..::Football III::..

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Roma didn't play for an hour, fumes Garcia

Rudi Garcia has fumed that Roma have no excuses for being beaten by AC Milan on Saturday and demanded a reaction in their next "three cup finals".

With Lazio not playing until Sunday, when they host Inter, the Giallorossi had a chance to put four points of daylight between themselves in second place and their arch-rivals in third.

However, they crumbled to a 2-1 defeat as goals from Marco van Ginkel and Mattia Destro propelled Filippo Inzaghi's men into a lead at San Siro, with Francesco Totti's penalty not enough to salvage anything from the fourth-to-last game of their Serie A season.

Some of Roma's players were complaining that the referee blew his whistle early at the end of the match, but Garcia has no sympathy for his team following their efforts for the opening 60 minutes.

"My players were whining why the official did not give them an extra 30 seconds before full-time, but we had already wasted a whole hour!" the French coach told Sky Sport.

"We played well for 10 or 15 minutes, including hitting the post, but then we dropped the tempo right down. It was too slow for a game of this importance. I need to make the squad realise that we only have three games left. We need wins.

"I'm angry at the way we gifted Destro his goal by losing the ball in midfield. We have three cup finals that we must play much better in."

Garcia's men have two home games to play - against Udinese and Palermo - with a decisive Rome derby against Lazio sandwiched in between, which could potentially be crucial in deciding which team gets a Champions League group-stage spot alongside Juventus in 2015-16.

More worryingly for Garcia, if Roma lose to Lazio and Napoli win the remainder of their games, they will finish fourth and have to accept Europa League football next term.

 

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Inzaghi: Better late than never for Milan

Filippo Inzaghi thinks AC Milan have proven they have a bright future ahead of them following their "better late than never" 2-1 win over Roma on Saturday.

The Rossoneri's form in recent weeks has been pointedly poor and they were without a win in their last five games heading into the San Siro clash with Rudi Garcia's men, but Marco van Ginkel and Mattia Destro's goals secured a surprise victory against Serie A's second-placed side.

Milan's poor results in recent weeks mean any real hopes of European qualification in 2015-16 have long since been extinguished, but Inzaghi thinks the three points - blotted only by Francesco Totti's penalty late in the game - represent what the players can achieve when they put their mind to it.

"My players showed great dignity and played a splendid team game," the coach told Sky Sport. "Let us enjoy it and be proud to have beaten a top Roma side.

"We are on the right track; it's better late than never and this is a good result to build on for the future. We must never look back - the past is past.

"It's a shame how this season has panned out because we have the quality. We have struggled a little to find that quality in ourselves, but I did see it for 70 minutes when down to 10 men against Napoli.

"Roma are challenging for a Champions League spot, so they were highly motivated. I saw my team in training do well and knew there'd be a showing like this, though. This is an evening to be proud, we should enjoy it."

New Milan stakeholder Bee Taechaubol's proposed takeover has increased the doubts over Inzaghi's future at the club but the former striker is determined to fight for his position.

"The fans are very good to me," he added. "They probably see that I give my all and want to bring back the culture of work back to Milan

"It's not easy and there have been a flurry of coaches in recent years, but I never thought I had a magic wand to fix everything. To my last day I will fight for this jersey."

 

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Real Madrid paid for mistakes - Ancelotti

Real Madrid were made to pay for their mistakes in their 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday, according to head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Blancos realistically needed to triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu to keep their hopes of catching Barcelona alive, but they shot themselves in the foot by going two goals down in the first half before Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty.

Second-half strikes from Pepe and Isco salvaged a point from their third-to-last Liga game of 2014-15, but Ancelotti was left to lament his team allowing los Che to seize the upper hand early on - though he is not conceding defeat in the title race just yet.

"The result was not good, though the game itself was very good," the Italian told reporters. "We had many chances to score, we fought until the end and deserved to win. But it was not enough.

"We paid little mistakes, but the reaction in the second half was very good. My players all struggled and worked hard together. We scored two goals and we missed a penalty. The result but sometimes this happens.

"La Liga is much more complicated, but still there are two games and must try to win both."

Next up for Madrid is arguably their only remaining chance of silverware as they prepare to host Juventus in the Champions League, hoping to turn the semi-final around having lost the first leg 2-1 in Turin last Tuesday.

"On Wednesday against Juve we will be okay," Ancelotti reassured. "We are all disappointed with the Valencia result but we are full of confidence. That's how we feel.

"My team gave all they could give and they know that the same way of playing can see them reach the final in Berlin."

 

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Rafael Nadal tells Madrid fans: Stop blaming Casillas!

Tennis superstar and Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal thinks supporters should stop pinning blame on captain Iker Casillas following Saturday's draw with Valencia.

The 2-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu effectively ends the Blancos' hopes of stealing away La Liga from Barcelona, with Luis Enrique's men - who have won 11 of their previous 12 games - needing just one more victory to seal the title.

Casillas, who got a hand to Paco Alcacer's opener but failed to keep the ball out, has been under fire for much of the 2014-15 campaign despite backing from head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

And Nadal has now leapt to the defence of the club captain, insisting he deserves better treatment from supporters.

"Iker is not to blame for the goals," the 14-time Grand Slam winner - who attended the clash after reaching the 94th final of his career at the Madrid Open - told reporters. "What seems to have happened is the public is just too demanding.

"Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Iker Casillas... These are players who have done a lot for this club. As a rule, one's own players shouldn't be booed."

Nadal offered his congratulations to Madrid's arch-rivals, who need to beat either Atletico Madrid or Deportivo La Coruna to wrap up the Primera Division title, though he is convinced Ancelotti's men were not distracted by their Champions League semi-final decider at home to Juventus.

"That draw has essentially given Barca the Liga trophy, pretty much," he admitted. "One simply has to congratulate Barca.

"I don't think Real Madrid had one eye on Wednesday's clash with Juve. They shouldn't have been [doing that], anyway."

Regarding Valencia shot-stopper Diego Alves' phenomenal performance - in which he saved Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty - Nadal added: "Diego Alves had a superb match. He stopped almost everything that came at him."

 

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Pepe: Referee made it hard for Real Madrid

Real Madrid centre-back Pepe was furious with the refereeing as Valencia dealt a potentially fatal blow to their title hopes on Saturday.

Paco Alcacer and Javi Fuego propelled los Che into a two-goal lead by half-time and, though they fashioned a second-half comeback courtesy of goals from Pepe and Isco, Madrid ultimately dropped two points at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 2-2 draw.

Despite Carlo Ancelotti's men being awarded a penalty on the brink of half-time - which Diego Alves impressively saved from Cristiano Ronaldo - Pepe could not resist laying a chunk of the blame at the officials' feet.

"It's hard," the Portugal international told Canal Plus. "I do not want to have to talk about the referee, but football is a game of contact. The referee charged fouls against us that we did not understand.

"Andre Gomes committed lots of fouls but got away with them. It was an easy match to officiate but the referee complicated it unnecessarily."

In addition to effectively conceding La Liga to Barcelona - who now only need to win one of their final two games to be crowned champions of Spain - Toni Kroos' back injury was a sour point for the Blancos, and Pepe is hoping his team-mate will be fit for their Champions League semi-final decider against Juventus.

"We do not know the severity of the Kroos injury, but he has a bit of time to recover himself," the defender added. "Let's see if he can help us on Wednesday.

"If we play like we did in the the second half against Valencia, we will have chances to eliminate Juventus. We must to sweat for this shirt and that is what we will do. We have to brush ourselves off as on Wednesday we have a very important game."

Madrid trail 2-1 against the Scudetto holders after the first leg in Turin and elimination this week from Europe will almost certainly end their hopes of silverware this term.

 

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'Juve need fresh legs' - Allegri casts doubt on Pogba facing Madrid

Massimiliano Allegri has cast doubt on Paul Pogba being handed a starting berth against Real Madrid by insisting Juventus need fresh legs in their Champions League decider on Wednesday.

The holders were beaten 2-1 by the Serie A champions last Tuesday without the highly-talented French midfielder, who had been sidelined since March with a hamstring injury.

Juve fans will have been hopeful of seeing Pogba start at the Santiago Bernabeu after he scored on his comeback in the 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Saturday, but the Bianconeri coach is wary of fielding players who are not fully fit.

"It's a shame we didn't win and conceded a goal which we didn't defend well," Allegri told Sky Sport. "But it wasn't easy, as many of our players hadn't played recently.

"Pogba did well, though he still needs to rediscover his timing and movement. We'll evaluate whether he'll start versus Madrid. He has been working well for two days in training, he's young and has a strong physique.

"We need to score a goal there, otherwise it'll be tough. Do I have doubts over my line-up? I have more than doubts about my line-up at the Santiago Bernabeu, there's a lot I need to consider. There is the risk it'll go to extra-time, so we need fresh legs.

"I don't know what tactical choices Carlo Ancelotti will make. Real Madrid have great players and we must have an attacking approach, as we didn't make the most of numerous chances in the first leg."

Pogba lasted 63 minutes against Cagliari before Luca Rossettini equalised for the relegation-threatened visitors with just five minutes left to play.

 

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Barca won't take Bayern for granted - Luis Enrique

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has promised not to take Bayern Munich for granted, despite their hot streak being in sharp contrast to their Champions League opponents' sinking season.

The Bavarians were well-seated for a treble charge towards the end of April but four losses in a row - including a penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal and losing 3-0 at Camp Nou - have left Pep Guardiola's men unlikely to add to their Bundesliga crown.

While Bayern had to settle for another defeat at the Allianz Arena against Augsburg on Saturday, Neymar and Pedro fired Barca four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 triumph over Real Sociedad.

Though treble glory is still very much on the table for Luis Enrique and his players, the coach has refused to entertain any notion that their clash with Bayern on Tuesday will be straightforward.

"Bayern are world-class opponents and we cannot make the mistake of taking our three-goal lead for granted," he told reporters. "I have no doubt that we will struggle in Munich."

Barca swept aside David Moyes' men to secure their 11th win in 12 games and Luis Enrique reserved special praise for Pedro after his fantastic overhead kick goal capped off the victory.

"The game was tough but in general I'd say we played a perfect game," he added. "Physically, the team is doing well, though I did some rotations to keep players fresh. The best way to defend is for us to have the ball in the opponent's half.

"Pedro is a player who always helps the team, whether he's playing or not. It's difficult for him not to be starting much right now but I'm happy to have him. Pedro's goal was spectacular - I've seen him do that before in training. He's a top player."

 

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Van Gaal: Now I can watch Liverpool with a glass of wine!

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says that he will watch Liverpool's showdown with Chelsea in a relaxed mood "with a fantastic glass of wine" after a decisive victory against Crystal Palace.

The Red Devils saw off Alan Pardew's side 2-1 at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scoring their goals, to go seven points clear in fourth with two games left to play.

Brendan Rodgers' men play their 36th match of the Premier League season at Stamford Bridge and, due to a vast gap in goal difference, need to win if they are to have any realistic chance of denying United a return to the Champions League.

"I am very happy with the result and it brings us a step closer to our goal," Van Gaal told the press after beating Palace.

"Now we will see [on Sunday], with a fantastic glass of wine, the result between Liverpool and Chelsea."

United's win came after a run of three consecutive defeats and the Dutchman acknowledge the strangeness of finally getting three points despite what he considered a worse performance.

"Football is crazy because, when you see how we have played against Chelsea, Everton and West Brom and you compare it with today, this was, in that row of matches, not our best match," he remarked, "but you win and that’s also the beauty of football. What I have seen today is the fighting spirit of my team."

Goalkeeper David de Gea starred in the second half as Palace threatened to do much more than equalise with Jason Puncheon's free kick, including two superb saves from Glenn Murray, drawing praise from Van Gaal.

The manager enthused: "He made a great save at the most important moment because, at that time, Crystal Palace could score the second goal and then it shall be very difficult for us to come again in the match."

 

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Neymar: Barcelona enjoying brilliant season

Neymar has hailed Barcelona's "brilliant" season as they made it 11 wins from 12 matches with a 2-0 triumph over Real Sociedad on Saturday.

David Moyes' men kept Luis Enrique's league leaders at bay in the first half but the Brazilian forward broke the deadlock at Camp Nou, finishing off a Lionel Messi cross before Pedro sealed the three points with an acrobatic overhead kick effort.

Neymar conceded it was not the most flamboyant of victories for the Catalans but stressed they gave their all and was delighted that the result reflected their efforts.

"The first goal came at the right time and then, once it came, we controlled the game well," he told Gol Television. "We were quiet at parts of the match, I admit as much.

"We did all of we could to win the game, though, and that's the most important thing. I've felt comfortable since the beginning of the season. We're having a brilliant year."

Neymar's goal was his 50th competitive one in a Barca shirt, while they have now gone 638 minutes without conceding since Jeremy Mathieu's own goal in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

Luis Enrique's men head into the final two games of the Liga season knowing victories will assure them the title but, before those matches, Barca travel to Bayern Munich on Tuesday to defend their 3-0 lead in their European semi-final tie.

 

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Pogba fires Real Madrid warning: I'm fit and fine now

Paul Pogba has warned Real Madrid he is fit again and ready for Wednesday's Champions League clash after scoring in Juventus' 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Saturday.

Pogba scored the opening goal for Massimiliano Allegri in Turin, making his first appearance since limping off against Borussia Dortmund with a hamstring injury over seven weeks ago, before being substituted off in the 63rd minute for Paolo De Ceglie.

Interviewed at half-time - before Luca Rossettini headed in an equaliser five minutes from full-time against the already-crowned Serie A champions - the France midfielder was delighted to be back in action for Juve.

"I came back after 52 days on the sidelines," Pogba told Sky Sport. "I'm not at 100 per cent yet but today I'm playing at least.

"I felt a little bit of a twinge, but I'm fine now. I'm happy with how it went."

Pogba has been heavily linked with a transfer to a host of clubs this summer, with an €80 million fee having been agreed with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid believed to be extremely interested in a potential move.

 

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Burnley relegated from the Premier League

Burnley have been relegated from the Premier League despite beating Hull City 1-0 at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

Danny Ings scored the only goal of the game to lift Sean Dyche's side off the bottom of the table with their first win since victory over Manchester City in March.

However, Leicester's win over Southampton and Newcastle's draw with West Brom means Burnley will return to the Championship after just one season in the top flight.

Defeat to Burnley saw Hull remain mired in 18th, though just two points separate Steve Bruce's men from north east rivals Newcastle and Sunderland and the battle to avoid the final relegation spot looks set to go down to the wire.

 

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Ings Burnley walin yai godak durata​

 

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'I planned to shoot Ibrahimovic because of his parking'

Swedish convicted murderer Peter Mangs has revealed that he planned to shoot Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of the way the striker parked his car.

In a book about his life, Mangs, who was sentenced to life in prison after a string of shootings in Malmo from late 2009 to late 2010, revealed that he was furious when he saw the Paris Saint-Germain striker's red Ferrari illegally parked on a pavement.

The murderer, a known xenophobe, said he became so angry with what he described as "typically Balkan behaviour" that he then went home to retrieve a firearm.However, when Mangs returned, the Sweden captain's car was gone.

He wrote in his book: "I had no weapon on me but I saw a potential shooting scene. I hurried home to fetch a gun and I had to come back pretty quickly.“I thought there would be a proper hullabaloo in the media if the gent in question were to be shot."

Mangs is now serving life in prison for two murders and eight attempted murders, while Ibrahimovic has gone on to become a champion multiple times in Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.

 

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Ibra​

 

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Griezmann: Atletico closing in on third

Antoine Griezmann says Atletico Madrid must win all three of their remaining league fixtures to ensure they reach their target of third place and automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage.

The reigning Spanish champions have been unable to defend their crown following some high profile departures this past summer, with Thibaut Courtois, Diego Costa and Filipe Luis all leaving for Premier League outfit Chelsea.

Griezmann has risen to the challenge of filling Costa’s boots, and with 22 Liga strikes so far this season has proved an adequate replacement for the Spain international, who hit 27 last term.

“We’ve got three finals left and we have to try to win all three games. We have to keep on believing in our game and the team,” Griezmann told the club website.
“Everyone is up for it. We’re close to getting third spot.”

The France international has revelled in a more central role since joining Atleti from Real Sociedad last summer, a positional move that he says has helped him forge a better on-field relationship with those around him.

"I’m really comfortable on the pitch and playing with confidence," Griezmann added. "After working hard I know my team-mates better and we have a better understanding. “We find each other more, which helps when it comes to scoring or helping the team."

Atletico come into Sunday’s clash at Levante four points clear of fourth-placed Valencia, who meet Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Saturday.Diego Simeone’s side then host Barca before ending their season with a trip to Grenada on May 23.

 

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Thiago Silva: Incredible PSG not over finishing line yet

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has warned his colleagues they still have work to do if they are to secure the Ligue 1 title.

Laurent Blanc’s side took a huge step towards their third consecutive domestic crown on Friday with a 6-0 hammering of Guingamp, taking the lead after just two minutes through Edinson Cavani, who went on to hit his first 1 hat-trick in the French top flight.

The victory was PSG's first by six goals in Ligue 1 since a 1984 7-1 defeat of Bastia and leaves them six points clear of second-placed Lyon, who travel to Caen on Saturday, with just two rounds of the season remaining.

"When you score early on, it is always calm,” Brazil international Thiago Silva told RMC. “With the quality of our players, it is easier to after an early goal. “The quality of the team was incredible. It was a great game, but it is not over. We need to stay calm and united and make sure we turn in a good performance against Montpellier too. That will still be a tough game. “

PSG are the form team in France with seven consecutive victories and need just four points from their final two games to claim the title.“We have to continue in this direction, though Lyon are still having a very good season,” added midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

“We showed that we are in good form. We feel good and we are effective when we all work together.”PSG end the season at home to relegation-threatened Reims on May 23.

 

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Mourinho: I won’t let Cech join another Premier League club

Jose Mourinho says he is ready to block Petr Cech from leaving Chelsea this summer and has no intention of allowing him to join a Premier League rival.

The Portuguese installed Thibaut Courtois as the Blues' No.1 goalkeeper with Cech forced to play second fiddle, prompting reported interest from a host of clubs including Arsenal and PSG.

But, as revealed exclusively by Goal on Friday, Chelsea have privately told the Gunners that they have “no chance” of signing the 32-year-old.

Mourinho has reiterated that stance, saying he wants two world-class keepers even if that means keeping Cech in west London against his will - though he admits the decision is not entirely in his hands.

"One thing is Jose Mourinho and another is [Roman] Abramovich, and another thing is the board, because the board is a little bit of me and a little bit of other people," Mourinho told reporters.

"If it was me, if it was my decision, the decision is Petr to stay. That’s it. It would be my decision for Petr to stay. Even against his will? Yes.

"I think that the club is more important than the player and, as was true this season, the club needs two very good goalkeepers.

"Without Petr this season, I don’t think the club would be champions because he played six important matches in the Premier League. Without these points, we probably wouldn’t be champions.

"For me, decision number one, Petr will stay. After that, second point, to go but not in England. The option I don’t want is for him to go to an English club.

"But, I repeat, I am just the manager and he means so much for this club and what he did in this club, I think he deserves everything from this club. If the club decision is different to mine I will accept it."

Cech has made six Premier League appearances this season, five of which were starts, conceding just one goal and keeping five clean sheets, with the Blues winning every match in which he has featured.

 

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Barclays Premier League 2015.05.10 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2015.05.10 Fixtures

Manchester City Vs QPR

Chelsea Vs Liverpool

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La Liga 2015.05.10 Fixtures

La Liga 2015.05.10 Fixtures

Levante Vs Atletico Madrid

Villareal Vs Elche

Almeria Vs Malaga

Celta Vigo Vs Sevilla​

 

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Serie A 2015.05.10 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.05.10 Fixtures

Chievo Verona Vs Hellas Verona

Cesena Vs Sassuolo

Palermo Vs Atalanta

Udinese Vs Sampdoria

Empoli Vs Fiorentina

Parma Vs Napoli

Lazio Vs Inter​