..::Football III::..

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Casillas: The fans are always right

Iker Casillas has shrugged off criticism from Real Madrid fans, insisting that they are "always right".

The goalkeeper was guilty of a big mistake during the 4-0 derby drubbing at the hands of Atletico Madrid and was booed by sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd on Saturday in the 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna.Casillas, though, was not bothered by the supporters' venting their frustrations and has set his mind on playing as well as he can,

"Everyone can think what they want," he told Cuatro. "With the fans, they are right about everything. I just stay concentrated on playing and doing my best."

Casillas has started all but two of Madrid's league games this season, conceding 20 goals in 21 games and keeping 10 clean sheets.

 

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Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are not Champions League favourites - Mourinho

Jose Mourinho insists Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are not the favourites to win this season's Champions League.

Chelsea are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Parc des Princes on Tuesday in the first-leg of their second round tie in Europe's most prestige competition as they look to maintain a strong campaign this season.

However, Madrid, the reigning world and European champions, along with 2012-13 Champions League winners Bayern, are said to have one of the strongest cases to win the competition this year.

However, the Portuguese coach believes none of the 16 teams currently in the tournament can be ruled out just yet.

"I don't agree at all that they're favourites, because the Champions League always has space for surprises," he told reporters.

"You go through the last decade and see teams winning the competition who you expect to win, but you also have teams you don't expect to win. You can balance it almost 50-50.

"You have three or four teams people would not be expecting. I really don't know the candidates when it goes to the knockout stage. At the moment there are 16 candidates for me."
Diego Costa, who has not played for the Blues since last month's League Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool, having served a three-game suspension for stamping on Emre Can, is expected to start in midweek, but Mourinho is worried about his sharpness.

"Yes, I will start him, but I don’t think it’s good for a player to go three matches without starting a game," he added. "I don’t think he's in the best condition.

"But at the same time Loic Remy and Didier Drogba played in the last three matches. It’s obviously important for them to get minutes and have confidence and I know I have them both ready."

The Blues boss also refused to clarify whether Thibaut Courtois would regain his starting spot in goal against PSG after replacement Petr Cech produced an impressive performance against Everton on Wednesday.

"Courtois doesn’t know if he will play or not, so I can’t tell you. He has to hear it from me, not from the media.

"But I repeat, Chelsea has the two best goalkeepers in the Premier League, and for me it’s an easy job. I’m very happy with both. Every time one plays the team is very confident because they know they have a top goalkeeper."

 

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Arsenal drawn with Man United - FA Cup quarter-final draw in full​

Arsenal have been drawn against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals, while Liverpool will host Championship side Blackburn Rovers.​

The Red Devils came from behind to beat Preston 3-1 on Monday night to set up the tie, while the other two Premier League giants both survived a rather predictable fifth round, with Sunderland the biggest casualties as they were knocked out by Chelsea-tormentors Bradford City, who will now take on Reading.​

Louis van Gaal's men will host the FA Cup holders at Old Trafford as they bid to end their own 11-year wait for success in England's most historic cup competition.​

Liverpool's reward for beating Crystal Palace in the fifth round is a home tie against Blackburn, who are ninth in the Championship and struggling to keep pace in the promotion race - though have pedigree in the cup, having won it six times previously.​

Elsewhere, Tim Sherwood's Aston Villa have been handed a West Midlands derby against Tony Pulis's West Brom, while Bradford will fancy their chances against Championship side Reading, having already knocked out Chelsea and Sunderland.​

DRAW IN FULL:​

Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers
Bradford City v Reading
Manchester United v Arsenal
Aston Villa v West Brom​

 

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UEFA Champions League 2015.02.17 Round of 16 1st Leg Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2015.02.17 Round of 16 1st Leg Fixtures

Shakhtar Vs Bayern

PSG Vs Chelsea

​

 

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Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Bayern Munich: Alonso sees red in scrappy stalemate

Shakhtar Donetsk held Bayern Munich to a 0-0 draw in a scrappy first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday, in a game which saw Xabi Alonso sent off.

Bayern playmaker Alonso - making his 100th Champions League appearance - was sent off for a second bookable offence midway through the second half in Lviv to cap a frustrating evening for Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola's side dominated possession even after Alonso's dismissal, but were uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal just three days after hammering Hamburg 8-0 in the Bundesliga.

Thomas Muller was presented with Bayern's best openings in a slow-paced first half but was unable to get enough on either of his shots at Andriy Pyatov's goal.

Alonso's red card robbed the game - which saw referee Alberto Undiano dish out eight bookings - of its tempo, and even the introduction of Robert Lewandowski from the bench could not spark Bayern into life.

The draw leaves the tie in the balance ahead of the return leg in Munich on March 11, with Shakhtar - who had not played a competitive fixture since their final group game against Porto over two months ago - hoping that Bayern will be just as wasteful on home turf.

Bayern began on the front foot and after only two minutes, Arjen Robben's chipped pass found the unmarked Bastian Schweinsteiger on the edge of the area, but the Bayern skipper fired wide.

The in-form Robben was again on hand to create Bayern's next opening after 10 minutes, with his surging run into the Shakhtar half ending with a neat ball to Muller, only for the forward to scuff his effort.

Shakhtar looked rusty and were struggling to find their rhythm, but Bayern lacked their usual killer touch in front of goal and Guardiola's decision to leave Lewandowski out looked questionable on the half hour when Muller wasted a second chance of the half.

A neat one-two with Franck Ribery saw the 25-year-old stretching to convert from 12 yards, but he was unable to get a clean enough connection and blazed over.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with the away side on top but struggling to test Pyatov, with Alonso seeing appeals for a penalty waved away four minutes after the break.

Alonso's evening came to an end soon after as he earned his second booking of the evening, the Spaniard bringing down Alex Teixeira with a clumsy challenge after 66 minutes.

Despite being a man down, Guardiola finally introduced Lewandowski with 15 minutes to play, but the Pole struggled to get into the game as Shakhtar claimed a creditable draw.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea: Ivanovic scores valuable away goal

Chelsea took a valuable away goal from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, though they were pegged back to a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes.

Branislav Ivanovic headed Jose Mourinho's side into the lead on Tuesday, finishing off a move which saw his fellow defenders, John Terry and Gary Cahill, combine in advanced positions to set him up in the 36th minute.

PSG fought back in the second half, however, with Edinson Cavani pouncing on slack marking to deposit a free header past Thibaut Courtois, and the Uruguayan nearly had a second when he slipped through the back line in the 80th minute only to prod just wide.

PSG looked the more likely to fashion a winner but were routinely denied by off-target finishing and returning Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, whose goal they will certainly have to breach again in the second leg at Stamford Bridge in March.

Counting the cost of a dramatic draw against Caen at the weekend, PSG were without Yohan Cabaye, Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura but made a composed start nevertheless as Blaise Matuidi drew Courtois into action with a firm header.

Courtois had to deal with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's header soon afterwards and Cavani also worked the Belgian with a similar effort after Chelsea were caught napping from an Ezequiel Lavezzi corner 11 minutes before the break.

Chelsea were boosted by the return of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas but Salvatore Sirigu had been little more than a spectator until he was forced to pick the ball out of his net nine minutes before the break.

Much is made of Chelsea's attacking prowess but it was their defenders who combined for the opening goal as Terry's cross was flicked on by Cahill and the unmarked Ivanovic was on hand to head home.

PSG must have wondered how they were behind at the break but they were level early in the second half when Cavani capitalised on some slack marking from Cahill to head home Matuidi's inviting cross from six yards out.

The hosts were dominant and Courtois did well to palm away a left-footed strike from Ibrahimovic on the hour before Cesar Azpilicueta blocked Lavezzi's effort following up.

David Luiz came close to putting PSG in front against his former club but the Brazilian defender's header took a slight deflection before landing on the roof of the net.

As PSG searched for an advantage, Cavani aimed just wide and Courtois once again came to the rescue to claw away Ibrahimovic's downward header – putting Chelsea firmly in the driving seat for a place in the last eight.

 

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Ronaldo ready to return to his best against Schalke - Ancelotti

Cristiano Ronaldo has been struggling for goals in recent Real Madrid matches but Carlo Ancelotti is backing his forward to return to his best in their Champions League clash with Schalke on Wednesday.

The Portugal international was crowned the best player in football by Fifa last month, winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or, but he has gone three games in a row without scoring - his last goal for the Blancos coming on January 18.

Much of the pre-match talk has been on the form of Ronaldo, with Schalke boss Roberto Di Matteo acknowledging Madrid's main threat has looked out of sorts, but Ancelotti has faith that the forward will get on the scoresheet at the Veltins Arena this week.

"Ronaldo was good in the last game against Deportivo La Coruna," the Italian coach told reporters when asked about Ronaldo, who missed two games recently through suspension."He had good intensity in the last match. He's getting better, he just lacks goals. I believe that tomorrow against Schalke is a good opportunity to amend this."

Prior to defeating Deportivo, Real Madrid had suffered a shock thrashing at the hands of rivals Atletico in La Liga, and Ancelotti is eager to put that result behind them with a strong showing on Wednesday.

"This week is very important because, after having a result like we had against Atletico, if you don't have a fast reaction then it can affect you for the season," he continued.

"It's a great motivation to retain the trophy in the Champions League. We played Schalke last year with the dream of winning the Decima."This year we have the same aspirations. History says retaining this title is very difficult - almost impossible - but we will try.

"We have to enjoy this game and this round. We need to show intensity and have motivation. I'm confident because the team had a solid game on Sunday; we should do even better tomorrow."

Real Madrid's clash with Schalke kicks off at 20:45CET, with the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday March 10.

 

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Huntelaar 'itching' for revenge against Real Madrid

Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has admitted that is "itching" to return to action after nearly three weeks on the sidelines through suspension and is now hoping to take his frustration out on former employers Real Madrid.

The Netherlands international was hit with a four-game ban due to his dismissal for a reckless challenge on Manuel Schiemedach during his club's Bundesliga win over Hannover on January 31.

Huntelaar has been forced to sit out three consecutive Schalke outings and he will also be unavailable for Saturday's visit of Werder Bremen.However, the Dutchman is free to play in Europe, meaning he will lead the Schalke attack in Wednesday's Champions League last-16, first-leg meeting with Madrid.

"I'm itching to get going," Huntelaar told reporters. "I'm finally allowed to play again!"Schalke were routed 9-2 on aggregate by the same opponents at the same stage of last season's competition, after being humiliated 6-1 in the first leg in front of their own fans in Gelsenkirchen.

Huntelaar is thus hoping that the German outfit do not make the same mistakes this time around."We gave away the last home match against Real Madrid too easily," the striker added.

"We conceded too many goals through our own mistakes. We could have made it 1-1 and lost our heads when it was 3-1. We have to do things better this time.
"We want to be able to give the fans a decent result, but we'll have to take our chances if that's going to happen."

 

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Anelka: Pogba should join Chelsea or Madrid

Nicolas Anelka feels in-demand Juventus ace Paul Pogba should pick Chelsea or Real Madrid should he decide to leave Turin.

Pogba recently signed a new contract earlier this season, committing himself to the Italian champions until 2019, but his agent, Mino Raiolo, revealed last month that his client will not see the deal through, claiming that the 21-year-old will move on inside the next 18 months.

Chelsea and Real Madrid are believed to lead the race to sign a player who could fetch a fee of over €100 million and Anelka, who has played for all three clubs involved in this particular transfer saga, feels his compatriot would be best served by a switch to Stamford Bridge."My preference is Chelsea, who have really big players and [owner Roman] Abramovich's financial power, or Real Madrid, who are one of the biggest clubs in the world - if not the biggest," the 35-year-old told France Football.

"And I can see him doing well there, with regards to his playing style and the coach there. Carlo Ancelotti would get a lot out of him."In his head, Paul will already know clubs that he wants to play for."

Anelka lifted the Champions League with Madrid at the end of his one and only season in Spain, in 2000, and claimed an English title and two FA Cups over the course of his four-year stay at Chelsea between 2008 and 2012.

 

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Manchester United sweating on Di Maria fitness

Manchester United are sweating on the fitness of Angel Di Maria ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Swansea.

The Argentina international suffered an injury during Tuesday's training session at Carrington, with initial fears of a recurrence of a pelvis concern suffered over the festive period.

Di Maria missed three games after a similar breakdown at Christmas and his involvement against Swansea, whom beat United on the opening day of the season, is now in doubt.

The winger impressed during the early stages of the campaign, with three goals and four assists in his opening six games, but has struggled since with one goal in his last 16 games.

Di Maria's possible setback adds to Louis van Gaal's fitness woes, with Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie also all currently sidelined.

 

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Di Matteo: Stellar Ronaldo not shining as brightly as usual

Roberto Di Matteo has claimed that "stellar" Cristiano Ronaldo is not shining as brightly as usual ahead of Schalke's Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid - but added that the forward is still capable of deciding Tuesday's first-leg encounter singlehandedly.

Ronaldo claimed his second consecutive Fifa Ballon d'Or after a fantastic 2014 in which he fired Los Blancos to Champions League glory, as well as breaking a succession of goalscoring records, both in Europe and Spain, over the course of the year.

However, the Portugal international's current form and conduct are currently topics of debate, with the forward having gone three games without finding the net in La Liga, and his decision to go ahead with his 30th birthday party celebrations just hours after a humiliating 4-0 loss at Atletico, which upset some fans.

Di Matteo acknowledges that there has been a minor dip in Ronaldo's performance level, but the Schalke boss insists that he will not be underestimating the threat posed by the Blancos ace at the Veltins-Arena."Cristiano is a phenomenal player who is always capable of deciding a match on his own," the Italian coach told reporters on Tuesday."Even if his form is not as stellar as usual, he can still win the game by himself."

Despite Ronaldo's relatively sub-standard performances of late, Madrid are widely expected to sweep Schalke aside, just as they did at the same stage last season, when they routed the Bundesliga outfit 9-2 on aggregate.However, Di Matteo insists that his players believe that they can upset the reigning champions of Europe.

"Our goal going into the match is to come away with a win," the former Italy international added. "We want to exploit the few weaknesses in Real Madrid's game."Of course they are the favourites. They are the holders, but still, we are out to win.

"It will be a test to see how far we've come in the last weeks and months."
Di Matteo succeeded Jens Keller as Schalke boss last October and the Gelsenkirchen outfit currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga.

 

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Barcelona face punishment for 'Ronaldo is a drunk' chants

Barcelona and their supporters face punishment after they were reported on Tuesday for repeated derogatory chants against Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo during Sunday's 5-0 win over Levante at Camp Nou.

According to a report compiled by Spain's Professional Football League authority (LFP), supporters in the south stand at Camp Nou repeatedly chanted "He is a drunk, Cristiano is a drunk!" in the 65th minute of the game, in reference to the Portuguese's controversial celebration of his 30th birthday the previous Saturday in Madrid.

"A group of approximately 200 people identified with scarves, banners and flags from supporters' groups of the local club and in particular, the group known as ALMOGAVERS, located behind the banner identifying that group, started singing the following song: "He is a drunk, Cristiano is a drunk!," the LFP revealed in a statement on their website, adding that the chant was carried out "repeatedly" and "exclusively" by those fans while others were well-behaved.

The details of the report, which also cites abusive chanting in the Sevilla-Cordoba and Albacete-Betis clashes, have been passed on to Anti-violence and Competition Committees, which could choose to fine both Barca and the fans in question for their behaviour on Sunday.

Ronaldo has long insisted he does not drink alcohol, but was pictured looking worse for wear at his birthday party on February 7, just hours after Madrid had lost 4-0 to Atletico in a disappointing derby defeat at the Vicente Calderon.

For their part, the Almogavers supporters' group denied they had started singing the song on Sunday.

"Our Penya, as a group, did not initiate the chant," they said in a statement. "That is against our nature."

 

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Schalke will want revenge - Casillas

Iker Casillas believes Schalke will want revenge for their thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid in last season's Champions League when the sides meet again on Wednesday.The Santiago Bernabeu side claimed a 9-2 aggregate victory over Schalke in last year's round of 16 on their way to lifting the trophy.

However, Casillas is not expecting an easy ride this time around against the Bundesliga's fourth-placed side."It will be very difficult," the Madrid goalkeeper told the Uefa website. "The atmosphere in Germany will be very intense.

"They are aware that they have an opportunity to get revenge and we expect a tough game. The fact that we faced them last year does not benefit us. If anything, it gives them an advantage.

"It would be a mistake to think that playing in Gelsenkirchen will be easy and that we'll repeat what happened last year."Quite the opposite: we have to be careful and go there with humility. It will be a very tough tie."

Ahead of the trip to Germany, Casillas praised the way one of Madrid's own German stars, Toni Kroos, has settled into the club."This season, some players who were important to our style of play left the club," he added.

"Others arrived and have become key elements of the team, like James [Rodriguez] or Toni Kroos. The statistics are there to see and demonstrate that.
"Kroos feels very comfortable with the ball. He looks to move it, pass it quickly from right to left.""He's quick and young. He has being playing to a top level for a long time, so I think that Real Madrid were right to sign him, above all when you take into account his age.

"He has already shown that he can be key in the midfield."

 

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Van Persie will be back for Swansea clash, confirms Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal has confirmed Robin van Persie will return to the Manchester United squad for Saturday’s Premier League match against Swansea.

The Netherlands striker missed Monday’s FA Cup fifth round win over Preston with an unspecified injury but is likely to retain his place at the weekend after Radamel Falcao again struggled to make an impact.

"Yes, he shall be fit,” confirmed Van Gaal when asked about the availability of Van Persie ahead of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

Falcao, meanwhile, has scored just four goals in 19 appearances since joining on loan from Monaco and cut a disconsolate figure when he was withdrawn on the hour mark against League One opposition with his side still trailing.

Van Persie himself has struggled for top form during a campaign which has regularly been interrupted by injury but is the only United player to have reached double figures in terms of goals so far this season.

Goals from Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney eventually saw United overcome Preston at Deepdale and set-up a quarter-final clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford next month.

 

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Thai investor Taechaubol makes €1 billion Milan bid

Thai investor Bee Taechaubol has tabled an offer worth close to €1 billion to acquire a majority stake in AC Milan.

Club president Silvio Berlusconi's holding company, Fininvest, stated on Monday they had held no talks with any potential investors and categorically denied they are ready to sell the club.

But, Taechaubol has claimed he made an official offer and even went on to predict that the deal could be completed as early as March."The reports are all true. I have presented an offer to acquire a majority stake in AC Milan," the Thai investor told Bangkok Post."My offer has an overall value of just under €1bn.

"The deal could come into effect by October. I'm now awaiting a response from Berlusconi. I am ready to close the deal by the end of the month."Taechaubol then went on to stress that he has already outlined his plans to the Milan president and is confident of conquering the Asian market.

"I have presented a clear development project with a detailed plan for each major city in Asia. I am convinced the brand 'AC Milan' has a tremendous value in a market where we want to strengthen our position," he added to La Repubblica.
"My proposal is serious and solid. Talks with Berlusconi were very serene and quite pleasant."

Taechaubol would become the second Asian businessman to take charge of one of Serie A's top clubs after Indonesian investor Erick Thohir previously acquired Inter.

 

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Dortmund set to open Gundogan talks

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed the Bundesliga side are ready to open contract talks with Ilkay Gundogan.

The Germany international's existing deal is due to expire in the summer of 2016 and clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been linked with the midfielder over the past few years.

Nevertheless, Dortmund are keen to hold on to the 24-year-old beyond the length of his current contract and will start negotiations shortly."[Sporting director] Michael Zorc will certainly look into a potential renewal for Gundogan in the next few weeks," Watzke was quoted as saying by Sport Bild.

A new deal for Gundogan would be a further boost to Dortmund after Marco Reus signed a contract extension last week. The winger put pen to paper on a new deal until 2019 despite interest from several major clubs - although his team-mate is yet to commit his future to BVB."I cannot say anything about it at the moment. But I am very happy that Marco Reus has signed a new deal," he commented on a potential new deal.

Gundogan joined Dortmund from Nurnberg in the summer of 2011 but missed the majority of the 2013-14 campaign with a back injury before finally returning to the fold this term, making 11 Bundesliga appearances so far in 2014-15.

 

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Dybala too expensive for Serie A clubs, warns Palermo chief

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has claimed Pablo Dybala is too expensive for their Serie A rivals, in a boost for Premier League suitors Manchester City.

Goal understands Dybala has been earmarked as a key summer target by the English club, who will look to heavily reinvest in their squad with a view to boosting their forward options.

Dybala, who is currently enjoying a breakthrough campaign and has been scouted by a number of Premier League clubs, has already declared it a "dream" of his to join City.

"When I play with the PlayStation, I always choose Barcelona or Manchester City," he told Guerin Sportivo earlier this month. "I dream to play one day with one of those clubs."

Napoli have been among a string of Italian clubs to have been linked with the 21-year-old but Zamparini, who has previously stated his relationship with the player has deteriorated and expects him to leave next summer for around €40 million, insists it would be impossible for another Italian club to afford him.

"Paulo Dybala, although very young is one of the best strikers in the world," Zamparini said. "His future? The problem is not the boy but his agents. I am sorry for this. I've been to London and I have received calls from all over Europe.

"I would be happy Napoli bought him, but I don't think he is within their reach. Dybala is out of reach of all Italian companies."

Dybala was retained last summer as Zamparini sold Abel Hernandez and Kyle Lafferty, the stars of their succesful team which earned promotion from Serie B, and has since become an iconic figure for the club.

He has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 22 league matches this season, attracting interest from a number of high-profile clubs in the process.

After powering to the title last season, scoring 102 goals in the process, City have struggled offensively by comparison this time around, averaging just over two goals a game.

Wilfried Bony was brought to the north west during the winter transfer window for around €36m after Alvaro Negredo was sent to Valencia on loan last summer following just one season at the Etihad Stadium.

Stevan Jovetic, a €30m purchase in 2013, and Edin Dzeko, brought in for €37m in early 2011, will both be moved on this summer in a bid to recoup around €61m in transfer fees and free up around €270,000 per week in wages in a bid to help the club rejuvenate their forward line.

 

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Abidal snubs Barcelona for Olympiakos

Eric Abidal says he turned down two job offers from Barcelona before taking up a part-time role with Olympiakos.

The former defender, who retired in December after playing 10 games for the Greek club, had previously won two Champions League titles with the Blaugrana during a six-year spell in Catalunya.

And the 35-year-old admits he was invited to take up two different behind-the-scenes roles at Barcelona before agreeing to work for the Greek champions, one working within the club’s youth set-up and another as an intermediary between the first-team squad and the board.

"Lionel Messi knows the president , there's no need for me to go and see him on his behalf," Abidal told France Football. "And the first option wouldn't have left me much time to dedicate to my foundation work, whereas the Olympiakos job will."

The ex-France international was diagnosed with a tumour in his liver in 2011 and was immediately entered for surgery, and his Eric Abidal Foundation remains a huge priority for him as a result."My new job is not a job where you are on call 24 hours a day," he added.

"I recently visited one of Olympiakos' sponsors in Switzerland and I took advantage of that trip to do some work with my foundation, too. They have said that I only need to be in Athens four days a month which is ideal for me."Abidal also played for Monaco, Lille and Lyon during a career which saw him earn 67 caps for his country.

 

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Gotze frustrated at Bayern's tame attack

Mario Gotze has admitted his frustration at Bayern Munich's inability to score an away goal in their 0-0 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

The German side were huge favourites going into the Champions League round-of-16 first leg but failed to breach the Ukrainians' defence and also had Xabi Alonso sent off midway through the second half for two bookable offences.

Former Borussia Dortmund playmaker Gotze expressed disappointment that his side were unable to fashion more goalscoring chances from their superiority on the ball.

"We had some problems in attack today," Gotze told Sky TV after the match. "We weren't able to play as we expected. "We still have the return leg and we must give everything we have. This is the Champions League, where small details can be decisive.

"We really wanted to score a goal here. That would have been very important. Now we must try to win it at home in the return leg."

Sporting director Matthias Sammer added his own concern at the missed opportunity in Lviv, stressing the precarious nature of needing to win the home leg at Allianz Arena on March 11."The result is quite dangerous," he admitted. "A goalless draw is always a problem."Actually it sounds good, but it isn't easy.

"We were far from our best and we have to improve in the coming weeks."
Bayern return to action on Saturday when they travel to Paderborn in the Bundesliga.

 

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We'll need to boss Chelsea in second leg - Blanc

Laurent Blanc has admitted his Paris Saint-Germain side will have to take the game to Chelsea in their second-leg clash if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Tuesday's first leg in Paris finished 1-1 after Edinson Cavani cancelled out Branislav Ivanovic's opener, leaving Jose Mourinho's side with the advantage of an away goal ahead of the return fixture on March 11.And PSG coach Blanc says his team will need to be at their very best if they are to avoid a second successive exit to the Blues after last season’s quarter-final reverse.

"In the return leg we will have to dictate the play and defend intelligently and with focus," the former France international conceded to Canal Plus after the match.

Blanc went on to praise €50 million man David Luiz, who was pushed into midfield from his more familiar role in the back-line against his former club."David Luiz played with great concentration, just like the whole team did tonight," he added.

"Jose Mourinho and I know each other very well, and afterwards we talked about our respective objectives this season. He told me, without mischief, that we can still win every competition this year!"