..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti calls time at Bayern a 'great honour'


Carlo Ancelotti took to social media to thank Bayern Munich's players and fans after a 14-month stint in charge ended with his dismissal on Thursday.

The 58-year-old was shown the door after Paris Saint-Germain dispatched the German giants 3-0 in the Champions League, their second defeat in six competitive fixtures.

Ancelotti was already in the spotlight for a series of lacklustre performances and Bayern responded by severing ties with the decorated manager.
Having taken over from Pep Guardiola for the 2016-17 season, the Italian led Bayern to their fifth consecutive league title and also collected two DFL-Supercup trophies during his stay at the Allianz Arena.

"It has been a great honour to form part of Bayern's history. I would like to thank the club, the players and its amazing fans," Ancelotti wrote on Twitter.Robert Lewandowski, Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcantara are among the players to have paid tribute to their former boss on social media.

"It has been an honour to play for you. I wish you all the luck in the world for your next stage," midfielder Thiago posted. French winger Franck Ribery, who earlier this month reacted angrily to being substituted against Anderlecht, simply wrote "Always Forward" on Instagram.

 

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Morata: Conte believes in me so I can be at my best


Alvaro Morata lauded Chelsea manager Antonio Conte after the striker netted a vital goal at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.The 24-year-old joined Chelsea for £55 million in the summer and he met Eden Hazard's cross to score his seventh goal in seven games for the club.

The former Real Madrid striker celebrated his equaliser with Conte and ran to him during his goal celebration. Michy Batshuayi then came on for Morata and went on to score the winner in the 94th minute.Morata is grateful that his move to London has turned around completely after he missed a penalty in a shootout defeat against Arsenal in the Community Shield.

“I came to Chelsea because one club and one coach believed in me. Now I have all of these things and I'm very happy,” Morata said at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. "The first official match I made a mistake and I suffer for a few days.

"The people doesn't see the situation, but I grow up, take out my character and now the things are OK and we hope to continue like this. It's always a difficult challenge [to adapt to England]. It's the most competitive league in the world.

"Yes, it's physical and it's the league with the most teams who can win the title. Strong teams. I'm very happy, not just for me, but for all the team. It's very important. It's very important for us because we saw the Chelsea level for all the European teams.
"Atletico is always fighting for the title and we'll take three points today. And we're very happy because we're fighting for the Premier League too. We have another big match [against Manchester City next], another Premier League big match. It's very important for us before the international break to take the three points.”

Chelsea played with two forwards in Madrid as Conte got the better of Diego Simeone tactically on the night. Conte chose to line up with Morata and Eden Hazard leading the line and the Spain international hailed his on-pitch chemistry with his team-mate.

“It's not difficult playing with this kind of player [Hazard]. He's one of the three better players in the world. It's easy for me playing with him.”

 

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Asensio extends Real Madrid contract until 2023


Marco Asensio has signed a new contract with Real Madrid which will keep him at the club until 2023.

The 21-year-old signed for the La Liga giants in 2014 for €3.9 million from Mallorca, and has agreed a new six-year-deal at Santiago Bernabeu.

After signing for Madrid, he returned to Mallorca on a loan deal, and also spent a season at Espanyol as he gained first-team experience.He broke into the Blancos first team in 2016-17, starting in the UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla and then making his La Liga debut shortly after.

Asensio played 23 La Liga games last season, and impressed in the Champions League, scoring three times in eight appearances, including a goal in the final against Juventus as Zinedine Zidane's side lifted the trophy.

He also made his international debut for Spain in 2016, and has played four times for his country. Asensio also represented Spain at the 2017 European Under-21 Championship, where he scored a hat-trick against Macedonia.

A strong start to the 2017-18 season has earned rave reviews from Zidane, who has compared the forward to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi."Zidane told me that since Messi, he had never seen a left foot like mine," he told COPE. "I was a little impressed, because Messi is a piece of a footballer."

Asensio's new deal comes just a day after Real Madrid signed defender Raphael Varane to a five-year contract extension, and follows Marcelo, Isco, Dani Carvajal, Karim Benzema and Marcos Llorente who have also recently committed their futures to the club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Salah, Coutinho and Co to blame for Liverpool struggles, not defenders - Ince


Liverpool should be blaming their inconsistencies on their forwards, not their defenders, according to Paul Ince.The Reds have once again found clean sheets hard to come by this season, with their frailties at the back being exposed on a regular basis.

Jurgen Klopp has faced criticism for failing to address those issues during the summer transfer window, although the German has maintained that the right players were not available.

Ince feels too much is being made of the defensive leaks, with those misfiring at the opposite end of the field just as culpable for the struggles to generate momentum on Merseyside.

The former Reds midfielder wrote in a column for Paddy Power: “I really sympathise with Jurgen Klopp, because he’s brought a philosophy into Liverpool that sees his team create chance after chance consistently.“They’re brilliant going forward and, the thing is, if his forwards don’t take those chances they put pressure on the back five or six.

“If they’d have taken a few more of those chances this season – including against Spartak in the Champions League where they drew 1-1 – the game would’ve finished three or 4-0. And if they’d been better in front of goal, no one would be moaning about their defence.“There’s got to be more onus on those forward players for not getting the ball in the net and being more clinical.”

Ince added: “[The forwards] are getting away with it and avoiding the criticism, even though it’s those players at fault for missing golden chances.“But while everyone bangs on about the defence, the heat is taken off them, and I feel for Klopp, because he can’t put the ball in the back of the net for them.

“Every time Liverpool concede a goal at the minute everyone goes on about their defence and I think it’s a bit unfair. Klopp will get that right, just like he has the forward line.“But there could also be an issue with protection from the wingers and some of the midfield players too, defending should start right from the front.

“If you allow balls to go into the box willy-nilly, with wingers not doing their jobs then, yes, it’s going to end in goals. And if you haven’t been finishing chances at the other end, then obviously, it’s going to result in losses.”Liverpool have collected just one win from six fixtures since the last international break and remain stuck on two clean sheets for the season.

There is another rest period on the domestic front approaching, with the Reds getting one final opportunity to put things right before that break when they travel to Newcastle on Sunday to face former boss Rafa Benitez.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Concern for Arsenal as Inter confirm Ozil interest


Inter president Erik Thohir has confirmed that the Serie A side are interested in Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil.The Germany international has seen his future called into question for some time now, with no extension agreed to a contract set to expire in 2018.

Arsenal face a similar situation with Alexis Sanchez, and blocked him from leaving Emirates Stadium over the summer.

The January window will, however, present a final opportunity for the Gunners to generate a fee for their want-away stars, and it could be that Ozil is the subject of an offer from Italy.Thohir has admitted to being keen on the 28-year-old World Cup winner, but is also wary of winter deals after being stung in the past.

“He [Ozil] is definitely one of those players we are looking at, but the last January signings of [Lukas] Podolski and [Xherdan] Shaqiri proves winter signings can fail to live up to expectations,” Thohir told Metrotv.news.com.

If no deal is done for Ozil in January, then he could drop into the free agent pool next summer.Inter may decide to rekindle their interest then, with the club taking a more considered approach to recruitment than they have done in the past.

They have still spent big when required to do so, but have focused more attention on building for the future while arch-rivals AC Milan have thrown money at quick fixes in the present.

Thohir added on his transfer philosophy: “We have many new players already, we have tried to build the best possible team with the resources we had.“Each club chooses the best possible strategy, AC Milan made different choices.”

 

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Injured Pogba will improve alongside Matic, says Man Utd legend Scholes


Paul Pogba is being tipped to improve further for Manchester United once clear of injury, with Paul Scholes seeing greater freedom bring the best out of him.The France international had been in impressive form prior to being forced onto the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

No date has been set for his return, with United still hoping that the 24-year-old can avoid the need for surgery.Whenever he is ready, Scholes believes that the all-action midfielder will continue to benefit from the presence of Nemanja Matic in an ever-improving United team.

The Red Devils legend told reporters at the Premier Futsal tournament in Dubai: “Obviously before his injury you could see United were winning, and winning quite comfortably.“I think the addition of Matic has helped him and given him that bit of freedom - he’s scored a couple of goals already and a couple of assists.“He’s playing well and hopefully his injury is not as serious as it could be.

“They have been talking possibly about an operation but hopefully that’s not the case and he’ll be back soon.“Last season was tough for him but there was always going to be a settling-in period. “There were two or three other players along with him who took a little while to settle down.

“With Matic coming in this year and the other players a year down the road I think we’ll see the improvement.”Pogba, who was named United’s Player of the Month for August, has netted two goals and provided two assists this season.Jose Mourinho has moved to rule out any suggestion that he could be out of action for up to 12 weeks, but it is unclear whether he will be ready for a return after the upcoming international break, with United set to face arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield on October 14.

 

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'Carlo is the best' – Beckham backs Ancelotti after Bayern Munich sacking


David Beckham considers Carlo Ancelotti "the best" and insisted the veteran head coach will bounce back after being sacked by Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti received his marching orders on Thursday after a 3-0 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain proved the last straw amid a difficult start to 2017-18 for the Bundesliga champions.

Beckham developed a close blond with the 58-year-old when they worked together for both PSG and AC Milan, with the former England international having no doubt his former boss will be back on his feet soon.

"I love Carlo – Carlo is the best for me," Beckham told reporters."He is one of the most incredible managers and people, one of the most successful managers in football, so he will be okay."

Beckham was speaking in Milan at an event for sponsors adidas and was delighted to return to the city where he played across two spells in 2009 and 2010.Asked for his memories of playing in red and black, Beckham said: "Obviously playing for one of the best teams in the world and just the people.

"The people in Milan and even everywhere I travelled with the team, everywhere in Italy, was incredible. The fans – unbelievable. It's just nice to be back, because I spent much time here since I left so it's nice to be back and to feel part of the team again."Beckham hopes Milan are closing in on success after a lavish transfer-window spending spree followed their change in ownership.

"There are always changes in clubs around the world and Milan we were so successful for so many years," he said. "Obviously when there are changes everything changes – there is now a new owner, manager, players, but the fans are the same, they still want passion, they still want success and hopefully they are going to get success.

"It's always been a place where I have been welcomed. I always feel at home in Milan, so it's a special place and it's special to come back. I love Milan, it has been a long time."

 

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Mourinho: Lukaku can't be rotated without Ibrahimovic


Jose Mourinho claims he won't be able to rotate summer signing Romelu Lukaku out of the side until Manchester United have Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in action.

The Belgian made a £75 million move to the Red Devils this summer and has already netted 10 goals, making nine starts and sitting out only the Carabao Cup match against Burton Albion.

While the club decided to bring Ibrahimovic back into the fold, the 35-year-old is still recovering from a knee injury and is not expected to be ready for a return to the pitch until December or early in the new year.

With Lukaku having also taken part in matches for Belgium, it's a heavy workload early in the season, but his Man Utd boss claims that he'll be forced to soldier on until his veteran team-mate can return to action.

“Look without Zlatan we cannot rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions,” Mourinho told reporters.“So until the moment we have Zlatan we cannot think about giving rest to our No.9, the same way we give in other positions. We cannot do that.”

Lukaku is expected to once again be in the starting side for his club this weekend, and despite Belgium already securing qualification for the World Cup, Mourinho says he won't be asking Roberto Martinez to give his star man a break.

“Belgium is Roberto’s responsibility and it’s his decision to play him or not to play him,” added Mourinho.“I cannot, professionally speaking, say do this or do that. It’s Roberto’s responsibility.”Manchester United take on Crystal Palace on Saturday.

 

[unicornx]

Barca to kick out of La lIga :!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Why should he apologise?' - Guardiola backs Aguero after car accident


Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists Sergio Aguero does not owe him an apology after a midweek night out in Amsterdam left his top scorer with a broken rib from a car accident .Premier League leaders City travel to Chelsea on Saturday, sitting three points above Antonio Conte's reigning champions at the summit.

But their preparations were dealt a big blow when a taxi carrying Aguero as a passenger drove into a lamp post on Amsterdam's De Boelelaan at around 11 p.m. on Thursday night.

The 29-year-old was initially treated at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam before travelling back to Manchester on Friday to be assessed by City's medical staff.

Guardiola will now be forced to make do without Aguero, who is one goal away from equalling City's all-time scoring record, but he refused to condemn the Argentina star for travelling abroad on a day off to attend a concert by Colombian pop star Maluma, 48 hours before a pivotal match."Why should he apologise to me?" Guardiola said.

"No [he does not need to]. And Mendy too?" he added in reference to left-back Benjamin Mendy, who he confirmed will be out until April next year with a ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligament sustained during last weekend's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

The media's focus was trained upon Aguero who, even though he has not always been an automatic first choice during Guardiola's tenure, found a staunch ally in his manager on this occasion."I don't want to know what my players do," he said. "They are fathers, they have a full responsibility on their shoulders - on and off the pitch.

"I have a private life, my family. I am concerned with what they have to do on the pitch. That's all."I don't know what the supporters think. Some of them can be upset, some not. At the end it's fortunate the injury is not bad. He is healthy. Accidents happen, he's alive.

"Sergio is mature enough to know exactly what he has to do."Similarly, Guardiola refuted the suggestion that a late night so close to a key game would have hindered Aguero, irrespective of his unfortunate choice of taxi driver.

"Our players' physical condition is top. They work amazingly," he said. "Our athletic preparation is perfect."We trained 11 a.m. not 8 a.m., so he had enough time to rest."

Chelsea beat City at home and away in the league last season – Conte becoming the first man to inflict such a punishment upon Guardiola during his esteemed coaching career. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is keen to see how his revamped squad respond and will not allow Aguero's absence to serve as an excuse.

"We want to become a big club, I've been at two amazing clubs in my life - you have to overcome this situation," he said."If we start to complain we'll never reach the step we want to get to. I prefer to play with men who are strong.

"I would like to play with Sergio because we are strong with him, but he's not there. No complaints. The big clubs do it - they overcome the difficult situations."If people are saying we can't do it now, forget about it. We'll never reach what we want as a club in the next five or six years."

While Guardiola has an array of attacking talent to step into his forward line as Aguero recuperates, being without Mendy's buccaneering displays from left-back could prove to be the more punishing loss.

"We can't replace him," his manager conceded. "In the way he plays, the way he goes up and down the sides you can't replace him.

"We have to do it in a different way. There is no replacement here but also all around the world."Nobody has the energy Benjamin has. His mood on the pitch and in the locker room."But we have other qualities in other players and have to find a balance with them."

 

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'Thank you with all my heart' - Aguero grateful to fans for support


Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has thanked fans and medical staff for their support as he recovers from a broken rib sustained in a car crash on Thursday.The Argentine was travelling in a taxi in Amsterdam when it careered off the road and into a pole.

It is not known how long the 29-year-old will be out of action for, but Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will definitely miss Saturday's visit to Chelsea. Aguero is now back at home in Manchester and provided an update on his condition via his personal Twitter account.

He said: "Thank you with all my heart for the supportive messages, they really do help me in recovering.
"The taxi I was riding made a wrong turn and crashed against a pole. It was a very heavy slam but seatbelts prevented it from being worse."I'd like to thank the staff at the VU University Medical Amsterdam for their care and support. Hats off to all their team.

"I'm home in Manchester after an exam by club doctors. It's a broken rib. Hurts, but I'm fine, fully focused on recovery. Thank you all!"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba a long-term absentee - Mourinho


Jose Mourinho hascompared Paul Pogba's absence to that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic after confirming the France international is now a "long-term" absentee for Manchester United.

Pogba has not featured for United since their 3-0 victory over Basel in the Champions League on September 12, hobbling off after 19 minutes at Old Trafford with a hamstring problem.


Updates on his condition have been scarce but Mourinho confirmed on Friday that his star midfielder is not expected back any time soon."He's injured, he cannot play tomorrow," Mourinho told a media conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace."His injury is not one that I can have the hope like I can have with [Antonio] Valencia or [Phil] Jones.

"With them, I have the hope to see them training and to have a positive answer [on their availability soon]."But with long-term injuries, I don't speak about them, so Ibra, Pogba, [Marcos] Rojo and these players, I don't think about them."Pogba had scored two goals and provided two assists in four Premier League appearances prior to his injury.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Get well soon Pogba!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp backs Ancelotti to find 'fantastic' club after Bayern sacking


Jurgen Klopp has backed Carlo Ancelotti to bounce back from the disappointment of losing his job at Bayern Munich.

The experienced Italian coach lost his job at the Bavarian club on Thursday following a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Klopp - who won the Bundesliga title twice with Borussia Dortmund before arriving at Liverpool - has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacancy.While the German is tied down to a long-term contract at Anfield, he was still asked about the developments at Bayern during his Friday press conference.

"Not a lot of things in this business can surprise me any more, to be honest," Klopp told the media."I watched the game against PSG. This is how football is – individual quality can decide games, and that’s how it was on Wednesday.

"At the end, though, it wasn’t one game. It was a development that the Bayern bosses didn't like too much. That’s why they made the decision, I think. I've no real clue as to why exactly they did it though.

"Carlo is a very, very experienced manager. I'm sure he hasn’t lost his football knowledge overnight."Sometimes, however, two sides don't fit together. If Bayern believe they have a better future with another manager, then congratulations. If Carlo wants to carry on, he will find a fantastic club and show what kind of manager he is."But there are bigger problems in the world at the moment than Bayern Munich sacking Carlo Ancelotti."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aguero confirms broken rib following Amsterdam car crash


Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has confirmed that he broke a rib in a car accident on Thursday night.Aguero was taken to hospital in Amsterdam after the car which was taking him to the city's Schipol airport collided with a post.

The Argentina striker and a friend had been guests at a Maluma concert in the Dutch capital and were heading back to the airport when their driver lost control of the vehicle.

"The driver did not see the curve and skidded," Aguero told Argentine radio station Radio Metro. "When we were skidding we hit a post."I've broken a rib, now I'm resting. It hurts a lot but I'll soon be discharged."Aguero will arrive back Manchester on Friday afternoon having released from hospital, although he missed City's morning training session.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Get well soon Aguero!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Beautiful Messi makes everyone better - Guardiola


Lionel Messi is a player who is capable of elevating the level of those around him, according to Pep Guardiola.The former Barcelona boss has seen at first hand what the 30-year-old is capable of - and believes that he has benefitted from the Argentine's talents.

He told 'The Premier League Show': “He is the best player ever. Messi is the beauty - he makes managers better, he makes team-mates better.The Argentine is still to finalise the penning of fresh terms at Camp Nou, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2018.

Barca revealed in July that an agreement had been reached, and have since reiterated that Messi is playing under a new contract, but no formal announcement has been made.

That has helped to keep the rumour mill ticking over, with City one of few clubs in world football that could afford to finance a transfer if the 30-year-old were to become available.Guardiola would likely head that queue, but he cannot see a move being made, despite the South American being more than capable of testing himself on an English stage.

“He would be good in the Premier League but I think Barcelona is the right place to finish his career.”Messi has been in dazzling form for Barca over recent weeks, with the 2017-18 campaign delivering 12 goals in just 10 appearances.

He now has 519 efforts for the club, while he is just seven appearances short of 600.City, meanwhile, are faring just fine without having Messi on their books.Their star-studded squad has started to click into gear, with 24 goals plundered in their last six outings across all competitions.

 

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Pique proud to play for Spain despite Catalan independence referendum


Barcelona defender Gerard Pique insisted he was proud to play for Spain despite his backing for the Catalan independence referendum.Pique, 30, was named in Spain's squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Israel next month.On Thursday, Pique called for peaceful expression of opinions ahead of the planned referendum.

The centre-back, who has played 91 games for Spain, said he was delighted to be included in Julen Lopetegui's squad.
"I am very happy to return and see if we can win the first game which would qualify us, which is what is important, and be once again in the World Cup finals," Pique said, via Marca .

"I have always said that to play for the national team is a pride and a great motivation. The fact that the coach has called me up again shows that I am doing things well."Spain are three points clear atop Group G ahead of their final two qualifiers.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti can be my assistant, jokes Montella


Carlo Ancelotti could find an immediate way back into football with former club AC Milan after Vincenzo Montella joked the sacked Bayern Munich boss would be welcome as his assistant.

Ancelotti was fired by Bayern on Thursday after a disappointing run of results that culminated in a 3-0 Champions League thrashing against Paris Saint-Germain.

That left Bayern behind their French rivals in Group B, and in the Bundesliga the reigning champions trail Borussia Dortmund by three points after six games.

A league defeat to Hoffenheim and recent draw with Wolfsburg have left them off the pace, and ultimately cost Ancelotti his job – although there were also reports of disharmony in the dressing room.

Ahead of Milan's Europa League win over Rijeka, club director Massimiliano Mirabelli dismissed talk of Ancelotti returning to San Siro, but Montella would gladly have him board.
"I hold him in great esteem," said the Milan boss. "I went to follow his training sessions when I started this job and has always thought of me as a brother. "If he wants to come here, he can be my assistant or maybe I can be his!"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.09.30

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.09.30

Huddersfield Vs Tottenham

Bournemouth Vs Leicester City

Manchester United Vs Crystal Palace

Stoke City Vs Southampton

WBA Vs Watford

West Ham Vs Swansea

Chelsea Vs Manchester City

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