..::Football III::..

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Ancelotti wants to coach Roma

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed his desire to become Roma coach or return to AC Milan, having not worked in his native Italy since 2009.

The 56-year-old left Milan that year to take up the vacant manager's position at Chelsea, before going on to coach both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, winning at least one trophy with each club.

Ancelotti spent eight years at Roma as a player from 1979 to 1987, becoming captain and winning several titles, including Serie A and four Coppa Italias.

He then switched to Milan, for whom he won consecutive European Cups in 1989 and 1990 and enjoyed great success as head coach for eight years from 2001, but he still harbours ambitions to preside over a Roma team of his own.

He told Corriere dello Sport: "I would very much love to be Roma coach one day, as it's a team I love in a city that I love.

"The city was marvellous and the fans fantastic. When I got off the train and took a taxi to the club headquarters, then the fans started insulting the poor taxi driver because he must be a Lazio fan for wanting to get paid for the journey.

"They were wonderful years. We were a fantastic group and almost all remain friends. I have great memories and not just of the Scudetto.

"I'd also happily return to Milan. They did call me, but I had to undergo a back operation and preferred to rest for a year."

Ancelotti left Real Madrid at the end of last season but has no plans to end his hiatus before the end of the season, though when he does return he will not be narrowing his search to jobs in Italy only.

"I am happy that I took the time off, as I really needed it," he added. "I am in no rush and in all honesty would not take a mid-season job into consideration. We'll talk about it again at the end of the season, to set up a new adventure properly.

"It could be abroad too, as now I'm multilingual. I have no Real Madrid regrets, as I knew that without a trophy every year it'd be curtains. It was an honour."

 

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Inter a possibility for Biglia, says agent

Lucas Biglia's agent has suggested there is widespread interest in the Lazio midfielder, with Inter a strong candidate for his signature.

The 29-year-old arrived at the Stadio Olimpico from Anderlecht in 2013 and has become an integral part of Stefano Pioli's midfield.

However, Biglia, who scored his first international goal in Argentina's 1-0 win over Colombia on Tuesday, could be set for a move away.

His representative disclosed there is interest in his signature from Italy and abroad, specifically mentioning San Siro as a possible next destination.

"Biglia is a top player. It is normal that the biggest teams in Europe have made enquiries about him," Enzo Montepaone told TuttoMercatoWeb.

"There's a big market for him, both in Italy and abroad. There are so many possibilities, Inter is one of them.

"We can't say yet [if he will move in January]. Biglia is happy at Lazio, but we must think about what's best for his career."

Lazio sit ninth in Serie A ahead of Sunday's visit of Palermo.

 

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Higuain a doubt for Napoli

Maurizio Sarri has confirmed that Gonzalo Higuain is a doubt for Napoli's trip to Verona on Sunday.

The striker has scored nine goals in 12 Serie A appearances this term, but returned from international duty with Argentina "very tired".

Higuain was withdrawn after 70 minutes as Gerardo Martino's side picked up their first win in World Cup 2018 qualifying with a 1-0 triumph over Colombia in the humidity of Barranquilla on Tuesday.

The Napoli coach admitted the former Real Madrid man will need to be assessed before deciding if he will be fit to feature at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

"We will evaluate the condition of Higuain. He played in the heat, had a long journey and he seemed very tired," Sarri said on Saturday.

"We'll see in training if he has been able to recover and hopefully tomorrow he'll be in decent condition.

"Our plan was to use him part-time, but the injury situation is forcing us into different decisions."

Manolo Gabbiadini and Dries Mertens returned injured, leading Sarri to question the importance of international friendlies.

"It does punish teams who have a lot of international players, as they travel all over the world for often pointless matches," he continued.

"We are particularly disappointed to lose Gabbiadini because at this stage of the season he is essential, as is Dries."

After 12 fixtures, Verona are the only Serie A side yet to secure a win, but the 56-year-old is not underestimating Andrea Mandorlini's men.

"Verona are a much better side than their position in the table would suggest, so I'm sure they will recover and it'll be extremely difficult for us," Sarri added.

 

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Schweinsteiger: De Gea one of the best in the world

Bastian Schweinsteiger was quick to praise David de Gea after Manchester United secured a late 2-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Memphis Depay put United in front early on with a sublime finish from close range, but De Gea was tested on a number of occasions by Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo.

De Gea was eventually beaten by Deeney from the penalty spot, but Schweinsteiger acknowledged the contribution of the Spain international in recent weeks.

"David is one of the best goalkeepers in the world," Schweinsteiger told BT Sport. "We're happy that he stayed here and he made a lot of good saves, today and also in previous games.

"You need a good goalkeeper when you want to win something."

United remain in the hunt for the Premier League title, and Schweinsteiger says his side can be pleased with their progress so far this season.

He added: "I think the three points today was very important for us, also in our last matchday it was also important for us, we came two points closer to City (and) Arsenal.

"We play Leicester which will also be difficult, but if we can win that match too I think then we are happy in the Premier League."

 

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Manchester United and Barcelona rumours affecting Tielemans - Hasi

Anderlecht coach Besnik Hasi feels the alleged interest of clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester United is negatively affecting promising youngster Youri Tielemans.

The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the best prospects in Europe and is frequently being linked with a move away from Anderlecht.

He has been struggling to find his best form in recent months though, and Hasi believes the transfer speculation is playing a role in his recent slump in form.

"There is a lot of pressure on Youri," Hasi said at a news conference. "He also reads all the rumours that are being written by the papers.

"One week he is being linked with Manchester United, the next week Barcelona are interested in signing him.

"It is not easy to ignore all that speculation. Everybody in Europe knows Youri. An 18-year-old who plays so many games is quite rare.

"Fortunately, Youri is well aware that he still has room for improvement."

The midfielder has a contract with Anderlecht until June 2020.

 

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Van Gaal: Rooney & Martial could face PSV


Louis van Gaal is hopeful Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial will be fit to face PSV in the Champions League in midweek, but admitted it may be difficult for Phil Jones and Ander Herrera to recover in time.

Jones and Herrera both picked up injuries in Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Watford on Saturday and had to be substituted, with the game at Old Trafford just four days away.
Rooney missed the game at Vicarage Road through illness and Martial suffered a foot injury in France's loss to England at Wembley, but Van Gaal could have the pair available again on Wednesday.

"These are not heavy injuries [to Jones and Herrera] but it is very difficult that you can play against PSV Eindhoven, so it's a lousy period for us, [with] so many injuries," Van Gaal told BT Sport.

"Maybe Rooney - because illness is a matter of days and not weeks - I think Rooney can come back for PSV Eindhoven and maybe Martial but you never know, you have to wait and see."

 

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Coquelin injury could spell disaster for Arsenal & Wenger

It was only a matter of time before Arsenal’s injury crisis reached the stage at which they would no longer be able to get away with it.

Arsene Wenger’s "undroppables" had largely escaped the club’s injury curse - until Francis Coquelin hobbled off in the 13th minute of Arsenal's match against West Brom at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

It looked like a possible ligament injury and Coquelin's distraught reaction suggested he could face a significant length of time on the sidelines.

He is one of the few players whom Arsenal could not afford to lose as they attempt to challenge for the title and qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League with their place in the competition hanging by a thread.

In the next month the Gunners face must-win Champions League fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos while a massive game against their closest title rivals looms on December 21.

Arsenal were already without nine players before Saturday's trip to West Brom - but it is Coquelin's absence that will cause Wenger the most sleepless nights.

The reason is because the Gunners have no replacement for the role that Coquelin plays as a screen for the back four.

Arsenal have been transformed defensively since Coquelin and Santi Cazorla first formed a partnership at the start of the year. The 24-year-old has mopped up opponents' attacks and provided the base for their more attacking stars like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to play with freedom.
Wenger decided not to challenge Manchester United for Morgan Schneiderlin and then neglected to sign a backup for Coquelin in the last summer transfer window.

He could be punished for that decision, with Mikel Arteta lacking the technical and physical qualities to perform that role against the better sides. The Spaniard, who came on to replace Coquelin, scored the own goal which gave his side a mountain to climb at the Hawthorns before hobbling off himself, as if to underline his unsuitability for the role.

Arsenal and Wenger can only hope that Coquelin's injury will not turn out to be as serious as it first appeared.

 

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Vardy equals Van Nistelrooy's Premier League goal record

Jamie Vardy has equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of scoring a goal in 10 consecutive Premier League games.

The Leicester City striker opened the scoring against Newcastle United at St James' Park, netting his 13th of the season and matching the former Manchester United man in the process.

Vardy reached the record in fine fashion, as he played a stunning one-two before darting inside Chancel Mbemba and finishing.

The goal finally managed to break down Newcastle, after Leicester had enjoyed the best of the opening 45 minutes without finding the net.

Van Nistelrooy has held the record since 2003, while the likes of Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge have managed to score in nine consecutive Premier League games.

 

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Congratulations Vardy!​

 

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Mourinho on Chelsea's title hopes: Send for Tom Cruise, it's Mission Impossible

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is being realistic with his side's hopes of defending their Premier League crown, suggesting that they should send for Tom Cruise as a title win is an "impossible mission".

Diego Costa was the hero for the Blues as the Spain international netted the winner after 64 minutes of Saturday's clash with Norwich City, with the hosts claiming what proved to be only their second win in seven matches.

And when asked about his side's title hopes, Mourinho told reporters: "If you ask me about the title, I would say impossible mission. Maybe Tom Cruise could do it."

The Chelsea boss believes that his side deserved to win by a bigger margin against the Canaries but confessed that he was relieved to get the result given the "fragile" position the Blues find themselves in. He told Sky Sports: "We did well enough not to have the last four minutes under pressure.

"In the first half we should be winning. In the second half we should score before the goal, we should score after the goal. A chance we missed in the last minute in the first half is incredible.

"We hit the post immediately after the 1-0 [which would have] killed the game. And then because the situation is fragile, where we think everything goes against us and we are never lucky, we put ourselves in a position in the last four minutes where they had a throw-in, a corner, a rebound and you can lose two points.

"That would have been very much undeserved. We showed the desire to win and we won, which obviously, in this moment, is very important."

 

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Van Gaal hails 'fantastic' Memphis and Lingard


Louis van Gaal was delighted with the performances of Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard as makeshift attackers for Manchester United in their 2-1 Premier League win over Watford.

The onus was on the two wingers to lead the line at Vicarage Road with strikers Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and James Wilson all absent.

Depay opened the scoring with an impressive volley, before Troy Deeney scored at both ends in a dramatic finale to ensure United took three points.

When asked about the Netherlands international's contribution, Van Gaal told BT Sport: "The first half he was superb, like Jesse Lingard.
"I think also this role is the best role for him; he played it also in the world championship for me when Robin van Persie or Arjen Robben was injured, so I knew that he could do this.

"But also Jesse was fantastic - because of those two we created a lot of chances.

"I was amazed about the spirit in our team because there was a late penalty to make it a draw, then you give the team another stimulus and you can create in five minutes another three possibilities to score.

"Before the goal from Bastian Schweinsteiger [which has been credited as a Deeney own goal], Chris Smalling also had a fantastic kick on the goal and Heurelho Gomes saved it fantastically.

"When you can do that as a team then I am very proud that I am the manager."

Van Gaal was pleased to reach the Premier League summit, even if it is likely to be a temporary stay once the other fixtures have been concluded.
"Of course we are fighting for the first position in the Premier League," he said.

"We are that maybe for one hour but it is the second time we have done that now. We are every week closer, but where you are at the end is more important.

"We didn't play so good offensively. We have created a lot of chances and we could have finished the game already much earlier when we see the easy chances for Jesse Lingard.

"But we didn't play so well in ball possession. We did play very good when the opponent had the ball but we didn't give away more than three or four chances. That is it and the penalty was given.

"So you cannot say that we gave a lot away, but I can expect we do better with our possession game than we did."

 

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Wenger rues 'very bad day' for Arsenal


Arsene Wenger felt Arsenal were "incredibly unlucky" to fall to a 2-1 Premier League loss at West Brom as the visitors surrendered a one-goal lead and missed a penalty.

Olivier Giroud handed Arsenal the advantage at the Hawthorns, but James Morrison's effort and a Mikel Arteta own goal put the hosts in the ascendancy before the interval.

Santi Cazorla fluffed his lines badly with a late penalty as Wenger's side lost in the league for just the third time this season.

"It was a very bad day for us. We were incredibly unlucky and never deserved to lose," Wenger told Sky Sports . "We gave everything to win and did not deserve this.

"The only part where maybe we lost focus a bit was between the 35th minute and the 45th minute. Our focus was not 100 per cent then. We were lacking concentration during the set-piece for 1-1.

"We knew what to expect, but we were defensively not at our usual level and we were unfortunate in attack, because we missed a lot of chances. Then we failed to score that penalty as well.
"We are obviously very disappointed, but we cannot change what happened and we must bounce back as soon as possible."

The Frenchman also confirmed that Arteta suffered a muscular problem and Francis Coquelin picked up a knee injury, with the length of their potential absences yet to be confirmed.

 

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Luis Enrique revels in 'glorious' Clasico victory

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique described his side's thumping 4-0 Clasico victory over Real Madrid as "glorious".

Madrid were helpless as goals from Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta saw Barca cruise to a comfortable Liga victory – Suarez netting twice to bookend a memorable rout.

The hosts had Isco sent off late on at the Santiago Bernabeu and the pressure on Madrid boss Rafael Benitez looks certain to intensify.

Discussing Barca's performance, Luis Enrique said: "This victory is glorious, especially in the way that it came about.

"We were the better side and the triumph is down to us.

"I have not seen Madrid surrendering. I think we have been at a higher level and we generated superiority in the areas we wanted. I think the game is more merit of Barcelona than demerit of Real Madrid.

"There is a long way to go but it is always important to win here.

"It has been an all-round performance. It will go down in history as a memorable game for the Blaugranes."

The result sends Barcelona six points clear at the top of La Liga, although Atletico Madrid could climb into second and close the gap with a win at Real Betis on Sunday.

 

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Real Madrid fans boo Ronaldo

Real Madrid fans have vented their anger at Cristiano Ronaldo after watching their side sink to a crushing 4-0 defeat by Barcelona on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo was powerless to prevent Luis Enrique’s side moving six points clear at the top of La Liga thanks to a double from Luis Suarez and goals from Neymar and Andres Iniesta.

The white handkerchiefs were out in force at the final whistle with Rafa Benitez now under increasing pressure having been forced to deny rumours of a rift between himself and key players including Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez in the build-up to his first Clasico as Real Madrid coach.

Ronaldo was certainly not the sole person to blame for a shambolic display at home to the European champions, but many of the jeers from Blancos supporters were directed towards him nonetheless.

The Ballon d'Or holder has not scored in his last three games and frustration at his performances have grown in the Spanish capital recently, despite bagging 13 goals so far this season.

During the international window, rumours surfaced linking him with 2016 moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester United, the latter of whom he played for until joining Madrid for a world-record fee in 2009.

 

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Klopp hails 'big step' for Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp hailed Saturday's 4-1 Premier League victory over Manchester City as a "big step" for Liverpool as they begin to settle into life under the German.

The hosts set out to deny City any time and space at the Etihad Stadium and it worked perfectly, while at the other end Liverpool were clinical in front of goal.

An Eliaquim Mangala own goal set Klopp's side on their way, with Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Martin Skrtel sealing the comprehensive win.

Victory moves Liverpool to within a point of the top five, but more important to Klopp is the growing belief within his squad that they can compete with the top teams in the division.

"The passion we played with [was the most important thing]," he told Sky Sports. "You cannot win against a team like Manchester City without this.

"We tried to close the spaces, we pressed high and the crowd became nervous, that was the first step.

"It was far from perfect but was very good, we took our chances and made our goals. We could have had one or two more but everything is okay."

He added: "It is a big step, it was very important, a big day for us. With results like this the boys start to believe in themselves and that's very important."

 

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Liverpool dan play karana widiya patta​

 

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Pellegrini perplexed by 'fake' City display

An embittered Manuel Pellegrini struggled to make sense of Manchester City's performance in their 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool.

City required a win to maintain their grip on top spot in the Premier League but a woeful defensive display - which included an own goal from Eliaquim Mangala - saw them punished by Jurgen Klopp's ruthless visitors.

And Pellegrini was at a loss when quizzed on his team's performance after the game.

"I'm more than angry. It's difficult to understand why we played so badly today," Pellegrini said.

"The performance was very bad in defending and attacking. They scored four and could have had three more, it is impossible to understand.

"We worked well during the week, I don't believe the way we played. We must turn the page, you cannot analyse a performance as bad as that. It was a fake game.

"I was not happy with the performance of the whole side. We tried to change at half-time but it was the same.

"If we meant to do it on purpose we couldn't have done it that badly."

 

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Marcelo apologises for Madrid's Clasico thrashing

Real Madrid full-back Marcelo has apologised to the club's fans following the 4-0 Clasico thrashing at the hands of Barcelona on Saturday.

Two goals from Luis Suarez either side of a strike apiece from Neymar and Andres Iniesta gave the Liga leaders a resounding victory at the Santiago Bernabeu and prompted a chorus of boos from the home support.

Marcelo, who missed a good chance just after half-time before Iniesta struck Barca's third, says the players must forget the result quickly and fight to claw back the six-point gap to the reigning champions.

"Unfortunately, we failed to do things well. We have to forget this and learn from it," he told Canal Plus.

"We apologise to the supporters, that wasn't the game we wanted to play.

"We'll keep fighting in the way we have to fight."

Madrid managed just 41 per cent possession against Luis Enrique's side and Marcelo accepts that a failure to keep the ball proved their undoing.

"I believe we tried to have the ball but their game is possession. They always had the ball. It's difficult to run without it, it tires you out," the Brazil international added.

"We tried to go on the attack but it wasn't possible."

 

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Iniesta thanks Madrid fans after Clasico masterclass

Andres Iniesta thanked Real Madrid fans after he was applauded from the pitch following his masterful display in Barcelona's thumping Clasico win.

The Spain international, captaining the side for the first time against Madrid, set up Neymar's goal in the first half before smashing in an unstoppable effort in the second as the Liga champions romped to a 4-0 win, with Luis Suarez also scoring twice.

Iniesta's all-round performance drew applause from the Santiago Bernabeu faithful as he was substituted for Munir late on, in much the same way as Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation for a dazzling display in 2006.

The Barca skipper appreciated the response from the stands and described his side's performance as "complete in every way".

"I want to thank the fans," he told Canal Plus.

"We feel very good, we played a complete game in every way. We gave them very few chances, we hardly lost the ball. We were very effective.

"The other day I said that the only thing we were interested in is ourselves. We've done it and we minimised our opponent.

"There's a long way to go, this isn't decisive at all, but we leave here very satisfied."

 

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Juventus 1-0 AC Milan: Dybala fires Bianconeri to victory

Paulo Dybala's stunning volley was enough to seal a 1-0 win for Juventus against AC Milan as the Serie A champions' resurgence continues.

Striker Dybala beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a powerful effort from Alex Sandro's cross midway through the second half at Juventus Stadium to secure a third-straight league victory for Massimiliano Allegri's team.

Both sides had struggled to break down the opposition's solid defences, with 16-year-old Milan goalkeeper Donnarumma denying Juve every time they went close to opening the scoring.

Milan pressed for an equaliser but could not find a way past Gianluigi Buffon as Juve leapfrogged Sinisa Mihajlovic's side into sixth place in the table.

Allegri rested Leonardo Bonucci, Juan Cuadrado and Alvaro Morata ahead of Wednesday's key Champions League game against Manchester City. Sami Khedira also failed a fitness test but Stephan Lichtsteiner, Buffon and Mario Mandzukic were passed fit.

Mihajlovic, meanwhile, was without Mario Balotelli, Jeremy Menez, Nigel de Jong, Andrea Bertolacci and Diego Lopez through injury.

The game started at a quick tempo, with Juve's Hernanes curling a shot over the bar and Milan's Juraj Kucka hitting a volley narrowly off target.

Defences were soon well on top with Buffon and Donnarumma only called into action to stop hopeful efforts from well outside the box. Buffon was marking 20 years since he made his first Serie A appearance, in stark contrast to Milan's starlet Donnarumma.

The teenager made a fantastic save shortly before half time, stretching to tip over a free kick from Hernanes that took a wicked deflection off Giacomo Bonaventura's head.

Allegri introduced Bonucci for Hernanes at the break, switching to three at the back in a bid to improve his side's fortunes. The Brazilian had been wasteful in front of goal in the first half.

Kucka had the first chance of the second half, getting above his marker to power a header wide, with Juve substitute Alex Sandro firing off target from Dybala's rapid break moments later.

On the hour mark, Paul Pogba let fly with a swerving strike from well outside the box, but the impressive Donnarumma was again equal to the effort.

The opening goal finally arrived soon after. Dybala had been Juve's brightest player and this time there was nothing Donnarumma could do to prevent the Argentina forward striking a powerful finish on the volley from Sandro's cross.

It was almost 2-0 moments later as Dybala again sprung away from the Milan defence, but Donnarumma saved his low shot at full stretch.

Milan responded strongly and Kucka went close with a volley on the turn after Alessio Cerci had beaten Sandro with ease, but the shot flew over Buffon's bar and Juve held on for a vital victory.