..::Football III::..

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Pele: It's time for Australia to host the World Cup

Brazil legend Pele says "now is the time" for Australia to host the Fifa World Cup.
The Socceroos only secured one of a possible 22 votes as Qatar controversially won the right to host the 2022 tournament to become the first Gulf state to stage the showpiece event.

The fallout from the controversial bidding process has been widespread, with concerns raised over a lack of transparency in voting and heavy criticism directed at Qatar over its treatment of migrant construction workers.

There are also concerns surrounding player welfare due to the excessive heat in Qatar, which has prompted a recommendation from Fifa to play the World Cup in November with the final on December 23.

The governing body's proposal to shift the tournament from the northern hemisphere's summer has sparked uproar and with that in mind, Pele - arguably the greatest ever player - feels Australia is ready to stage a World Cup.

"No doubt [Australia can host a World Cup]. I remember when I was in Australia a long time ago people already mentioned about Australia hosting the World Cup," Pele told Perform.

"Now is the time, no doubt. The way to prepare for that is to have good players, (a) good team and have some players play outside of Australia."I think no doubt Australia could host the World Cup."

Pele's comments come after Fifa president Sepp Blatter recently wrote a column in the governing body's weekly magazine stating that Australia "deserved" to host the showpiece tournament at some stage.

"Australia is the only continent never to have hosted the World Cup finals, although the 1981 and 1993 Under-20 World Cups took place there," Blatter wrote."That is basically an unfortunate omission in sporting history because very few countries boast such a rich sporting culture and long list of champions.

"So we can say with confidence that it would be more than deserved if Australia were to stage the World Cup at some point."

 

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Schalke want to buy Nastasic

Schalke are interested in signing on-loan defender Matija Nastasic on a permanent deal, according to the club's general manager Horst Heldt.Manchester City's Serbia international was sent on loan to the Bundesliga club in January in a deal that expires at the end of the season.But Schalke – who are fifth in the league – would like to see Nastasic extend his stay.

"There is an option to buy Matija Nastasic, that comes into force after a certain amount of minutes he's played and Nastasic's first weeks in general," Heldt said.
"I always confirmed, and I do so now, is that we have an option to buy, but this option is conditioned on several situations which must arise. That is a good paraphrase.

"I can confirm that it is connected to situations which must arise. I don't want to narrow it down that it is just connected on appearances, but they are a subject."Schalke's rise in the league came after a very slow start to the season, one that led to Roberto Di Matteo replacing Jens Keller at the helm.

Heldt has lauded the Italian for the changes he has made, saying he has simply worked to his side's strengths."We conceded too many goals too easy in the past. And you cannot always score more goals than you conceded," he said."And that is why the approach was to stabilise the defence, to strengthen the organisation.

"These are two main topics we worked intensely on and which are crowned with success meanwhile, because we conceded less goals in comparison to the matches before."Our offensive potential has definitively suffered. But it is also explainable why it has suffered.

"The main topic is that we have to battle with a lot of long-time injuries up front, which could make the difference, which could be creative, which could also make surprising moments.

"When Julian Draxler is out for several weeks, this is a problem for us. When Jefferson Farfan cannot play from start of the season on, this is a problem for us. When Leon Goretzka is out from start of the season on, this is a problem."

 

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Koeman relieved with Southampton win

Ronald Koeman conceded Southampton were not at their best against Crystal Palace, but was relieved to come away with all three points.

Koeman's side had not won, or scored, in their previous three Premier League outings, and it looked as though they were heading for a stalemate at St Mary's on Tuesday.

That was until Sadio Mane took advantage of Julian Speroni's spill to coolly clip home a finish with seven minutes remaining and send Southampton up to fifth.

"We didn't have that total confidence against Palace, who were very organised," Koeman told BBC Sport.

"It was tough to create and score. It wasn't the best game we have played this season, we were more lucky than in the last few weeks but they [Southampton's players] deserved this result.

"It's not easy when you are struggling as a football player, I know that. Finally, it is three points that makes the situation a little more comfortable.

"It was a crucial game to win today, now we have 10 days until the Chelsea game and it makes the situation a lot more comfortable and I hope they will get total confidence back and play like we did before."

 

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Klopp: I thought Reus had a broken leg

Jurgen Klopp admitted he thought Marco Reus had broken his leg after watching him get carried off the pitch in the first half of Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 DFB-Pokal win over Dynamo Dresden.

Ciro Immobile scored twice in the second half to send BVB into the quarter-finals of the competition, but only after a worrying episode had unfolded earlier in the game.

Dortmund's star man, Reus, was left slumped on the floor following a tackle from Dennis Erdmann, which the referee decided wasn't a foul, but a further examination revealed he had suffered only bruising to his knee.

However, Klopp cut an angry figure after the game and spoke of his frustrations with the officials and his own medical staff."If it is really just a bruise with Marco, this has been a good night," he said to Sky.

"I looked so angry because everybody looked at me like he had a broken leg. I am a simple person and if everybody looks at me like his leg is broken, I believe that.
"I hope next time they will inform me sooner when it is just a bruise."

On the tackle itself from Erdmann, Klopp added: "I already said this before - you do not do things like that. Look, the ball is far away, Marco wants to pass Erdmann and he hits his knee into his thigh. It was totally unnecessary.

"There was a similar situation with Hefele, where he elbowed Ciro Immobile and that led to a cut. That wasn't penalised either. But if Marco just has a bruise, we can be happy in the end.

"It was a really difficult game. The opponents made it difficult for us and the pitch was in a bad condition but ultimately we have won and we are in the next round."
The victory extends Dortmund's winning run to five domestic games, with the Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat to Juventus their only recent setback.

 

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Mourinho: Cech leaving Chelsea? He would cost huge money

Chelsea manager Jose Mourino says it will take "huge money" to prise Petr Cech away from Chelsea.

The goalkeeper joined the club from Rennes in 2004, and has since won 12 major titles including the Premier League three times and one Champions League crown.

This season has seen Cech usurped as Chelsea's first-choice keeper by Thibaut Courtois - with the former only making five league appearances this season - but Mourinho is not prepared to sell him on the cheap.

"He will make his decision," Mourinho told reporters. "He's very mature to make what he feels is the best decision for him and the best decision for his future.

"I will just wait. I would like him very much to stay. I don't waste my time trying to persuade him, because I know nobody can persuade him.

"If he tells me he wants to leave, I will tell him my opinion and my opinion is [that Cech is] one of the three best goalkeepers in the world. Huge money."

 

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Van Gaal will win trophies with Man United - Janmaat

Newcastle right-back Daryl Janmaat believes that Louis van Gaal will win trophies with Manchester United if given time.

The defender was part of Van Gaal's Netherlands squad at World Cup 2014, as the Oranje secured a third-place finish.

He has the utmost respect for his former national coach and is looking forward to facing the Red Devils at St James's Park on Wednesday.

"I think they have a great team, with some fantastic players," Janmaat told the Shields Gazette of the Magpies' opponents.

"Also, Van Gaal is fantastic. He just needs a little bit of time. He is still fairly new there, and once he gets that time, I am sure he will win prizes for Manchester United.

"He is a fantastic trainer and he has had a magnificent career. I have been very fortunate to work with him and I cannot say a bad word about him. He is one of the best trainers I have ever worked with and, if you see how he works tactically, it is great.

"He always seems to know what to do to win a game."

The two sides last met in December, when Papiss Cisse's penalty offered scant consolation in a 3-1 defeat for Newcastle.

 

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Strootman: I'm on course for Roma return

Kevin Strootman has dismissed reports that he may never play again following a second knee operation to rectify the torn ligament problem he suffered in 2014.

The Netherlands international missed the end of Roma's season and the World Cup due to the anterior cruciate ligament injury, but made his first-team comeback in November.After seven appearances in all competitions the 24-year-old endured another setback during Roma's 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on January 25.

Further surgery was required to rectify the problem, leading to reports that he may struggle to play regularly again, something he rejected on Tuesday."Contrary to reports in the media I am back in training and working hard on my comeback," he posted on his official Twitter account.

"Please don't believe people who have never seen me in their lives, but just follow the social pages of me and AS Roma where we will keep you updated on my progress.

"Just for the record, I'm right on schedule to be back when preseason starts."

 

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Real Madrid and Liverpool want Vietto - agent

Real Madrid and Liverpool are leading a long line of European teams interested in Villarreal star Luciano Vietto, according to his agent.

The 21-year-old attacker has been in fine form for the Yellow Submarine this term, scoring 11 Liga goals so far and a further seven in the Europa League.

The Argentine's bright season has seen him attract a lot of interest from clubs in England, Spain and Germany, with his representative admitting he could make a move at the end of the current campaign."We know that many powerful clubs are following Luciano Vietto," he told reporters.

"There is great competition to sign him. He can sign for Liverpool because we know he likes the set up there, there is also Real Madrid and I think two German teams."I think he could leave Villarreal end of the season."

Vietto joined Villarreal from Racing Club last summer and is the club's top goalscorer this season,

 

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Van Gaal: I have no complaints with Di Maria

Louis van Gaal has spoken out in defence of Angel Di Maria, insisting the Manchester United attacker is on the road to adapting to the Premier League.

The Argentine was substituted at half-time against Sunderland on Saturday after a below-par display, with the Red Devils going on to win the match 2-0 in his absence thanks to a double from Wayne Rooney.

Van Gaal, though, believes it was just an off-day for the former Real Madrid star and is confident he will start to show his quality, beginning against Newcastle on Wednesday evening.

"Every player can have that kind of match – Di Maria is not the only player who has suffered a bad day," the Dutchman told MUTV.

"He can be the best player in the world in the next match, so I think everything is going well. He trained very well and I don’t think there is any problem.

"I have already explained that the higher rhythm of the Premier League is one of the most important aspects but he also has to adapt to a new culture, a new environment and that is not always easy.

"I think it counts for all the players that we have bought, the first season is always difficult. I have explained that in the press conference after the match and can see it in every player we have got. Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Falcao and also Di Maria.

"For me it is not a big surprise, it is more a big surprise when he adapts as quickly as possible. And also in the Netherlands or in Spain or in Germany I had the same experience with players, so we have to give him time, what I have already said, not only to Di Maria but all the players. We wait and see."

Di Maria's home was burgled earlier in the season and, according to reports, he subsequently moved into a hotel along with his wife and children.

Van Gaal, though, has played down the possibility that the break-in is still affecting the Argentine.

"It is easy to say that. I cannot prove that," he added. "It is not scientifically proven, and I don't want to speak about things that I cannot say."

But Van Gaal admits he can do little to improve Di Maria's performances, revealing that form is "dependant on the individual", but he expects the former Real Madrid winger to have fully adjusted to England's top-flight after 12 months.

"You have to manage so many aspects, and not only aspects of the game, of the match, but also of the culture in the country. You cannot give a general answer to that but the general answer is one year."

 

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Luis Enrique: Barca on course for the treble

Luis Enrique says Barcelona are on course to win a domestic and European treble this season.Barca take on Villarreal in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi final on Tuesday, taking a 3-1 lead into the clash from the first match.

The Catalan side are also two points behind Real Madrid in La Liga and have a 2-0 lead over Manchester City heading into the return game of their Champions League second round tie.And the coach is sure his team can win every competition this season.

"The objective is always to win," he told reporters. "We want to win all the matches and at the end of the season we want to have chance to win every title, we are on course, our objective is to achieve the best possible results."

Villarreal are currently sixth in the league and are fresh off of a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid and Luis Enrique insists his side must go out to attack them on Wednesday."Villarreal are one of the best teams in the league and I'm sure we'll see the most attacking version of them during this game.

"They have resources to make it hard for any team, their potential is there, nobody can deny that. We need a strong performance and we must be superior to them.
"Scoring a goal is very important for us but the objective is to win the match. We need the ball even to defend, that's our objective, having the ball and having it as far as possible from our goal as possible."The coach has denied that his side are too reliant on their front three of Luis Suarez, Messi and Neymar.

"The strikers need the midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers, my objective is to have everything work in all the aspects."

 

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Guardiola: I'm not leaving Bayern to join Man City

Pep Guardiola has no intention of leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2014-15 campaign amid rumours linking him with a move to Manchester City.

The 44-year-old's contract with the Bundesliga champions runs until the summer of 2016, but negotiations over an extension have been put on hold until the summer, fuelling speculation about a potential exit.

Nevertheless, Guardiola has made it clear that he is keen to stay at Bayern for the foreseeable future and has not been in touch with any other clubs.

"Manchester City? I did not receive any offers and I am not waiting for them. I hope to stay at Bayern Munich for a long time," Guardiola said at a press conference."I have a contract with this wonderful club and aim to fulfil that. I have not received any offers.

"We'll sit down in the summer and talk. I am very happy here and this is a extraordinary club Guardiola joined Bayern ahead of the 2013-14 campaign and guided them to the domestic double as well as the European Supercup and Club World Cup in his first season in charge of the Allianz Arena side.

The Bavarians currently sit atop of the Bundesliga table, while they are still in the race to win the Champions League and DFB Pokal, too, as Guardiola aims to emulate Jupp Heynckes and guide Bayern to the treble.

 

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Townsend: No excuses for Tottenham in top-four bid

Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend has warned his team-mates that there can be "no excuses" as the club attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

Having lost the League Cup final to Chelsea and been eliminated from the Europa League by Fiorentina over the past week, Tottenham's sole focus for the remainder of the season is the Premier League, with Mauricio Pochettino's men left with 12 fixtures to rise from seventh into the top four.

Spurs sit six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, although the north Londoners have a game in hand, and Townsend has urged his team-mates to take advantage of their light schedule.

"We're out of two competitions but that just makes us more hungry to fight for fourth place in the Premier League," Townsend said.

"It's all to play for and there's no excuses about the schedule, Thursday-Sunday, any more," he said. "It's just straight weekend games until the end of the season and, hopefully, we'll be good enough to get fourth place.

"The schedule gives us a focus, a chance to train a bit more and come into games fresher, and prove whether we're good enough to finish in the top four."

Like Tottenham, sixth-placed Southampton have no other responsibilities outside the Premier League, although Liverpool and United remain in the FA Cup.

Chelsea defeated Tottenham 2-0 in the at Wembley on Sunday and, while Townsend was disappointed, he insists Pochettino's men will have many more chances to win trophies in the coming years.

"We're a relatively young and inexperienced team and our confidence was booming ahead of the final, so we were extremely disappointed to lose, but this side will have many occasions to play in finals," Townsend said.

"We went toe to toe with one of the best teams in European football, having beaten them in the league a few months ago. Hopefully that was just the start.

"We'll only get better. We're on the beginning of our journey and, hopefully, we can lift a trophy in a few years' time."

 

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I want to return to Chelsea one day, says Thorgan Hazard

Thorgan Hazard admits he dreams of returning to Chelsea in future, despite only recently sealing a permanent move to Borussia Monchengladbach.

The 21-year-old made his loan deal with the Bundesliga club permanent at the end of February, signing a deal until 2020, though Chelsea announced that they had retained a buy-back clause in the midfielder’s contract.

And Hazard – the younger brother of current Blues star Eden – admits he is desperate to return to Stamford Bridge, but has vowed to prove his worth at Borussia-Park first.

“Now I’ve signed here I’m only focused on Monchengladbach. After this, playing at Chelsea remains a goal,” he told Le Figaro. “I hope that, in a few years, I can return and play there.

“First, I want to have a big season in a major league. I’ve not done that yet. I hope that, in a few years, I can have accomplished that. But for now, I’m only focused on Monchengladbach.

“If, one day, I want to play at Chelsea again I better play well. But first, I need to help the team achieve our goals.”

Hazard has scored five goals and made eight assists in 30 appearances in all competitions this season.

 

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Matic edging closer to bumper Chelsea deal

Chelsea are close to finalising a new deal for midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Talks between Matic's representatives and Chelsea began back in November and a deal is now edging closer to completion.

The Serb is set to secure a bumper pay rise, earning in excess of €135,000 per week, having impressed hugely since returning to Stamford Bridge from Benfica last January.

His importance to the Chelsea cause has been highlighted in recent months in particular. Blues boss Jose Mourinho hailed him as a "giant" at the back end of last year, before the midfielder's influence was magnified in December as the club lost their first match of the season at Newcastle when he was suspended.

Mourinho has fiercely defended him in recent weeks, too, not least when he was sent off for shoving Ashley Barnes at Stamford Bridge in retaliation for a shin-high challenge by the Burnley man.

That earned him a three-match ban, later reduced to two by the Football Association, ruling him out of Sunday's League Cup final victory against Tottenham.

Mourinho worked on a contingency plan to replace Matic at Wembley, deploying Kurt Zouma in a holding role for the first time in his Blues career, and the former Benfica man gave a pre-match speech as he had done at Anfield earlier in the season.

"The boy was sad, we were sad for him," Mourinho said. "He made the speech in the dressing room where he expressed his pain and asked the players to have the pleasure he couldn’t have."

Matic's current deal is due to run until 2019 and he is set to extend it by an additional 12 months.

 

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Barclays Premier League 2015.03.04 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2015.03.04 Fixtures

Manchester City Vs Leicester

Newcastle United Vs Manchester United

QPR Vs Arsenal

Stoke City Vs Everton

Tottenham Vs Swansea

West Ham Vs Chelsea

Liverpool Vs Burnley

​

 

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Copa Del Rey 2nd Leg Fixtures 2015.03.04

Copa Del Rey 2nd Leg Fixtures 2015.03.04

(AGG)
1-3
Villareal Vs Barcelona

(AGG)
1-1
Espanyol Vs Athletic Bilbao​

 

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Coppa Italia Fixture 2015.03.04

Coppa Italia Fixture 2015.03.04

Lazio Vs Napoli​

 

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Iturbe: Roma rut won't go on any longer

The Argentine attacker is hopeful Rudi Garcia's men will soon turn results around, while also taking the time to praise compatriot Paulo Dybala
Juan Manuel Iturbe is confident Roma will soon overcome their recent struggles and can return to winning ways.The Stadio Olimpico side have won just one out of their last eight Serie A encounters, drawing the remaining seven matches, yet Iturbe has little doubt they will soon be back to their best.


"Roma are still a strong team and we must keep believing in ourselves," the summer signing told La Gazzetta dello Sport."We always go out to win. We have a huge drive to do well and be successful."Of course, Roma have not been in great form, but I am confident we will soon improve. We have several players who can be decisive."


Roma's disappointing run of form has seen them fall seven points behind reigning champions and current Serie A leaders Juventus in the table.Iturbe, 21, also briefly discussed Palermo striker Paulo Dybala, who has been linked with a move to Roma, Barcelona and several other clubs.


"Paulo is a very strong player," he added. "We will have to wait and see for which club he will play next season."

 

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I might not retire in 2018 after all - Lahm

Philipp Lahm has exclusively revealed he may renege on his claim that he will retire from football in 2018.


The Bayern Munich captain, who quit international football after winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014, claimed upon signing a new four-year deal with his club side last summer that it would be the last contract of his career.
But now Lahm has conceded that he may not turn his back on the game in three years' time after all.


"When I signed my renewal I stated that this would probably be my last contract as an active football player," Lahm told Goal. "But I can’t exclude that I will say in 2018: ‘I am feeling well, I am fit, I want to play one more year.’ That may be possible.


"At the same time, I know that I will be 34 years old and we’re not talking about some random club, but FC Bayern: a club which wants to be the best in all competitions. To be able to still perform strong permanently under these circumstances won't be easy."


Bayern have faced criticism recently - with coach Pep Guardiola’s style of play attacked following the 4-1 Bundesliga defeat to Wolfsburg - but Lahm insists that the ex-Barcelona boss’ approach is not a risky strategy.


"These discussions are completely unnecessary," he insisted. "For the first 17 matchdays and in the entirety of last season we were praised for how we played."The system has worked very well for over 18 months now, and there have been only slight exceptions.


"We only have problems if not everybody sticks to the plan we agreed beforehand. And if this happens to several players, things like the Wolfsburg game happen."I don’t think we take that many risks. Of course we could stay at the back and wait, but that would not be fun. You would rather have the ball than run after it.


"But our main strength over the last 18 months has been the way we win the ball back. In the matches immediately after the winter break we had lost a little of this quality."The Bavarians remain one of the favourites to win this season’s Champions League, but the 31-year-old utility man is sure his side will be challenged by familiar foes in Europe.


"Real Madrid may have lost 4-0 to Atletico recently but they still look to be going really well, especially in the Champions League. And then there are the usual suspects: Barcelona are always dangerous and so are Chelsea as the Premier League leaders. Those teams are the big guns."


Lahm is still basking in the achievement of leading Germany to their fourth World Cup victory last July and says that the night they won the trophy in Rio de Janeiro was the best of his career.“My first thought after the final whistle was: ‘Finally it’s over’. We waited for the final whistle so badly. The following hour-and-a-half were probably the best in my life as a football player.


"When you get to celebrate with the fans, hug everybody and then go up there, get your medal and lift the World Cup aloft at the Maracana, that is very special."

 

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Pochettino begs England Under-21s to ignore Kane

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has publicly pleaded for Harry Kane to be ignored for England's European Under-21 Championship finals campaign.

Kane has enjoyed a superb season at White Hart Lane, scoring 24 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, and has subsequently been tipped for a place in Roy Hodgson's senior side.

The striker had been expected to take part in the youth tournament in June, too, but Spurs are now set to open talks with the Football Association (FA) as they look to shelter the 21-year-old for their own efforts only.

"Maybe I would prefer that Harry has a month's holiday after the season to rest and recover his body and mind," Pochettino told BBC Sport. "We need to arrive at a deal with the player and the FA.

"This is my opinion but I realise we need to support the national team and to take the best decision for us all. This is our concern - he is our player.

"The FA need the player to play but at the same time they are concerned about the development of their own young talent.