..::Football III::..

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Deschamps: Martial has beaten price-tag pressure

France coach Didier Deschamps says the pressure of a big-money move has not hampered Anthony Martial's development since signing for Manchester United.

The Frenchman has scored 12 goals in all competitions since completing the move from Monaco to Manchester in September and was named in Deschamps' latest squad for matches against Netherlands and Russia.

And the France coach said Martial - who has six caps to his name already - possesses all the assets required to build on his impressive start to life in the Premier League."Anthony is young but he has confirmed his potential in Manchester despite the weight of the price of his transfer," he said.

"He has progressed, he plays a lot. He is young and he is not tired."He is doing very interesting things with speed and impact. Usually he plays on the left but he can play as centre-forward too.

"It's good, he continues to progress, he comes regularly for the French national team [but] he has a lot of room for improvement."

Leicester City's N'Golo Kante joins Deschamps' squad for the first time as part of a 10-strong Premier League contingent, but the coach is reluctant to compare the breakthrough midfielder to former France star Claude Makelele.

"He may look like the players who played in that position," Deschamps added. "[But] today, N'Golo does not quite play the same way as Claude Makelele did."[Makelele] was a player in front of the defence as seen today with Lassana Diarra and Yohan Cabaye.

"He is a player who can win the ball but also he has the capacity to go forward. This is a very flattering comparison for him."We often compare footballers with players of the past. I wish him the same career as Claude Makelele. He will certainly be very happy [if he can achieve that]."

 

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Thierry Henry's fast-track coaching license sparks 'bias' complaint

Thierry Henry's recent completion of the Uefa A licence has not pleased everyone, with the FA of Wales (FAW) being accused of bias in light of the Frenchman's success.

The Arsenal great completed his A licence through the FAW earlier this month in less time than former Swansea and Cardiff City player Will Foley believes possible.

Foley said the FAW had a track record of pushing through "big names" quicker than other candidates, with the likes of Jens Lehmann, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira, David Ginola and even Everton manager Roberto Martinez having completed their coaching badges under the guidance of FAW technical director Osian Roberts.

"There was no way humanly possible Thierry had even completed his Uefa B licence and could have finished all his assessments and tasks on the A licence when everyone else participating on the course has not even had the chance," Foley told the Daily Mail.

"Where does it end with the Welsh FA? Are they not worried that someone somewhere will start asking to see proof that all these top names are completing what is required by Uefa to fully pass the courses?

"They are quite openly putting certain chosen names through the courses without completing the so-called allotted number of hours which all the candidates have to be seen to be doing. The big names get an easy ride while the others have to do it the hard way."

 

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‘We shot ourselves in the foot twice' - Evra speaks out over Benzema & Valbuena

France defender Patrice Evra has spoken out over the alleged sex-tape plot involving international team-mates Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema.

The Real Madrid striker has been suspended from international duty pending the results of the investigation, after being charged with complicity in an attempt to blackmail and participating in a criminal conspiracy.

Benzema’s chances of representing France at Euro 2016 have therefore taken a serious blow and Evra admits coach Didier Deschamps has warned his players there must be no more scandals ahead of the tournament.

"Who is wrong, who is right? The only thing that I can say is that we shot ourselves in the foot twice, that is it, I do not need to add anything to that,” he told RTL.

"Both of them will remain my friends for life. The file is in progress, we'll see.

"Didier [Deschamps] says to us each time, there will not be any more stories [or scandals] that come out before these Euros.

"It will be time to leave us alone, so that we can think about what happens on the pitch, about working, about winning consistently."

Evra also admitted he was not surprised to see Benzema impressing for Real Madrid despite his current off-field troubles, adding: "Because when you are on a football pitch, it is also your oxygen tank, it is also what sets you free

"Everybody has their problems, but once you arrive on the pitch, it is the love of football [that takes over]. Me, I think that you will start to do just about anything on the pitch when you no longer love football or you only play football for a big salary."

The Juventus defender also spoke about France’s friendly with England, held in the immediate aftermath of November’s terrorist attacks in Paris and revaled his anger at losing 2-0 on an emotional night at Wembley.

"It really p***ed me off, please excuse the term, to lose this match against England," he explained. "There were some players who played but were not really in the game.

"It is not an excuse because we wanted to keep going with only victories because we had just beaten Germany at the Stade de France."

 

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Juventus chief suggests Conte to Chelsea is done

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta believes Antonio Conte will be the next Chelsea manager and says the move vindicates his club's decision to pluck him from Siena in 2011.

After leaving the Italian minnows, Conte went on to lead Juventus to three straight Serie A titles before moving on to coach Italy.The Italian has already stated he will leave the post after Euro 2016 and is widely reported to be the front-runner to succeed Guus Hiddink, much to the delight of Marotta.

"The fact Antonio Conte is going to Chelsea just confirms that we made a good choice when we took him from Siena," he said. "I am proud of this and for him."

Marotta also touched upon the effect Conte's potential arrival at Chelsea could have on his efforts to keep Juan Cuadrado - who is at Juventus on loan from the Premier League champions - in Turin.

"But as for Cuadrado? I don't think Conte will influence our decision. We could keep him here," he continued.Jose Mourinho plucked the Colombian from Fiorentina in January 2015 after he scored 11 goals in 32 league appearances in the Serie A in 2013-14.

He only managed 26 league minutes this season for Chelsea before moving on loan to Juventus, where he has impressed during his spell with three goals in 22 league outings.

 

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'Rooney is still a better striker than Harry Kane'

Wayne Rooney is still a better striker than Harry Kane, according to Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam.

The England captain has scored 14 goals in 32 games for Manchester United this season but has been sidelined for over a month due to a knee injury.

Kane, meanwhile, leads the way in the Premier League with 21 goals so far this season.

But speaking during a debate on BBC 5 Live, Adam believes Rooney remains Roy Hodgson’s best option as the leading striker for Euro 2016.

“I still think Wayne Rooney is still the best English striker at the moment - a fit Wayne Rooney, firing on all cylinders, I still think he’s the best centre-forward,” said Adam.

“If he was playing in the better team at the moment, he’d still be the top England striker.

“I think Wayne Rooney is a better player than Harry Kane.”

 

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I hope Van Gaal STAYS, says Man Utd starlet Fosu-Mensah

Manchester United youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah is still hoping Louis van Gaal will remain at Old Trafford despite the Dutchman’s likely departure at the end of the season.

The Red Devils are in a battle to finish in the top four and crashed out of Europe at the hands of rivals Liverpool, with Van Gaal set to pay the price this summer when he is expected to be replaced by Jose Mourinho.

But Fosu-Mensah, who was handed his debut under the former Barcelona and Ajax boss, still believes Van Gaal is the right man for the job despite the prospect of working under ‘the Special One’.

“Van Gaal is a man with real personality,” the teenager told De Telegraaf. “I still think it’s great that I was able to make my debut under him. Do I hope he stays? Of course!”

Fosu-Mensah came off the bench in Sunday’s Manchester derby victory to make his fourth Premier League outing this season as Van Gaal continues to put his faith in youth players.
“Van Gaal is a man with real personality,” the teenager told De Telegraaf. “I still think it’s great that I was able to make my debut under him. Do I hope he stays? Of course!”

Fosu-Mensah came off the bench in Sunday’s Manchester derby victory to make his fourth Premier League outing this season as Van Gaal continues to put his faith in youth players.

And the 18-year-old, who is currently on international duty with the Netherlands Under-19 squad, believes the influence of the club’s ‘Class of ‘92’ is helping produce a new generation of United starlets.

“That the club have retained Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs from the Class of ’92, says a lot about the club, and that’s very important,” he continued.

“They have an eye for talent and you just know as a youth player that United are always looking at you.

“They all have opinions, guys from the club who know precisely how the club works. They know exactly how you feel at times, what you're doing wrong and why it's wrong. I try to do something with their information, which is important.”

 

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Soriano: Spain must bounce back after World Cup failure

Red Bull Salzburg's Jonathan Soriano has called on Spain to show their mettle after the 2014 World Cup debacle, while admitting he will have to work hard to receive a place at the European Championship.

After winning Euro 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, Vicente Del Bosque's men suffered disaster in Brazil with elimination at the group stage.

As the Furia Roja prepare to defend their European crown, Soriano believes they must maintain their place amongst the continent's elite.

"I hope we can enjoy as we enjoyed some years ago when we won the Euro and the World Cup," the forward told Goal.

"After the last failure, I want Spain to be back with the best teams.

"Apart from France and Germany, I would say Belgium [are favourites] after their qualifying phase and the strike they are having.

"Even Austria, not because I'm playing there, but because of the games I have watched of them. I think they can have a great tournament. I don't know if they will feel the pressure and their lack of experience though."
Despite a wonderful season with Red Bull, Soriano has been left out of the Spain squad for their friendlies against Italy and Romania.

Athletic goal machine Aritz Aduriz was preferred to the 30-year-old in the recent call-up, and Soriano understands why he is further down the pecking order.

"It is the same old story. We know how hard it is and there are some players like Aduriz who are at a great level. He is currently the number one not only for his form but for his scoring touch as well," he said.

"There will be more players that deserve it, but Aduriz is now the one who is in best shape. And I am at a great level as well, but playing in Austria may thwart my hopes.

"It is normal that the coach considers awarding those players who had a great path, but as a fan I just want Spain to win and I think the players in the best shape are the ones that must go with the national team."
No matter what happens, however, the striker will not be lining up for his adopted country.

"The fact that I played with the Spanish U-21 team made it impossible to me to play for Austria. That was what I was told. And I thought you needed to play with the senior one though," he affirmed.


"Maybe they wanted me for a while but they finally said 'no'.I don't know if it's different for each FA, but I was told 'no'."

 

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Lampard backs Mourinho for Manchester United job

Chelsea icon Frank Lampard believes that former coach Jose Mourinho would rise to the challenge at Manchester United should the club turn to him to revive their flagging fortunes.

The Portuguese has long been the front-runner to replace former mentor Louis van Gaal since ending his second spell at Stamford Bridge in December with the Blues languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Lampard, who won two leagues titles and three domestic trophies in Mourinho's first spell in charge at Chelsea between 2004 and 2007, is convinced that the unemployed coach would be a success at Old Trafford should United decide to part company with Van Gaal at the end of the 2015-16 season.

“I think Mourinho can manage anywhere in the world,” the New York City FC midfielder, who was in attendance at the FIFA Interactive World Cup finals, told Goal when asked if Mourinho could return United to their former glory.

“I think he’s shown it with his record and whether it’s with Porto, a so-called smaller team in Europe; Chelsea, the success he had there; Inter, again taking a team that’s hardly won the Champions League to go and win it; Real Madrid.

“No job will be too much for him. [Manchester United is] not an easy job, similar with Antonio Conte with Chelsea [the Italian is expected to take over in the summer], but he certainly has the attributes to do it.”

Meanwhile, Lampard's former Chelsea and England team-mate John Terry has been locked in a dispute over whether to extend his Blues contract, which is set to expire in June. The centre-back has been vocal in his desire to re-sign at Stamford Bridge, while the club appear to be reluctant to meet his demands.

However, Lampard thinks Terry's talent and experience could be crucial in recovering from the disappointment of a season spent in mid-table obscurity.
“It’s a difficult one with John Terry,” he said. “I think, for me, he’s been probably the best defender at Chelsea again this year. I think he’s a leader, he has a huge presence with the club.

"For me, I would [give him another contract], but it’s a decision for the club to make. I know John wants to stay. I think he’s a help for the young players at the club, I think he’s a link with the fans at the club, but the decision will be made by the owners. Same as what happened with me, eventually your time comes. I’m not sure now is his time. I’ve seen him perform this year, and I think he’s done very well."
Lampard left the Premier League behind in 2015 to join MLS franchise NYCFC midway through its debut season.

One of his team-mates at Yankee Stadium is Italy, Juventus and AC Milan legend Andrea Pirlo and the Englishman freely admits that he has been left in awe of his former World Cup and Champions League rival.

“Pirlo is great,” Lampard said. “I have huge respect from playing against him for many years, and playing with him is an absolute pleasure. His passing, his work ethic, which I didn’t know until I played with him, how hard he works in the week in training and in the gym. As a player, he’s a genius with the ball.”

 

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Costa being 'demonised' in England, says Del Bosque

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has claimed Diego Costa is being "demonised" in England and defended the Chelsea striker's conduct.

Del Bosque left Costa out of Spain's squad for the upcoming friendlies against Italy and Romania with reports suggesting he was unhappy with the forward's discipline, but he insists his absence is due to a quadriceps injury.

Costa's on-field temperament came under scrutiny in Chelsea's recent FA Cup defeat at Everton, with the former Atletico Madrid star sent off late on in the contest following an altercation with Gareth Barry.

It was suggested after the match that Costa may have bitten his opponent, although both players subsequently denied that, while the 27-year-old was also cleared of making an inflammatory gesture to the home fans as he left the pitch at half-time.And Del Bosque believes Costa is being treated unfairly, telling Mundo Deportivo:

"From what I've seen, they have demonised Costa a lot and maybe that's why [there are some who don't want him in the squad] but the last episode isn't so serious, honestly."He was putting in effort to play because it was Chelsea's last chance to get something and he plays with great excitement.

"That's a good part of his approach. He also has other things that are bad, but I don't want either to change."If we called him it's because we already know him, but I don't like that he does ugly things, but the other day wasn't like that."

It has been a season to forget for Premier League champions Chelsea, who are 10th with eight matches remaining and out of the Champions League and FA Cup.
But Del Bosque has no concerns over Costa's team-mates and fellow Spain internationals Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta

"Cesc is not playing badly and Azpilicueta either," he added. "Pedro has had an injury and has not been all good, admittedly, but he has been quite reliable with us and I hope that it remains that way."

 

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Manchester United announce pre-season China tour

Manchester United have announced that they will be heading to China for a two-game pre-season tour in the summer.

Details of the two fixtures are yet to be released, with United heading back to the Far East having last visited in 2013, when then-manager David Moyes's side faced the likes of Cerezo Osaka and Kitchee SC.

Louis van Gaal has previously expressed his concerns over the scheduling and travel demands associated with touring, after United visited the United States to take part in the International Champions Cup in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Speaking about the planned eight-day tour of China, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward told the club's official website: "Manchester United has strong historical links with China and we are very proud of our relationship and of our fans throughout the country.

"A total of almost 500,000 supporters have attended previous games during our visits to China and we have always enjoyed exceptional support in the country, so naturally it is something that everybody is very much looking forward to this summer."

 

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Liverpool to face Chelsea, Milan and Barca in pre-season tour

Jurgen Klopp’s first pre-season tour with Liverpool will be held in the United States as the club head back to contest the 2016 International Champions Cup.

The Reds are one of 10 clubs participating in the tournament, where they will face Chelsea and AC Milan in California, before tackling Barcelona at a European venue still to be confirmed.

They will meet their Premier League rivals at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on July 27, before lining up against the Serie A side three days later at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.Liverpool then take to the field against Luis Suarez's new club on August 6.

The Merseysiders participated in the 2014 edition of ICC, when they competed against Olympiacos, Manchester City, Milan and Manchester United. They visited Chicago, New York, Charlotte and Miami on that trip two years ago.

Klopp, who is currently overseeing a warm-weather camp in Tenerife, has often stated pre-season is one of the most important factors in ensuring a successful campaign and the manager will have the opportunity to put his squad through their paces against quality opposition.

The other teams involved in the competition are Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Celtic and Leicester.

 

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Wenger is the reason why I'm staying at Arsenal, insists Ozil

Mesut Ozil has hit out at claims that he wants to leave Arsenal if Arsene Wenger remains in charge.

Spanish website Don Balon suggested that the Germany international is growing tired of the club’s lack of success in the Premier League and in Europe under Wenger, and is planning on a return to La Liga.

But the Germany international, who was signed by Wenger from Real Madrid for £42.5 million in 2013, insists he still has respect for the Frenchman.

The Arsenal boss has come under renewed pressure as the Gunners face the prospect of another season without a trophy.

Ozil has won back-to-back FA Cup trophies since joining Arsenal and is three assists away from beating Thierry Henry's Premier League record this season.

 

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Low unconcerned by Schweinsteiger struggles

Germany coach Joachim Low sees no reason to worry about Bastian Schweinsteiger's fitness following the Manchester United midfielder's recent injury problems.The 31-year-old spent two months on the sidelines between January and March due to a knee injury picked up against Sheffield United in the FA Cup.

However, the World Cup winner recently made his comeback and Low has little doubt the experienced midfielder will be ready when it matters most."Bastian has recently returned to the pitch again," Low told SID."Of course, he still has some room for improvement physically as he is not 100 per cent just yet, but that is only logical. There is still plenty of time until Euro 2016.

"And he hardly completed a full session with the team during the 2014 World Cup either. He was there when it mattered most, though. He knows his body really well and know what he has to do.

"He remains hugely ambitious and wants to keep performing at the highest level."Recent reports suggested Schweinsteiger could retire from international football after the showpiece in France, but Low is adamant they have not discussed a potential farewell yet.

"There is no agreement with Schweinsteiger that Euro 2016 will be his last tournament for Germany," Low added."We don't discuss things like that before a tournament. It is not an issue at this point."

Germany are currently preparing for the international friendly against England on March 26, before taking on Italy three days later.

 

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Arsenal still have title hope, insists Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny says Arsenal still have hope in the Premier League title race following their victory over Everton.

The Gunners' 2-0 win at Goodison Park leaves them 11 points adrift of leaders Leicester City with eight matches to play, having played one game fewer than Claudio Ranieri's side.

A run of three league games without a win appeared to have ended their chances of claiming a first top-flight crown since 2004, but Koscielny says they will treat every remaining match as a final to keep their hopes alive.

"We failed in some important games," the defender said, speaking to a media conference. "When we had to score, we did not, we put ourselves in a difficult situation."We had to look forward and we did it this weekend at Everton. There are eight games left, eight finals to hope for something."

Koscielny feels injury problems are to blame for derailing much of Arsenal's season after some promising form before the turn of the year.

"We had a correct first half of the season," he said. "We had a lot of injuries in February. When you have [Santi] Cazorla missing for four months, [Danny] Welbeck returning in February... it's hard to compete with some teams."

Koscielny also jumped to the defence of manager Arsene Wenger, who admitted to being troubled by seeing supporter banners calling for his departure in recent weeks."Arsene Wenger has been here a long time. I think he saw other banners, he is very calm, he knows what he brought to the club," he said.

"I can understand the frustration of the fans, we gave ourselves a chance of winning this trophy. I think the coach is still the man of the situation. Mathematically everything is still possible."

Despite seeing Arsenal's title chances grow slimmer, Koscielny was keen to praise the efforts of Leicester this season, and paid particular tribute to midfielder N'Golo Kante, who earned a first senior call-up to the France squad for this week's friendly matches.

"He's had a very good season," Koscielny added. "He shows his qualities every weekend. He's a very important player for Leicester who can recover a lot of balls and help attacking players in the forward phases."Leicester have had a very good season, nobody would have bet on them. Everyone thought they were going to stop at one stage or another.

"They are still there - they get the best from each player, they're a strong team who defend together, they often score first and after that they defend the goal and look to hit in attack with very good players like Riyad Mahrez or Jamie Vardy."

 

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Depay desperate to prove worth to Netherlands

Manchester United attacker Memphis Depay is determined to show he remains an important player for Netherlands as they prepare to take on France and England.

The 22-year-old has been struggling to live up to the high expectations at Old Trafford this campaign and has admitted that he previously wondered whether he would still be an option for national team coach Danny Blind.However, he is now brimming with confidence again and keen to show what he can do in the upcoming friendlies with France and England.

"There have been moments that I doubted whether I would be called up for the national team," Depay told NOS."I had some difficult games before, but I do not have any doubts right now. I want to show that I am still good enough to play for Oranje.

"We are building a new team and that is a good feeling. We have two beautiful games ahead of us. France and England are big teams. We are optimistic heading into those games."

Depay has been in and out of the team at United this season, but he remains a key figure for Oranje and he is grateful for the faith shown in him by Blind.

"The national team coach gives me a lot of confidence and I am grateful for that," Depay told De Telegraaf."It's very important for young players to have a coach who believes in you. He knows what I can do and knows I can be useful if we make the World Cup.

"Do I feel the same confidence at United? Sometimes. There are people at United with whom I've been talking about it, including the manager.

"But I am focused on the national team now. I am very happy to be part of the team for these two friendlies."

 

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Griezmann: Brussels attack brought up painful memories


Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann has paid tribute to the victims of Monday's terror attacks in Brussels, as he recalled the events in Paris last year.

The France international's sister was present in the Bataclan concert hall on the night terrorists left hundreds dead in a wave of attacks in the nation's capital on November 13.

She was able to escape unharmed that night, but the player admitted that learning of the Brussels tragedy forced him to think about those awful events.

"When I heard what had happened it reminded me of some things I had tried to forget," he told reporters at a press conference.

"My support, my thoughts are with the victims and their families."

France take on Netherlands on Friday, but despite the horrors in Belgium Griezmann is trying to keep focused on the match.

"We fully trust in our security for the match, we will try to do the best we can on the pitch," he said.

 

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Ibrahimovic ended my England career, says Shawcross

Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross joked his England career was ended by Sweden star Zlatan Ibrahimovic before it even started.Shawcross has not played for England since Ibrahimovic's memorable four-goal haul in a 4-2 win in November 2012.

The 28-year-old defender earned his one and only cap on that remarkable night in Stockholm and while he made just a 16-minute cameo off the bench, it seemingly shaped his international career.

Shawcross came off the bench and watched helplessly as Ibrahimovic scored three goals in 12 minutes, including a stunning long-range bicycle kick, despite the former's last-ditch effort on the line.It is a match that lives long in the memory, with Shawcross not expecting an England recall, at least not while manager Roy Hodgson is in charge.

"I'm the butt of the joke in my family, just because the 10 minutes I had in international football was ruined by one man," Shawcross told the Telegraph."They are consistently saying that Zlatan ruined my career! I had a chance and I don't think many other defenders have stopped him.

"I was given 10 minutes to show what I could do and probably didn't provide a good enough performance. I was against one of the best strikers in the world who was on a hot streak at the time and these things happen."

Of his international exile despite being one of Stoke's most consistent performers in the Premier League, Shawcross added: "I've been playing well for the last three or four years and I don't seem to be getting in so I can't see it changing in the future unless the manager changes.

"It's just the way football is, some managers like players that others don't. At the moment it's either that he doesn't think I'm up to it or the lads he's picking are better than me. That's fine.

"Is that unfair? Yes, but it's a ruthless game. You do find that the lads who move to the bigger clubs get more recognition. They play in Europe and there's a lot more prestige around them.

"But my performances on the pitch for Stoke have been good enough to get in the England team and so far the call hasn't come."

 

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Ancelotti perfect for Bayern - Toni

Former Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni believes Carlo Ancelotti is the perfect coach for the Bavarians and has hailed his compatriot's professionalism.

Ancelotti will replace Pep Guardiola as the man in charge at the Allianz Arena at the end of the 2015-16 campaign and Toni feels the 56-year-old's track record speaks for itself."Ancelotti is a winner. He has won titles in Italy, Spain, England and France," the Verona forward told Bild.

"He is incredibly professional and always friendly with everyone, players, colleagues, journalists. He is the perfect coach for Bayern.

"All the players with whom I talked about Ancelotti had nothing but praise for him, even those who did not always play."

Guardiola has guided Bayern to back-to-back Bundesliga titles since his arrival at the club, while they are on track to make it three in a row, and Toni has acknowledged Ancelotti faces a tough task to surpass his predecessor."It will not be easy for Ancelotti to improve a team that is already at a very high level under Guardiola," he added.

"But if there's anyone who can do it, it's Ancelotti. He has won three Champions League trophies, something no other coach has done, and has a lot of experience at the highest level."

 

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Griezmann backs under-fire Benzema: He always responds on the pitch

Antoine Griezmann has backed France team-mate Karim Benzema to respond on the pitch following a difficult few months.

Benzema was indefinitely suspended from the France team in December after being placed under investigation over an attempt to blackmail international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena for a sex-tape.

The Real Madrid striker was left out of France's upcoming friendlies against Netherlands and Russia and will find out if he is eligible to play at Euro 2016 next month.However, Griezmann has backed Benzema to respond on the park, but said France still have the talent to do the job without him.

"Whatever's going on with him, he always responds on the pitch," Griezmann said."[But] there are other forwards, such as [Andre-Pierre] Gignac and [Olivier] Giroud, and [Anthony] Martial can also do a good job.

"We'll see what happens in the upcoming two games. Karim is an important player for us."Griezmann, who has scored 24 goals for Atletico Madrid in all competitions this season, will be hoping to bring his club form to international level.

"It's different at international and club level. At Atletico you see the guys in the dressing room every day. Here it's different because you only have a few days to prepare for matches," the 25-year-old said.

"I try to do my best, although I haven't always produced top performances [for France]. I know that I have to work even harder."

 

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Manchester United to face Guardiola's City during pre-season tour

Manchester United will face Manchester City during their pre-season tour of China on July 25.

The match could potentially pit Pep Guardiola, who takes over from Manuel Pellegrini next summer, against Jose Mourinho, the man tipped to replace Louis van Gaal at the end of the season.

United will be part of the International Champions Cup and will take on Dortmund at the Shanghai Stadium on July 22.

Three days later, United will face City at the Beijing National Stadium.