led to criticism by some but the manager does not agree.

"I have to look for the better balance and I think until now because of Rooney, we have a better balance in midfield," he told reporters. "I was very pleased how he replaced Daley Blind in the number six position.

"He showed composure and he was the Rooney that I want to see, but he has shown that he can play in every position.

"Maybe he can better play in a striker's position but then I have a problem in midfield."

Van Gaal also provided an update on the fitness of Blind and Phil Jones, who was taken off early on and replaced by Chris Smalling.

"Blind has a headache but I don't think he is out of the FA Cup game on Monday against Preston North End," he told MUTV.

"I think, for Jones, we have to wait. I think it shall be difficult as he was very disappointed when I spoke with him. Maybe it's a knee problem so it's not good."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

"I have to look for the better balance and I think until now because of Rooney, we have a better balance in midfield," he told reporters. "I was very pleased how he replaced Daley Blind in the number six position.

"Maybe he can better play in a striker's position but then I have a problem in midfield."

LVG magulak katha karanawaMid wala balance 1ka nathi wenawata Rooney wa dala wadak nahaneAhemanam karanna thiyenne player kenek wa ganna 1ka.Anith 1ka ahenam Herrera wa gatthe mona magulakatada

Manchester United's 3rd all time Topscorer MID 1kemokakda meh karana wade therumaaduma tharame Rooney 1st half 1ke attacker kenek widiyata use karala 2nd 1ke oya LVG kiyana MID 1kata danna thibba.

Ahema karanne nathiwa digatama Rooney mid player kenek widiyata play karana 1ken wenne Rooney ge performance adu wena 1ka & team 1kata Rooney gen ganna puluwan service 1ka adu wena 1kameka LVG ta threnne nathi 1ka Manchester United fansla hatiyata ape karumayak​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2015.02.13 Fixture

La Liga 2015.02.13 Fixture

Almeria Vs Real Sociedad​

 

[ftthushara]

BUMP

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Almeria 2-2 Real Sociedad: Canales earns Moyes' men a draw

Sergio Canales rescued a point for Real Sociedad in a hard-fought 2-2 draw at Almeria in La Liga.

David Moyes' side were twice forced to come from behind to claim a point from their trip to the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterraneos, with Canales' fine individual effort shortly after half-time enough for Sociedad.

Almeria were in front inside five minutes when Sociedad keeper Geronimo Rulli brought Thievy Bifouma down, and Verza stepped up to score from the penalty spot.

Sociedad were level shortly before the half-hour mark with their first attempt on goal resulted in Imanol Agirretxe flicking a header beyond Julian in the Almeria goal.However, the hosts regained the lead five minutes prior to the break when Hemed converted from close range after a superb Bifouma run down the right.

Sociedad wasted little time after half-time restoring parity after the interval, though, as Canales netted superbly in the 48th minute.

Almeria pushed hard for a winner, but Moyes' team held firm to take a point back to San Sebastian.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Olympique de Marseille 2-2 Reims: Last-gasp N'Gog denies hosts top spot

David N'Gog's last-minute header scuppered Olympique de Marseille's hopes of returning to the top of Ligue 1 as Reims claimed a smash-and-grab 2-2 draw at Stade Velodrome.Marcelo Bielsa's team were on course to regain top spot from Lyon after coming from behind to lead 2-1 going into the final moments of Friday's game.

However, former Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers striker N'Gog came off the bench to equalise with a well-taken header in the 90th minute to ensure Marseille remain second.

Leaders Lyon can now move three points clear of Bielsa's side with victory at Lorient on Sunday, while champions Paris Saint-Germain will go second if they beat Caen on Saturday.Reims forward Nicolas de Preville opened the scoring after just six minutes, thanks in the main to some suspect goalkeeping from Steve Mandanda.

Mandanda could only parry Prince Oniangue's speculative shot straight into De Preville's path, and the 24-year-old gratefully slotted home just his second Ligue 1 goal of the season.

Unsurprisingly, Marseille then laid siege to the Reims goal in search of an equaliser, with Dimitri Payet at the heart of everything positive the hosts did.

First, the former Lille man had an excellent 25-yard free-kick tipped wide by Kossi Agassa, before he then supplied an inch-perfect cross for Andre Ayew, who could only head wide from close range.

Marseille picked up where they left off after the break, but De Preville missed a golden chance to double their arrears when he curled wide after an incisive Reims breakaway. And De Preville was made to pay for that miss when, somewhat inevitably, Payet equalised in the 58th minute - albeit with the help of a huge deflection, which resulted in his effort from 18 yards completely wrong-footing Agassa.

Marseille continued to press and got their just rewards when Ayew slammed home from a yard when Reims failed to deal with a corner 11 minutes after Payet's leveller - sparking delirious scenes among the Velodrome faithful.

Gaetan Charbonnier gave Bielsa an almighty scare when he rattled the crossbar from close range with 20 minutes remaining, but it looked like Marseille had done enough to take away a deserved three points.

However, N'Gog had other ideas, as he steered Charbonnier's superb cross beyond Mandanda to seal a share of the spoils for Reims.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Mainz: Reus leads battling BVB to second successive win

Borussia Dortmund climbed away from the Bundesliga relegation zone with a sizzling second-half performance to beat Mainz 4-2 at Signal Iduna Park.

Goals from Neven Subotic, Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nuri Sahin secured back-to-back league wins for Jurgen Klopp's side - only the second time they have achieved the feat in this troubled season.

Although the hosts dominated the first half, it was Mainz who led at the break thanks to Elkin Soto's volley in the opening minute.

Klopp's half-time team talk obviously had the desired effect, though, as first Subotic and then Reus turned the game on its head in the first 10 minutes of the second period.

Yunus Malli equalised almost immediately for Mainz, but Aubameyang put Dortmund ahead again 19 minutes from time with a well-taken finish from a sublime Reus pass.

And Sahin made certain of the win shortly after, when he followed up Aubameyang's free-kick and converted past Stefanos Kapino.Victory moves Dortmund up to 14th place in the Bundesliga - level on 22 points with Mainz.

It looked like being another night of misery for Klopp when the visitors opened the scoring inside the first minute as Dortmund's defensive fragility reared its ugly head again.

Subotic failed to clear a lobbed ball into the penalty area, and keeper Roman Weidenfeller could only punch straight to Soto, who lobbed a superb, controlled volley into the unguarded net from outside the area.

Dortmund could have been level two minutes later as Reus found himself in plenty of room inside the penalty area, but his shot thudded against the post and Shinji Kagawa's follow-up was well saved by Kapino.

Finding a way back into the game was proving difficult for Dortmund, but Kagawa went agonisingly close to levelling as the visitors failed to deal with a Reus free-kick.

Dortmund's relentless pursuit of a goal continued after the break and they got their reward within four minutes as Subotic rose to power home Marcel Schmelzer's corner.And five minutes later the game was turned on its head as Reus celebrated signing a new long-term deal with the club by collecting a perfectly weighted pass from Kevin Kampl before rounding Kapino to score.

Dortmund's delight was short-lived, as Malli and the 22-year-old striker lashed the ball past Weidenfeller from just inside the penalty area a minute later.But Reus provided a real moment of class to help put his side back in front, with Aubameyang smartly converting his sensational throughball in the 71st minute.

Sahin then slid the ball under Kapino for Dortmund's fourth to give Klopp a vital three points.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Gaal dismisses Scholes criticism

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has dismissed criticism from Paul Scholes after the former midfielder branded their football "miserable".

In his column for The Independent, former United midfielder Scholes hit out at the lack of attacking football being played by Van Gaal's side this season.

He added that the Red Devils have not taken enough risks since the veteran coach took over at the start of the campaign despite them sitting third in the Premier League table.

And ahead of Monday's FA Cup tie with Preston North End, Van Gaal admitted he is not affected by comments made regarding his side.

“I don't worry about it, it's not so interesting I think because he is one of the fans, I hope, and fans can criticise," he told reporters.

"That's what I have to say about that. I am used to it and I think all the players are used to it because they are not first time professional football players.

"Most of the time it does not affect me or the players."

The former Barcelona coach has faced questions regarding his tactics since his arrival at Old Trafford, with many supporters and pundits questioning his frequent change in formation.

Having pledged to play 3-5-2 when he first took over, Van Gaal has since reverted to a 4-1-2-1-2 system in recent weeks while he has also experimented with playing just one striker.

And though he revealed he is relatively happy with how his team is playing, he admits he is still looking to find the right balance.

"I have played now already five or six systems and I am looking still for the balance. This system is more balanced than normally and I can play with more attacking players.

"In spite of the fact that we are looking for the balance, our results are not bad and our defensive organisation is not bad, we also score a lot of goals. So, I cannot say that I am very disappointed about that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Andy Carroll out for rest of season

West Ham striker Andy Carroll will miss the rest of the 2014-15 Premier League season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury.

The England international pulled up in the closing stages of Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Southampton, though manager Sam Allardyce was originally hopeful it would not prove to be too serious.

But after meeting with a specialist on Friday, it was confirmed the former Liverpool forward will require surgery.

And the recovery period required will mean it is unlikely he will feature for the Irons again this term.

"Andy Carroll will have surgery on his injured knee on Tuesday following assessment by a specialist on Friday afternoon," a statement on the club's official website read.

"The England international injured his left knee during the second half of Wednesday night's 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw at Southampton.

"The recovery phase is expected to keep Carroll out for the remainder of the 2014-15 season."

Carroll has scored five Premier League goals so far this campaign having missed the first three months with a heel injury.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Xavi fed up with Neymar saga

Barcelona have had enough of the storm created by Neymar's transfer to Camp Nou from Santos, according to midfielder Xavi.

Neymar moved to the Catalan giants in 2013, in a deal estimated to be worth in the region of €57 million, but it was later revealed that the club had spent around €86m to instead.

The details of that transfer have been the subject of an investigation, with allegations of tax fraud being levelled at former president Sandro Rosell and his successor Josep Maria Bartomeu.Bartomeu appeared in court on Friday regarding the case, pointing the finger at Rosell as the man responsible in the allegations, and Xavi says the sooner the whole saga is over, the better.

"The Neymar theme has been going on for over a year now, and we're tired of it," he told Radio Catalunya."It's a difficult issue for everyone. We don't like these off-field issues and it'll be good if the case is closed as soon as possible.

"The other day I was with the president, and we both agreed that it's uncomfortable for everyone but that's what we have to endure."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'I've tried shisha' - Hodgson unconcerned by Wilshere controversy

England manager Roy Hodgson insists he is not bothered by the idea of Jack Wilshere smoking a shisha pipe and admits he has tried it himself.

The Arsenal midfielder once again found himself at the centre of a smoking controversy earlier this month when he was pictured in a nightclub with friends holding a shisha pipe.

Arsene Wenger warned Wilshere it is "down to him to master his life" in the wake of the incident but Hodgson remains unconcerned and revealed he has also tried smoking shisha in the past.

"As an ex-cigar smoker when I tried it shisha I thought it was a complete nonsense, I couldn’t understand who would do it," the England boss told reporters.

"Apart from a faint fruity taste in your mouth that was about the end of it. As far as I am concerned that is a club matter and Arsene Wenger dealt with it very, very well.

"If you are asking me, in an ideal world is that an ideal thing to happen? Of course it isn’t, but we don’t live in an ideal world.

"I am happy it has been dealt with and it won’t occupy a lot of my time with Jack when I see him because we have a football match to win.

"I am more interested in working with him to get some performances out of him that he gave us in the autumn. Which were outstanding. It’s a part of my life but it’s an even bigger part of Arsene’s."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic can't do what Cavani does - Blanc

Laurent Blanc has hailed Edinson Cavani as a key player for the team, insisting the defensive aspect to his game makes him as important to Paris Saint-Germain as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cavani has been shifted out onto the wings for most of his time in the French capital to accommodate the Swedish talisman, despite being seen as a star centre-forward at his previous club Napoli and with the Uruguay national team.

However, Blanc says the 27-year-old is a useful player to have on the wing for the Ligue 1 champions, adding that Ibrahimovic could not do what his team-mate does.

"I have never seen a striker work as hard as he does, because he likes it," Blanc told reporters. "A player like Ibra could not do what Cavani does with regards to defensive work.

"He is also not a winger, but he is a player who likes to cover the entire area of the attack. "Ideally, Ibrahimovic and Cavani would swap positions a lot. My attacking trio could have complete freedom up front, I sometimes talk to my strikers about it.

"What interests me is that during the defensive phase we cover the entire width of the field. I think methodically as well and from the beginning it would not be possible for them to swap, since for this role there it takes a tremendous physical condition, to attack and then defend."PSG face Caen on Saturday just days ahead of their Champions League clash with Chelsea and Blanc admits he is preparing for the European clash already.

"We play on Saturday and the match against Chelsea is on Tuesday evening so we have a short recovery time, but we are thinking about Chelsea too. We will be competitive against Caen to prepare the team that will start against Chelsea."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kane hopeful of England call-up

Harry Kane is determined to keep shining for Tottenham as he looks to secure a call-up to the England squad for his debut next month.

The Spurs striker has scored 23 goals in all competitions this season, more than any Premier League player, with a stunning recent surge of form leading to calls for his inclusion at international level.

England coach Roy Hodgson suggested on Thursday that Kane will indeed be selected for next month's fixtures with Lithuania and Italy, though the 21-year-old is tempering expectations.

"A lot of people are talking about it England," he told Sky Sports after being named the Premier Legaue's Player of the Month for January.

"But there is still a month or so until Hodgson names his squad and I've just got to keep doing what I am doing and keep my feet on the floor.

"Come the end of March, hopefully I am still doing it and we'll see what happens.

"We're still in quite a few competitions, we've got the final of the Capital One Cup ahead of us, and we're doing well in the league as well.

"There are exciting times ahead and February's going to be a big month. Hopefully we can all continue our form."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rosell to answer for Neymar transfer - Bartomeu

Josep Maria Bartomeu has told a court that former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell oversaw all negotiations which led to an alleged multi-million euro tax evasion.The current Barca chief insists it was his predecessor who handled everything on behalf of the club in bringing Neymar to Catalunya from Santos.

The operation was initially said to involve a €57.1 million transfer fee but it later emerged that the deal was actually worth nearer €86m, sparking a Spanish state investigation into tax owed on the undeclared portion of the fee.Rosell stepped down after the revelations in January 2014, but Bartomeu was also suspected of wrongdoing in the transfer and appeared before a Madrid court.

But in his first day of giving evidence on Friday, he insisted that he played no part in any negotiations regarding the Neymar transfer. The 52-year-old pointed to Rosell as the man who was in control of the switch, saying he also had no personal contact during contract talks with the player.

Of his observations on the transfer, Bartomeu told the court: "I gave them an instruction to work with zero risk, but I think we overpaid."Bartomeu spent a total of more than three hours in the dock, making history as the first serving Barcelona president to stand accused of a crime.

A club statement later added: "President Bartomeu gave all explanations regarding the points on which he was questioned. In particular, he defended the correctness of decisions made on this matter covered by the club’s tax advisors."He made it clear that neither he nor the club has ever intended to defraud the treasury at any point."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

No contract talks with Guardiola - Rummenigge

Bayern Munich will not open contract talks with Pep Guardiola until the end of the season, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed.

The Spanish coach's current deal expires in June 2016 and the lack of progress on a new deal has stirred up a lot of speculation surrounding his future at the Bavarian giants.

The club chairman has since revealed that he has spoken to Guardiola about a renewal, but the former Barcelona boss has no interest in discussing the matter while the campaign is still ongoing.

"I talked to him about it two weeks ago," Rummenigge told ESPN. "The result of this discussion was that I won't ask him again while this season is running. We will talk afterwards and then we'll see."I am pretty relaxed because I think we can offer him a very good team. I believe he likes the city, the club's culture and life in Munich.

"My general impression is that he feels settled in Munich, so we'll see. I don't know what his final decision will be. We are happy with him and we hope he feels the same way about the club and will renew his contract."

First-team players Dante, Philipp Lahm, Xabi Alonso, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are all over 30-years-old, but Rummenigge has no worries that the squad is in need of a massive injection of youth.

"We have some players now who are in the autumn of their carees and are in their 30s," he added. "But I don't think we're in a critical phase. I still enjoy watching Robben play. Over the last two years he was playing at an incredibly high level.

"Of course we have to care about keeping the right balance. But I am convinced we can do it and we will replace them properly some day."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola: I am not worried about Lewandowski

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has insisted that he is not worried about Robert Lewandowski's poor run of form since the restart of the Bundesliga.

The Poland international has scored just one goal in his last seven league games, although he had a goal questionnably chalked off against Schalke, and has received his fair share of criticism in recent weeks.

Nevertheless, Guardiola is confident the former Borussia Dortmund star will find his feet and has made it clear that he is always willing to sit down and discuss his difficulties with Lewandowski."Our strikers get fewer chances when we don't play well," Guardiola stated at a press conference.

"Lewandowski has had some clear-cut chances, but I am not worried about his form."I am thinking about our game in general.

"If Lewandowski has a problem, my door is always open for him. But he has told me that everything is going well. My style of play is not that hard."Unlike Lewandowski, Arjen Robben has been in lethal form in 2014-15 and Guardiola has nothing but praise for the Dutchman.

"Robben is of vital importance to the team. He has not been injured for quite a while. He is fully fit, both mentally and physically.

"He is very hungry for goals. Everything about him says that he is ready to score goals. He is an example to follow for other players."Robben has already scored 12 goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances so far this term.

Guardiola also said he is happy to see Marco Reus commit his future to Borussia Dortmund, after the attacker signed an extension which keeps him at the club until 2019, despite Bayern's heavily reported interest.

"Congratulations to Dortmund and Marco," he added. "It is his decision. He is a great player and I hope he can play until the end of the season without injuries. I want us to see the best players."