..::Football III::..

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Mihajlovic delighted with AC Milan's desire

Sinisa Mihajlovic was delighted with AC Milan's gritty performance in their last-gasp 2-1 victory over 10-man Sassuolo on Sunday.

Luiz Adriano's late header spared Milan's blushes after Domenico Berardi's sublime free-kick had levelled proceedings following Carlos Bacca's opener.

The pressure has mounted on former Sampdoria coach Mihajlovic in recent weeks, with Milan having won only three of their opening eight fixtures prior to the Sassuolo clash.However, the Serbian revealed he was content with Sunday's win, and praised his side for turning a corner.

"Relaxed? No. Satisfied, yes, I am," Mihajlovic said. "These games you have to win with your heart, as well as the tactics and technique.

"Everyone expects that Milan play well and win, there are difficulties, but we deserved to win today. We created chances and had 13 shots on goal and we never gave up."We have been in this situation since the beginning of the season.

"There are people against me, maybe, but I want to thank the fans because during the game they have supported the team."The 10th-placed Rossoneri next host 11th-placed Chievo Verona on Wednesday.

 

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Koeman lauds Southampton character against Liverpool

Ronald Koeman hailed Southampton's character as they earned a share of the spoils in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Christian Benteke broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 77th minute before Sadio Mane - who was sent off in stoppage time - salvaged a point for Southampton with his 86th-minute goal.

And though Koeman lamented that his Saints did not have the necessary quality to leave Anfield with all three points, he was satisfied with their performance overall.
"Of course I'm happy about the final 1-1," the Dutch boss told reporters after the match.

"We knew it would be a difficult game. There were not a lot of chances for Liverpool or for us. It was a hard game and maybe one goal would have decided the victory for one of the two teams.

"But we showed great character after going 1-0 down. It was a good reaction from the team and we scored to make it 1-1. That was a great moment."I think we deserved at least one point, but we wasn't good enough to win the game. I think our offensive performance wasn't of the level that you need to win games against teams like Liverpool."

Mane's goal was his sixth of the season in all competitions, and Koeman reserved special praise for the Senegalese: "It was a great header from the back and Sadio was there where you like to be as a striker."Sadio had already had two or three dangerous moments and with maybe a little bit more luck he was one-on-one."

 

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Aubameyang – I backed myself for another hat-trick

Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he backed himself to earn another three-goal haul before the 5-1 hammering of Augsburg on Sunday.

The Gabon international opened the scoring midway through a dominant first half, before adding two more late on after a Marco Reus brace.

It marked a second hat-trick in four days for Aubameyang after netting all Dortmund's goals in the 3-1 Europa League win over Qabala on Thursday.

And the striker told the club's official website he was always confident of repeating that feat.

"Yesterday I made a kind of bet with my family that I would score three goals," he said after Sunday's win.

"It's nice that it worked, but much more important that we got the three points."

Aubameyang's latest success brings him level with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski on 13 Bundesliga goals, but the 26-year old has played down any comparisons between the two.

"At the moment I think Robert [Lewandowski] is one of the best strikers on the planet. Of course I try to be as good, but I do not want to compare him with me."

 

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Happy anniversary! Suarez saves Barca a year after his debut

October 25, 2014 was not a happy evening for Luis Suarez. The former Liverpool forward finally made his Barcelona debut after serving his four-month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. But he was on the losing side and heavily criticised as Luis Enrique's side lost 3-1 in the Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Back then, there were huge question marks over how he would fit in with Neymar and Lionel Messi in particular, while his conduct on the pitch was under severe scrutiny and he had even been labelled "overweight" by the Madrid media. Then came that difficult debut and it was far from an ideal start for the Uruguayan.

But fast-forward a year and there are no doubts about Suarez any more. Already a hero after playing a vital role in Barca's treble success last season, the Uruguayan has stepped up since the injury to Messi last month and on the anniversary of his Blaugrana bow, he produced perhaps his best performance yet at Camp Nou.

The 28-year-old got the Catalans back in the game after they had surprisingly fallen behind to Eibar early on, sweeping home a pass from Sandro. Television replays later showed the strike should have been ruled out because Sandro had been in an offside position when he received the ball from Sergio Busquets. But Suarez will hardly care about that.

With the game poised at 1-1 and Barca still struggling somehwat, Suarez then conjured up a fine finish to make it 2-1 as he latched on to Neymar's pass in the box and hit home, low into the corner where Asier Riesgo had no chance of a save.

That brought relief to the Camp Nou crowd and late in the game when Barca were looking to see out the final few minutes with a man down after Javier Mascherano was sent off for dissent, Suarez popped up again and this was the best one of all.

The Uruguayan chested down a ball from Neymar in front of his marker, making space for himself to slot a low drive into the bottom corner once again. It was a classic centre-forward's goal from the best No. 9 around - and the striker's name was subsequently sung by the club faithful. He deserved it.

It has been quite a year. Since making his debut at the Bernabeu, Suarez has played 57 games for Barcelona, scored 35 goals, given 25 assists, hit two hat-tricks and won four titles. There have also been no bites.

Before the game, Barca players paid tribute to cancer-stricken club legend Johan Cruyff with T-shirts bearing a message of support for the former Dutch great. Cruyff, of course, is a key figure in the history both past and present of the Catalan club due to his time as player, coach of the great Dream Team and then consultant in the Joan Laporta era.
Thanks to Cruyff, Barca's academy and playing style borrow from the philosophy of Ajax and without his influence, this team may never have dominated the modern era.

Suarez also made his name at Ajax after moving to Europe and he is now at the pinnacle of an already impressive career. Since his debut a year ago, he has hit 23 league goals. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (40), Messi (39) and Antoine Griezmann (26) have more.

So it is fair to say he has exceeded the expectations even of his coach, and Luis Enrique was full of praise on Sunday.

"Suarez gives us a lot," he said. "What he gives us is priceless, non-negotiable. He gives us power inside the box, he's irreplaceable. And he does a lot of good defensive work as well."

To celebrate his first year in Barca blaugrana, the club website prepared a piece on his best moments since making his debut last year and they included his memorable double away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, his stunning scissor-kick against Levante, his hat-trick against Cordoba and his strike as the Catalans claimed the treble by beating Juventus in Berlin.

The former Liverpool forward has been brilliant all year and Sunday's showing was another fine example of his worth - and Suarez admitted afterwards that this win is something special due to the date and his performance against Eibar.

"When you win like that, the celebrations are different," he said. "Especially because it's a year since I made my debut." And he added: "It will be a hard season and we will have to keep fighting against Real Madrid."

Exactly 12 months since debut disappointment at the Bernabeu, Suarez is now on his highest ebb at Camp Nou and in just over three weeks, it will be a very different player who heads back to Madrid's home for the next Clasico clash.

 

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Liverpool lacking belief, says Klopp

Jurgen Klopp expects more from Liverpool but insists it is “not the end of the world” as they settled for a 1-1 stalemate against Southampton on Sunday evening.
The Saints departed Anfield with a point as Christian Benteke’s monstrous header on 77 minutes was cancelled out by Saido Mane with four minutes left to play in normal time.

It was the third draw in three games under the German, and the club's eighth in nine games, but Klopp chose to remain positive post-match.

“With many things I saw tonight, I was fine,” he said. “I saw two teams fighting for a result, one with more freshness because they had one game less in the week. “They pressed high, but we were brave enough to play football against them. We had our situations, our moments, everything you need to win in a tight game."

However, Klopp felt Liverpool lacked the conviction to pick up three points after Simon Mignolet had to pick the ball out of his net, and admitted the visitors’ equaliser should have been avoided.

“We still had 10 minutes to go, and I think we saw tonight we didn’t give up physically, but we didn’t believe we could change the game and that’s the problem,” the manager told reporters after the match.

"We made the goal, and then gave away the free-kick. “Everybody knows you have to avoid things like this in a game against Southampton, who are very good in the air.

“That is why we are not calm enough when we have our chances and need to make the last pass and stuff. I don’t understand the pressure in this moment, but the guys feel this - you can see it.“They work so hard, they’re full of concentration, full of passion, then they concede one goal and it feels like the end of the world.

"It’s not the end of the world, it’s only a goal and you can always come back, this is what we need to understand.”Nevertheless, Klopp enjoyed the header from Benteke, and preached patience as he waits for his first win as Liverpool boss.

“It was an absolutely fantastic goal by Benteke,” he said. “We had our moments, and we can talk about why we didn’t take the next step, but everybody in this room knows it takes time.

“I see development. Of course, the problem is, the other teams don’t wait for us. They don’t think ‘oh, Liverpool are better than last week’, they just want to win, they want to beat us.

“We have to deliver results, results, results all the time. And this is kind of what we’ve done at the start of our development, we have not lost yet against not the worst teams in the league, I would say. “For some, that is not enough, we have to accept this and we have to work.

Tonight I saw some things that were better, things that were not so good - but some of that was because we played on Thursday [against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League]. “Everything is here to be more successful than this current moment. And all you need for that is patience, that is the truth. I’m sorry to say that, and I’m not the first person to say this.

“I hope I’m not the only person in the stadium who didn’t feel like it’s not the end of the world. We can work with this result and the performance of this team.”

 

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Hat-trick hero Suarez: THAT'S why we're champions

Barcelona's hat-trick hero Luis Suarez has hailed his side's performance against Eibar as proof to why they are the Spanish champions.

Barca fell behind after 10 minutes at Camp Nou to Borja Baston's goal, only for Suarez to respond by producing a stunning individual display, bagging three goals to send the Catalans level with Real Madrid at the summit of La Liga.

The side clung on for the win despite Javier Mascherano subsequently being shown a straight red card in a heated contest, and Suarez insists they must continue to display spirit if they are to keep pace with their rivals.

"We won a hard match, I'm so happy about have achieved this and I'm so pleased to have helped the team to get goals," he told reporters after the match.

"They [Eibar] started winning, we had complications but we demonstrated why we are the current champions of La Liga."

The former Liverpool forward, who now has seven goals in eight league games, nevertheless expects Barcelona's title credentials to be tested.

"It will be a hard year, teams that are at the top will fight to be there until the end," he added."Real Madrid will always be there."

 

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Atletico Madrid 2-1 Valencia: Carrasco stunner sees Rojiblancos cruise to win

First-half goals from Jackson Martinez and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco were enough to ease Atletico Madrid to a 2-1 victory over Valencia on Sunday.

Martinez ended his La Liga goal drought after also being on target in Wednesday night's 4-0 Champions League win over Astana – his first since a maiden Atleti strike at Sevilla on August 30.

The instincts that established the 29-year-old as one of Europe's most feared strikers during his time in Portugal appeared sharper as Valencia left the Vicente Calderon empty handed on Sunday – in large part down to the comedy of defensive errors that let Martinez open the scoring in the 32nd minute.

Yannick Ferreira Carrasco added a sublime second before half-time and, although Paco Alcacer reduced the arrears with a 72nd-minute penalty, Diego Simeone's team thoroughly deserved to close to within two points of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Both teams spurned chances during a lively opening, with the first falling to Valencia in the fourth minute.

Rodrigo met Dani Parejo's flighted free-kick with a glancing header, but Shkodran Mustafi was unable to turn home at the back post despite appearing well-placed to do so.Atletico responded through midfield talisman Koke, who burst into the penalty area from the left to drill a shot against goalkeeper Jaume Domenech's legs.

Rodrigo cleverly teed-up Joao Cancelo to force Atleti's Jan Oblak into a save with his feet in the 22nd minute. In attempting to retrieve the loose ball the forward went to ground and left the field on a stretcher.

Fellow forward Martinez experienced somewhat contrasting fortunes when he was gifted the opening goal by some haphazard Valencia defending 10 minutes later.
Mustafi and Andre Santos both swiped at and missed Filipe Luis' hopeful punt forward, leaving Martinez free to slot home.

The Colombia international got the better of his markers once more to be denied by Domenech, who plunged to his right to brilliantly keep out Diego Godin's header from the resulting corner.But there was little the visiting keeper could do five minutes before half-time when Carrasco skipped past Cancelo's challenge and fizzed a low 25-yard strike beyond his despairing dive.

A succession of feisty tackles as the interval approached brought the match close to boiling point, with Atletico defender Jose Gimenez fortunate to escape censure for a two-footed attempt to play the ball that endangered Santi Mina.

A speculative prod towards goal on the end of Koke's shot and a clawing save saw Martinez and Domenech renew acquaintances five minutes into the second period.Martinez made way to a standing ovation with an hour played, Fernando Torres entering the fray, before Atletico's top scorer Antoine Griezmann steered Carrasco's deflected cross into the side netting after 68 minutes.

The Belgium international was also substituted to a similarly triumphant din, but thought of the match petering out were put on hold when Godin hauled down Mustafi and Alcacer stroked home the resulting penalty.

Simeone's men were not tempted to rest on their laurels, with Tiago and Torres ensuring that Domenech ended his evening as the busier goalkeeper.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 Saint-Etienne: Dominant Parisians extend unbeaten run

Paris Saint-Germain extended their unbeaten run to 10 games in the league on Sunday after comfortably beating Saint-Etienne 4-1 at Parc des Princes.

Lavyin Kurzawa finished off a flowing PSG move in the 23rd minute to open the scoring, sliding the ball past Stephane Ruffier from close range.

Three minutes following the interval and Edinson Cavani had doubled the hosts’ advantage, as the Uruguay international tucked away Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s low ball into the area.

The Sweden attacker then got his name on the scoresheet to seal all three points. This time it was Cavani who was the provider as PSG stepped up a gear to open up the opposition's defence.

With 17 minutes to play, Saint-Etienne were handed a lifeline as Marco Verratti scored a freak own goal from the edge of his own box but the French champions were able to cement victory with Lucas Moura's late header.

PSG sit top of the Ligue 1 table with 29 points from 11 games following the win, holding a seven-point lead over second-placed Angers.

Laurent Blanc's men had their first chance to open the scoring when Thiago Motta met Angel Di Maria's sixth-minute corner, but the midfielder headed just wide from 10 yards out.

PSG again came close to going a goal up in the ninth minute after Di Maria set up Ibrahimovic, the eccentric forward seeing his attempt kept out by Ruffier.

Valentin Eysseric looked dangerous for Saint-Etienne shortly after when the midfielder unleashed a powerful shot from 20 yards out, but the 23-year-old could only hit the side-netting.

The home side continued to dominate proceedings and eventually took the lead in the 23rd minute after a superb team move. Verratti reached Kurzawa down the left and the full-back found the net with a calm finish beneath Ruffier.

Di Maria tested the goalkeeper in the 36th minute after cutting inside from the right, only to aim his shot from the edge of the area straight at Ruffier.

Kurzawa nearly doubled his tally in the 39th minute after a cross from Di Maria - his header from a difficult angle was cleared from the goalmouth by Moustapha Sall.

Cavani should have made it two just minutes later after some good work from Ibrahimovic. The Swede unselfishly set up his fellow attacker one-on-one with Ruffier, but the Saint-Etienne goalkeeper proved equal to the task.
The former Napoli attacker did get his goal shortly after the interval, though. Ibrahimovic once more reached Cavani after a quick counterattack and the striker had no trouble finding the net this time around.

Ibrahimovic and Cavani continued to cause the Saint-Etienne defence all kinds of trouble and the latter should have made it three after more good work from the Sweden star, only to put his shot wide from five yards out.

The reigning champions effectively put the match to bed in the 67th minute when Ibrahimovic added his name to the score sheet. Di Maria set up Cavani down the left and the 28-year-old provided his strike partner with an easy chance to make it 3-0.

Saint-Etienne pulled a goal back in comical fashion in the 73th minute. Marquinhos attempted to clear a cross from the right, only to see his clearance hit Verratti's shins and bounce past the helpless Kevin Trapp.

Substitute Lucas though piled even more misery on the visitors in the closing stages of the game as he beat Ruffier with a header at the near post to make it 4-1.

 

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Enrique defends Mascherano's 'c*** of his mother' rant

Luis Enrique has defended Javier Mascherano's on-pitch language after the midfielder was sent off for swearing in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Eibar on Sunday.

The Argentina international was shown a straight red card by match official Carlos del Cerro in the 83rd minute for voicing his annoyance, which the referee felt was aimed at him.
Depending on the length of his suspension, Mascherano could miss the Catalans' El Clasico clash against Real Madrid in November.

Enrique remains unsure where Mascherano's irritation was targeted, but claims officials are overlooking heavy challenges in favour of clamping down on vocalised frustration.

"Today is the best example, referees sanction the protests more than the hard tackles. A hard team like Eibar could have seen more cards," the Barca boss vexed to reporters.

"This is something usual and we have to improve this. Mascherano didn't talk to the referee, he said something normal in a football match [played] at 200 pulsations.

"Mascherano said 'la concha de tu madre' [the c*** of his mother], is a typical Argentine expression like we say here 'los cojones' [the balls], or something like that.

"I'll have to see if he said that to the referee or just to the air. We have to try to not do this but it's complicated during a football match."

Enrique went on to praise Luis Suarez, after the Uruguay international netted a hat-trick in a comeback victory to help the club go joint-top in La Liga.

"What Suarez gives to our team is priceless, he is an irreplaceable player for us," he added.The former Liverpool striker's feat at the weekend took his tally for the season to 10 goals in 14 games in all competitions.

 

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Ancelotti denies Bayern Munich interest: I cannot stand their dominance

Carlo Ancelotti has appeared to rule himself out of contention for the Bayern Munich job, saying the lack of competition they face for the Bundesliga title makes it difficult for him to enjoy watching them.

The Italian has been without a club since departing Real Madrid at the end of the 2014-15 season, and has been linked to the Bayern post with no renewal for incumbent coach Pep Guardiola - whose contract is due to expire next June - in sight.

Nevertheless, the German champions won their 1000th Bundesliga game on Saturday, defeating Cologne 4-0 to keep both their challenge for a record fourth Bundesliga crown and a 100 per cent record from 10 league games this season intact.

But Ancelotti suggested it is precisely the Bavarians' absolute superiority at domestic level that could deter him from taking up the coaching role at Allianz Arena.

"Bayern will win the Bundesliga without even taking their hands out their pockets," Ancelotti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I must confess that I cannot enjoy Bayern's games."There is simply too little real competition."

Ancelotti previously confirmed he will be looking to return to coaching soon, but admitted he would prefer it to be a club level rather than with a national team."I just like to be on the pitch every day and have close contact with the players," he added.

 

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Simeone tells me to shoot more - Carrasco

Yannick Ferreira Carrasco was thrilled with his winner in Atletico Madrid's 2-1 win over Valencia, and reveals coach Diego Simeone has been encouraging him to shoot more.

Jackson Martinez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute at Estadio Vicente Calderon before Carrasco made it 2-0 with a stunning solo effort five minutes before the half-time break.Valencia striker Paco Alcacer pulled one back with a late penalty, but Atletico held on for the win as Carrasco's goal proving the difference.

And though the 22-year-old Belgian admitted his adjustment to life in Spain's top flight had been difficult, he hopes his second La Liga goal of the season can lead to more.

"At first it was hard for me," Carrasco told Canal+. "I continue working and I hope to play the whole championship.""Simeone has given me the confidence and told me I had to [shoot] to score goals like I did today."

"People sing my name and I'm happy. [It] was a nice goal."Los Rojiblancos moved up to third and two points behind leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid with their win over Valencia, and Carrasco credited their visitors for putting up a tough fight.

"The last 30 minutes were very difficult for us," he concluded"Valencia came with confidence, they had to score, but we played the game and we did well."

 

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Blanc: Ibrahimovic can coexist with Cavani

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc praised the partnership between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in the wake of their 4-1 win over Saint-Etienne.
Ibrahimovic and Cavani each got a goal and an assist in Sunday's encounter at the Parc des Princes, with both taking their tallies to seven goals this season.

And Blanc feels the win was further proof that the duo can play together, and paid tribute to their performances."Everybody has now seen that our attackers are complementary when they have the desire to play together," Blanc told reporters at a press conference.

"They have different characteristics and qualities, but what matters most is their presence on the pitch, regardless of their statistics. They did very well."

Angel Di Maria did not add his name to the scoresheet in Paris, but was involved in the creation of many of PSG's dangerous moments."Di Maria put in a great performance in the second half as well," he added.

"We have some great players and he is one of them. We have to be patient with him."PSG are seven points clear atop Ligue 1 after their ninth win in 11 league games this campaign.

 

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Van Gaal blasts critics: I'm sick of Rooney questions!

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal lashed out at critics for constantly discussing Wayne Rooney, saying he would not answer more questions about the striker because he is "sick of it".

The Old Trafford side missed the opportunity to go top of the Premier League with a dull 0-0 draw against neighbours Manchester City, with an attack led by captain Rooney guilty of firing blanks.

However, his boss Van Gaal has had enough of the scrutiny being placed on the 30-year-old, and struck out at the England forward's critics following the result.

"I have to talk every week about Rooney, why?" the Dutchman said to reporters.

"Write it down, it's your opinion. I don't give any more answers about Rooney because I'm sick of it."

The striker has endured a underwhelming start to the season in front of goal, netting only twice in nine Premier League outings so far.

 

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"Write it down, it's your opinion. I don't give any more answers about Rooney because I'm sick of it."

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Mancini: Icardi will rediscover goalscoring form

Inter coach Roberto Mancini has backed Mauro Icardi to rediscover his goalscoring form.

The 22-year-old was the joint highest-scorer in Serie A last season with his tally of 22 goals matched by veteran striker Luca Toni.

However, the Argentine has scored just twice in eight league outings this term but his coach is confident he will soon be back to his best and can strike up a positive relationship with Stevan Jovetic.

"I'm sure Mauro Icardi will get back to scoring soon and will score very important goals for us," Mancini said on Monday.

"Icardi should feel comfortable and start thinking of being useful for other things, how to move for the team.

"He needs to stay calm and keep working hard to get his goal.

"Jovetic and Icardi must build an understanding and look for each other more. They can be the difference."

Mancini is looking forward to Tuesday's encounter with Bologna – the club where he took his first steps in professional football.

However, he is still hopeful of taking three points, which he feels they can do if they replicate their second-half performance in the 1-1 draw with Palermo on Saturday.

"I'm a fan of Bologna, it will be a special match for me having started my career there," Mancini added.

"I was 13 years old when I went there, I have some wonderful memories.

"There are no easy games, but if we play how we did in the second half against Palermo we will have a good chance."

The 50-year-old confirmed that Jonathan Biabiany and Adem Ljajic are still recovering from injuries, while revealing his options to replace the suspended Jeison Murillo in the centre of defence.

"Biabiany is an important player and is getting back to full fitness. He's not at 100 per cent yet," he said.

"Ljajic is doing well and looked good when he came on in Palermo. The problem was that the injury made him sweat a little.

"We have three options to come in for Murillo: [Gary] Medel, [Andrea] Ranocchia and Juan Jesus.

"Yuto Nagatomo hasn't started for a while but he's fine. [Rodrigo] Palacio may start."

 

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Martinez: Jagielka out for two months

Roberto Martinez expects to be without captain Phil Jagielka for "eight to nine weeks" after the central defender picked up a knee injury during Everton's defeat to Arsenal.

Jagielka limped off the pitch at the Emirates Stadium early in the second half on Saturday after sustaining the injury while attempting to clear the ball in the 2-1 Premier League defeat.

Martinez revealed the extent of the 33-year-old's injury when speaking ahead of Everton's Capital One Cup clash with Norwich City, and the Spaniard was in a positive mood despite losing a key man.

"We had really good news yesterday," he said. "Because after the game we expected the worst – especially in the way the injury happened, rotating the knee could have been anything.

"We had the scan, the medial ligament is affected, as we expected, but that is an injury that is quite straightforward in that point of view [and] there is no other damage in the knee.

"So the other structures are very strong, and it is the least [damage] that it could be. So we're really looking forward to getting Phil into rehab and see how quickly we can get him back.

"At the moment we're going to make sure we take the right cause of treatment. I wouldn't expect anything longer than eight to nine weeks [out]."

 

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Barcelona to appeal Mascherano red card

Barcelona have confirmed they will appeal Javier Mascherano's red card after the Argentina international was sent off in their 3-1 win against Eibar.

The midfielder was dismissed in the 83rd minute by Carlos del Cerro Grande for muttering the phrase 'la c***** de tu madre [the c*** of your mother]' at the assistant referee.

However, speaking after Sunday's game, Luis Enrique argued that the phrase is commonly used in Mascherano’s native Argentina.

"He said 'la c***** de tu madre', which is a typical Argentine expression, just like here [in Spain] we would say 'los cojones [the balls]' or something like that," the Barcelona boss said.

Luis Enrique also suggested that his player was not even directing the phrase at the official, rather muttering it to himself.

And, speaking at a press conference on Monday, Barca vice-president Jordi Mestre revealed that the club would take the necessary steps to reverse the red card.
"Mascherano says he didn't intend to insult the linesman, plus the referee's report is also wrong. We will will appeal," Mestre revealed.

Gerard Pique was sent off for swearing at an official in the Spanish Super Cup game against Athletic earlier this season and was subsequently banned for four games.

If Mascherano is handed the same punishment, he would be ruled out of November's Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

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Arsenal fined over Chambers transfer

Arsenal have been fined £60,000 for breaching Football Association (FA) regulations in relation to the transfer of Calum Chambers from Southampton.

The FA has imposed the sanctions and issued a warning to the Gunners over their future conduct after breaching "The FA's Football Agent Regulations".

Authorised agent Alan Middleton has also been fined £30,000 and been handed a suspended punishment banning him from all agency/intermediary activity for a period of three months.

The sanction will only be enforced if he is guilty of contravening agents or FA regulations over the course of the next 18 months, starting from October 23.

 

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'Blatter should have quit long ago'

Brazil legend Zico says Fifa president Sepp Blatter should have stepped down from his position a long time ago.
The 79-year-old is serving a 90-day suspension having been implicated in a Swiss criminal investigation into the conduct of world football's world governing body.

Blatter has already announced his decision to quit after February's election, but Zico - who is bidding to become Fifa's next president - feels his exit could have been smoother had he exited sooner.

He told Goal: "Yes, he should have done it a long time ago. I think he should have avoided all the situations because some time after he was elected he announced he would step down.

"He was to renounce his presidential position and after that he decided not to go. He should know everything that happened and he is in a situation that he could have avoided if he had stepped down before."

Uefa president Michel Platini has also been embroiled in the corruption case after it was revealed he received a £1.35 million loan from Blatter prior to the 2011 Fifa presidential election.

Shortly after, the former France midfielder announced his support for the Swiss, and Zico admitted he will be hugely disappointed if he's found guilty of any wrongdoing.
"I do regret the fact that two men like them in football, two big figures, have been embroiled in a situation like this," he added.

"If it has come upfront, it is a bad thing for the image of the association. Platini is a personal friend of mine and I would be very sad if he is involved in these things."

Zico was also damning in his assessment of Fifa's decision to award the 2020 World Cup to Qatar.
"I have nothing against Russia, they have a history in football and have always participated in World Cup. They have had many good results in Europe, but Qatar? What has Qatar done for football? Zero!

"And now for the first time in the history there has to be changes made for the World Cup calendar in football because of Qatar. It is a shameful situation for the football world."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Muller: Rafinha a good option for Germany

Thomas Muller is sure that Bayern Munich team-mate Rafinha would be an asset to Germany if he is granted citizenship.

The right-back rejected a call-up to the Brazilian national team from Dunga last month, but refuted suggestions it was in order to switch his international allegiance.

Rafinha has only represented Brazil's senior side in two friendlies, meaning he is still eligible to feature for another nation.

Muller is confident that he would be welcome in the Germany squad as a possible replacement for Philipp Lahm should he complete his naturalisation.

"With his qualities on and off the pitch he's always an option," the Bayern forward told AZ.

Rafinha underwent his citizenship test last Friday and admitted he would be open to representing the 2014 World Cup winners if he passes.

"I have a good feeling. Of course, the national team is a possibility," he said.

"But I'm only talking about it when I have my passport, now it's still too early."