..::Football III::..

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Mertesacker: Post-World Cup trauma has affected my season

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker said he went through a "post-World Cup trauma" that affected more than half his season.

Mertesacker and Arsenal team-mate Mesut Ozil were part of the Germany squad that beat Argentina in the World Cup final in Brazil last summer, but enjoyed a less glorious club season afterwards as Arsene Wenger's men finished third, 12 points behind Chelsea, in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old admitted that it took him a long time to recover from the international success, but said the season had gone better than he expected.

"It took nearly half a year to realise the problem - most of the Germany players, including Mesut Ozil, got injured. I avoided that but didn't play at my best," Mertesacker said.

"That was because I hadn't experienced this feeling before. We had a kind of post-World Cup trauma for half a year.

"I didn't know how to handle the situation. I tried to forget about the World Cup.

"We will forever have in our memories what happened and stuff, but the season started, everyone was setting new targets and you need to be really focused on that, and try to forget about what happened last summer.

"Obviously with all the reviews and the pictures, and what you go through, it takes time.

"I had to come back with new targets after the World Cup. It took half a year and I expected a worse season, honestly. I expected something more severe."

Arsenal may yet add to the Community Shield they won in the lead-up to the season, with a clash against Aston Villa in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Mertesacker will play a big part for Wenger's men as the central defender needs to help contain in-form Villa striker Christian Benteke.

"Benteke is physical," he said.

"He's got good feet, not only good at heading the ball, he's a complete striker and I really think he'll be one of their targets to feed him with good balls.

"I will probably mark him, but we all need to be aware of his threat. In dangerous situations, he often gives good, clever balls to his team-mates, especially in the semi-final of the FA Cup when everyone was focused on Benteke and he played decent balls into the feet of the midfielders."

 

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Navas: I'll stay and fight for Real Madrid place

Keylor Navas says he will continue to fight for a first-team spot at Real Madrid despite having spent the majority of 2014-15 playing second fiddle to club captain Iker Casillas.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2014 from Levante but was limited to only six La Liga appearances and five starts in cup competitions during his first campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yet the Costa Rican insists he is happy to remain with the 10-time European champions even if another keeper is signed this summer to strengthen Madrid’s resources.

“We already have three goalkeepers of a high level but if another one comes in I will take it calmly and will continue to work at 100 per cent,” Navas told reporters in Costa Rica.

“I want the club to trust me and to give me the opportunity to fight for my place. I have always seen myself as a Real Madrid goalkeeper and have never doubted my ability. I will continue to fight to reach my targets with humility."

He added that he simply has to keep working hard to prove himself if he is to usurp Casillas and gain a regular place under Madrid’s new coach following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti.“I don’t feel I have to change anything, I will continue working as before. You always want to start games, and my dream has not changed.

“When you work for something it will eventually happen and it will be lasting, whereas when things are easy they do not always hold the same value.
“Obviously I want to be a starter and to win things with Real Madrid.”

 

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My future depends on God - Bacca

Sevilla’s Europa League hero Carlos Bacca says he has no idea what the future holds for him amid apparent interest from clubs including AC Milan and Manchester United.

The Colombian struck twice in Sevilla’s 3-2 victory over Dnipro in Warsaw on Wednesday which secured a second successive Europa League crown, strengthening rumours that some of Europe’s top clubs could make a move for him this summer.And Bacca, speaking to Goal in Seville amid scenes of wild celebration, has insisted he has no idea where his future lies.

“I don’t know what will happen this summer. Right now I want to enjoy this moment because I don’t know if we can repeat it. My future depends of God,” said the 29-year-old.

Sevilla will now play in next season’s Champions League, and Bacca admits that the competition provides a huge pull for him.

“I want to make my Champions League debut. It’s a dream that I have had since I was a child and I dreamt of being a footballer. I always watched the competition on TV and I want to play it, now I have a chance to do it.”

Bacca has been linked with Liverpool and Tottenham as well as Milan and United, but of that quartet only the Red Devils will play Champions League football next season.And the striker added that it was a huge thrill to play such a key part in the Europa League success which ensured Sevilla will join United in the top-tier event.

“It was a huge joy. It is a source of great pride for me to play for this club in a final and win it. We are the only club in the history that have won the Europa League four times. I’m proud to belong to this family, to belong Seville.

“I cried after the match because I was really excited. I work every day to play well. I’m always demanding of myself. Thank God the match went well for me and for all the team.”

 

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Raul: Ancelotti deserves thanks for Real Madrid achievements

Real Madrid legend Raul has insisted that Carlo Ancelotti should be thanked for the great job he did at the club before his sacking on Monday.

The Italian’s two-year spell in charge came to an end after the failure to win this season’s La Liga or Champions League titles, despite having secured four trophies for the Bernabeu club since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.And Raul, Madrid’s greatest ever goalscorer with 323 strikes, has said that Ancelotti’s achievements need to be applauded.

“Nobody can deny that Ancelotti did a really good job. I think he should be thanked for the great work he did,” the 37-year-old New York Cosmos star told AS.

Madrid won the Champions League, Copa del Rey, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup during Ancelotti’s reign, but Raul says it is now time for the club to move forward and look for the best solution as they aim to fill the gap left behind by the 55-year-old’s exit.

“Every time the season finishes and no titles have been won it is always difficult, with changes of coaches and changes of players, but that’s normal in a club as big as Real Madrid.”

Rafael Benitez is expected to be announced as Ancelotti’s replacement following the culmination of Napoli’s Serie A season on Sunday after the Spaniard announced the clash with Lazio will be his final game with the Naples outfit.

 

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Ozil: Every team should be scared of Arsenal

Mesut Ozil believes every team should be scared of Arsenal, but has warned his side to be cautious against an underdog like Aston Villa in Saturday's FA Cup final.

The Germany international has played a key role in the Gunners' improvement in the second half of the season following an injury-hit start to the campaign.

And though he recognises Villa will prove a tough test as Arsene Wenger's side look to retain the trophy, he feels Arsenal's style of play is enough to strike fear into any opposition team.

"People consider us favourites, but that does not mean you can be too sure," he told SID.

"Sometimes it is even harder against so-called underdogs. You have to make the plays and they never give up, even when they're 3-0 down.

"But I also know, that every opponent should be scared of us, because we play good football.

"It will be a tough match. One thing is for sure - we're FA Cup champions and we want to stay as that."

Ozil's struggles with fitness at the start of the season were partly blamed on a lack of pre-season preparation following his World Cup-winning exploits with Germany over the summer.

But the 26-year-old has insisted his love of being out on the pitch means he does not need a prolonged break this year to recover his best form.

"My body benefits from a long rest, but to be honest, I don't need it," he said.

"I have been a professional for some years now and I have had a tournaments almost every summer with the Under-18s, Under-21s and the national team.

"I enjoy a few days off, but after one or two weeks the lust for football returns.“

Ozil also admitted he would be happy to see international team-mate Lukas Podolski return to north London this summer.

The forward has spent the second half of the season on loan at Inter, but will not be signed on a permanent deal after struggling under Roberto Mancini.

And Ozil believes he would be welcomed back to the dressing room, saying: "The whole team and myself would be happy. He has many friends in the team. He's a real joker.“

 

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Luis Enrique: Suarez fit for Copa del Rey final

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has confirmed that Luis Suarez is available for selection for Saturday's Copa del Rey final.

Uruguay striker Suarez has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich but has been passed fit for the game against Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou."He's fine," Luis Enrique told reporters on Friday. "He trained all week and, in principle, he's available, as is any other player in the squad."

Barca reclaimed the Liga title from Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 win at the Vicente Calderon a fortnight ago, meaning that they are now two games away from a remarkable treble, with the Catalans set to face Juventus in the Champions League final a week after their Copa showdown with Athletic.

The Blaugrana are widely expected to see off their Basque opponents on home soil this weekend, prompting suggestions that the players might already be looking ahead to the June 6 battle with the Bianconeri in Berlin.

However, Luis Enrique dismissed that notion out of hand: "We haven't made that error once this season, so why would we do it now before the Copa final?
"We're playing in our own stadium, there are so many things stimulating us and making us stronger. The motivation and hope is extraordinary at the moment.

"The situation is the best of the season, we've had great games, we've got great results and now there's two to go - the two final steps and the culmination of an exceptional season.

"The players are aware of how difficult finals are and they're not going in feeling arrogant. They know it will be difficult but they feel they can overcome those difficulties.

"We've seen situations over the years where teams play cup finals at home and it's gone the other way, so we won't know [whether it is an advantage] until tomorrow [Saturday].

"It's a familiar venue but with a different atmosphere. There will probably be more Bilbao supporters than our own but to whom does it benefit? I'll tell you after the game."

Luis Enrique also pointed out that it would be a grave error for Barca to underestimate the threat posed by Athletic to their hopes of winning a second treble in six years.

“Bilbao are one of the teams that most people want to avoid," he stated. "They are one of the most uncomfortable teams to play against because they continuously press the ball."Athletic also know us perfectly, so it will be an attractive match."

Luis Enrique added that Barca have no cause to start thinking about Juve, given he and his troops are already very familiar with the Italian champions.“I know Juve," the former Roma boss said. "The players know this rival, too. So we can prepare for them next week."

 

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West Ham hold preliminary Bielsa talks

West Ham have held preliminary discussions with Marcelo Bielsa about becoming their new manager.

The east London club announced that Sam Allardyce would not be signing a new contract to remain at Upton Park last Sunday, just moments after they had completed their final match of the season against Newcastle.

Goal revealed last month that West Ham were already making plans for life after Allardyce and had identified Bielsa as a prime candidate to succeed the former Bolton boss, with ambitious A-list targets Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez out of reach.

Talks were understood to have been positive with the West Ham board enthused by the 59-year-old’s philosophy, although several members of the club’s hierarchy harbour concerns over the Marseille manager’s lack of English.

The former Argentina national team boss guided Marseille to fourth place in Ligue 1 last season and only narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.

Sources in France expect Bielsa to commit to another year at the Stade Veledrome but the West Ham project is understood to appeal to a man who has spent the majority of his European management career in Spain.

Despite having fulfilled his remit of establishing the Hammers as a Premier League club following relegation to the Championship in 2011, Allardyce was deemed unsuitable to take the club forward as they prepare for life in their new home at the Olympic Stadium the season after next.

 

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Watzke: Give me Reus over De Bruyne any day

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke says that there is no way he would swap Marco Reus for Kevin de Bruyne as the two attackers prepare to face off in Saturday’s DFB-Pokal final.

BVB take on Wolfsburg in the showpiece event after seeing off Bayern Munich on penalties in the last four, with Reus expected to once again play a key role for Jurgen Klopp's side.

And when asked whether he would trade the Germany international for Wolfsburg's in-demand winger De Bruyne, Watzke was unequivocal in his reply.
“I choose Reus, no question, although I would have liked both,” he told Bild. “But if I have the choice between the two, I choose Reus.”

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking recently asserted that his side are favourites going into the cup final, while the club’s backers, Volkswagen, are said to have already prepared two cars in their factory complete with a “Wolfsburg: DFB-Pokal winners” visage.That move drew a tongue-in-cheek riposte from Watzke.

“Volkswagen is a large corporation but they still need long planning times,” he joked. “A VW is like a big tanker whereas as Borussia Dortmund are more like a speedboat. We can deliver something far more spontaneous!”

 

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Blatter re-elected Fifa president

Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as president of Fifa after winning the vote against challenger Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan.

Blatter had missed out on the required two-thirds majority in the first ballot - receiving 133 votes to his rival's 73 - but Prince Ali then took to the stage to withdraw before a second round could begin.

Delegates at the 65th Fifa Congress in Zurich opted for Blatter despite the widespread controversy that engulfed the event this week.

Seven Fifa officials, including vice-president Jeffrey Webb, were arrested at dawn by Swiss authorities on request of the US Justice Department on Wednesday and are facing extradition to the United States on money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud charges.

In all, 11 individuals were also banned from Fifa activities for their alleged part in the corruption scandals.

The Swiss Office of Attorney General also announced its own investigation into the awarding of the Russian and Qatari World Cups against persons unknown on charges of "criminal mismanagement and money laundering" with Fifa's plush headquarters being raided in the process.

IRS chief of criminal investigation Richard Weber has described the events as "a World Cup of fraud" and American investigations are set to continue.

Despite the arrests and alleged bribery which has taken place on his watch, Blatter had earlier insisted that only a "tiny minority" of officials at Fifa were corruptible and has re-iterated his belief all week that he remained the man to lead Fifa out of its current storm.

"You know me already, I don’t need to introduce myself to you," Blatter told delegates before the ballot. "You know who you’re dealing with. I also know I can count on you. We need to recover our good name. We will start tomorrow morning with this goal in mind."

Uefa president Michel Platini tried in vain this week to persuade Blatter to step aside as president in order to usher in a new era at Fifa and also confirmed Uefa's votes would largely go to the challenger Prince Ali.

However, the Jordanian royal was unable to garner the necessary votes to topple Blatter, who can now settle in for four more years at Fifa HQ, where he will serve as president until the age of 83.

 

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Apoooo Blatter ayeth elect wela neh​

 

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Liverpool mark 30th anniversary of the Heysel disaster

Liverpool have paid tribute to the 39 fans who died at the Heysel Stadium on the disaster's 30th anniversary.

Prior to kick-off in the 1985 European Cup final, the atmosphere between a section of Liverpool and Juventus supporters turned violent and as fans from the Italian side tried to escape, some were crushed against a wall which collapsed under the pressure.

The disaster led to English teams being banned from all European competitions for five seasons after Liverpool's fans were largely blamed for climbing over fences and overcrowding the neutral area of the stand.

And three decades on, Liverpool supporters gathered outside Anfield to remember those who passed away at the club's permanent memorial.

They also tweeted the message: "Our thoughts are with the families of the 39 fans who lost their lives in the Heysel tragedy 30 years ago today," accompanied with an image that read "In Memoria e Amicizia (In memory and friendship)".

 

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Klopp: DFB-Pokal final about Dortmund - not me

Jurgen Klopp insists that this weekend's DFB-Pokal final is about winning another title for Borussia Dortmund - not ensuring a fairytale ending for his time at Signal Iduna Park.

The 47-year-old will part company with BVB after Saturday's showdown with Wolfsburg in Berlin, thus bringing an end to a successful seven-year spell in which he won two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup.Much of the build-up has thus centred on Klopp but the colourful coach is desperate for his players to concentrate solely on the task at hand.

"This final is not about me, it’s about the team," he told reporters. "We still have the opportunity to achieve something and we want to use that."This final was our goal from the very first training day in summer. We are proud that we made it.

"I'm not in a nostalgic mood. We don't have to talk about anything else, everything is focused on the game.

"Both teams are on good form. Everything is at stake for both of us. That's the great thing about the final."Klopp is just as pleased that attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa is back to his best after an inconsistent start to his second spell at BVB following last summer's return from Manchester United.

"A player of Kagawa's talent doesn't stay quiet forever," the trainer added. "We have all been absolutely delighted that he's started to show it right before the final. I certainly won't be stopping him."

Jakub Błaszczykowski, meanwhile, had been a doubt for the game after suffering a setback in his recovery from torn adductor muscle fibres, but the Pole is available for selection.

"He could play 90 minutes in the final if he had to," Klopp added. "We'll have to see whether that happens."

 

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'He's better than the rest' - Van Basten backs Depay to shine at Manchester United

Marco van Basten is confident "special talent" Memphis Depay will shine in the Premier League with Manchester United.

The 21-year-old finished as the Eredivisie's top goalscorer and was named the best youngster in the Netherlands after scoring 22 goals in 2014-15.

United boss Louis van Gaal has issued words of caution and Van Basten believes the step up from PSV to the 13-time Premier League champions may take time but is confident Depay can make the grade.

"No. He's a special talent," he told Sky Sports. "He's better than the rest. He's a very good player. He's a young star who is strong and has his own ideas, which I think is a good thing for a player.

"He's also a guy who still wants to learn and he's in good hands with Louis van Gaal who has already worked with him at the World Cup.

"He now has to demonstrate that he can also play well in England. He will show that to you. I don't know whether it will be quick and come in the first year but he has the skills to succeed in England.

"He's a good player too and a clever player. He's not physically strong but he's so clever that he can find the solution in other ways."

Van Basten also praised Van Gaal and says his previous success at other clubs shows that he can win silverware at Old Trafford.

He added: "He's a good manager and a good coach. He's also very experienced. The results in the past have already demonstrated that he is able to create a winning team."

 

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Platini: Fifa must change

Michel Platini says Fifa must change if it is to regain any level of credibility after Sepp Blatter was re-elected as the organisation's president on Friday.

The 79-year-old faced competition from Prince Ali of Jordan, but polled 133 votes to his rival's 73, which saw the challenger withdraw rather than enforce a second round of voting.

Blatter will now remain in charge for a further four years, but is under pressure to stand down after Fifa became embroiled in two serious criminal investigations earlier this week

Uefa president Platini said: "I am proud that Uefa has defended and supported a movement for change at Fifa. Change which in my opinion is crucial if this organisation is to regain its credibility.

"I congratulate my friend Prince Ali for his admirable campaign and I take the opportunity to thank all the national associations who supported him."US authorities arrested seven Fifa officials in Zurich on Wednesday after 14 senior executives were indicted on suspicion of corruption and bribery.

Swiss officials later launched their own inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

 

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Walcott: This is the best Arsenal squad for 10 years

Theo Walcott believes the current Arsenal squad is the best he has been part of in his 10 years at the club.

The Gunners are gearing up for their second consecutive FA Cup final, looking to become only the second team to retain the FA Cup twice, when they face Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal suffered their worst ever start to a Premier League season earlier this term, but a remarkable upturn in form since the turn of the year saw them claim third spot, and Walcott feels a title challenge is a must.

"Overall finishing third is a step up from last year, but as I've said before we need to be really challenging for that Premier League," Walcott told talkSPORT.

"Personally, I've been there 10 years and this is the best squad I've actually been involved in."

Walcott only recently returned from a long injury-induced absence and scored a hat-trick on the final day of the league season to give Arsene Wenger a timely reminder of his talents ahead of the Wembley showdown.

He added: "I've done my part. I just want to play and being given the opportunity at the weekend and I played pretty well."

 

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Serie A 2015.05.30 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.05.30 Fixtures

Hellas Verona Vs Juventus

Atalanta Vs AC Milan​

 

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FA Cup Final 2015.05.30

FA Cup Final 2015.05.30

Arsenal Vs Aston Villa

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Copa Del Rey Final 2015.05.30

Copa Del Rey Final 2015.05.30

Athletic Bilbao Vs Barcelona

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DFB Pokal Final 2015.05.30

DFB Pokal Final 2015.05.30

Bortmund Dortmund Vs Wolfsburg

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Coupe De France Final 2015.05.30

Coupe De France Final 2015.05.30

Auxerre Vs PSG

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