..::Football III::..

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Southampton form no surprise, says Tadic

Dusan Tadic says Southampton's success in the Premier League has not come as a surprise to the south-coast club.

The Serbian midfielder joined Saints last summer at a time when many pundits were tipping Ronald Koeman's side for relegation as the likes of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw all moved on.

However, Southampton currently sit sixth on 53 points, one behind fifth-placed Liverpool and six adrift of Manchester United, who occupy the final Champions League spot.

And Tadic, who has scored against United, Arsenal, Chelsea in 2015, says the club's achievements have not come as a shock.

"We believe in our qualities, but maybe some other people and fans were surprised because they didn't know me and some other players and also the coach," the Serbia international told Perform.

"For them it was maybe a surprise but for us it wasn't a big surprise. Everyone thought Southampton were going to fall down the table, and we were always there."

Tadic previously plied his trade in the Eredivisie and describes the Premier League as "more powerful" than the Dutch top-flight.

"It's different to Holland where I used to play. It's more powerful football, more about strength. It's nice.

"It's one of the most difficult leagues in the world."

Tadic said that physical aspect of the game did not disappear when he faced his countrymen and international colleagues, such as Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.

"We are really good friends and we have played for the national team for a long time," Tadic said of Ivanovic.

"But when we go out on the pitch we say to each other, 'Kill me if you can'.

"Who's going to be better, who's going to win. I think this is normal as we are professionals."

 

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'English clubs want Dybala and Iturbe'

Paulo Dybala's representative has claimed that an English club has made an offer for the Palermo star.

The Argentine has been heavily linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, with club chairman Maurizio Zamparini claiming the Gunners had tabled a bid, though this was later rejected by Arsene Wenger.

Yet Gustavo Mascardi, Dybala's agent, says a Premier League outfit has been in contact with him.

"There are so many good offers, the boy may have an important future", Mascardi told Gazzetta TV.

"There are few talented players like him. Abroad, there are major deals, in particular with an English club. In Italy, there are two or three interested sides.
"If he remains in Italy it is good and can be smart for everyone. Napoli? I would love to do something with president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis. I consider him one of the best presidents."

Juan Iturbe is another player represented by Mascardi who could be on his way to the Premier League this summer.

"Iturbe is a champion who has had a difficult season due to injury," he added.

"It was not well understood by the technical staff and that did not give him confidence. Will he leave? There are very good proposals from England for him. We'll see what Iturbe and Roma decide."

 

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PR disaster Sterling a disgrace - Carragher

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has labelled the behaviour of Raheem Sterling and his agent "a disgrace" after the England forward openly discussed his contract situation.

Sterling confirmed he had turned down a new deal at Anfield worth €137,000 a week and described links with Arsenal as "quite flattering" in a BBC interview aired on Wednesday.

That prompted an angry response from Carragher, who labelled Sterling's decision to go public with his feelings as "a PR disaster" and criticised the 20-year-old for a "woefully misjudged interview".
Addressing Sterling's assertion that he was attempting to "kill off the stories and change how I am perceived," Carragher - writing for the Daily Mail - said: "They [Sterling and his advisers] couldn't have got that more wrong.

"Jordan Henderson, don't forget, is in a similar contractual position, but the differences between their situations is enormous. Jordan has played as well, if not better, than at any time in his career this season.

"He will be out of contract in 12 months' time but, as negotiations continue, you are not hearing anyone calling him a money-grabber. Why? Because he and his agent aren't using the media to engineer a move or put pressure on Liverpool to improve his contract.

"This, more than anything, is my biggest problem with Sterling and his agent. For a 20-year-old and his agent to be taking on Liverpool FC in the public domain is a disgrace.

"I have no issue about players maximising their earning potential, but the agenda that is being driven from Sterling's camp is beyond a joke.

"The only way any good could have come from the BBC interview was if Sterling had said he was going to sign a new deal.

"Anything else, as he has discovered, was always going to create a massive problem. They cancelled talks with the club, but not with the media. If you don't want people talking about an issue, don't talk about it yourself."

Carragher believes Sterling would be unwise to leave Anfield at this stage of his career.

"What Sterling's camp are struggling to see is that Liverpool is the best place for him," he added.

"Forget money for a minute. This is about football and his development. He will start the vast majority of games at Anfield. Would that be the case at Arsenal? No.

"He wouldn't play as a centre-forward there ahead of Olivier Giroud or Alexis Sanchez. Being a number 10 would be out of the question, as he is not like Mesut Ozil or Santi Cazorla, which would mean a battle with Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott to start wide right.

"If he went to Manchester City, he would be a squad player again. City play 4-4-2 under Manuel Pellegrini, which would mean him competing with Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri to start on the right.

"As for talk about Bayern Munich (Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery) and Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale), he wouldn't get near either of those teams now.

"Liverpool and Rodgers are what Sterling needs at this stage of his career. He should realise this. There is one change I would recommend he makes this summer - and it is not his football club."

 

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Barcelona wanted me - Pjanic

Miralem Pjanic says he was aware of interest from Barcelona prior to committing his future to Roma last summer.

The midfielder signed a new deal until 2018 last May but has revealed he was the subject of an enquiry from the Catalans as he made a decision over his next move.
"I know that the club wanted me when I was negotiating my renewal," he said in an interview with La Republica.Pjanic's decision to stay in Rome led Barca to sign Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla and retain the services of veteran Xavi.

Despite rejecting the Catalans' advances, the 25-year-old says Luis Enrique - who coached him during his spell in charge at the Stadio Olimpico - has played a key role in his career.

"Him, along with [Roma boss] Rudi Garcia, has taught me the most in football."
The Bosnia-Herzegovina international has been unable to inspire his side to Serie A glory this term, though, as they sit 14 points adrift of leaders Juventus after 28 games.

 

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Clasico defeat will help Madrid - Ancelotti

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says the club's Clasico defeat to Barcelona will ultimately prove to be a positive.

The Italian's side were beaten 2-1 at Camp Nou on March 22 but the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain boss saw big improvements in his team from previous weeks.Madrid have disappointed since the turn of the year, which has allowed Barca to leapfrog them at the top of La Liga and open up a four-point gap.

But Ancelotti believes his players are slowly returning to something like their normal selves and says the defeat to their arch-rivals will benefit them in the long run.He said: "The defeat was hard, but the sensations were good because they returned to play as we wanted and as we know. That will help us win more in the future."

Madrid overcame Schalke in the last-16 of the Champions League to set up a quarter-final tie with Atletico Madrid and Ancelotti admitted retaining the trophy is his priority.

"As I always say, the first objective is to reach the Champions League final and the second is overcome the opposition in the final."This Real Madrid has all the conditions to compete at all levels in all competitions, so the goal is to win."

 

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An increase in technology would make the game a shambles, says Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has argued against an increase in the use of technology in football, stating that the game would become a "shambles" if more assistance was introduced.

The former Manchester United boss, who retired in 2013, has backed goal-line technology but admitted he would be concerned about the implementation of anything further.

The undermining of match officials and the detrimental impact on the flow of the game were two reasons cited by the 73-year-old.

“Technology will advance the game, I suppose, but you can’t have too many things because then it takes a lot of power away from the referees at which case it becomes a bit of a shambles because the game is stop-start, stop-start and you cannot have that,” Ferguson told New York radio station SiriusXM FC.

“Goal-line technology is fine. Let’s just leave it there.

“I don’t think you can introduce it for things they are talking about like free-kicks, or yellow and red cards.

“I think it becomes really difficult.”

 

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Coquelin: Liverpool clash is massive for Arsenal

Francis Coquelin has admitted that Arsenal's game with Liverpool is "massive" as both clubs attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger's side take on the Reds in Saturday's early kick-off looking to move nine points clear of their opponents in the race for the top four.

And the 23-year-old believes an Arsenal victory would put the club in a great position as the season nears its conclusion.

"I can’t say definitely [that the race would be over if Arsenal win] because mathematically it won’t be over, so I can’t say that, but yes we see a lot of confidence in us because over the last few months we have had some big results and if we can beat Liverpool it will be another massive one," said Coquelin in an interview with BT Sport.

"We obviously want to win this game you know, it’s a massive one, really important and we can increase the gap to nine points if we win so yes, I think it’s really important.

The Frenchman has impressed in defensive midfield since coming into the team in December, with many fans likening him to his compatriot and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

Asked about the comparison and whether he could be the Gunners' long-term replacement for their former captain, Coquelin said: "I’m not going to say to you I am, obviously I want to be but I think it’s down to the performance I put in every week so I’m just trying to give me best every game so hopefully I can do that in the long term."

 

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Dortmund would consider Hummels bid - Watzke

Borussia Dortmund have admitted they will consider any bids made for captain Mats Hummels this summer.The 26-year-old says he will evaluate his future at the end of the season before deciding whether or not to move on.

Manchester United have long been linked with a move for the centre-back and when quizzed on his future, Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke refused to rule out his exit.

"In this moment, this a total dummy discussion, because there is no offer. If one arrives, we will discuss it internally and make a decision. But this decision will only be taken by BVB."The situation at Dortmund is like this: We've lost one major player each year, but we don't stop playing football.

"To be clear: Mats knows his contractual situation, he described it in that interview himself. The decision where Mats will play next season will only be taken by BVB."

Dortmund allowed Robert Lewandowski to run down his contract last summer before he moved on to Bayern Munich and a similar situation could arise with Hummels.The Germany international's current deal doesn't expire until June 2017 and Watzke added that the Bundesliga side don't need to sell to raise money.

"If we had sold Robert, we maybe would have gotten €25 million. But we kept him and got €50 million more. This is the same issue here.

"We're not thinking on the short-term. You only do that if you need money and that is not the case with us."

 

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Smalling doubtful for Aston Villa clash with illness

Chris Smalling is a doubt for Manchester United's Premier League encounter against Aston Villa on Saturday due to illness.

The centre-back was substituted shortly before half-time in England's 1-1 friendly draw against Italy on Tuesday.

And it remains to be seen if Smalling, who drew praise for fine performances in the wins over Tottenham and rivals Liverpool before the international break, will be fit enough to feature in this weekend's contest at Old Trafford.

"Smalling is ill - I don't know if he is available," manager Louis van Gaal told reporters. "On Thursday he was at the medical department doing recovery and so on.

"Today he is not feeling well. It shall be difficult for him."

Van Gaal also stated that Robin van Persie is not yet ready to return to action.

The striker has been absent for over a month with an ankle injury and, although he has stepped up his recovery, Saturday's match will come too soon.

Full-back Luke Shaw is closer to a comeback than Van Persie after pulling out of the England squad with a hamstring problem.

"Van Persie is still injured," Van Gaal added. "We have a process. He has to go to the final football coach before he comes into my group and he is not there yet. He is still not in my group. But Luke Shaw is in my group."

Van Gaal reiterated that his focus for this season is to finish in the top four.

United's wins over Tottenham and Liverpool strengthened their grasp on fourth, but Van Gaal believes the race for Champions League places remains a "rat race" with his team facing upcoming games against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

"The top four is still a rat race," he said. "I said when we had 13 points from 11 games and we were getting a lot of criticism that we would see at the end of the season. We will still see at the end of the season. We still have the top three to play.

"Can we still win the title? Mathematically, we can still do it."

 

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Ancelotti: I don't want Italy job yet

Carlo Ancelotti has declared that he has no desire to take over as Italy coach at the present time.Antonio Conte's time in charge of the Azzurri has been temperamental since he replaced Cesare Prandelli after the World Cup in 2014.

The 55-year-old Real Madrid coach has previously spoken of his interest in taking over the national side but he has admitted that he is not ready to make that step yet.

“I can’t see it at the moment because I love what I am doing now – being out on the training pitch and coaching players every day of the week," he told Cano ale 5.
The ex-Chelsea boss was also asked if he would like to return to manage AC Milan.

He is still held in high regard at the Rossoneri, having won two European Cups during his time there as a player and two Champions League titles as a coach between 2001 and 2009.

Current Milan boss Filippo Inzaghi has come under immense pressure with his side sitting eighth in Serie A, nine points behind Napoli, who occupy the final European spot, and Ancelotti said he would like to return to the club one day."Would I ever go back to Milan? Of course! It’s the only club I would ever go back to," he replied.

 

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AC Milan just clinging to European dream, says Inzaghi

Filippo Inzaghi believes AC Milan must take all three points against Palermo on Saturday to keep their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season alive.After a second season of frustration at San Siro there is still a chance Inzaghi's side can book a place in the Europa League.

However, they currently sit eighth in Serie A and are nine points adrift of Napoli who occupy the final European spot, and Inzaghi knows it is imperative they win in Sicily this weekend.

"It's a tricky race for Europe but if we have ambitions to make it we have to win in Palermo and we have prepared for it," he said."We must follow the performance in the 3-1 win over Cagliari, we come into the game after two good performances, now we have a pretty important test.

"We have to get three points at all costs, because a victory there would give us a nice leap forward."

Milan's preparations have been disrupted by an injury to Keisuke Honda and the coach admits it is a big loss."Yesterday, Honda sustained a sprained ankle," added Inzaghi. "Unfortunately we'll lose him for a few weeks."We will miss him a lot because he is underrated in Italy. He is a player who fits in very well and has great intelligence.

"We are sorry to lose him, but in that role we also have Suso, Alessio Cerci and Giacomo Bonaventura."

 

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Benitez: I'll discuss my Napoli future soon

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez will open discussions with president Aurelio De Laurentiis over his future at the club in the next few weeks.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea boss has hinted at leaving Stadio Sao Paolo at the end of the season, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City rumoured to be among his potential destinations.

As Napoli remain in the running for the Europa League and are in the Coppa Italia semi-final, Benitez warned his side not to be distracted by any uncertainty."In the coming weeks I will see the president and we'll see. We will always look to do what's best for Napoli," Benitez explained.

"Aside from what has been said, the team must be concentrated and give its best. You have to win every game."With Chelsea we won the Europa League, but the team had known since January that I would leave.

"The goal is to take the club to a high level that it can stay at for years, winning titles and fighting on several fronts."

Juventus' continued Serie A dominance sees them lead the top flight with a 14 point lead over Roma, with Napoli sitting fifth going into Saturday's clash with Rudi Garcia's side.

With two trophies up for grabs as well as the potential to gain a Champions League spot for next season, Benitez says Napoli are up for the challenge.
"It's an important game, a challenge for the Champions League spots and it's certainly important," he added."I am always positive and I think the team will do well.

"Everyone is aware of the importance of each game. Deciding who should play for me is the hardest thing but the team is ready."We have to be calm and keep our balance. I want to go there and win, even if it won't be easy."

The Spaniard was also full of praise for Roma boss Rudi Garcia."Last year he had a record season, like us, but it is not easy to repeat that and stay at this level.

"Garcia is a coach with experience and knows what he's doing. Roma have quality players with some absence heading into this game though, so we can have a good game.

"We will go there to win, this is our mentality and it is one I have always brought forward in my career."

 

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Mourinho: Surgery a last resort for Diego Costa

Chelsea will only turn to surgery to fix Diego Costa's troublesome hamstring as a last resort, insists boss Jose Mourinho.

Costa has been plagued by the problem for over a year and has had to be closely monitored by the Premier League leaders to keep him on the pitch.

The striker was forced to withdraw from the Spain squad last week as the problem flared up again but Mourinho is confident they can manage and improve the situation going forward.

"He will continue to work the way he does to prevent it, to make the muscle stronger but still elastic and flexible," said Mourinho.

"We don't believe in operations, I always believe it is the last decision for every injury, we try to be conservative, to train, recover and work, we don't believe will go the surgery direction.

"Diego trained yesterday and today, he's not injured. I don't know if I will start with him or not because with a muscular injury you need to analyse situation with him.

"He has had no days off and has been working hard. We did all the tests to confirm two days ago that the muscle is fine, now he needs confidence that it won't break and he is free to express himself at the maximum intensity."

Meanwhile, Mourinho believes four teams are still contesting the title and has his sights firmly set on the 86 points they need to finish as champions.

"Given the points difference you have to say four teams are in the running," he added. "It makes me feel they are all there.

"We need six victories and one draw in nine matches so it's a good situation for us, it is a situation all the other clubs would like to be in.

"But I am not thinking about how or when it happens. I don't care where we win it, if it's in hotel, away or at home, I just want to win it."

 

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In-form Fellaini can't be dropped, says Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal says he cannot drop Marouane Fellaini from the Manchester United team because of his excellent form, admitting he is one of the first names on the team sheet.

The Belgium international struggled for game time initially under the Dutchman, and was heavily criticised for his performances under David Moyes, but has improved in recent months.

Van Gaal now says the former Everton midfielder helps bring balance to the side and his strong form makes Fellaini virtually undroppable.

“I can’t leave Fellaini out when he’s playing like this,” the Dutchman told reporters ahead of the visit of Aston Villa on Saturday.

“I didn't know him at first. Of course I had heard a lot of stories about him, but from the very first session he did what I asked. He was open and wants to perform.

“I am not surprised by his improvement. He had, I think, an unlucky season because he was injured a lot.

“He can give a lot of balance in the team, but of course I can change his role depending on the qualities of the opponent.”

Fellaini netted twice for Belgium in their Euro 2016 qualifier against Cyprus and Van Gaal was delighted to see so many of his stars performing well for their national teams, with Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick also starring for England.

"When I saw my players performing for their countries, I was very pleased," the Dutchman continued. "Every match they play can give them confidence."

Meanwhile, the United manager revealed that Robin van Persie is yet to resume full training and will not be available against Aston Villa at the weekend, while Chris Smalling is also ill.

 

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'Morata wants to develop at Juventus - not Madrid'

Alvaro Morata has no interest in returning to Real Madrid as he would rather continue his development with Juventus, according to his agent.

The 22-year-old striker joined the Turin side for around €20 million last summer and has impressed in his first season in Serie A, scoring seven goals in 22 league games.Madrid have a buy back option on Morata, but his agent says they cannot offer him enough to return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

"The situation just now is very favourable for Juve. When it comes to important players like him, we almost always have the last word, regardless of clubs or clauses," Beppe Bozzo told Tuttosport.

"Morata is fine at Juve, he is not thinking about anything else. It all depends on what the player wants, just as it was when he decided to leave Madrid a year ago.
"Alvaro is not a hypocrite, he says what he thinks. He will not have a foot in both camps. A few days ago he said that Juve is fine and that he isn't thinking of returning to Madrid; he wants continue to grow with Juve. Even to me he has always expressed the same idea."No club, not even one as powerful as Real, can spend so much money to sign a player who does not want to move.

"He is already worth twice as much as Juve spent to buy him - at least €40 million."
Bozzo added that there is a good chance his client could improve his contract with the reigning Italian champions.

"We'll talk with his family and with his Spanish consultant Juanma Lopez. But one thing is already certain: if Juve want to sit at the table and discuss it, no one will pull away."

 

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Van Gaal and Mourinho agree: Man United can still win the title

Louis van Gaal is convinced that Manchester United can still win the Premier League title this season, an opinion shared by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

United are currently in fourth place in the table, eight points behind the Blues who lead the way but Van Gaal told reporters that his side "can win the title. Mathematically, we can do it".

And Mourinho is also of the opinion that United are still in the hunt to be crowned champions, despite the need for a remarkable slip from his side with the west Londoners still having nine matches to play.

He said: "It's four teams now in the title race. You see the points difference and you have to say four. The points difference between second, third and fourth makes me think they're there.

"Manchester United are there. The points are there. In the last matches they became consistent in results and also the quality of their performances. They are there."

Regarding John Terry's contract renewal, Mourinho admits it was all a question of timing and that he knew the deal would eventually be concluded. He told reporters: "I knew it that he would sign.

"It's not a big emotion. It was a question of timing. We all found the period without football is a good moment to sign it, to make it public. Everybody knows two months before the end of the season that John is staying one more season."

 

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Title-chasing Juventus on the final straight - Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri has demanded Juventus maintain their stranglehold on Serie A and claim back-to-back wins over Empoli and Parma that would put them on the brink of retaining the Scudetto.

Juve have again been the dominant side in Italy this season and they go into Saturday’s home game against Empoli 14 points clear of the second-placed Giallorossi, whose challenge has died down due to poor form.

Victory at the Juventus Stadium, backed up by another three points at financially-crippled Parma a week later, would go a long way to securing a fourth successive title for the Turin side.“All our opponents pull out all the stops against us. We’re on the final straight and need to be at the top of our game. We’d be two-thirds of the way to the Scudetto with wins over Empoli and Parma,” said Allegri, who accepts it will not be straightforward against an in-form Empoli side.
“Empoli are on an eight-game unbeaten run. It’s important for us to swiftly get back into the swing of things.”
Juve are ravaged by injury currently, especially in midfield, but Allegri is pleased key striker Carlos Tevez has returned from Argentina duty unscathed.
“Carlos is in good shape and not feeling the effects of jet lag, he’ll play,” he added at Friday's press conference. “But Andrea Pirlo will miss the Empoli game, as will Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba.
“There are plenty of question marks hanging over tomorrow’s team. I’ll have a good look at training today.”

 

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Guardiola: I am not the best coach in the world

Pep Guardiola has dismissed suggestions that he is the best coach in the world as he feels the players are the ones making the difference in the end.The Bayern Munich boss is widely regarded as one of the best tacticians in the game, yet he remains humble despite all the praise.

"I am not the best coach in the world," Guardiola said at a press conference. "I am only here to help my players."I am very motivated and have a lot of faith in my players."

Guardiola then went on to admit that a crucial period awaits Bayern as they aim to secure the treble this term.

"I am going through the most difficult period at Bayern since I got here," the former Barcelona trainer stated. "These next few months are a huge challenge to me."April is a decisive month. Every game is like a final. The players must understand that we demand even more now. We are the ones to blame if we don't win."

The Catalan also had his say on Saturday's Bundesluga encounter with Borussia Dortmund, insisting that expects a tight affair even though BVB currently sit 10th in the standings, 31 points behind his table-toppers.

"The game against Dortmund is still a Klassiker, regardless of their position in the table," Guardiola added. "BVB have a great team."I expect them to play attacking football, but I want us to dominate. I think it will be a great game."

 

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Berlusconi agrees deal with Taechaubol over AC Milan sale

Bee Taechaubol is closing in on the purchase of AC Milan, with his memorandum of understanding with Silvio Berlusconi having been converted into a definitive deal.
The Thai businessman revealed in February that he had tabled an offer to acquire a majority stake in the Serie A outfit and sat down with the current Rossoneri supremo at Arcore last month to discuss the conditions of the takeover, eventually reaching a deal in principle that would be turned into a written agreement at a latter stage.

Both parties have now ironed out the latest details of the agreement, with Taechaubol to acquire a 65 per cent share in Milan over the course of the next 12 months.The terms of the deal dictate that Taechaubol will pay €195 million for a 20% stake in the San Siro side with immediate effect, before eventually taking his stake up to 65%.

Milan have thus been valued at €975m, plus an additional €250m in debts to take their total valuation to €1,225 billion.

Taechaubol had initially set his sights on a bigger stake, but has now opted to settle for 65% in the end.

Under the terms agreed, Adriano Galliani will remain in charge as the club's sporting director for the next 12 months, remaining in charge of the club's transfer business, while any decision on potentially replacing head coach Filippo Inzaghi will be taken in conjunction with the club's new owner.

Fellow CEO Barbara Berlusconi, meanwhile, will also continue in her current role for the foreseeable future as she is considered to be vital to the club's plans to build a new stadium, as well as leaing a number of commercial projects.

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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Injured Ribery: I can't run

Franck Ribery has lamented the “terrible” timing of his latest injury and revealed he was never in contention for Saturday’s Klassiker as he “can’t even run” at the moment.

The Bayern Munich winger damaged an ankle in the 7-0 Champions League thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk on March 11 and has not featured since.An attempt to return to training prematurely only exacerbated the problem and Ribery is now facing another spell on the sidelines.

Speaking exclusively to Goal, he said: “At the start of the week it was bad and I could not do anything. Only on Wednesday was I able to ride a bike again. This injury came at a terrible time, I was just getting in form. Now I have had to stop for three weeks.

"The problem was I started to train again after the Shakhtar match too soon; that was a mistake. There are many important matches coming and I hope I can help the team.“

Saturday’s Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park was never a likely return date for Ribery, whose absence has been compounded for Bayern by injuries to fellow widemen Arjen Robben and David Alaba.

“I have no chance [of playing against Dortmund],” he added. “I can't even run. I tried last week and was in pain immediately. This situation is difficult, but I have to be at 100 per cent first. This is important, looking at the upcoming challenges.“
Bayern take on Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday and travel to Porto for the first leg of their last-eight Champions League tie a week later.Ribery refused to put a timescale on his recovery and admitted he will have a better idea of a return date after the weekend.

He said: “The next days will show what the chances are [of playing against Leverkusen]. The important thing is to start running again without pain. Only then am I able to work with more intensity and work with the team again. I need time, but we don't have it. I must be patient.

“We have two big matches ahead of us. Dortmund know how to win against us and the cup match in Leverkusen is even more important. Two good results would be good heading into the Champions League. We need to have confidence and we must not underestimate Porto.“