..::Football III::..

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Ronaldo doesn't deserve to win Ballon d'Or – Rafa Marquez

Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez says that Cristiano Ronaldo does not deserve to win the 2015 Ballon d'Or.

Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo picked up the 2014 prize and is expected to be in the running again this year after scoring 61 goals in all competitions.

However, Marquez believes that the Portuguese did not always perform for his club side this season as they failed to win La Liga or the Champions League.

"I think there are other players who have done a little more than Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or," Marquez told Goal. "But as he won the Pichichi he could potentially fight for it again.

"Ronaldo has an expiration date just like everyone else. I do not know how much longer he will last but he is one of the best players in football history.

"We have seen that Cristiano was unable to carry his team on some occasions, but that does not mean he was unimportant. He is a vital part of the Real Madrid side."

Marquez, who is currently contracted to Italian side Hellas Verona, played for Barcelona from 2003 until 2007 and won two Champions League titles and four La Ligas.

The Mexican stopper also commented on Carlo Ancelotti's sacking from Real Madrid this week and he understands why Blancos president Florentino Perez pulled the trigger.

"The pressure at a team like Real Madrid is such that big clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and AC Milan cannot afford to go a year without winning anything," he explained. "I think that is the reason for the dismissal of Ancelotti.

"Real Madrid did not win La Liga or the Copa del Rey, nor did they make the final of the Champions League. This is the coach's job at a big team - to produce results and win championships."

 

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Sami Khedira set to join Juventus after undergoing medical

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira is set to sign for Juventus after undergoing a secret medical in the Spanish capital, Goal has learned.The Germany international was made persona non grata by the 2013-14 European champions this season with his contract set to expire this summer.

He was strongly linked with a return to his homeland in recent months, with Schalke said to be the front-runners for his signature, but the 28-year-old is now set to complete a move to the Italian champions.

After carrying out a secret medical in Madrid, Juve expect to finalise a deal worth around €4 million a season in the next few days.

Khedira suffered a number of injury problems this season before being "forced out" of Madrid but Juventus medical staff were satisfied with his physical condition and predict no repeat of what the 28-year-old has subsequently downplayed as a "small problem" in his heel.

Khedira joined Madrid from Stuttgart in 2010 and has made over 100 league appearances for the club, helping them to a Spanish league title and a Champions League crown.

He is expected to be joined at Juventus by Palermo's Argentine forward Paulo Dybala, who arrived in Turin on Thursday and is set to undergo medical tests on Friday.

Massimiliano Allegri's side, who have already claimed a domestic double this season, are set to meet Barcelona in the Champions League final in Berlin on June 6.

 

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De Bruyne: I won't return to Chelsea while Mourinho is there

Wolfsburg star Kevin de Bruyne has hinted he would welcome a return to England – but not to a Chelsea side managed by Jose Mourinho.

De Bruyne moved to Stamford Bridge from Genk in 2012 but was initially loaned to Werder Bremen. Having been recalled for the 2013-14 season he made just three Premier League appearances under Mourinho before completing a permanent move to Wolfsburg last January.

The 23-year-old's agent, Patrick De Koster, has claimed Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are in the race to sign the Belgium international along with Manchester City following his fine season in the Bundesliga.

De Bruyne himself has encouraged interest from Bayern and admits he could move to England or Spain - but not to work with Mourinho again.

"I think, to be honest, I would not return to Chelsea as long as he is in charge," he told Bild.

"I know that I like the Bundesliga, and it always did me good.

"But I don't fear returning to England, or playing in Spain. I believe I can make it there.

"You can't compare my time at Chelsea with what I'm doing now."

De Bruyne scored 15 goals and registered 28 assists in all competitions as he helped Wolfsburg secure Champions League qualification for next season via a second-placed league finish.

While there have been a number or reports around his future, however, earlier in May club CEO Klaus Allofs insisted Wolfsburg have no intention of parting with their prized asset, stating he is "100 per cent convinced" the Belgian will remain at the Volkswagen Arena next season.

 

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De Bruyne: I won't return to Chelsea while Mourinho is there

De Bruyne Chelsea walin yawapu 1kanam aparade thamaiElatama perform kala meh season 1ke​

 

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Benitez confirms he will leave Napoli this summer

Rafa Benitez has confirmed he will leave Napoli at the end of the Serie A season in a move that paves the way for him to take up the reins at Real Madrid.

The former Liverpool coach will depart following Sunday's Serie A climax, which will see him lead Napoli into their final game of the season knowing victory over Lazio will secure a spot in Champions League qualifying.

Napoli released a statement on Wednesday stipulating that Benitez would not answer questions regarding other clubs, meaning he could not confirm whether or not he would succeed Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.

"My time in Naples has ended," Benitez said on Thursday in a press conference.
"I had a two-year contract with Napoli which ends after the match against Lazio. Then we will start talking about my future from Monday.

"I would like to thank the president, the club and all the fans. On Sunday, we face a very important match and I want to finish my two years here with a victory.

"It's always sad to leave a job where the people have treated you well from the start and Napoli was like this to me."

The 55-year-old Madrid-born coach was appointed to the Serie A club in 2013, leading them to the Coppa Italia and a third-placed finish in his first season in charge.

Benitez spent most of his playing career with Real Madrid's B team before going on to coach at every level of the club, excluding the first team.

 

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Benitez confirms he will leave Napoli this summer

Benitez Napoli walin yanawa kiyanne destination Madrid thamai.​

 

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I'm trying to persuade Benteke to stay with Villa, says Bacuna

Aston Villa utility man Leandro Bacuna admits he is trying to persuade Christian Benteke to remain at the club amid speculation over his future.

Benteke has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool following his stunning end to the season, which saw him score 12 goals in as many matches.

But Bacuna has warned the 24-year-old that the grass is not always greener on the other side, with the Belgium international enjoying iconic status at Villa Park.

"We had a small conversation and I said, 'Imagine you want to leave for a big club'. At Villa he's the big man," he said.

"Maybe if he goes somewhere else you are not going to turn into a big man. So it's going to be his opinion. Yes [I am trying to persuade him to stay].

"When he was injured [with a ruptured Achilles last year] he went to Belgium. I kept a connection with him, to speak to him, I was worried about how this operation was going so we talked.

"And when he came back he had a tough time, like with small pains, but when he got going he started to score goals.

"Fabian Delph helped him as well, saying 'keep moving, keep going', anything to give him confidence and as you can see, when he got confidence, he was scoring again.

"Together you can have a positive thing, you can go to the next one, you can do anything you want."

Benteke's goals proved priceless as Villa preserved their top-flight status and earned an FA Cup final showdown with Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday.

 

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Alonso: Liverpool legend Gerrard was inspirational

Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso has described former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as an inspiration.

Gerrard brought the curtain down on his Reds career with a 6-1 defeat at Stoke City on Sunday and will soon depart for the United States to join up with MLS champions LA Galaxy.

Alonso was present for many of Gerrard's finest hours, including winning the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup the following year, and has hailed the role played by the hometown hero.

"It was so inspirational," the Spaniard told Liverpool's official website. "When Stevie was on your side you knew that he could have those magic moments that we enjoyed.

"I remember the goal against Olympiacos [2004-05 Champions League group stage] or the FA Cup final goal against West Ham that came out of nothing.

"I remember in the last years, the connection that he had with Fernando Torres was vital for us.

"For me, he's been one of the players that I most enjoyed playing alongside."

 

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Tottenham boss Pochettino refuses to discuss Ings bid

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino refused to be drawn on speculation linking the club with a move for Burnley striker Danny Ings.

England Under-21 international Ings is out of contract at Turf Moor this summer, with reports suggesting Spurs are willing to offer £12million (€17m) in order to prevent other teams from talking to him.

However, Goal understands Liverpool have won the race to sign the striker and Pochettino insists he is not thinking about transfer targets as Tottenham prepare for an end-of-season friendly against Sydney FC.

"I think there are a lot of rumours about that [Ings] now," he said. "I will not comment about.

"I think it's not the right moment. It's the moment to enjoy Sydney. I'm looking forward to Saturday's game."

Ings scored 11 goals in 35 appearances as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League this season.

 

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'Carlo would have continued at Madrid despite surgery' - Ancelotti's wife

Carlo Ancelotti's wife, Mariann, has admitted that her husband would have remained at Real Madrid had the club not decided to sack him on Monday - despite the coach's insistence that he has to take a one-year sabbatical for medical reasons.

The Italian coach penned a three-year contract when he arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2013 and enjoyed a stellar debut season in Spain, winning the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

But despite lifting the Club World Cup last December, Ancelotti was dismissed after Madrid finished second in La Liga, having failed to defend their European crown.Ancelotti subsequently revealed that he required surgery on a longstanding back problem and would thus be taking a year out of the game.

The 55-year-old's wife, though, has now claimed that the former AC Milan boss would have stayed at the Santiago Bernabeu were his services still required.

"If Real had wanted, Carlo would have continued," Mariann told Vanity Fair. "But it did not happen and Carlo wants to recharge his batteries here in Madrid before making a decision about which club will be his next.

"We wanted to take advantage of the possibility to get to know places in Spain that we have not been able to visit up to now - museums, restaurants etc."In addition, we are going to have a new member of our family shortly and we look forward to the arrival of Alessandro, our daughter Katia’s son.

"Additionally, the people of Madrid are incredible. They have supported us a lot and they have transmitted their respect to us and the enormous appreciation that they have for Carlo.

"We are very grateful to the people for their affection and loyalty."
Ancelotti, who is being openly pursued by Milan, will go under the knife in Canada this summer.

 

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Babel mocks Benitez's Real Madrid move: 'He'll make Ronaldo a great defender'

Ryan Babel has mocked Real Madrid's seemingly imminent appointment of Rafa Benitez as their new coach, claiming that the former Liverpool boss will turn star forward Cristiano Ronaldo into "a great defender".

Los Blancos sacked Carlo Ancelotti on Monday and are now set to turn to Benitez, who confirmed on Thursday that he will be parting company with current employers Napoli after the final round of the Serie A season, on Sunday.

Madrid's move for Benitez has been the subject of much debate in the footballing world and now Babel, who played under the Spaniard at Liverpool, has had his say.

Babel was signed by Benitez for £11.5 million (€16m) in 2007 but managed only 65 starts in 146 appearances during his four seasons at Anfield before being sold by Kenny Dalglish in January 2011.

The 28-year-old, who now plays for Turkish side Kasimpasa, apologised to Benitez in 2010 after criticising the Spaniard on Twitter for giving him “no explanation” after he was left out of a matchday squad to face Stoke City.

 

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Babel mocks Benitez's Real Madrid move: 'He'll make Ronaldo a great defender'

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Chelsea star Fabregas has nose surgery

Cesc Fabregas has undergone successful surgery on his broken nose, Chelsea have confirmed.

The Spain international was injured during the Blues' 2-1 victory over Stoke City at Stamford Bridge last month.

Fabregas had to wear a protective mask for the remainder of the campaign, as Jose Mourinho's men wrapped up the Premier League title.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona star was suffering with breathing problems as a result of his injury, but Chelsea confirmed in a statement on their official website that the issue had been resolved through surgery.

 

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Ancelotti '50-50' on AC Milan return: I'll decide on Wednesday

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he will decide on June 3 whether to take charge of AC Milan again, with club CEO Adriano Galliani admitting that the chances of the coach returning to San Siro are now "50-50".

Ancelotti was sacked as Real Madrid coach on Monday and claimed that he would take a year out of the game to recover from a back operation he will undergo in Canada this summer.

However, Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi immediately sent right-hand man Galliani to the Spanish capital to persuade Ancelotti to re-join the Rossoneri, where he won two Champions Leagues with during an eight-year stint at the Giuseppe Meazza between 2001 and 2009.

Ancelotti was still expected to go ahead with his plan for a 12-month sabbatical but the 55-year-old has now admitted that he is in two minds over what to do next.
"I've always got on well with Galliani," he told Milan Channel. "We'll decide on June 3."Will I take a year off? We'll see."

As for Galliani, he is also cautiously optimistic about Milan's chances of bringing Ancelotti back to Italy."Carlo is thinking of taking a break for a year but I hope to convince him to accept Milan's offer. The final response will arrive on Wednesday," he said.

"He'll think about it for a few more days but he told me that there's a 50-50 chance."I'll call him on Wednesday. We're agreed on everything but we'll see what he says on Wednesday when I call him."

Ancelotti won the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2013-14 - his first in charge of Madrid - but he was fired after Los Blancos finished second to Barcelona in La Liga and knocked out of Europe by Juventus.

 

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Juve need to be better than perfect to beat Barca - Tevez

Carlos Tevez fears Juventus will need to be "better than perfect" to beat Barcelona, whom he thinks they have the best strikeforce in football.

The Scudetto winners face a Barca side boasting Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as a front three in the Champions League final on June 6.

The trio have scored over 100 goals between them in all competitions this season and Tevez acknowledged the devastating threat they will pose to Massimiliano Allegri's backline.

The forward told SportMediaset: "I think they are the best team in the world. They have the three best strikers, so we’ll have to work hard to give a performance which is more than perfect."Tevez also dismissed the significance of him facing Argentina team-mate Messi, who he thinks has bigger fish to fry than worrying about tackling the ex-Manchester United man.

"I think Messi will be focused on the game, not on playing against me," he added. "We’re team-mates for the national team, but I want to win the Champions League too, playing against him isn’t the priority."

Tevez has enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons of his career, scoring 29 goals in all competitions to help fire the club to the European final and seal Serie A and Coppa Italia glory.

 

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'Benitez is a great coach' - Pepe starts Real Madrid wooing

Real Madrid defender Pepe has labelled Rafa Benitez a "great coach" after he moved a step closer to taking charge at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Benitez announced on Wednesday that he would leave his position at Napoli, with Madrid expected to confirm him as Carlo Ancelotti's successor next week.

Pepe believes the Spaniard would be a top choice to succeed the outgoing Italian, though he stressed there is nothing concrete in the claims Benitez has got the Blancos job right now."Benitez is a great coach who has done good work wherever he has been, especially with Liverpool," the centre-back said on Thursday.

"But at the moment it is still press talk, we will have to see what happens in the coming days."Pepe also expressed his disappointment at Ancelotti being cut loose just one year after guiding Pepe and his Madrid colleagues to Champions League glory.

"Ancelotti has our affection," the Portuguese centre-back added. "His departure leaves us all a bit sad because he was a very good coach. But we must continue our lives and we hope he rests well.

"Before he left, Ancelotti told us he had really liked working with us and that we were a very good group who had given him great joy in winning La Decima."

 

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Di Maria has flopped but Manchester United can't afford to lose him - Scholes

Paul Scholes acknowledges Angel Di Maria's first season in the Premier League has been a "disappointment", but insists Manchester United should keep faith with him.

The Argentine joined from Real Madrid last summer for a British-record fee of €83.4 million, scoring three goals and assisting a further six in his first 10 games, but failed to score again in the league all season.

Scholes has sympathy for Di Maria amid reports of struggles to settle into life in England, but feels United cannot afford to sell a player of his ability after securing a return to the Champions League after a year out.

"A good start but, for €83.4m, the hope was that he would give United much more," he wrote in The Independent.

"I accept he has had problems off the pitch settling into life in Manchester, but there is no way he can see the season as anything other than a disappointment.

"This was, after all, the best player in last season's Champions League final.

"Nevertheless, the quality is there and I don't think United can afford to lose him. They need that kind of player if they are to compete in the Champions League. Let's see what next season brings.

 

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Chelsea at Thailand

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Ramsey: There's nothing in Barcelona rumours

Aaron Ramsey insists that he pays little attention to rumours linking him with a €70 million move to Barcelona as another FA Cup final with Arsenal looms.

The Catalan giants reportedly sent scouts to watch Ramsey numerous times during the season, while Wales manager Chris Coleman believes the 24-year-old has the required quality to be a success at Camp Nou.

Ramsey, though, has brushed off such speculation and says that he is solely focused on beating Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday as Arsenal look to retain the trophy won 12 months ago.

"That's just something that's been written in the papers. I'm focused on Arsenal and on winning the FA Cup. That sort of news doesn't affect me or enter my mind," he told reporters at Arsenal's training headquarters.

When asked if the move appealed to him, he added: "Not at this time. I'm focusing on the FA Cup, that's what appeals to me at this time."

Ramsey believes last year's triumph at Wembley over Hull City has signalled a change in attitude at Arsenal, with the Gunners brushing off their previous naivety to gain a winning mentality.

"I think in the past we've been a bit too naïve, maybe tried to play the way we like to play a bit too much, and we leave ourselves a bit too open in the game," he said.

"Against that quality, if you do lose the ball high up the pitch they'll punish you and we were guilty of that for a couple of years.

"But I think this year we've been a lot more solid as a team, we haven't given them so much space to play and we've been quite compact, and we've managed to take our chances at the other end.

"I think that's a massive step forward from last year. The only thing I think we need to do is get that consistency throughout the season to really challenge for the Premier League."

Ramsey, though, remains wary of Christian Benteke, with the Villa striker having scored 16 goals in all competitions for the club in 2014-15 as they avoided relegation from the Premier League.

"He's been in great form of late," Ramsey said of the Belgian. "It's been a difficult season for Aston Villa, but they did manage to stay up in the end.

"They showed some good form towards the backend of the season, he was in amongst all the goals. He's going to be a big threat for them on the day."

 

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England would consider World Cup boycott - Dyke

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has admitted England would consider boycotting the World Cup if Sepp Blatter wins Friday's Fifa presidential election.

Blatter is the favourite to beat Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and remain in the post, despite opposition from Michel Platini and Uefa following Wednesday's arrests of a number of high-profile Fifa officials in Zurich.

And Dyke has revealed the FA would think about joining with the rest of Uefa if they chose to pull out of upcoming tournaments, but would not take the lead themselves.

"There would be no point pulling England out if everyone else stays in," he told Sky Sports. "It would have no impact. It would just be forgotten.

"But if you could pull Uefa out, that might have an impact. If Blatter gets re-elected, then that should be discussed.

"I thought the evidence the Americans produced was devastating and I don’t think Blatter can survive that. He might survive this weekend but I don’t think he can survive in the long-term.

"During his period in charge, the level of corruption has been unacceptable. It's just frightening."