..::Football III::..

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Mourinho deal is bad news for Chelsea's rivals - Terry

Chelsea captain John Terry believes Jose Mourinho's impending contract extension is as good for the club as a new signing, but bad news for their Premier League rivals.

Mourinho is reportedly close to agreeing terms on a fresh four-year contract at Stamford Bridge and Terry, who played every minute in the league last season, is delighted the Portuguese will be extending his stay.

"It's great news for the club but terrible news for everybody else," he told the London Evening Standard.

"Other managers know that he finds ways to beat teams, he knows people inside out, on and off the pitch. Whether you're a player or manager, he does his groundwork. He knows everything.

"The manager has a lot of great records against clubs and other managers. It must play on their minds.

"When other big teams sign big players you do think 'oh', but it must be the same for them when Mourinho signs his contract at the club."

In his second season back at the club in 2014-15, Mourinho won the title - adding to the two he won in his first spell - and also claimed the League Cup with victory over Tottenham at Wembley.

Terry is now looking forward to future successes and long-term stability with him at the helm.

He continued: "It's excellent news for the squad because it brings stability to the club. The fans love him because of what he’s done.

"For the whole place, stability is key for us, which we missed over the previous five or six years he was away.

"On the first front I was delighted to have him back and now, secondly, I am delighted he will stay for a few more years. It's stable here, it's calm."

 

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AC Milan and Inter will challenge for titles again - Mancini

Roberto Mancini believes both Inter and AC Milan will be challenging for titles in the coming campaign.

The San Siro duo are looking to recover from the last two underwhelming campaigns and have both spent significant sums this summer to strengthen their teams.

And the Inter boss is confident both sides will return stronger for 2015-16 and admits he is looking forward to competing with Milan counterpart Sinisa Mihajlovic.

"I'm sure both Milan clubs will get back challenging for the top honours," he said ahead of Saturday's match between the two sides in China."Sinisa is one of my best friends away from the game. We played together, then he was a player under me before working as my assistant.

"I'm happy for him and I'm happy that I get to meet him in this first derby of the season."This is a very important derby. It's hugely important for our fans here, and for us it's important to keep getting minutes under our belts."

Mancini has included youth academy graduate Samuele Longo in his squad and is looking forward to seeing the 23-year-old in action."Longo is here because he's going to start the game. We believe in him and we hope he can stay with us."

 

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Arsenal's Szczesny set to join Roma on loan

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is on the cusp of joining Roma on loan but still has a future at the Emirates, says manager Arsene Wenger.

The Poland international played second fiddle to David Ospina for the second half of last season, while the arrival of Petr Cech from Chelsea has further dented his chances of first-team football next term.

Goal revealed this week that Roma were interested in taking the 25-year-old to Serie A and will reportedly pay a €400,000 (£281,000) fee to land him, with a view to a permanent deal, and Wenger says a move is close.

"He could go on loan to Roma. We are pretty much done, it is down to paper work but as long as that is not over the line anything can happen," he said ahead of the Emirates' Cup this weekend.

"Szczesny is a top-class goalkeeper and we have three goalkeepers and if he can play somewhere then that is good."

However, Wenger stated the 25-year-old is still in his long-term thinking.

He continued: "He will have a future here because I rate him highly. He already has huge experience."

 

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Benteke will suit Liverpool's system, insists Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers believes Christian Benteke will become a “huge player” for Liverpool and insists the striker is suited to his side’s style of play.

The Belgium international completed his £32.5 million move from Aston Villa earlier this week but former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has questioned whether the 24-year-old will be able to adapt to Rodgers’ “short, sharp and incisive passing game”.

Rodgers, however, has no concerns over Benteke’s versatility and says the Belgian’s record of 42 goals in 89 Premier League games was an important factor when targeting a new striker.

“There’s a number of qualities that he has and he will only improve in his time at the club,” Rodgers told Liverpool’s official website.

“I think first and foremost his goals, if you look at his goals record since the time that he’s been in the Premier League he's up there with the best in terms of numbers. So that was very important for us.

“Obviously I've heard and I've seen stuff about the style, 'he won't fit the style of how we play' - I think he'll only complement it and help us. He’s a big guy but he’s got the attributes that I like in terms of pace and movement and he gets goals, he gets all types of goals.

“He's great in the air, strong, he can hold the game up, he can play on the counter-attack, he can play whenever the team is deep because he can hold the ball up with his physical strength.

“As I said, he's a boy that still is improving in his game so I don’t think there’s any doubt he'll fit our tactical idea of the game and he can be a huge player for us.”

 

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Julian Draxler transfer saga poses dilemma for him and Schalke

These are troubling times for Schalke. For so long, Julian Draxler has been seen as the positive face of the club but now the young German attacker is heading for a swift exit.

Just over two years ago, Schalke announced Draxler's contract extension until 2018 with a great deal of well-deserved pride. A local boy who had snubbed interest from a great number of clubs around Europe, fans were delighted with the unexpected news. In those 25 months, though, plenty has changed.

The club are still reeling from what director Host Heldt could only describe as a "crap season". Roberto Di Matteo was sacked and faith had to be placed in a new group of players. Old ideas would be abandoned and they had to start playing attacking, aggressive football. That the rebuilding will have to take place without Draxler is particularly worrying.

Last summer, Draxler returned to the Veltins Arena from the World Cup in proud possession of a winner's medal. Schalke could comfortably expect to receive a huge fee for their prized asset and his situation is very different to that of another big name heading for the exit door, Kevin-Prince Boateng. S04 held the cards.

In spite of the hefty sum they will soon be sitting on, his loss will be devastating. The 21-year-old stands at a crossroads. Last term, injuries restricted him to just 15 Bundesliga appearances and he must now decide whether he would be best served moving onto pastures new or staying in familiar surroundings.

Had he not spent last season on the sidelines and had Di Matteo's side performed better, they could be confident that he would remain at his boyhood club. New boss Andre Breitenreiter will play more attacking football in contrast to the sacked Italian. But as much as playing for the club he supported as a child is exciting for him, Draxler wants to play Champions League football, which is what makes Juventus' offer so tempting. Schalke simply cannot match that.

But they should be cautious. Should Draxler go to Juventus for €35 million and have a great season, the financial might of the Premier League could come into play and he could move for an astronomical sum.

The case of Kevin De Bruyne sums this up perfectly. Having left Chelsea for €25m, the Belgian had a superb campaign at Wolfsburg last term and now, if current reports are to be believed, could be heading back to the Premier League for €72m.

So, should Draxler leave this summer, there is a huge risk that his value could increase by a colossal amount and his current employers could be left out of pocket.

The coming campaign is vital for player as well as club too. After a year spent largely on the sidelines and with the European Championship on the horizon, he needs to have a great season. Whether that's at Schalke, Juventus or indeed another club, only time can tell.

 

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Ibrahimovic open to Man United move despite bad Van Gaal relationship

Paris Saint-Germain star Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits that he has a fraught relationship with Louis van Gaal but refuses to say that their previous clashes would impact a potential move to Manchester United.

The enigmatic Sweden international has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford, even though he criticised Van Gaal in his autobiography, 'I Am Zlatan'.

And while Ibrahimovic anticipates that there could be "big problems" between himself and the infamously authoritarian Dutchman, he suggested that he would enjoy any potential tussles with the 63-year-old.

Asked by Sports Illustrated if their frosty relationship would prevent a move to United, the PSG striker hesitated and refused to rule out the possibility. "At the end, I think he is professional and I am professional," he said.

"Whoever I work with, I never have these kind of problems because, at the end, I need to do my job, he needs to do his job. And I think a lot of fights would happen, but that's something I like!"

Expanding on his falling-out with Van Gaal, the giant Swede added: "Our relationship is not good. He was a director at Ajax when I was there and the way he worked is not the way I work."

Ibrahimovic, who netted 19 Ligue 1 goals last term, has won 12 league titles across Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.

 

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Wenger: Arsenal director overstated club's spending power

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says director Lord Harris has overstated the club's power in the transfer market.

Lord Harris stated the club have enough money to shell out on any player apart from Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, given they have in excess of £200 million to spend.

Yet Wenger believes that is not necessarily the case and - while he says money is available to pay for a marquee signing - he does not intend to go gung-ho in the market.

"Lord Harris has gone a bit overboard because that is not true," he told reporters at a press conference ahead of the Emirates Cup, which begins on Saturday.

"We are in a situation where we are working hard where if an opportunity comes up we can do something but we are not in the need.

"We are in a strong position with a strong squad I am happy with.

"We are open-minded everywhere. We work very hard to find the players we can. We spent a lot of money in the last two seasons and bought Gabriel in the middle of the season to be ready for this season.

"We are not reluctant to spend the money. Now we have the money, if we can find the players we will spend the money."

Goal understands Wenger was prepared to launch a bid for key summer target Karim Benzema, though the striker's agent has insisted his client will not be leaving Real Madrid.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is currently the only arrival at the Emirates' Stadium this summer.

 

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Real Madrid pre-season tour exhausting - Kroos

Toni Kroos concedes he has been left exhausted by Real Madrid's pre-season tour schedule.

The club completed the Australian leg of their preparations with a 4-1 victory over Manchester City on Friday, having also faced Roma - who defeated them on penalties."It's normal for this club, but it's a long trip that's also become exhausting," Kroos told reporters.

"We trained a lot and were often in the hotel or the trainings grounds or in the stadium so we didn't see too much of Australia.

"Maybe I will come here another time on my own. I prefer it if it's warm. If I come next time, it will be in summer."Madrid now head to China to play two games in the International Champions Cup, where they will face Inter and AC Milan, before playing another two matches in the Audi Cup in Munich.

The tour finishes with a trip to Oslo, with Valerenga providing the opposition, and Kroos is confident they will be in good shape ahead of the new season.When asked about the victory over City, the German midfielder added: "We are in pre-season and had two solid matches, today we improved in attack compared to the first match.

"We scored four goals against a very good team. I think we are on a very good course."

 

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Van Gaal expects Di Maria to join up with Man Utd squad

Louis van Gaal is expecting Angel Di Maria to join Manchester United's pre-season US tour amid rumours of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentine, along with Marcos Rojo, was afforded an extended holiday following the Copa America but the player's future at Old Trafford is far from certain, with a move to the Ligue 1 champions reportedly close.

United are set to face Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday, with another player rumoured to be leaving, David de Gea set to feature, but Van Gaal says Di Maria is not fit enough to take part.

"I expect Di Maria tomorrow, because we have communicated that and they have responded on that," Van Gaal told reporters. "I am not answering questions about transfers or the process.

"Di Maria cannot play in the game because we have to build him up. When you come out of your holidays you cannot play immediately a game, so that is out of the question.

"It is not so difficult dealing with transfer rumours because I never answer the questions, because I can't. I want to answer them but it's not good for Manchester United, for the players and for me.

"Every word I speak about players who are in the transfer process is one word too much, because I have read a lot of interesting players that Manchester United should buy, but it's not true of every player."

 

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Rooney: I'm ready to be Manchester United's leading striker

Wayne Rooney says he is ready to become Manchester United’s leading striker this season.

The 29-year-old scored just 12 goals in the Premier League last term but was often utilised in a deeper role by Louis van Gaal.

Following Robin van Persie’s departure to Fenerbahce and Radamel Falcao’s exit at the end of last season, Rooney is now set to be Van Gaal’s first-choice striker and the England captain is relishing the opportunity.

"The main striker is a position I think I can score goals from,” said Rooney.

"I'm ready to take that mantle on and try to be the one to score the goals for us.

"I have no personal targets. I am working on getting fit and ready for the start of the season. I have never been one to set personal targets. I just want to help the team."

 

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'Konoplyanka like Hazard and Neymar'

New Sevilla signing Yevhen Konoplyanka has been compared to Neymar and Eden Hazard by two of his former team-mates.

The Ukraine international joined the Europa League holders this summer after leaving Dnipro, having turned down a number of other offers from across Europe.

Brazilian striker Matheus - who played alongside Konoplyanka at Dnipro - has spoken highly of the forward and expects him to shine in La Liga."Kono has what it takes to be like Hazard and Neymar," he said. "He has the ability to do well in Spain or in any other European league.

"He's like Hazard and Neymar - the type of player who can win games in an instant with a spectacular bit of football."Another Dnipro player, right-back Leo Matos, also gave his ex-team-mate his backing and highlighted his ability to produce the spectacular.

"He will always pose a threat because he can take free kicks well and always has the edge when it comes to one-on-one situations."

 

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Rooney: Man Utd squad have clicked with Van Gaal philosophy

Wayne Rooney says the Manchester United squad have finally adapted fully to Louis van Gaal's philosophy.

United won just one of Van Gaal's first six games in charge last term, including an embarrassing 4-0 League Cup defeat to MK Dons and a stunning 5-3 reverse at Leicester City.

However, 12 months into Van Gaal's tenure and with new arrivals Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Matteo Darmian, Rooney is expecting United to hit the ground running.

"At the beginning of last season the manager told us it would take a while to adapt to the changes," he told reporters.

"As a group of players you don't think it will but towards the end of the season, from Christmas, I felt we played some great football, understood exactly what the manager wanted from us and particularly in the big games we did really well.

"We can take that as positives. It was the games we expected to win where we disappointed ourselves. We know what is expected of us and what we have to do and are positive and excited for the season."

 

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Bartomeu vows to fight Premier League riches

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has vowed to fight the Premier League's vast riches following the division's £5.1 billion television rights deal.

As of the 2016-17 season, clubs in the competition will be handed the huge financial injection, which could tempt the world's best players to head to England.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have attracted the game's biggest stars in recent seasons, with the likes of Neymar, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez heading to Spain for astronomical fees.

Bartomeu - who was elected Barca president last weekend - remains confident those players will remain in Spain, but acknowledged the Premier League's monetary might.He told BBC Sport: "We are going to fight against the Premier League. We want to have the best players in our league.

"It's true that the Premier League right now is the best league competition in the world, not only in a sporting way but in terms of income too."The new Premier League television rights contract is something that the rest of the leagues have to follow.

"But no other club in the world has as big an income as Barcelona."Barcelona won the treble last season in coach Luis Enrique's first season in charge of the club.

 

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Bartomeu backs Van Gaal to succeed at Man Utd

Josep Maria Bartomeu has backed Louis van Gaal to succeed at Manchester United after seeing him blood the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol at Barcelona.

The Dutchman took over at Old Trafford last season and, after a slow start, guided the club to the Champions League, with Wayne Rooney insisting earlier on Friday that the coach's philosophy has clicked.

Van Gaal enjoyed a three-year spell as Barcelona boss between 1997 and 2000 before returning for a one-year stay in 2002-03 and the club's president, who was recently re-elected, spoke of his admiration for the 63-year-old.

"Yes, it's a good move," he told reporters. "We know him from when he was at Barcelona and you have to remember that one of our best players of the past 15 years, Xavi, was brought through by Van Gaal.

"He put Xavi, Puyol and others into the first team. Van Gaal did something very good by having a lot of confidence in our young players.

"The youth players of our academy, La Masia, he used them a lot and he was right because for the last 12 or 15 years those players have been the best players in our team.

"We know how strong, intelligent and clever he is, how he gets the best that is possible from his players, and United are going to be one of the top clubs this year, I'm sure."

United face Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

 

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Ada Barcelona Vs Manchester United friendly match 1ka
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AC Milan and Inter will challenge for titles again - Mancini

Roberto Mancini believes both Inter and AC Milan will be challenging for titles in the coming campaign.

The San Siro duo are looking to recover from the last two underwhelming campaigns and have both spent significant sums this summer to strengthen their teams.

And the Inter boss is confident both sides will return stronger for 2015-16 and admits he is looking forward to competing with Milan counterpart Sinisa Mihajlovic.

"I'm sure both Milan clubs will get back challenging for the top honours," he said ahead of Saturday's match between the two sides in China."Sinisa is one of my best friends away from the game. We played together, then he was a player under me before working as my assistant.

"I'm happy for him and I'm happy that I get to meet him in this first derby of the season."This is a very important derby. It's hugely important for our fans here, and for us it's important to keep getting minutes under our belts."

Mancini has included youth academy graduate Samuele Longo in his squad and is looking forward to seeing the 23-year-old in action."Longo is here because he's going to start the game. We believe in him and we hope he can stay with us."

waiting for Inter to return to top Form

 

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Ramsey flattered by Barcelona interest

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey admits he is flattered by interest from Barcelona and would be keen to play in Spain at some stage in his career.

The Wales international was linked with a move to Camp Nou early in the summer after an impressive conclusion to the season with the Gunners.

And the 24-year-old revealed he would love to have the chance to ply his trade in La Liga, though for now he wants to concentrate on challenging for silverware with Arsenal.

"Obviously it's very flattering," he told The Guardian. "They [Barcelona] did the treble last year and it's just really nice to be linked with one of the best clubs in the world.

"One day I would like to go over to Spain to play just to see what it's like and to experience that. But at the moment I'm with Arsenal and I feel like this Arsenal team can go and be successful and challenge for things."

 

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'Warrior' Khedira is as ambitious as ever - Low

Germany boss Joachim Low has hailed Sami Khedira's "warrior" spirit and says he remains a hugely ambitious player.

Khedira ended a tough spell with Real Madrid by signing for Serie A champions Juventus this summer and his national team coach believes he will have a huge impact in Italy.

"Sami's a world-class player, able to stand up and impose himself in any kind of championship and at any level," Low told Tuttosport.

"And even though he's already won the World Cup with Germany and Champions League with Madrid, he continues to set himself ambitious goals."Khedira is a true leader, always willing to put the interests of the squad ahead of his own.

"From a mentality point of view, I'm sure he'll settle quickly in Italy. He'll feel at home."He has a strong personality, he's a true warrior. He showed that during the World Cup in Brazil but especially before the tournament, when he did everything to get back in time after the operation on his knee."

Khedira, 28, won La Liga and two Copas del Rey - in addition to the 2014 Champions League - during a five-year spell with Madrid.

 

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Wenger hints at attacking role for Wilshere

Arsene Wenger has hinted that Jack Wilshere will be used in an attacking role for Arsenal in the upcoming season.

Much debate has surrounded what Wilshere's best position is after some impressive performances for England as a defensive midfielder during their European Championship qualifying campaign.

But Wenger insists he sees the 23-year-old as someone who can play further forward and act as a creative force if he can steer clear of the injuries that have plagued his career to date.

"It is a big season for Jack Wilshere," he told reporters. "I hope that he can get a full season without any problems and then it will be a big year for him and us as well.

"I see him in a creative offensive position, on the flank or in the middle. For me, he is a creator in the final third."

 

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Van Gaal: Luis Enrique was my Rooney at Barcelona

Louis van Gaal has heaped praise on Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique, comparing him to Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney as a player.

The former Spain international won back-to-back Liga titles and the Copa del Rey between 1997 and 1999 under the guidance of the Dutch coach at Camp Nou.

Van Gaal is now preparing his United side to face Luis Enrique's treble-winning Barcelona in Saturday's International Champions Cup clash in California and, speaking ahead of the game, he had nothing but the highest esteem for his opposite number.

"He was a perfect player, fantastic for me. An example during training. Always at 100 per cent," he told reporters.

"I gave him a very important responsibility, playing as a No.10. You have to score goals, and he did it. He was like Rooney."Van Gaal left his post at Barcelona in 2000 after claiming four trophies in his three-year spell.