..::Football III::..

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Bayern won't take a risk with Lewandowski against Barcelona, says Sammer

Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer says the club will not allow Robert Lewandowski to play against Barcelona if it puts him at risk of further injury.

The striker suffered a concussion as well as breaking his nose and jaw during his side's defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final, adding to Bayern's injury problems which already include David Alaba and Arjen Robben, who is out for the remainder of the season.

And Sammer insists that he will not put the Poland international's health at any risk just to beat Luis Enrique's men in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday."The doctors, the player and the mask will make this decision," Sammer told reporters.

"But one thing is clear: No player in the world can be so important to jeopardise his health."Even if the doctors give their green light, that does not necessarily mean he will play."

Meanwhile, the striker's agent Cezary Kucharskim revealed he will also tell his player not to take on Barca if it could cause him any further damage. "If there remains any risk, I will advise Lewandowski to not play against Barcelona," he told Eurosport.

 

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Vidal can't wait to play Real Madrid at the Bernabeu

Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal told his team to put their Serie A title celebrations on hold and turn their attentions to Real Madrid.Massimiliano Allegri's men secured the league title courtesy of Vidal's first-half goal in their 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday.

But the Chile international is already thinking about Juve's Champions League semi-final against Madrid, with the first leg in Turin on Tuesday.

"I feel good and the team is playing with maturity. We will be heading to the Bernabeu for the return leg, a stadium that gets me excited just thinking about it," Vidal said.

"I know Real Madrid are the best team in the world but we want to be in the final. It would be a dream to win the Champions League. We will have time to celebrate at the end of the season."

Having added a 31st official league title to their trophy cabinet, Juve are aiming for a third Champions League crown and Vidal wants to see his team keep a clean sheet at home against Carlo Ancelotti's side.

"By keeping a clean sheet in Turin and maybe scoring too is how Juve can win," he said."Now we'll get down to work so that we are ready to give it our best effort."

 

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Calhanoglu delighted to beat Neuer

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu described scoring a free-kick past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as a "special" moment on Saturday.
Leverkusen took full advantage of a depleted Bayern side, defeating the newly crowned Bundesliga champions 2-0 at BayArena.

Substitute Julian Brandt completed the scoring with nine minutes remaining but Calhanoglu got the ball rolling with a well-executed free-kick 10 minutes into the second half as the Turkey international curled a set-piece over the wall and into the bottom-left corner."I have always really wanted to score a free-kick past Manuel Neuer," Calhanoglu said.

"If you can put one past the best goalkeeper there is then it makes it all the sweeter. It's important for me because it gives me the belief that I have a chance of scoring past any goalkeeper, so it's extra special for me."I was only focusing on the ball and I didn't see a gap appear in the wall. The important thing for me was to strike the ball well.

"I celebrated with the team doctor because he believed in me and told me I'd score a free-kick today."

Leverkusen's 10-match unbeaten streak has catapulted the club up to third in the Bundesliga standings, four points adrift of Wolfsburg with three games remaining.

 

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Guardiola praises Bayern despite Leverkusen defeat

Pep Guardiola paid tribute to the performances of his young Bayern Munich players, despite the Bundesliga champions going down 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern's defence of the league title was confirmed after Wolfsburg's defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, leading to head coach Guardiola handing opportunities to the likes of Mitchell Weiser, Rico Strieder and Gianluca Gaudino.

Leverkusen took full advantage as second-half goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Julian Brandt were enough for a win at the Bay Arena.But Guardiola was pleased with what he saw from his team.

"It was a very hard-fought and evenly-matched game," he told reporters. "We needed to create more clear-cut chances. I’m very satisfied with my team and the performance we turned in."The young players also did very well indeed."

With Bayern set to travel to Barcelona for their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer says the most pleasing aspect of the game was that the team came through without any injuries.

"We didn't take our chances to score when we had them," he said. "You can always fall behind to a free-kick when there's such a good taker on the pitch.
"No-one getting injured was closest to our hearts. That was the most important thing of all."

 

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Koeman: It was our worst of the season

Ronald Koeman blasted Southampton's display after they fell to a 2-1 defeat to strugglers Sunderland on Saturday.

The Saints conceded two penalties at the Stadium of Light, with Jordi Gomez converting both spot-kicks to give Dick Advocaat's side all three points, despite Sadio Mane's 22nd minute strike.

The defeat leaves Koeman's side four points adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool - and eight behind fourth-placed Manchester United - and Koeman fumed at his side's performance, though he refused to criticise the referee for his penalty decisions.

"I don't know if the penalties are good decisions by the referee. I will have to watch the clips," he told the BBC.

"The thing that has frustrated me the most is the performance of my own team because we did not play at our level.

"The 10 minutes after half-time were our worst of the season so far.

"We only showed our level with one less player on the pitch. We played much better football and were the better team when it was 10 men against 11. That is so strange it is unbelievable.

 

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Mourinho: This is my most important title

Jose Mourinho has described Sunday's Premier League title win with Chelsea as the "most important" of his career.

A narrow 1-0 win over Crystal Palace was enough to bring the league crown back to Stamford Bridge for the first time in five years as Mourinho claimed his first title in his second spell at the club.

Mourinho has won eight league titles during his coaching career - the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Primeira Liga - but ranks his third with Chelsea highest as it is the most recent of his successes.

"Every title is a consequence of hard work," he told Sky Sports. "I can’t evaluate and say which one was more important. this one is my [latest] title, so it's the most important one, and for sure I want to get another one.

"The group starts by winning he Capital One cup and the Premier League but we know in the country we are it’s very difficult, and every other team is a normal candidate and will come even stronger than this season, so it’s not a country to be a force to dominate football. But we will try to be there and try to win again.

"I am calm and obviously I enjoy it. To be top of the league since day one, to lose two matches all season, to be unbeatable at home, to have a fantastic record away, to have less goals conceded, to be just one goal behind the team with the most goals scored, i think is really fantastic for this group."

 

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Pardew: This is why Mourinho earns so much money

Alan Pardew praised Jose Mourinho after Chelsea sealed their fourth Premier League title with a 1-0 over Crystal Palace.

Eden Hazard scored the game's only goal after he headed in from close range after his penalty was initially saved by Julian Speroni in a subdued and nervy affair at Stamford Bridge.

Pardew congratulated Chelsea on their perfomance on the day and referred to recent criticism of the Blues supposed 'boring' recent approach by insisting Mourinho just knows what he needs to do to win silverware."They've had two defeats this year and that says it all. I don't think anyone moaned about their play in the first half of the season," Pardew told Sky Sports.

"Sometimes fantasy and flair go out of the way to win and they've done that in the second half of the season. That's why this guy [Mourinho] earns so much money, to win trophies."It will have to be a very good side to top this team next year. I'm sure Jose will add more depth in the summer as well.

"They are difficult when they take the lead, especially here. They kept the ball, frustrated us. That's what champions do - they don't let you back in once they take the lead."

 

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Wenger: Wilshere needs years without injuries to return to his best

Arsene Wenger says that Jack Wilshere may need two injury-free years to return to his best form.

The Arsenal midfielder has struggled with ankle injuries throughout his career, and has been limited to just nine Premier League appearances this season.

Wilshere underwent surgery after suffering a recurrence of a previous ankle problem against Manchester United in November, and Wenger believes he may need two full seasons without any setbacks to recapture his finest form.

"Every week he is stronger, he is getting back to the level now. This week is the first week he has been sharp again," the Arsenal boss told reporters. "He needs one or two years without problems to get the full confidence and belief back.

"You live in a job where you need to trust your body. Jack is one of those who plays with freedom as soon as he’s back. So I don’t think on that front it will be a problem.

"What people underestimate a little bit is that to get back to be capable to play is one thing. To be back and be capable to be sharp and efficient takes a bit longer."

Wenger concedes that injuries have played a major role in Arsenal’s season, and has hinted that he believes the club could have mounted a title challenge had key players remained fit.

"We had big injuries at the start of the season and we only got our squad together more recently. Even then we still lost players like Wilshere in November, and then again afterwards. We were not all together,” he added.

"So it took us some time to find a good balance in the team and we dropped some points because of that. Missing players was certainly detrimental to our results."

 

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Van Gaal: You think I'm God, but I'm not

Louis van Gaal insists he cannot halt Manchester United’s poor run of form because he is not God, after watching his side suffer a third successive defeat.
The Red Devils lost 1-0 to West Brom at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Chris Brunt’s deflected free-kick proving decisive, as United failed to score for the third game in a row.

The hosts dominated the ball throughout – boasting almost 80 per cent possession – but could not break a resolute Baggies’ defence down, with Robin van Persie missing a penalty in the second half.

United’s 3-0 defeat to Everton followed a similar pattern, and Van Gaal admits that his side must find a way through teams who set up to defend against their possession-based style.

“I have said that in advance also, you think that I am God but it’s not like that,” he told reporters on Saturday. “What is happening is happening always because when your team is playing better, they should defend more.

“Also Everton at home had a very defensive organisation, and Chelsea at home also, they come here like that and you can expect it but also in our away matches they are defending.

“We have to disorganise that organisation but that is the next step in the process. We have more time on the ball, they have more time to break, we need to play with higher ball speed and that is difficult, to do that against so many bodies in front of you.”

Van Gaal also played down concerns that United could slip out of the top four – with Liverpool cutting the gap to four points with their win over QPR earlier in the day.

“I said until the end that it was a rat race,” he added.

“We were seven points ahead and I was the only one who said it was still possible. We have to keep the confidence and finish the chances because it starts with creating chances, and we had the chances today to finish.

“It is a pity and it is disappointing but it is much worse when you don’t create any chances in spite of the organisation like West Brom did but also like, for example, Chelsea did.”

 

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I said until the end that it was a rat race

Mekanam rat race 1kakma thamai​

 

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Mourinho goads Chelsea critics: The dogs bark & the caravan goes by...

Jose Mourinho laughed off criticism of his Chelsea side after they were crowned Premier League champions - and insisted there is more to come.

The Stamford Bridge side beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Sunday to win their first title since 2010, and their first since Mourinho’s return to the club in 2013.

The Blues have been criticised as "boring" by some supporters, pundits and former players in recent weeks, but Mourinho hit back in his post-match press conference, insisting it is easy to pass judgement from afar.

“In my country, we say the dogs bark and the caravan goes by,” Mourinho told reporters.

“It’s easier to be a pundit. As a pundit you win every game, you don’t lose matches. It’s a fantastic job. Maybe in 10 years' time it will be my job and then I will win every game.

"I am so happy for the players and so proud of everything we did since day one - now we feel we got what we deserved.

“I will try for another title. I will try always. The day I don't feel the passion to try again, I stop.”

Eden Hazard’s headed the winner from a rebound after seeing his own penalty saved as Chelsea sealed the title with three matches to spare.

Mourinho said his players deserved the credit for the club’s season - which also includes a League Cup win - but reserved praise for billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

“We shared a hug. As I’ve said since the beginning of the season, I will stay here until Mr Abramovich tells me to go,” Mourinho added.

“He’s the man who has won every title at Chelsea. Some players won some, some managers, Mr Abramovich won every tittle.”

Meanwhile, Mourinho revealed that midfielder Ramires had gone to hospital after he was withdrawn from Chelsea’s starting line-up shortly before kick-off amid reports he is suffering with kidney stones.

“Ramires went to the hospital. He was feeling so bad we decided to take him out. I’m going to visit him now if he’s there. He was feeling really bad, he was really ill.”

 

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Nantes 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain: Cavani & Matuidi send champions three points clear

Edinson Cavani continued his hot streak in front of goal as Paris Saint-Germain claimed a comfortable 2-0 win at Nantes, moving the reigning champions back to the Ligue 1 summit upon Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return.

The Swedish star's foul-mouthed rant about referee Lionel Jeffredo following a 3-2 loss to Bordeaux in March earned him a three-match ban, but the 33-year-old produced a lively display upon being reinstated, having a hand in both goals as Laurent Blanc's men cruised to victory.

Cavani scored four goals in the three matches Ibrahimovic missed, but the iconic striker's return did not see the former Napoli man's form suffer - Cavani opening the scoring after just three minutes.

The Uruguay international spurned opportunities to increase PSG's advantage, yet Blaise Matuidi's fine 31st-minute finish after Ibrahimovic's incisive pass saw Nantes fall further behind.

Nantes rarely posed much of a threat to Nicolas Douchez in the PSG goal and, while Ibrahimovic saw a penalty shout turned down early in the second period, the two-goal lead looked unassailable.

The away side saw out the final stages in confident fashion to restore their three-point lead ahead of Lyon in the title race with three games to go.

PSG looked lively right from the start and it came as little surprise to see Ibrahimovic at the centre of things as the champions took a third-minute lead.
Cavani deflected the Swede's left-footed effort into the path of Gregory van der Wiel, who controlled on his chest before seeing the striker pounce and sweep home from close range.Cavani proved far less clinical with two one-on-ones soon after.

The striker raced on to Marco Verratti's throughball in the 11th minute and fired straight at Remy Riou instead of squaring to the irate Ibrahimovic, before failing to beat the goalkeeper with a second opportunity.

It appeared to be only a matter of time before PSG would double their advantage and Javier Pastore skilfully skipped past two challenges inside the area in the 20th minute, only to see Riou produce a smart save.

A second goal did come the way of PSG just after the half-hour mark and Ibrahimovic was once again integral, nonchalantly placing a pass between Papy Djilobodji's legs for Matuidi, who emphatically slammed an effort past Riou.

PSG began the second half in similarly positive fashion, getting players forward quickly as they looked to vanquish any threat of a potential Nantes revival.

And the visitors were adamant that they should have been given the opportunity to score a third from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, but referee Ruddy Buquet saw nothing warranting a foul as Djilobodji tangled with Ibrahimovic.PSG began to sit back as the match entered its final half-hour, with Blanc seemingly confident of holding on to a two-goal lead.

And although Nantes enjoyed a larger share of the ball towards the end, PSG had no trouble closing out the game to go clear of Lyon once again.

 

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Napoli 3-0 AC Milan: Partenopei blitz 10-man Rossoneri

Napoli strengthened their grip on fourth place in Serie A with an ultimately comfortable 3-0 victory over 10-man AC Milan at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.

After a frustrating 70 minutes the hosts netted three times in six minutes to secure all three points and re-establish their seven-point advantage over Fiorentina.

Milan were left with a tough task after Mattia De Sciglio was sent off inside the opening minute, the defender bringing down Marek Hamsik for a penalty that was saved by Diego Lopez.

Napoli dominated possession thereafter but found Milan's makeshift back four in resolute form, until captain Hamsik finally broke their resistance with a well-placed finish.

His 70th-minute strike opened the floodgates and both Gonzalo Higuain and Manolo Gabbiadini found the net as Milan's previous hard work proved to be in vain.Victory keeps Napoli in the hunt for a top-three finish, while a third successive defeat for Milan places more pressure on the future of Filippo Inzaghi.

Milan's head coach - already without the suspended Jeremy Menez – was not helped by his side's horrendous start, which saw De Sciglio haul down Hamsik in the penalty area after 43 seconds.

The defender was shown a red card, but when Higuain eventually took the penalty two minutes later Lopez got down well to his right to keep his side level.Being a man down seemed to galvanise Milan, and they reorganised themselves well to frustrate Napoli, while attacking on the counter.

Keisuke Honda and Giacomo Bonaventura led the charge for the visitors, the latter stinging the palms of Mariano Andujar with a 20-yard drive.

Milan's sporadic attacks were encompassed by large swathes of Napoli possession, but opportunities to stretch Lopez were few and far between as the final pass was often intercepted.

Napoli should have been punished after 38 minutes as Bonaventura rose unmarked in the penalty area, but his header shaved the outside of the post with Andujar a mere spectator.

With the words of Rafael Benitez serving as encouragement, the hosts started the second half with increased intensity and should have profited as Jose Callejon and substitute Gabbiadini both went close.

The deadlock was finally broken with 70 minutes on the clock as Milan's defence failed - for the first time - to deal with a cross into the penalty area and Hamsik latched onto the loose ball to net his seventh of the season.Higuain doubled the lead four minutes later with an emphatic finish from 12 yards, the striker collecting a low cross from Dries Mertens before beating Lopez.

Milan's fate was then sealed as a rampant Napoli broke down the left again. On this occasion the cross missed Higuain, but Gabbiadini's cute flick ensured the ball nestled in the net.

Mertens was denied a fourth by a superb fingertip save from Lopez, but it mattered little for Napoli, who were able to take their foot off the gas in the closing minutes ahead of their Europa League semi-final with Dnipro on Thursday.

 

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Zorc: Gundogan wants to leave but Dortmund keen to keep Hummels

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has admitted Ilkay Gundogan wants to leave Signal Iduna Park summer but says the German outfit remain confident of holding on to Mats Hummels.

BVB confirmed on April 30 that Gundogan would not be extending his contract - which expires in June 2016 - thus sparking speculation that the Germany international will be sold rather than allowed to leave on a free next year.

Hummels, meanwhile, still has two seasons to run on his Dortmund deal but he, like Gundogan, is being heavily linked with a summer switch to Manchester United.
Zorc insists that there have been no bids for either player but hinted that Gundogan is set to depart.

"Ilkay told us he wants to leave this summer," the former Germany international told Sky Sport."But we have received no offers from any clubs for any of our players as of now."Every player always has to make decisions on their future but, for us, the intention is clear to keep Mats."

It has already been confirmed that coach Jurgen Klopp will stand down as coach at the end of the season but Zorc insists that there are no hard feelings about his resignation as far as Dortmund are concerned.

"We tried and tried again to keep Klopp at Dortmund but he had made up his mind," he added."He could return one day, why not? He's still a very young coach. The door would always be open."

 

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Pellegrini takes swipe at Mourinho: Teams should play attractive football

Manuel Pellegrini has aimed a veiled jibe at Jose Mourinho, insisting it is important for successful clubs to play attractive football.

Chelsea secured the Premier League title on Sunday, dethroning Manchester City, with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, but have recently come in for criticism for their 'boring' approach.

Manchester United were beaten by a Blues side boasting just 29.7 per cent possession before a goalless stalemate halted in-form Arsenal, with Mourinho’s players celebrating wildly at the final whistle.

"It's important for the Premier League and for the fans to play attractive football," Pellegrini told reporters. "Last season we scored 158 goals, 101 in the league and that style is important to try to continue."

Pellegrini was speaking after seeing his side defeat Tottenham 1-0 at White Hart Lane - a result which all but secured City's place in next season's Champions League - though they trail winners Chelsea by 13 points, having relinquished their title.

He added: "I'm not thinking about the gap. Chelsea this year did exactly what we did last year - they won the Premier League and League Cup. We did exactly the same last year scoring more goals in another style.

"Every year you have five important teams and all of them can win the title. I hope we will continue as we did the last four years - in two seasons we won two titles and in the other two we got second place.

"It's important for this club to try to improve but we can’t always beat the other important teams - United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool.

"At the end of the season we will analyse what we can improve and we hope we are again involved in the fight for the title."

 

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Pochettino: Hart the difference between City and Tottenham

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino was left to rue a "brilliant" goalkeeping display by Joe Hart and yet another Sergio Aguero goal after Manchester City ran out 1-0 winners at White Hart Lane.

City were dethroned as Premier League champions when Chelsea beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge to secure the title earlier in the day, but Manuel Pellegrini's side responded by securing a narrow victory that enhanced their chances of finishing second.

Hart made a string of saves to thwart the Londoners as Aguero's 28th goal of the season - his eighth in his last four games against Tottenham - proved to be the difference, much to Pochettino's frustration."I feel proud of our players. The performance was very good and we deserved much more. But the effort was brilliant," the Argentine told the BBC.

"We had three or four chances in the first five minutes, but when you play Manchester City, you need to score when you get those chances.

"Joe Hart was brilliant. He was the man of the match, and the difference between the teams.

"We had a chance to score from a corner, and there was a good counter-attack from City and finish from Aguero. Our mentality is to attack the opposing goals. I think we were a little unlucky."Aguero is a brilliant player. The chance that he had, he scored. But we are disappointed."

 

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Cabella: I don't regret Newcastle move

Remy Cabella insists he has no regrets over joining Newcastle United, despite their alarming recent slump.

The Magpies’ 3-0 loss to Leicester on Saturday extended their winless run to eight games, with John Carver’s side now just two points above the relegation zone with three games of the season remaining.

Cabella, a £10 million (€13.5) summer signing from Montpellier, was left out of the starting XI for the clash with the Foxes and has flattered to deceive for the majority of the season, scoring just once in 29 appearances.

The Frenchman, though, insists he intends to at least see out his contract – which runs until 2020 – with the Magpies.

"I made my choice, I accept it. This is my first season, even if it is difficult. I don’t give up. I had a little trouble, but I'm working,” he told beIN Sports.

“It has never been easy for me since I started my career. I have experienced times more complicated than this one. I have confidence in myself. I know I will soon return [to my best].

"I will be a Newcastle player next season. Anyway today I am 100 per cent Magpie. And I'm under contract. "

Cabella has also dismissed talk of a rift with manager Carver, insisting that he gets along well with the 50-year-old.

"I get along very well with Carver, although he didn’t make me play in the starting XI in the last match. It's his choice,” he added.

“He hasn’t explained anything to me yet. Thursday I was in starting XI and Friday I wasn't, but he is someone who talks to me a lot, especially in training. He likes me and we laugh with him.

“The problem is we're not winning matches and we can't find any momentum.”

 

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Lampard: Chelsea deserved Premier League title

Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard has congratulated Chelsea on a “well deserved” Premier League title after the Blues were crowned champions on Sunday.

A 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge saw the Blues secure their fourth Premier League crown with three games left to play, thanks to Eden Hazard’s goal.

Lampard, who won three titles in over a decade at Stamford Bridge, before leaving for Manchester City in the summer took to Instagram to congratulate his former team-mates.

“A massive congratulations to all my old teammates and friends at @chelseafc for winning the Premier League,” said.

“A huge achievement and well deserved by everyone at the club. Also to all those fantastic fans that I had the pleasure to play for for 13 years. I know how much it means to you all!

“Enjoy the celebrations in West London tonight!”

 

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Atkinson to referee Juventus v Real Madrid

Uefa has revealed Martin Atkinson will take charge of Tuesday's Champions League clash between Juventus and Real Madrid .The English referee will be a familiar face to the two sets of players, as the 41-year-old has overseen continental clashes involving both semi-finalists this season.

Atkinson was the man in the middle for Juventus' 3-2 win over Olympiakos in Turin during the group stage, while he also officiated Madrid's 2-0 win at Schalke in the first leg of the Spanish club's last-16 tie.

The Bradford native, who has refereed a total of six games in this season's Champions League, was most recently involved in Bayern Munich's 6-1 rout of Porto in the second leg of their quarter-final.

Former English referee chief Keith Hackett branded Atkinson "incompetent" after he controversially sent off Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic for pushing Burnley's Ashley Barnes earlier this season after a potentially dangerous tackle from the latter player.Atkinson will be assisted in Italy by Michael Mullarkey and Stephen Child.

 

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Inzaghi: I'm the right man for Milan

Filippo Inzaghi still believes he is the right man for AC Milan - despite seeing his side slump to another resounding defeat at Napoli on Sunday.

Fresh from back-to-back losses at Udinese and at home to Genoa, the Rossoneri saw their hopes of ending a five-game winless run all but end after just 45 seconds of action at the San Paolo, with Mattia De Sciglio seeing red for a professional foul on Marek Hamsik.

Diego Lopez saved Gonzalo Higuain's penalty but Milan eventually folded midway through the second half when Napoli struck three times in six minutes through Hamsik, Higuain and Manolo Gabbiadini.

Inzaghi was reluctant to be drawn on his job prospects but suggested that it would be unfair if a game in which his side had to play over 89 minutes with 10 men would be a factor in determining his future.

"I have been able to turn everything around since taking charge last summer," the Rossoneri coach told Sky Sport. "We had four great months and then we struggled.

"But there's something good there. The club will make their evaluations but I have a contract.

"But it was a game shaped by the dismissal. I saw a good team for 70 minutes. Maybe a yellow would have been fairer than a red, because Gabriel Paletta was also there."We fought hard with 10 men. I can't say anything bad about our spirit.

"We even had a chance to score through Bonaventura when the midfielder grazed the post with a header in the first half. We definitely didn't deserve to suffer such a heavy defeat."