..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Suarez: I was desperate to score

Denis Suarez admits he had been growing desperate to score after hitting a stunning winning goal for Sevilla against Zenit on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, on loan from Barcelona, struck a superb volley from 20 yards in the dying minutes at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Sevilla came from behind to win the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final 2-1.

Suarez felt his goal had been a long time coming and was delighted to secure a slight advantage to take to St Petersburg.

"I've been through a spell without scoring and I really wanted to. The game was deadlocked, but I could see from the bench that there were spaces," the substitute was quoted as saying by AS.

"We didn't expect them to come out with that system. We've done well. We go there with the advantage."

Suarez also talked up his burgeoning understanding with Jose Antonio Reyes and Ever Banega.

"I love playing with them, I always do. We understand each other really well. Banega above all - he's a great player, I admired him when he was at Valencia," he added.

Carlos Bacca - who headed home Sevilla's equaliser earlier in the second half - admits the holders were caught cold by Zenit's tactical approach but hailed both sides for the way they approached the encounter.

"It was a beautiful game. Both teams came to compete, to play in their own way," said the Colombian.

"They surprised us a little. Then the team internalised what we wanted and found the spaces with players like Denis. Us guys who came off the bench helped support the team."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ozil: I'm playing my best football for Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes he is playing his best football since joining the north London club.

The Germany international moved to Emirates Stadium for €50 million from Real Madrid in August 2013, but has been criticised for his performance levels during his time with the Gunners.

Following his return from injury in January, however, the 26-year-old has been praised for his displays, and Ozil feels his extended lay-off with a ruptured knee ligament allowed him to work on his strength and adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League.

"At the moment I am pleased with the consistency of my game," he told Sport Magazine. "I feel I am now playing my best football since joining Arsenal.

"I was exhausted at the start of the season. I started playing professional football at the age of 16 and had never really suffered many serious injuries.

"I guess 10 years of consistently playing football took its toll. I was also struggling with the physicality of this league.

"The injury worked in my favour in a way, as it gave me time to recover, to assess and to work on what was required to compete in this league.

"The football here is far more physical, it is played at a faster tempo and you have to adapt to the sheer number of games.

"I have had to work a lot harder and adjust my game accordingly. I used my time out with injury to work on my strength. I'm continuing to do extra sessions after training now."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Napoli were spectacular - Benitez

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez lauded his "spectacular" team after their 4-1 win at Wolfsburg on Thursday.

Marek Hamsik netted a double and Gonzalo Higuain and Manolo Gabbiadini were also on the scoresheet in the huge Europa League first-leg quarter-final win.

Benitez was full of praise for the way his side combined hard work with exceptional quality to put one foot in the semi-finals.

"A spectacular performance. I've said for a long time this squad has quality, character and professionalism, all of which were on show tonight," he told Mediaset.

"We put in great games against Roma and Lazio, yet played worse against Fiorentina and won 3-0.

"Tonight we combined the performance with the result, showing players who work for each other and with this attitude can make the difference."

Napoli's players were put into a training camp after their loss to Lazio in the Coppa Italia on April 8.

Benitez has accepted that decision, but believes some of the criticism of his side has been unfair.

"We all know where this team started from and there was a bit of a slow down this year, but we did play well and just made some individual errors," the Spaniard said.

"What I do not like is hearing people say the players are unprofessional or undisciplined."

Benitez's future remains the subject of intense speculation but the former Liverpool boss maintains he has no concrete plans beyond the current season.

"My future? I haven't decided. We have to analyse some aspects," he added.

"My future is open, at this club I have the possibility of developing."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zenit's returning stars can turn the tie around, says Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas believes the stars returning to action for Zenit could be crucial in turning around their Europa League quarter-final with Sevilla.

Star forward Hulk was suspended for the 2-1 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, along with Danny, Domenico Criscito and Igor Smolnikov, while Viktor Fayzulin was injured.

Although Carlos Bacca and Denis Suarez secured a dramatic comeback for Sevilla in the first leg, Villas-Boas remains confident his side can dream of the semi-finals - especially since Aleksandr Ryazantsev bagged a priceless away goal.

"The away goal is very important for us. We had to play with difficult conditions, with the absences and injuries that we have," the former Chelsea boss told Uefa.com.

"We take this result for the second leg. It's not difficult for us to be more competitive in the second leg and we have the power of our stadium.

"The tie is open. One goal away is very important. We hope that, with the return of our players, we can still dream of the semi-finals."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Maria red card saved Manchester United's season - Scholes

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes the Red Devils' season has been saved by Angel Di Maria's red card against Arsenal.

The British-record signing was dismissed in the FA Cup sixth-round tie after pulling referee Michael Oliver, with United having won all four of their matches since including impressive victories over Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Louis van Gaal has left Di Maria on the bench despite serving his suspension, with the Dutch coach able to pick a settled starting XI for the first time in his tenure at Old Trafford.

And Scholes feels the Argentina international being given his marching orders against the Gunners has turned the club's season around.

"I have been critical of my old club Manchester United under Louis van Gaal this season and I have to say that I did not see this change in fortunes coming," he wrote in his column for the Evening Standard. "To the extent that when they go to Chelsea on Saturday, I think they have a good chance of winning the game.

"When I look back on the key changes, I still feel that Angel Di Maria’s red card against Arsenal was critical in allowing Van Gaal to build this new-look team."

The likes of Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini - who many tipped to leave the club at the start of the season - have played a key role in United's good form, with the 20-time English champions on course to qualify for the Champions League.

But Scholes feels another man who struggled for a starting place in Van Gaal's early days at the club - Juan Mata - has been the most important member of the team in recent weeks.

"When I look at the side it seems to me to be a triumph of the underdog - Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young. All of whom looked like they could be out the picture at the start of the season and are now having a big impact.

"For all the attention after the derby win over Manchester City on Fellaini and Young, a lot of the credit has to go to Mata.

"He has given United such composure. He is not a winger, in the conventional sense, but he comes inside and gets involved in the game. He always passes to a red shirt and he is so cool, as you saw with his finish against City."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Szczesny's Arsenal future not secure

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed to confirm whether Wojciech Szczesny has a future at the Emirates Stadium.

The goalkeeper is set to return to the starting XI for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Reading, but has not played a league match since being dropped for David Ospina in January.

The Poland international has been criticised for reportedly being caught smoking in the showers as well, with rumours suggesting he could leave north London as Wenger looks to add Chelsea's Petr Cech to his squad.And Wenger has refused to rule out the possibility of the 24-year-old departing the club, though he hopes he can fight his way back into the team on a regular basis.

"At the moment, I hope yes," he told reporters when asked if Szczesny would be staying with the club. "But it is very difficult to answer that question. What is important is tomorrow’s game.

"I replaced Wojciech because he had a bad game. I still think he is a great goalkeeper and I want him to have the opportunity to show that."It has been difficult for him, but things can change again depending on performances. We are in a competitive world. Nothing is definite.

"It is your job to fight for your place. When you choose this job, you know it is down to competition."

Former Monaco boss Wenger was quick to single out Szczesny's concentration as the main reason for his prolonged absence from the side, though having played in each of the last three FA Cup rounds the veteran coach never entertained leaving him out at Wembley.

"If you prepare for a game properly mentally there is no special problem. The problem is to repeat the level of concentration."He has a good potential of focus but like any goalkeeper in any club, you don’t have many who play all the games.

"The players know the rules. The system is based on merit. If you have a disastrous game you don’t play in the next. But Wojciech had a good game against Manchester United, and there is no special reason to drop him for tomorrow."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luis Garcia: Henderson can fill Gerrard's boots

Former Liverpool winger Luis Garcia believes Jordan Henderson can be the player to replace Steven Gerrard when the former England captain departs Anfield.

The 35-year-old is set to join LA Galaxy at the conclusion of the current Premier League season after he failed to agree a new deal with the Merseyside outfit.

And Garcia, who won the Champions League with the Reds alongside Gerrard in 2005, feels Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling can also help fill the void left by the veteran midfielder.

"For sure [he is a big loss to the Premier League] because he is a player who played for the national team for so long," he told Goal at Heineken's #ChampionTheMatch event in Rio de Janeiro.

"There are many people not only from Liverpool that love him and they’re going to miss him. But probably they’re going to follow him from a distance.

"Right now, there’re some boys: Henderson is doing very well and gained the captaincy as well.

"[Philippe] Coutinho is probably the most important player right now. He’s becoming a key player for Liverpool. We've got Sterling, even with all these things [laughing gas controversy] happening, but I’m sure in the end he will sign a new contract."

Garcia, who now plies his trade for Atletico de Kolkata in the Indian Super League, was quick to back his former skipper over his decision to move the MLS and feels Liverpool must move on once he ends his 17-year playing career with the club.

"It’s difficult to say if it was right or wrong, because until it happens you cannot judge if was good or bad," he continued.

"Of course that for Liverpool supporters it was a bad decision. But I’m sure he thought about it for so long. He thought about his family and friends it was not a decision he made in two days.

"We have to enjoy his football until the end of the season and after that wish him all the best for his career. It’s hard, but I’m sure the club is going to miss him so much."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pele: I'd pick Messi over Ronaldo

Brazil legend Pele says he would pick Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo because of his ability to do more than just score goals.The Portuguese forward currently tops the Liga goalscoring charts with 38 strikes and 12 assists, while Messi has netted 34 and set up a further 15.

Pele says he does not like to choose between the two when asked who is better, but feels the Barcelona star edges it slightly."It's not that I like one of Messi or Cristiano more, when people ask me, I always say that you cannot compare them," he told Al Primer Toque.

"Cristiano is a great player, more forward, more of a scorer."Messi is a player who makes goals but also creates chances as a weapon in behind.

"The two would be very important, but if I had to choose one it would be Messi."
The three-time World Cup winner also spoke highly of Neymar and feels he is moving ever closer to the level of Messi and Ronaldo.

"Neymar is reaching the level of the best. He does not have the same experience as Messi or Cristiano. Sometimes people forget players like [Andres Iniesta. It is very easy to play on a team with great players. It is an excellent school for Neymar."

The 74-year-old is often regarded as the best player in the history of the game alongside Diego Maradona, but he says Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane also deserves to be mentioned in the same bracket.

"He was one of the best midfielders we've had in football. Zidane had more courage than I did, he was of the level of Maradona and Messi."People who saw Zidane with the ball at his feet knew that his head was complete too."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Belletti: Premier League better than La Liga

The Premier League didn't have a single representative in this week's Champions League quarter-finals, but former Chelsea and Barcelona full-back Juliano Belletti believes the division is better than La Liga.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City were all knocked out of the competition in the last-16, leading to suggestions England's top flight is at its weakest in recent years.

However, one man who had the experience of playing in both England and Spain believes there is a greater spread of quality in the Premier League, with La Liga revolving around Barcelona and Real Madrid.

“You have more joy playing in the Premier League. It is more fun for the player,” Belletti told Goal at Heineken's #ChampionTheMatch event in Rio de Janeiro.

“La Liga is about Barcelona or Real Madrid, and if it is a normal day you win every match. Of course difficulties exist, but it’s always Barca and Madrid.

“In England the smallest sides have more chances to take points from the big sides. There is a better environment in the stadiums, it’s more fun. In England the atmosphere is more attractive compared to Spain. If I had to choose between them, I’d choose England.”

Former Blues right-back Belletti was the final signing made during Mourinho’s first tenure at the west London club, with ‘the Special One’ replaced by Avram Grant just a month after the Brazilian had joined from Barca.

And Belletti has lifted the lid on the altercation between manager and owner Roman Abramovich that led to their less than amicable split, but says the pair now have a much better relationship.

“It was all about a discussion that they [Mourinho and Abramovich] had relating to hiring players,” Belletti continued.

“It was a fight between them. Mourinho never wanted to leave. Of course I was surprised because it was him who hired me. I went to Chelsea to work with him. But that very year we reached the final of the Champions League.

“I talked with people from Chelsea about his return, and things with Abramovich are far easier for him now. Mourinho has control.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dortmund: Klopp successor will be German

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed Jurgen Klopp's successor will be German and expects to make an appointment next week.

Klopp announced on Wednesday that he would leave the club in the summer following a disastrous campaign that sees BVB sat in 10th place in the Bundesliga.
His departure will bring to an end a seven-year spell in charge of the team, with former Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel being installed as the early favourite to replace him.

That said, Watzke maintains that he is not yet certain who will be handed the reins and says it is important to consider more than one candidate.

"I don't know who will be the new coach and if I did I would not say it," Watzke told Osthessen. "It probably won't be a second division manager but he will likely be German, but I would caution against thinking too one-dimensional in the direction of Thomas Tuchel."I think that we will have a proper and reasonable solution next week."

The club chief also insisted that Klopp's departure does not mean Dortmund will now endure a transitional period and expects them to move forward and enjoy more success."Borussia Dortmund is bigger than any individual. It goes on and on, the philosophy of Borussia Dortmund does not depend on the coach."

Klopp won two Bundesliga titles and reached the Champions League final in 2013 and remains in the race for the DFB-Pokal this season, with Bayern Munich awaiting in the semi-finals.

 

[rcccc]

Paris Saint-Germain 1-3 Barcelona: Suarez and Neymar give visitors the advantage

A quickfire brace from Luis Suarez put Barcelona on course for the Champions League semi-finals as they claimed a comfortable 3-1 first-leg advantage in their quarter-final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.

After Neymar's 18th-minute strike had given the Catalan giants an important away goal at the Parc des Princes, Suarez scored twice in 12 minutes in the second half to help Barca put one foot in the last four.

Having nutmegged substitute David Luiz, the Uruguayan held off Marquinhos and Maxwell to nudge home his first, before outfoxing Luiz again en route to a beautifully-finished strike.

That set the seal on the result and put Barca on the verge of a seventh European semi-final in eight seasons, with Gregory van der Wiel's deflected strike eight minutes from time doing little to offer Laurent Blanc's side hope.

Having fallen behind early on, the French champions were also hit by the injury-enforced withdrawal of captain Thiago Silva - and that loss was keenly felt.
His absence added to the omissions of energetic midfielder Marco Verratti and talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - both serving one-match bans - and the hosts now face an uphill battle in the return leg next Tuesday.

Following a low-key start, Barca - for whom Dani Alves was suspended - gradually got into their groove and went ahead when Lionel Messi struck Salvatore Sirigu's right-hand post with a curled strike 13 minutes in.

The visitors' persistence was eventually rewarded when Neymar opened the scoring five minutes later - Sergio Busquets dispossessing Adrien Rabiot and allowing Messi an opportunity to craft a perfect throughball.Neymar made no mistake with his finish and PSG were dealt a double blow in the aftermath of the goal, as captain Silva was forced off to be replaced by Luiz.

Javier Mascherano - one of three Barca changes from the weekend Liga draw with Sevilla - produced a last-ditch tackle to deny Edinson Cavani a sight on goal as Blanc's men enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure.

Despite ending the half strongly, PSG almost fell further behind prior to the break when Suarez dispossessed Luiz, only to shoot tamely at Sirigu.

That momentum continued into the second half as long-range strikes from Javier Pastore and Rabiot caused problems Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

However, Suarez took the game beyond PSG with a sublime first after 67 minutes, as he showed skill and strength to beat three markers and prod past Sirigu - registering Barca's 400th Champions League goal.

Suarez cleverly evaded Luiz again and made it three soon afterwards with the only blow to their night coming when Jeremy Mathieu diverted Van der Wiel's strike past Ter Stegen with time running out.

Mathieu made amends with a timely block from Cavani's strike before the end, helping maintain Barca's two-goal lead ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Capello: No chance Terry will return for England

Former England manager Fabio Capello believes there is "no chance" of John Terry making an international return.

The Chelsea captain has helped his team to the top of the Premier League, but has been retired from England duty since September 2012 in the midst of a racism storm surrounding Anton Ferdinand.

Capello resigned as England manager in the February of the same year after the FA stripped Terry of the captaincy due to the same allegations, and the Italian feels the 34-year-old is still better than his positional rivals.

"John Terry has no chance of playing with the national team again," Capello said at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Shanghai. "It's better to have a player like John Terry than not. He is one of the best.

"There are some young players who played with me who are improving. [Chris] Smalling is playing. [Phil] Jones is playing.

I'm happy because they are players that I brought into the national team and they are playing now. Also Ashley Young is playing really well."

Capello also spoke about another former England captain, Steven Gerrard, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season to join the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Steven Gerrard, I have really good memories of him. He was a fantastic player. He played really well for Liverpool. He played well for the national team," Capello said.

"He has retired from the club. I understand why. A lot of English players are going to the USA."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp could coach Bayern - Hitzfeld

Ottmar Hitzfeld believes Jurgen Klopp could follow in his footsteps and coach Bayern Munich after leaving Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to cancel his contract this summer after seven years in charge of the club, during which he won two Bundesliga titles and took them to a Champions League final.

Several teams are reported to be interested in acquiring the services of the 47-year-old, but Hitzfeld, who coached Dortmund for six years before spending a further seven at Bayern over two spells, believes Klopp should be considered as a candidate for the job at the Allianz Arena should it become available this summer.

"Guardiola has a contract just now, but may suddenly say at the end of the season 'I need a break again', just as he did at Barcelona," he told Blick. "If Pep Guardiola wins the treble, one must expect that he might suddenly need a break and then goes away again."That would be a chain of events that would be fit for Bayern Munich and Jurgen Klopp. I see no problem at all with the idea of Klopp going to Bayern.

"A coach is a mercenary. When the door opens at Bayern Munich, he's sure to be a candidate. And then he would surely have great success with Bayern."The 66-year-old also named Borussia Monchengladbach boss Lucien Favre a possible Bayern coach in the future.

"He is certainly a candidate for top clubs. He is a tactician who can form powerful teams. He would fit Bavaria, as well as other clubs. But I think he should stay a year or two more in Gladbach. The team will continue to evolve."

Basel coach Paulo Sousa has been touted as a possible replacement for Klopp and Hitzfeld believes he would be another great option."Paulo Sousa has great success in Basel and has the team playing a good pressing game. Sousa is certainly a candidate with which Dortmund will consider."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mertesacker backs Arsenal to manage Wembley pressure

Per Mertesacker is hoping for a less stressful trip to Wembley on Saturday in comparison to some of Arsenal's recent visits.

The Gunners ended their their trophy drought in the FA Cup last season, winning thrilling contests over Wigan and Hull City to end a barren nine-year period.

Mertesacker netted an equaliser in the semi-final win over the Latics as Arsenal sneaked through on penalties before the team came from two goals down to beat Hull 3-2 after extra time in the final.

"It's good to have a run," Mertesacker told reporters. "We had some setbacks at the start of January and February, but after that we managed our situation well by just winning and focusing on ourselves.

"Not worrying about who was ahead of us, or if we were going to be a [Premier League] title contender, we just wanted to be consistent. But, Saturday against Reading is another competition.

"We are at a good level of confidence, but there will be pressure situations for us because we are super favourites, and can we handle that during the game?

"We suffered a bit last season on that occasion with that pressure, but it was a great experience, and hopefully we can manage that much better this time.

"Last season we created a lot of chances, but it looked like we couldn't score ... so let's focus on that game and not think too much about the Premier League."

Arsenal went some way to settling their Wembley nerves with a 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in August.

But their presence in the traditional season-opener would never have happened without Mertesacker's header to send their semi-final with Wigan to extra time.

"Yes, obviously it was a tough one against a Championship side, so you can compare it a little bit, but obviously it's going to be difficult," said Mertesacker, comparing their semi-finals.

"It's a great warning from last season, that we went to penalties and had a great stopper in Lukasz Fabianski who saved two, so it's a good warning to all of us.

"You need to be focused 100 per cent. I think Reading and Wigan are quite similar, so it's going to be a tough one for us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lacazette: I want to stay at Lyon

Alexandre Lacazette has disappointed his growing army of admirers after confirming revealing he wants to stay at Lyon for at least another season.

The striker's goalscoring exploits this term have seen him linked with Premier League clubs Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Champions League holders Real Madrid

However, the 23-year-old, who has scored 25 goals in 28 Ligue 1 games for Lyon this term, insists he wants to remain in France, even if Hubert Fournier's men do not secure a place in the Champions League this term."It's too early to tell of opportunities abroad," he said."Either way, it will always be a sporting choice. Playing in Qatar next year does not interest me.

"I would like to extend my contract. I am at Lyon and if I feel that the project is continuing to move forward, I see myself staying - even if we do not qualify for the Champions League "

Lyon currently sit top of Ligue 1 and lead Paris Saint-Germain by two points, though Laurent Blanc's side have played a game less.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola will join Manchester City after Bayern contract ends, claims Scholes

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes Pep Guardiola will move to Manchester City once his contract with Bayern Munich expires.

The Premier League champions have been linked with a move for Jurgen Klopp following his surprise announcement that he will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.

While Scholes feels Klopp would be a success in the Premier League he believes that it is Guardiola who will take over at City once the 44-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2016.

“There is no doubt in my mind that he [Klopp] would be a success in English football, the only question is at which club,” he wrote in his column in The Independent.

“Manchester City is the destination that has been mentioned more than once but all the information that comes back to me in Manchester is that Pep Guardiola will take that job when his contract at Bayern Munich expires in one year’s time.”Despite Guardiola already having won the Champions League twice as a manager, Scholes feels he would find success in Europe difficult at Manchester City.

“As for Guardiola, establishing Manchester City as European champions would be bigger than any of the challenges he has faced so far in his career,” he added.

“I accept that when he took over at Barcelona they were a long way from the side that won the 2006 Champions League. In Frank Rijkaard’s last season they finished third, 18 points behind the champions Real Madrid, but even so Guardiola had a lot of the pieces already in place.“While City have many good players, they have never gone beyond the second round of the Champions League, much less won it.

“Making them the best side in Europe would be a far more difficult task than doing the same at Barcelona or Bayern Munich, the latter of whom Guardiola took over after they won the Treble.

“It would not be easy, but then Guardiola is not there to do the small jobs. He is there to make the difference between a good team and a great team.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

I'll be at the cinema - Ancelotti to avoid watching Barcelona's clash with Valencia

Carlo Ancelotti has no intention of watching the latest instalment of the Liga title race - and joked he will spend Saturday afternoon at the cinema rather than monitoring Barcelona's clash with Valencia.Madrid host Malaga four hours after Barca kick-off at Camp Nou but Ancelotti claims his mind will be elsewhere.

"I'm going to the cinema. I will not see Barcelona," he joked. "But seriously, at that time we have to prepare for our game and it is complicated. It will be a very interesting game."Madrid head into round 32 just two points behind table-topping Barca after the Catalans squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Sevilla last weekend.

Ancelotti will have to do without striker Karim Benzema, however, after the France international sustained a knee injury in Friday's training session.

"Benzema is not available. He will recover for the next game. We'll put the best possible team out to beat Malaga, who are doing very well. It will not change the team's strategy. He will be ready against Atletico [in next week's Champions League quarter-final]."I'm thinking about using Javier Hernandez or Isco for Benzema. We'll see."

Isco was left out for Tuesday's first-leg against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon but Ancelotti insisted it was normal to have rotation at this stage of the season.

"I don't think Isco feels he has lost his position," he added. "He played the last Liga game and now there are no matches that are more or less important. We are fighting for both competitions."All players understand that all games have the same relevance. Isco is fresh and I can use him at any time.

“The Malaga game is not one to give minutes to those that need it, we need to win, put pressure [on Barca] and continue this streak. It's not a game to give minutes to Fabio Coentrao. He will not play."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City to make €35m move for Laporte

Manchester City have identified Athletico Bilbao centre-half Aymeric Laporte as a key defensive target ahead of a planned unprecedented summer of spending.

Goal revealed earlier this week that the dismal defence of their Premier League title will prompt City to embark on a dramatic overhaul of their first-team squad in the close season, with as many as 14 players potentially set to leave the Etihad Stadium.

Laporte, a France Under-21 international, has been watched several times by City scout Rob Newman this season, while the club’s director of football Txiki Begiristain is understood to be a keen admirer.

City believe they are capable of securing the services of the talented defender for around £25 million (€35m), well below the £30m (€42m) buyout clause which was included in the contract the 20-year-old signed last June.

The Premier League champions' summer priority is to reinvigorate a midfield that has been short of dynamism this season and a forward line, Sergio Aguero aside, severely lacking in pace.

Paul Pogba, Ross Barkley and Kevin de Bruyne are long-term targets earmarked to replace Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure, who are available this summer, while Jack Wilshere’s situation at Arsenal is being monitored.

City do not, at this stage, plan to invest as heavily in defence after tying Martin Demichelis to a new one-year deal last month, while the club also retain complete faith in captain Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala despite their respective struggles this season.

The club also plan to give Jason Denayer, who has impressed on loan at Celtic this season, a chance to earn a first-team squad place during pre-season.

Kerim Rekik, meanwhile, will also be offered a new deal, although the Dutchman is likely to push for the opportunity to spend another season at PSV Eindhoven where his displays this term earned him a first senior international cap last month.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luis Enrique: Guardiola is the No.1 coach in the world

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Bayern Munich counterpart Pep Guardiola is the "number one" coach in the world.

Guardiola oversaw an unprecedented era of success during his four-year spell in charge of the Blaugrana, claiming a remarkable 14 trophies between 2008 and 2012.

Luis Enrique is now hoping to follow in his former team-mate's footsteps by leading the club to a treble in his first season at the helm and the Asturian's side are currently being favourably compared with Guardiola's history-making line-up.

However, Luis Enrique does not believe he should be equated with Guardiola, claiming the Catalan is in a class all of his own - despite Bayern's shock 3-1 Champions League loss at Porto on Wednesday.

“I still see Pep Guardiola as the number one coach in the world and that's irrespective of the titles he has won," the Barca boss told reporters on Friday.
"Pep is number one for his portrayal of attacking football, for his ability to do what he can do with any team in the world."

Barca's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have taken most of the plaudits for their fine form since the turn of the year and Luis Enrique feels lucky to have them.However, the former Roma boss was quick to add that he is blessed with a squad brimming with world-class talent.

"Every coach would be happy to have Messi, Neymar and Suarez, but also having Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves ..."

Luis Enrique then interrupted himself as he was naming every single member of his squad: "I hope I don't forget a name! Otherwise I'll be in the sh*t!"Despite his jovial mood, the ex-Spain international admitted Barca have a very serious test on Saturday, when they go up against fourth-placed Valencia at Camp Nou.

Consequently, he was reluctant to entertain talk of a treble, particularly as the Blaugrana are just two points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.

“There are still seven very complicated games to go, starting with Valencia," he stated. "It will be good to have the support of our fans because we will need them.
“Valencia are a very well-organised team, a hard team, a team that know exactly what they are doing."It will be very difficult for us but I also believe it will be a very attractive game for the fans.

"There will be times when we'll struggle but the spirit will be there, so we need the fans fully behind us as we are much stronger with their support."Unfortunately, Barca will not be able to count on Andres Iniesta, who suffered an injury in the 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

“Iniesta is better but he did not train on Friday, meaning that unless there is a miracle he will not be among those called upon for this game," Luis Enrique added.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United facing defensive crisis ahead of Chelsea clash

Manchester United are facing a defensive crisis for Saturday's trip to Chelsea, with Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Michael Carrick all missing through injury.

Jonny Evans is still suspended for the crunch clash at Stamford Bridge meaning Chris Smalling and youngster Paddy McNair are the only recognisable first-team centre-backs available to Louis van Gaal.

Fit again Luke Shaw is likely to replace Blind at left-back while Van Gaal has admitted he could utilise Wayne Rooney in a holding midfield role as he shuffles the pack to cope with the absence of Carrick.

"It is the worst scenario," Van Gaal told MUTV. "Marcos and Phil can both play left central defender, and Jonny Evans is also suspended so I do not have many choices.

"Daley Blind and Michael Carrick could playing holding midfield player and I do not have another option. It is a puzzle."

He added: "Shaw I think is training for a lot of weeks already so he can play. Van Persie is another story - this is the first week he has trained with us, with the first team, but maybe we have to think about him."

The England midfielder has been one of the club's stand out performers in the 2014-15 campaign although was forced off towards the end of United's derby win over Manchester City with a calf injury.

Van Gaal insists the disruption his planning for the meeting with Jose Mourinho's league leaders are "all part of life in football" but will come as a bitter blow as the Red Devils looked to cut the gap at the top.

"They are all from the game against City," the manager added. "Blind played on because he always wants to, but the tackle from Kompany was the reason. Jones injured himself in the second half.

"Rojo, he was complaining [of a knock] after the match, and Carrick was also off. We had a big hope that Blind and Jones could reach this game but they can't."