..::Football III::..

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Real Betis 1-1 Real Madrid: Benzema rescues Zidane from first defeat

Karim Benzema ensured Zinedine Zidane remains unbeaten as Real Madrid coach, with the striker's second-half equaliser earning a 1-1 draw against a stoic Real Betis at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Alvaro Cejudo's exquisite volley put Betis ahead inside seven minutes but Benzema ended Madrid's struggle to find a response when he rounded off a lovely team move with 19 minutes remaining to stave off a first defeat for Zidane and earn a point.The crowd were boisterous from the opening minute in Andalusia and had even more to shout about when Cejudo gave them an early lead.

Madrid eventually settled but Cristiano Ronaldo - persistently booed every time he touched the ball by the home faithful - looked out of sorts and miscued his side's best opportunity to equalise before the interval.

With Gareth Bale absent due to a calf injury, James Rodriguez missed two great chances but finally justified his place in the front three by latching on to Toni Kroos' brilliant throughball and teeing up Benzema for the leveller.

Zidane's side were unable to find a winner in the closing stages, with former Madrid goalkeeper Antonio Adan making two late saves to leave them four points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona, while Betis' winless run extends to 11 games in all competitions.

The electric atmosphere in Seville was met with a fitting start as Ruben Castro beat Danilo in an impressive run down the left before cutting inside and forcing a save from Keylor Navas.

The ball looped up off the Costa Rica international and fell kindly to Cejudo, who produced a sensational volley which flew into the top-left corner with just seven minutes on the clock.

Every touch for Zidane's side was met with jeers – Ronaldo receiving particularly harsh treatment - but they gradually gained a foothold in the game and Benzema warmed the gloves of Adan in the 17th minute.

The visitors began to enjoy more possession and Ronaldo looked sure to restore parity in the 32nd minute when a one-two with Benzema set him free on the left-hand side of the box, but the Portuguese forward uncharacteristically skewed wide.Madrid continued to pile on the pressure and, after Pepe powered a header narrowly wide, Benzema felt he was wrongly refused a penalty when his heel was caught by Petros.

Betis managed to see out the remainder of the half without conceding, but their inability to keep hold of the ball continued to cause them problems.

Five minutes after the restart James failed to connect eight yards out and Adan did well to block Benzema's attempt to redirect a shot from Luka Modric into the net seconds later.

Madrid, having struggled to create opportunities, equalised in the 71st minute when Benzema tapped home from James' square pass after Kroos had split the Betis defence open, although Colombia international James could have been in an off-side position when he supplied the assist.

James, Benzema and Ronaldo were all denied by Adan - the latter two from point-blank range - in the closing stages, while Castro fired wide from 20 yards when presented with a chance to win it on the break for the hosts in stoppage time.

Aparade Refree penalties dekak dunne ne first half eke. Betis mara lucky. Specially the goalkeeper. And madrid didn't perform well as they should. Title race ekata thiyana gap eka lesiyen lan karanna thibba chance ekak

 

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Wenger MUST quit if Arsenal throw away the title

Arsene Wenger has spoken previously about how his decision to retire is likely to be "instinctive and impulsive" rather than a pre-planned decision.

Surely, though, the Arsenal manager has been putting some thought into when he will step aside and give someone else a chance.

Wenger is now 66 and has not won the title since his Invincibles side in 2004, while the Gunners' FA Cup wins in the last two seasons are their only trophies since 2005.

So it seems ludicrous that there are suggestions he is close to agreeing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2019.

Wenger's existing deal expires in 2017 but if he is unable to guide Arsenal to Premier League glory this season, the Frenchman should give serious thought to resigning.

If he cannot guide Arsenal to the title this season, he never will again.

The Gunners could not have dreamed for a better chance to finally win the Premier League again than this season, with the title race so open and rivals so vulnerable.

Manchester United and Chelsea have had deeply disappointing campaigns and will surely improve next season. Manchester City have also stuttered yet remain level on points with Arsenal, with Pep Guardiola expected to take over as manager in the summer.

It has been there for the taking this season and at times they have looked destined to become champions, not least with their convincing home wins against the two Manchester clubs.
After Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, though, they have now won only two of their last six in the league and have slipped down to third in the table.

Arsenal have improved this season, but the old problems continue to creep back in - and that is down to Wenger.

How, for example, did the club end up suffering the annual injury crisis bang on schedule in November with up to 10 players all sidelined at one stage? Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck have all missed significant periods of the season when they could have been of considerable use to the team.

Arsenal's league defeats have not come against sides around them in the league table but they have lost to West Ham, West Brom, Southampton - a 4-0 thrashing - and Chelsea twice.

Questions remain over the mentality of the team when they're put under pressure and the quality of the defenders, as shown by Per Mertesacker's red card for fouling Diego Costa on Sunday when the Chelsea striker was through on goal.

In Europe, Arsenal made such a mess of their Champions League group stage that they needed to win by two clear goals in their final match away at Olympiakos. Their reward was a last 16 tie against holders Barcelona and a sixth consecutive exit in the first knockout round looms.

Wenger is known to have been frustrated with the speculation that surrounded his future when his contract ran down in 2014 and felt that it caused his team to lose a little focus. He will be eager to avoid a repeat.

Potential successors such as Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp have already taken new jobs this season, but Guardiola is yet to sign a contract with City so could be tempted by a charm offensive from north London.

There are several other highly-respected managers across Europe such as Diego Simeone and Antonio Conte who are also known to be keen on managing in England at some point.

Some Arsenal fans embarrassed themselves in November 2014 when they unveiled a banner in the away end at West Brom that read 'Arsene, thanks for the memories, but it's time to say goodbye'.

Yet the sentiment sums up what many supporters continue to believe. Wenger is hugely respected for his enormous impact at Arsenal since his appointment in 1996, but a significant proportion have felt for a number of years that he is no longer the man to take the club forward.

If he cannot win the title this season, then Wenger must himself accept that the fans are right and he should step down.

 

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Koke: Atletico's objective is to finish third in La Liga

Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke says it is the club's objective to finish third in La Liga rather than fight for the title.

Atletico surrendered the lead in the table following a 0-0 draw at home to Sevilla on Sunday, while Barcelona triumphed 2-1 away to Malaga on Saturday to claim top spot with a superior goal difference.

However, Koke is not worried, claiming the side only have their eyes on finishing third."Our objective is to be third," he told Movistar Plus."We have always said this. But now we have to continue.

"In the next round we go to Barcelona and we will give everything and see what happens."

Koke lamented the side's inability to find the back of the net in their scoreless draw with Sevilla.

"The team had chances. The only thing left was that they didn't go in," he added."One from [Antoine] Griezmann hit the post and another chance. "But that is football. The ball did not go in and we have to keep working hard."

Atletico's next test is in the Copa del Rey when they front up against Celta da Vigo for the second-leg of the quarter-final, with the scores locked at 0-0."Now we have to prepare for the Copa against a difficult opponent that made things hard for us in the first game," he said.

"But we are playing in our stadium, with our fans and we are confident of advancing to the next round."

 

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Under-pressure Van Gaal SLAPS journalist before escaping to Holland

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has courted yet more controversy after slapping a journalist at a press conference before seemingly jetting out of Manchester to return to the Netherlands over the weekend.

As reported by Goal, the Dutchman cancelled training on Sunday in the aftermath of the club's 1-0 Premier League defeat at home to Southampton, with players and coaches told not to come in for what had previously been a religiously routine post-match warm-down.

Before that, though, Van Gaal had already been showing signs of the pressure he is under when he reacted badly to a fairly innocent question on rumours linking United with a move for Ashley Cole.

The former England international, who is thought to be closing in on a move to LA Galaxy after his Roma contract was terminated, had been linked with a move to Old Trafford as a short-term fix during United's current injury crisis.

But Van Gaal - who was recently caught calling a reporter a "fat man" in a similar outburst - did not like the line of questioning, singling out the journalist and giving him a patronising slap to the face as he said, "He did not play for a year!"

Following the defeat to Southampton, Van Gaal was then spotted by fans departing Manchester airport for his native Holland, with some reports suggesting he might not return from the trip.
The Red Devils appeared to be getting back on track after winning at Anfield, but another goalless display and defeat at Old Trafford has reignited the concerns surrounding the Dutchman's style of play, with even Van Gaal sounding as though he is ready to give up.

"I’m very disappointed that I cannot reach the expectations of the fans," he said after the defeat to Southampton. "They have - or they had - great expectations of me, and I cannot fulfil them, so I am very frustrated because of that."

On the subject of whether he still had the appetite to remain in charge, he continued: "This question I shall never answer to you. We had to win this game and we could have won - but it’s not happening. You have to play football to entertain the fans. I don’t think we have entertained the fans, so they can be very angry."

 

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€100m Aubameyang bid would be irrelevant - Borussia Dortmund CEO

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has made it clear that not even an offer in the region of €100million would suffice to lure Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang away from the club.

The Gabon international has been in stunning form this campaign and has been linked with clubs such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in recent months, although Aubameyang himself has routinely stressed that he has no intention of leaving Dortmund any time soon.

Former Germany international Lothar Matthaus stated at the weekend that a Premier League club could pay in excess of €100m for the 26-year-old, but Dortmund insist not even an offer in that region would tempt them to cash in on the prolific striker."Matthaus appears to be in the know on this one...," Watzke told Bild.

"But in all serious, even if such an offer would come in, that would be irrelevant for us. We are simply not selling Auba."Aubameyang enjoyed a successful spell in Ligue 1 with Saint-Etienne before joining Dortmund in 2013 and PSG are believed to be keen to lure him back to France.

Nevertheless, the striker has told the reigning Ligue 1 champions that he is not interested in a move to the Parc des Princes."A move to PSG might have been an option last year, but not right now. I have no intention of returning to France," Aubameyang told Canal+.

Aubameyang, who has a contract with BVB until June 2020, has netted 27 goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this campaign.

 

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Hiddink: Mertesacker deserved red card

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink believes Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker's red card was deserved in the champions' 1-0 Premier League victory at Emirates Stadium.

The defender tripped Chelsea striker Diego Costa and denied him a clear goalscoring opportunity as he sped towards Petr Cech's goal.

Arsene Wenger described referee Mark Clattenburg's decision as "quick and harsh" but Hiddink felt the ruling was the correct one.

"No, there was no doubt, because you could see it was a beautiful throughpass from Fabregas [sic, Willian] on Diego," the Dutchman said.

"Diego could run straight on Petr Cech but was tripped and it was obvious that it was a red card without any discussion, I think. I would like to see the image and then I give a fair judgement but what I saw was he was tripped.

"I haven't seen the repetition so far but I don't want to go into a personal game but I had some doubts about the Fabregas penalty yes or no but I can understand why the referee did not give a penalty, fair enough.

"But on Mertesacker's red card, I haven't looked closely but it was always [a red card] I think."
The displays of Fabregas and Costa were a highlight of Chelsea's performance as they produced one of their best performances of the season.The two players were booed by supporters following Jose Mourinho's sacking, but Hiddink says he was never concerned over their form.

"[They're] just working every day, some talks, you must not think this is a big issue but I tried to focus them on what they're good at and not lose energy on other things," Hiddink said.

Despite the win, Chelsea remain stuck in the bottom half of the Premier League table, sitting in 13th and 14 points off the top four.

Chelsea captain John Terry believes the gap can be recovered and while Hiddink thinks it is a big task, he is willing to back his captain.

"It's a gap. If you see the results in the Premier League, how competitive all the teams are whether you're down at the bottom or high in the ranking. It's unpredictable which means all teams can beat all teams," he said.


"With this gap it's difficult to go fourth position but when the captain is saying that I'll follow my captain."

 

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Dybala not getting carried away as Juventus' run continued

Paulo Dybala is not getting carried away despite his fine individual form helping lift Juventus back into the Serie A title picture.

After an underwhelming start to the campaign for both player and club, Argentina forward Dybala has scored eight goals in Juve's current run of 11-consecutive Serie A wins.

The 22-year-old scored the only goal of the game to help Juventus see off Roma on Sunday and he is determined to keep delivering the goods in the remainder of the season."My goal remains that of helping this team win a fifth straight Scudetto," Dybala told reporters.

"It's always satisfying to hear certain compliments, but there are still plenty of matches left to play and we've not achieved anything just yet."That said, I'm obviously enjoying my football a lot right now."

Dybala sits second in the Serie A goalscoring charts behind compatriot Gonzalo Higuain after fellow Argentine Mauro Icardi finished 2014-15 as joint top scorer and he believes an innate passion for playing up front may have contributed to the country's success in Serie A.

"As a child, everyone wants to become a top striker for Argentina," he added.
"The 10-year-olds are dreaming of being the next Lionel Messi."

 

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Mata targets FA Cup glory

Manchester United attacker Juan Mata has set his sights on FA Cup glory following Saturday's Premier League defeat to Southampton.
Louis van Gaal's men sit fifth in the table following this weekend's results and trail leaders Leicester City by 10 points.

United resume match action versus Derby County on Friday and Mata is desperate to return to winning ways and move on from their latest loss.

"After several games without being defeated, we lost 0-1 to Southampton. And it hurts, it really does," Mata wrote in his weekly blog.

"We have to carry on. Football doesn't stop and now it's time for the FA Cup. And we want to fight for this trophy. We must get better results for the fans and I hope this beautiful competition will provide them.

"We play against Derby County, a historical team in England; they got great results especially in the seventies. But as I said, I hope we can make a good game, get through to the next round and start another good run of results.

"I assure you that our only goal is to do things much better to move up the table in the Premier League and try to lift the FA Cup. I'm sure that better moments will come sooner or later and we will enjoy them much more, aware of how tough it is to get there."

 

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Madrid bid €15 million for starlet Zivkovic, claims father

The father of Partizan starlet Andrija Zivkovic has claimed that Real Madrid made an approach worth €15 million for the Serbia international but that he refused to sanction a move.

In an open letter that is severely critical of the 19-year-old winger’s current employers, Jovica Zivkovic has accused the Belgrade outfit of “waging a campaign against” his son and said he would not allow Andrija to move to Spain as he would simply have been loaned out.

“One of the biggest clubs in the world, the most famous club in the world, Real Madrid offered me €15 million to sign the player. But to send him on loan! I refused,” Zivkovic senior claimed.

“I will not destroy the career of the child because of money. Nobody wants to destroy the life of a child and play with him as he pleases, as if he’s a toy.”

Zivkovic became Serbia’s youngest ever international player after he led the Under-20 side to Fifa World Cup glory at that age group in the summer, but at the same time became a highly sought after commodity in the process. His father has hit out at the actions of Partizan, who he has accused of using his son as a means purely to make money.

The player’s contract is up at the end of the season, and while the father is “90 per cent” confident a new deal will be agreed, he believes his son is not being offered a fair wage. Partizan, meanwhile, need the youngster to sign a fresh contract in order to maximise his value, although third-party ownership complicates matters, as they could have a determining say in where the player ends up.

This has angered the player’s father, who has been frustrated of talk Zivkovic could be forced to sign for Apollon on loan. “Who signed that? We didn't! Where is that contract, show it!” he exclaimed.

While the teenager has been accused of lacking commitment to his formative club, Jovica has hit back and has pointed out that he has gone through the pain barrier for them on numerous occasions and did not leave when given the opportunity last summer.

“He stayed because he had given his word to the club and the coach,” the player’s father indicated. “And then after an exhausting flight, played for the club and helped the team qualify for the Europa League. In those matches, where Andrija was one of the best, if not the very best, he earned his team about €7 million!”

 

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Roma deal for El Shaarawy almost done, confirms Galliani

Roma are very close to securing the signing of Stephan El Shaarawy, AC Milan chief executive officer Adriano Galliani has confirmed.

The 23-year-old forward spent the first half of the season on loan at Monaco, but started only seven Ligue 1 games and failed to score in 15 league appearances in total.El Shaarawy has been left out of the Monaco side for each of their last three matches, leading to Milan trying to move him on to another team.

Roma boss Luciano Spalletti revealed on Saturday he had spoken to the attacker and is a big fan of him as the capital club close in on a loan move with an option to buy.

Galliani was asked for an update on the transfer on Monday and he feels a finalised move is imminent."It is on the home straight with Roma – we will see if we can close it on Monday," he said.

Galliani also said midfielder Antonio Nocerino was likely to secure a move to MLS, while there is no movement on his efforts to sign River Plate defender Leonel Vangioni in January rather than wait until the end of the season.He added: "At the moment there is no response from River Plate on Vangioni. I think we will give it until July.

"Nocerino is the only player heading out. We are expecting an offer from MLS to arrive and that could be a solution – the transfer window in America closes in May."

 

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Robben: I need games but respect Guardiola's decisions

Arjen Robben hopes to quickly return to the Bayern Munich starting line-up, but respects Pep Guardiola's team selection.

Robben came on as an 81st-minute substitute in Bayern's 2-1 victory over Hamburg last Friday, making his return from a muscle injury in his first competitive appearance since the 4-0 Champions League win over Olympiacos in November.
The Dutchman is eager for more game time in order to rediscover his best form, but will not question Guardiola's authority in naming the team.

"I noticed that I'm getting stronger. I need rhythm, I need games. This time it was only 10 minutes," Robben is quoted as saying by TZ."Of course [I'd like to be playing more], but this is the coach's decision and you have to accept it.

"I haven't even been in training for two weeks; I still need a little more time, but I will do everything in training."The 32-year-old urged his team-mates to settle back into regular action quickly ahead of their Champions League last-16 meeting with Juventus next month.

"We must continue to work well and improve ourselves. Juventus will come faster than you think. We need to be at full throttle in every match," Robben added.

 

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Money the main issue as Liverpool and Shakhtar in stalemate over Teixeira

Talks between Liverpool and Shakhtar Donetsk are ongoing regarding the transfer of Alex Teixeira, but there has been no compromise over the valuation of the Brazilian.

The Reds made an official bid in the region of £24 million for the 26-year-old last week, with chief executive Ian Ayre holding face-to-face discussions with the Ukraine Premier Liga leaders at their warm-weather training base in Florida.

Liverpool were told to up their offer, with Shakhtar boss Mircea Lucescu making it clear earlier this month that "Alex is now worth more than €40m (£30.5m). I think at the end of the season, if he continues with this level of performance, his value will be €50m (£38m)."

Teixeira, who has netted 22 league goals and three assists in just 15 league games, has made his side aware of his desire to depart this month

He told Globo: “I would like to move in this transfer window and have told them [Shakhtar] that. They have received a very good offer and they are working on a solution. But if I don’t go now then I will leave in the summer.“After six years in Europe and with Shakhtar we are ready to move and I have spoken to my wife and daughter.”

Teixeira’s representatives have been working with both clubs to try and reach an agreement over a fee that suits both parties, which remains the big stumbling block in negotiations.

Contrary to reports, Liverpool have not yet made a second bid for Teixeira. The club are willing to increase their initial offer if Shakhtar are amenable to lowering their asking price. The Merseysiders do not want to pay over the odds, while the Donetsk outfit are averse to selling at a cut-price rate.

On Friday, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp insisted the club will not spend wildly. “We have money but we are not in Disneyland and say, 'Come on, take what you want'. We have a budget, we work with it, we have a lot of things to do,” he said.

"The club is building a stand, things like this, this is for the long-term development of the club. Don't stand still, don't only live for now. This is for the future."Chelsea have also been linked with the prolific attacker, but have not made an official approach yet.

 

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Buffon set to retire after 2018 World Cup

Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has announced that he will retire from football following the 2018 World Cup.

The 37-year-old has enjoyed an illustrious career, winning the World Cup in 2006 with the Azzurri and claiming six Serie A title with Juventus.

But the former Parma player, who moved to the Old Lady for a record fee for a goalkeeper in 2001, will play out the tournament in Russia and then end his career.

"I will try to make the next World Cup and then it may be time to close the door. It will almost certainly be at the end of the 2018 World Cup," Buffon signalled as he picked up the Gianni Brera award for Sportsman of the Year.

The goalkeeper also referred to the recent Ballon d'Or prizes, and repeated his indignation at being snubbed from the shortlist.

"I deserved to be up there in the Ballon d'Or, but I knew it would be impossible to win," he said.

"I was definitely taken by surprise."

And Buffon registered his delight with the form of the Old Lady, singling out Paulo Dybala for praise.

"Juventus are enjoying a great spell right now, and 11 straight wins do not occur if you are not at your best physically and mentally," the veteran said.

"We have to be careful, because all runs must come to an end sooner or later. We must try and extend this form as long as possible, to put our bad run once and all behind us.

"[Dybala] showed amazing things last year, but doing those same things in Juventus is not the same as in another club. It is really surprising, in such a short time he has taken over control of the team going forward."

 

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‘Don’t think too much about the past’ - Klopp urges Liverpool to forget semi-final exits

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his side to forget last season’s semi-final failures when they take on Stoke in the League Cup on Tuesday.

The Reds hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Britannia Stadium but will be wary of last season when they were knocked out of the competition at the same stage by Chelsea.

Liverpool also exited the FA Cup at the semi-final stage, losing to Aston Villa, but Klopp says his team must not dwell on the past.

“Everything has changed here since last season,” Klopp said. “If you want to solve problems, you can take the problem, talk about it, find solutions for it and in the end you can find yourself facing the same problem.

“The other option is you ignore it completely and say ‘It was only one time’ or, in last season’s case, two times. Or you prepare yourself for a semi-final and that’s what we want to do. Don’t think too much about the past. It doesn’t help to think about these things.

“Last year I don’t know why but some things went wrong in the semi-finals. The only thing that stays in the mind is that we lost. We should be fully focused on this game.

"That’s the only way to win it. This is a different team, a different situation, a different manager and different opponents. It wasn’t Stoke last season, it was Chelsea. It’s different and we don’t need to think about that.”

Liverpool have never lost a League Cup semi-final at Anfield and should they prevail will face either Manchester City, or city rivals Everton in the final, clashes which Klopp is relishing.

“Until now when I’ve met an Evertonian nobody has knocked me, nobody has kicked me, nothing has happened. It has always been nice,” he explained

“It is one of the best rivalries in world football because in a lot of things we are together and in the sport we are against. That is cool, that is how it should be.

“Going to Wembley is the best thing you can do in football but who the opponent is at this moment is not the biggest issue. If it is Everton, we want to beat them. If it is Man City, we want to beat them. First of all we have to beat Stoke and then we can talk about the rest.”

 

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'Ronaldo will leave Real Madrid for final big deal'

Former Portugal star Paulo Futre believes Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Real Madrid in the summer in search of one last big pay day.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a return to his former club Manchester United and a move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldo has repeatedly stressed his desire to see out his career with Madrid, but recently admitted he could play in America before he calls time on his career.
The Portugal captain has enjoyed another prolific season, having scored 27 goals in as many games for Madrid, though 16 of those efforts have come against three teams - Espanyol, Malmo and Shakhtar.

As a result, critics have questioned whether his influence is beginning to wane and his compatriot Futre is convinced this season will be his last at Madrid.
"I believe that the past few months have been a bit strange for Cristiano," Futre was quoted by Marca.

"It has been disheartening times for him. He has not been getting the affection he needs, although things are slightly better now following the arrival of Zinedine Zidane.

"The big question is whether he will stay with Madrid or leave for PSG or Manchester United and I believe he will leave. I think a lot of things will have to change in order to convince him to stay.
"It is the last opportunity for him and Jorge Mendes to negotiate a big contract somewhere in Europe.


"I think Madrid will have to either win a major title like the Champions League or La Liga, or risk losing Cristiano at the end of the season."

 

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Del Bosque: Iniesta is in one of the best moments of his life

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque believes Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta is in "one of the best moments of his life" and says he hopes the 31-year-old can take his recent fine form into Euro 2016.

Iniesta's form dipped during Gerardo Martino's time at Barca and was forced to adapt again under Luis Enrique last season, but was back to his breathtaking best in the second half of 2014-15 and capped a memorable campaign by winning the Man of the Match award in Berlin as the Blaugrana claimed the Champions League and with it, the treble.

"It happens often that players are written off," Del Bosque told Goal in an exclusive interview. "And that occurred ahead of the World Cup in Brazil for example. Many people, looking at the results, said things like ‘I said they should have gone with other players’.

"But it is very difficult to judge how far certain players will go. Now we have an ample group of the players that were here when I arrived in 2008: [David] Silva, Cesc [Fabregas], Iniesta, [Santi] Cazorla, [Sergio] Ramos… And people said they shouldn’t have gone to Brazil.

"But now Iniesta is in one of the best moments of his life. Let’s hope he arrives like that in France. We have to support each other in what we see, not in what we assume things will be."

Del Bosque was also full of praise for another Barca player, Iniesta's team-mate Gerard Pique, and says the Catalan defender is unaffected by boos from fans in recent Spain matches.

"It has coincided with some circumstances happening parallel to the national team, and that’s why it has had more repercussion," the 65-year-old said, in reference to the player's mocking of Real Madrid and also his pro-Catalunya stance that have made him unpopular with some supporters.

"We didn’t like hearing it at the start, but we have become accustomed to it," he added. "And I don’t think it affects the boy at all, which is the most important thing.

"He is just another player for the Spanish national team and I hope he has the commitment he has always had with us, which has been extraordinary."

Meanwhile, the former Real Madrid coach says that Barca transfer target Nolito will not be judged any differently if he ends up moving to the Catalan club from Celta Vigo before the transfer window closes in Spain at the beginning of February.


"We assess players by looking at where they are in that moment and whether they deserve to come or not," Del Bosque explained. "So we don't have to worry about whether, if he goes to Barcelona, he will be called up more or less.


"It depends on the minutes he plays and the form he is in. Not the team he plays for."

 

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Van Gaal did NOT offer Man Utd resignation

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal did not offer his resignation this weekend contrary to widespread reports, Goal understands.

Reports in the UK press on Tuesday claimed that the Dutchman had told executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward he was willing to step down following the toxic reaction in the stands to Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Old Trafford.

But claims that he had approached Woodward over the weekend with an offer to leave are wide of the mark, Goal has discovered.

Van Gaal had previously told the media in December after the 2-0 loss at Stoke that a resignation was not out of the question, explaining after being asked whether he feared the sack: "I can also quit by myself but that is something I speak about with Ed Woodward by himself."

However, a run of five games unbeaten following the setback at the Britannia Stadium had lightened the mood around Old Trafford until the defeat to Ronald Koeman's side at the weekend.

The speculation over the 64-year-old's future comes after a run of two league victories in two months which has seen United fall to fifth in the Premier League, five points adrift of the top four and 10 shy of leaders Leicester City.

Van Gaal has 17 months to run on the three-year contract he signed in the summer of 2014, which he has insisted will be the final deal of his managerial career.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Del Bosque: Casillas isn't guaranteed a place at Euro 2016

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque says skipper Iker Casillas is not guaranteed a starting spot or even a place in his squad at Euro 2016 this summer.

Casillas moved to Porto last summer after a long and largely successful career at Real Madrid, but the 34-year-old has seen his time in Portugal blighted by a series of mistakes and has come in for some severe criticism from fans and media in recent weeks.

Del Bosque kept faith in his captain even when the goalkeeper was out of the starting line-up at Madrid, but has offered no promises to the shot-stopper ahead of the European Championship in June and July.

"Nobody is guaranteed a place here," he told Goal in an exclusive interview. "We have players in mind, but there is no definitive list. Not until May 17th, when we hand in the list. That will be the day when people find out. Let’s hope we get it right with most of them.

"Will Casillas be there or not? I hope so. But there are still some months left and we will act as we see fit. But [if he's there it will be] because of his prestige, his career, what he means for the national team and because he plays for a big club.

"He hasn’t stopped playing and he’s not inactive. He’s playing. And I speak about Casillas because you asked me about him, but not because he is any different to any other players in other teams."

Del Bosque also admits that another former Madrid player, striker Alvaro Morata, could suffer following a lack of playing time at Juventus this term.

"He is playing, participating in almost all of the games for Juventus, although not that many minutes," he said. "Not as many as last year. Could that affect him? Yes of course. We have to look at the competition, the players we have and not look too much at the future, but at the immediate future, which is June."

The veteran coach also offered some words of encouragement to another goalkeeper, former Barcelona hero Victor Valdes, who was part of Spain's World Cup and European Championship winning squads in 2010 and 2012 but has found himself out in the cold at Manchester United and is now looking to rebuild his career on loan at Standard Liege in Belgium.

"At this moment, while thinking about Victor, more than thinking about whether he can return to the national team, the first thing I think about is that he can start playing again," Del Bosque said.

"Everyone with a little common sense wants Victor to be playing, to be active, because what has happened to him is incredible. What bad luck, when he was one of the great goalkeepers out there. It is truly a case of very bad luck."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Liverpool should buy Shawcross'

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson says the club should buy Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross to solve their defensive woes.

The Reds have struggled at the back this season and their weaknesses in defence were highlighted in their 5-4 win over Norwich on Saturday.
QPR centre-back Steven Caulker has joined the club on loan until the end of the season but manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted they must improve defensively.

Liverpool face Stoke in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday, with Shawcross absent through injury.
The Potters have kept seven clean sheets in their past 13 Premier League games and Thompson says their captain would slot perfectly into the Reds' starting XI.

He told Sky Sports: "When Liverpool evaluate at the end of the season and look at the sort of goals they conceded, I wouldn't be averse to see them looking towards Shawcross as a solution.

"In fact, I think he would be absolutely ideal and he's been one of the most underrated centre-backs over the last five seasons. You just have to look at Stoke's stats with and without him."

Stoke manager Mark Hughes believes Shawcross is not the only player in his squad who has proved himself to be at least the equal of Liverpool's current crop.

"There should not be any apprehension from the guys," Hughes told a news conference. "They've gone up against Liverpool this year. Most of them have gone up against them in previous seasons as well.

"We've proved we can cause them problems, albeit at Anfield we have not gone that final step and taken wins away with us. But we're really looking forward to it.

"It's not going to be easy. Liverpool at Anfield on any occasion is difficult but in a cup semi-final there is an extra challenge to everybody.

"You could suggest the pressure is on them."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Blind: Martial can become a great striker

Daley Blind has backed Manchester United team-mate Anthony Martial to become one of the best strikers in the world.

Martial joined United from Monaco in September and Blind has been impressed with the 20-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 27 appearances for the club.

"If you come with a transfer fee like that and perform like he did in his first game then it is really good for him," he told United's official website.

"He is a big talent, he is still young and we cannot forget that. But you can see on the training pitch and even in the matches already how much quality he has.

"If he is working that hard like he is now, improving and improving each week, then he can become a really great striker.

"He is very quick of course, he is strong and I think he is really calm in front of the goal. He has everything needed to become a great striker.

"Now he is evolving and performing in the training sessions, working hard on and off the pitch with his languages and personality, he is coming along really well.

"He is a bit quiet, he is still young, but he is always in for a joke and he’s a good lad."