..::Football III::..

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Official: Arda Turan signs for Barcelona

Barcelona have completed a €41 million deal to bring Atletico Madrid star Arda Turan to Camp Nou this summer.

The Turkey international, 28, confirmed earlier this summer that he would not be extending his stay with the 2013-14 Liga champions and had been linked with a number of Europe's top clubs.

However, Barca emerged as clear favourites for his signature in recent days and have now announced his arrival for an initial fee of €34m, with €7m to come by way of add-ons.

Presidential candidate Josep Maria Bartomeu had made it clear he planned to bring the versatile winger to Camp Nou should he win this month's election, claiming head coach Luis Enrique asked for his signing.

However, Barca retain the option of selling the player back to Atletico for a €4.1m loss before July 20 should the new president - set to be elected 48 hours earlier - not wish to sanction his arrival.

 

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Congratulations for Arda Turan & Pirlo!​

 

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Official: Arda Turan signs for Barcelona

 

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Atletico will always be in my heart - Arda Turan

Arda Turan says he will always carry Atletico Madrid in his heart after completing his transfer to Barcelona.The Liga and European champions announced on Monday that the winger, 28, has sealed a move to Camp Nou for a fee which could rise to €41 million.

After four years at the Vicente Calderon - in which he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League - the Turkey international says he will not forget his time in the capital.

"I will always carry Atletico in my heart," Arda told the club's official website.
"It's been four amazing years. I had very special moments at Atletico and I'll never forget my team-mates, the fans and everyone at the club. I can only thank everyone."

Barca presidential candidate Josep Maria Bartomeu welcomed the announcement, but denied that the deal was done just to strengthen his bid to regain his post.

"This move doesn't favour me, it favours Barca, because he is a player of proven quality," he said. "He'll contribute greatly to the team, I welcome the interim board's decision."Arda brings excitement to Barca. I'm very excited and happy, he's something the coaches and Luis Enrique requested. To sign a player like him is good for the club and the team."

Bartomeu also believes Arda would have received greater wage offers from elsewhere in Europe but that he always made it clear he wanted to join Lionel Messi and Co. at Barca.

"Luis Enrique asked for two players: Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal. I'm sure many clubs in Europe would've paid him more but Arda wants to come to Barca and play with Messi in this treble-winning team. His agent said he wanted to come to us from the beginning."

 

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No Real Madrid bid for Vidal, says Marotta

Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta has denied reports that Real Madrid have made an official offer for Arturo Vidal.

The midfielder, 28, has long been linked with a potential switch to the Spanish capital and reports on Monday suggested Madrid had formalised their interest with a bid.Marotta, however, told reporters: "Vidal? It's just rumours, Real Madrid have not come forward. We have a great relationship with them."

Monday finally saw Andrea Pirlo's move to New York City from Juventus confirmed and Marotta conceded it will be tough to replace the Italy veteran.
"Today is a day of great nostalgia for Pirlo. Replacing him won't be easy - there are few born like him - but we'll try," he added.

Vidal will soon return to Juve for pre-season training following his successful Copa America on home soil with Chile.

 

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Messi: There's nothing more painful than losing a final

Lionel Messi has lamented how final heartbreak is a football pain like no other in a mesaage of gratitude to Argentina supporters.

Messi, who skippered his national side to extra-time defeat in the World Cup final against Germany last summer, suffered another crushing loss for the national side as Chile emerged victorious in the Copa America showpiece after a penalty shootout.
The Barcelona ace has since expressed his thanks to fans after another Argentina's 22-year wait for silverware was extended by the host nation in Santiago.

"There's nothing more painful in football than losing a final," he wrote on his official Facebook page.

"But I don't want to leave it any longer to say thank you to everyone who has always supported us and continued to during the tough moments."Unconfirmed reports in Spain suggested Messi turned down the award for the Copa America's best player following Argentina's defeat.

The 28-year-old's family was also attacked in the stands during the final at the weekend, while sections of the Argentine press have been hugely critical of the Rosario-born star and his team-mates after their latest final loss.

 

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Messi: There's nothing more painful than losing a final

1kanam attha thamai.........FIFA World Cup 2014 final 1kath lost & Copa America 2015 final 1kath lost.​

 

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Barcelona will not sign Pogba this year, says Bartomeu

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu says the Catalans will not sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba in 2015.The Champions League holders are keen to lure the 22-year-old to Camp Nou but saw an €80 million offer for the midfielder turned down last week.

Barca were expected to launch an improved bid but Bartomeu revealed any deal for Pogba is now on hold until January next year at the earliest.

"We will not buy Pogba this year," the current Barcelona president told reporters.
"We are not planning with him for next season. He is not part of our sporting plans for 2015-16 at this stage."

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli hinted on Monday that the France international could still be on the move this summer, which could encourage several other clubs to make bids.

Barcelona announced the capture of Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth €41m on Monday after recently securing the services of Aleix Vidal from Sevilla.

However, the club are banned from fielding new signings until January after being found guilty of irregularities in the sgning of youngsters from overseas last year.

 

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Barcelona will not sign Pogba this year, says Bartomeu

Pogba wa meh year 1ke Barcelona ganne naha kiyala kiyanne,Pogba thawa year 1kak Juventus walama idi ahemath nathnam City join wei​

 

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Douglas Costa will need time at Bayern, says Rafinha

Bayern Munich defender Rafinha believes new signing Douglas Costa will need time to adapt to his new surroundings following his €30 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The versatile attacker, 24, recently signed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga champions and Rafinha believes his compatriot will quickly realise Bayern are a major step up from Shakhtar.

"Douglas Costa is a quality player, but with all due respect to the Ukrainian league and Shakhtar, Bayern are a different world, and Bundesliga opponents are better, more dynamic, more physical and quicker," Rafinha told the official Bayern website.

"He’ll spot that straight away. We’ll certainly have to give him time to settle in.
"I’m delighted we’ve signed another Brazilian, but the coach decides who plays where."I only know Douglas Costa from our matches against Shakhtar last season.

"However, when Dante and I flew from Brazil to Germany last week, he was coincidentally on the same flight, although he was seated a fair way away from us and we couldn’t talk a lot. As a result, I can’t really say a lot about him yet."
Douglas Costa will commence training with Bayern on July 11 following his participation at the Copa America with Brazil.

 

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Marchisio: I can't be Pirlo's heir

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has conceded he is not the man to replace Andrea Pirlo following his team-mate's move to New York City FC.

Pirlo's four-year stint at Juve officially ended when New York City revealed they had signed the 36-year-old on Monday.

Marchisio, who has been at Juve since age seven and signed a new deal until 2020 on Monday, said it was not his aim to fill the void left by Pirlo."I cannot be Pirlo's heir because I am very different from Andrea," Marchisio said at a press conference.

"That would apply even if I had played in the same position. "I would like to spare a few words for Andrea, for everything he gave us and because he really made us grow as a team.

"He was a very important player for me. In these few last years I saw him playing in front of the defence and he really helped me. "I do not have his characteristics, but I have learnt a lot from him and as a result everything was easier."

 

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Inter want Champions League return - Icardi

Mauro Icardi is determined to lead Inter back into the Champions League next season.The Nerazzurri failed to qualify for European football last term after finishing eighth in Serie A, but have already invested heavily in their squad this summer.

Inter have signed Geoffrey Kondogbia from Monaco, Atletico Madrid centre-back Miranda, Colombian defender Jeison Murillo and Barcelona's Martin Montoya.

And Icardi, who signed a four-year contract extension in June after ending last season as the top goalscorer in Italy, believes Inter are ready to challenge for top honours again.

"Inter have decided to make a leap," Icardi told Sport Mediaset."It's been three or four years without winning anything, we need to get back to playing in the Champions League.

"That's the goal we all have in our heads. The club has done what I expected, they want to build a competitive squad and the transfer market has shown that, they've already brought in important players."Last year was the most important year, I decided to stay at Inter. I became top scorer, and that was a great feeling.

"Now I miss playing for something important, to win the league, or get into Europe. I want Inter to do better things than last year. We want to finish as high as possible."

 

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Gotze must change, warns Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer has warned Mario Gotze that he must change if he wants to succeed at Bayern Munich.

The midfielder joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2013 but has failed to nail down a regular starting berth at the Allianz Arena, leading to criticism from a number of figures in Germany.

Gotze's agent recently complained that his client does not get the support he needs at Bayern, but Beckenbauer says the Germany international must take responsibility for his own performances.

"I don't know whether Mario is lacking support at Bayern," Beckenbauer told TZ.
"He could not have had a better team around him than here at Bayern in the past two seasons. I don't know what kind of support he would need.

"The player himself is responsible for his own performances."If he wants to succeed at Bayern and really make an impact in his third season, he might have to change his game.

"He has to do more, especially in the one-on-ones. You have to offer more at this level."Gotze, 23, has a contract with Bayern until June 2017.

 

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Salah will join Chelsea for pre-season - agent

Mohamed Salah will join up with the rest of the Chelsea squad for the start of pre-season as his public dispute with Fiorentina rumbles on.

The Egyptian has opted against returning on loan to Florence, where he spent the second half of last season and notched six goals and three assists in 16 Serie A appearances.

Chelsea and Fiorentina originally agreed an 18-month loan deal for Salah as part of Juan Cuadrado's January move to Stamford Bridge.

However, the player retained the power to reject a return to the Stadio Artemio Franchi this summer and Inter have since entered the race to sign Salah.

Fiorentina say they are considering legal action over the player's refusal to rejoin them, while his agent Ramy Abbas revealed his client will meet up with the rest of the Chelsea squad for the first day of pre-season training on Thursday.

“The player will go to the training camp with Chelsea,” Abbas told Sky Sport Italy.

“The English club meet up again officially on Thursday in London, and Salah will be there with them.”

 

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Milan to learn stadium fate on Tuesday

AC Milan will find out if their plans to build a new stadium in the Portello-Fiera Milano City area will be given the green light on Tuesday evening.The Serie A giants have plans to build a new 48,000-seater stadium which they hope to move in to before the start of the 2018-19 season.

They have made a bid for the land in the urban area of Portello, but face stiff competition from investment company Vitali for the location.

Fondazione Fiera, who own the land, were initially set to make a decision between both interested parties on Monday, but postponed their decision and are now expected to make an announcement on Tuesday at 18:00CET."I have been authorised to meet again with AC Milan and Vitali before making a final decision," Fondazione Fiera Milano president Benito Benedini told reporters.

"The quality of both projects and the importance of the area in question requires that, even at the final stages, Fondazione Fiera does everything to make the correct decision for everyone involved."

Milan's proposed new stadium will include a hotel, sports college, restaurants and children’s rides, with the Rossoneri hoping it will be one of the most innovative arenas in world football.

 

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Official: Rami leaves Milan for Sevilla

Sevilla have completed the signing of Adil Rami from AC Milan for an undisclosed fee after the defender passed his medical on Tuesday morning.

The 29-year-old had long been linked with a return to La Liga and has now sealed his transfer to the Europa League holders.

Rami joined Milan from Valencia in January 2014 and still had two years remaining on his contract, but was deemed surplus to requirements by new head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

"I have great respect for Milan, I had two great years there," Rami said upon completing the deal."But now I have to change. I am at a great club in the Champions League, with the best coach in the world to me. It cannot be better.

"It [working with Emery] was important, yes. We all know that Sevilla is a great club."The centre-back started his professional career with Frejus and also wore the jersey of Lille before joining Valencia in January 2011.

It's the second time this transfer window Milan and Sevilla have done business following the Rossoneri's signing of Carlos Bacca.Rami will be presented to the press at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Tuesday 13:30CET.

 

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Chelsea were never an option for Arda Turan – Atletico

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerez says Chelsea were never an option for Arda Turan after the midfielder completed a €41 million (£29m) move to Barcelona.

The Blues had been linked with a move for the 28-year-old after his representative Ahmet Bulut confirmed in June he wanted to leave Atleti and play in the Premier League.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa also spoke of his desire for Arda to move to Stamford Bridge, after admitting it would be “fantastic” to play alongside the 28-year-old once again.

The Turkey international has now joined Luis Enrique’s side although he cannot feature for the club until January 2016 due to the club’s current transfer ban.

“We didn't talk with Chelsea, Barcelona was the first option,” Cerezo told Spor Net-NTV. “We got an agreement because of Luis Enrique's insistence.”

Arda could still return to Atletico before July 20 after Barcelona confirmed they retain the option of selling the midfielder back for a €4.1m loss should the club’s new president - who will be elected 48 hours earlier - not wish to sanction his arrival.

 

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Balotelli granted compassionate leave by Liverpool

Mario Balotelli has been granted compassionate leave by Liverpool after the death of his adoptive father Francesco.

The 24-year-old was absent as Reds' boss Brendan Rodgers and his squad returned to Melwood for the start of pre-season on Monday.

Balotelli's foster parents cared for him from the age of three and he will be given additional time off as he comes to terms with his loss.

 

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Benedito: I want Verratti at Barcelona

Barcelona presidential candidate Agusti Benedito has revealed Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti will be his main transfer target if he is elected.

The Italy international, 22, has a contract with PSG until June 2019, but Benedito is hopeful of luring the midfielder to Camp Nou if he wins this month's election.

Barcelona have already secured the services of Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid and Aleix Vidal from Sevilla and Benedito is confident Verratti could be their latest big signing."For us, Verratti is our number one priority if we win the election," Benedito told AS.

"He has shown to have the ability to come to Barcelona, but his club do not want to sell. He remains top of our list, though."We have not held negotiations with PSG or Verratti because that's impossible, but we have been in touch and have a good relationship.

"We are confident we can convince PSG and Verratti to agree to a deal."I don't know what Luis Enrique thinks of Verratti, but I think he will be interested in siging him.

"We will see how the election goes and then we can talk with PSG."Benedito faces competition from Josep Bartomeu, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Joan Batiste in the race for the Barcelona presidency.

 

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Casillas edging closer to Porto

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas is edging ever closer to a move to Porto but whether the transfer goes ahead depends on the Santiago Bernabeu side's willingness to make a financial sacrifice.

The Primeira Liga outfit have offered the Spain international a two-year deal worth €2.5 million per annum, with an option for an additional third season, and Casillas is keen on a move to the Estadio do Dragao.However, Casillas currently earns €7m a year in the Spanish capital and still has two more years running on his existing deal with Los Blancos.

The 34-year-old, therefore, wants Madrid to pay the difference between Porto's offer and his current wages at the Liga giants, which would cost the Liga side an estimated €15m before taxes.

Madrid executives have vowed to do everything within their powers to help Casillas in his search for a new club as they are intent on signing Manchester United's David De Gea to compete with Keylor Navas for the No.1 jersey next season.They are reluctant to settle for a €15m exit payment, though, and are hoping to negotiate a deal for a significantly lower fee with Casillas' agent.

The shot-stopper's representative, Carlo Cutropia, already suggested on Monday that Casillas is keen to join Porto, but that the ball is nonetheless in Madrid's court.

"Casillas is pretty excited about the opportunity to join Porto," the agent told Record. "We hope Real Madrid will allow him to move on and give him an easy exit."