..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

‘I would like to coach in Serie A’ – Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini will depart Manchester City at the end of the season and has suggested that he could head to Italy for his next role.

Pep Guardiola will take over from the Chilean at the Etihad Stadium, and the 62-year-old has indicated that he could opt for a completely new challenge, having already spent many years in Spain with the likes of Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga.

“I would like to coach in Serie A. It would be a good experience,” he told Mundo Deportivo.“I am looking for a new project that would allow me to do my job, and I would not refuse a return to Spain.

“In my life I have never shied away from a challenge. When I chose Malaga, I had bigger clubs who were offering me more money, but I decided that I wanted to take that team into the Champions League.”

Pellegrini’s immediate future, however, will see his Manchester City side tackle Real Madrid for a place in the Champions League final, with the English outfit going to Spain after a scoreless draw in the first leg.

 

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Real Madrid job is about politics - Pellegrini

Coaching Real Madrid is one of the toughest jobs in world football due to the politics involved at the Santiago Bernabeu, says former boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Pellegrini was in charge at Madrid in the 2009-10 campaign but lasted just one season as they lost out on the Liga title to fierce rivals Barcelona.

The now Manchester City manager, whose side face Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday, has fond memories of his time in the Spanish capital but feels there are too many people trying to interfere with first-team affairs.

"I wouldn't say coaching Madrid is an impossible job. It's an honour to coach Madrid. But you have to realise that when you take charge of Madrid, you have to accept politics play a big role," Pellegrini told El Mundo.

"There are bound to be people who will try to interfere even if they do not have the football knowledge to do so. If you allow someone without football knowledge to interfere and if you let criticism from the political side affect you, you are not ready for the job.

"I was fortunate enough to pass one of the most difficult tests and it did not change me one bit. I know that the players liked it most about me that nothing changed regardless of the result at the weekend. "I demanded the same from the players, to not let anything happening on the outside affect them. I never fielded a player because I was told to do so or because I was being criticised.

"I only have good memories of my time at Madrid. Unfortunately I didn't win the league, even if it would have been the first and last title anyway. I knew that I was fired because club president Florentino Perez had told Villarreal president Fernando Roig and he told me."

City travel to the Bernabeu for the Champions League semi-final second leg with the tie nicely poised at 0-0.

 

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UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Fixture 2016.05.02

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Fixture 2016.05.02

AGG

(0-1)

Bayern Vs Atletico Madrid

 

[Terminator75]

Do you guys think Leicester City will win the Barclays Premier League?

I really hope they do, they fully deserve it after such an amazing season!!!!!

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Do you guys think Leicester City will win the Barclays Premier League?

I really hope they do, they fully deserve it after such an amazing season!!!!!

yup. should've made a bet.

 

[Alucard_SxE]

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Fixture 2016.05.02

AGG

(0-1)

Bayern Vs Atletico Madrid

hetane thiyenne

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Leicester win the Premier League ​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Atletico Madrid 1 - 2 Bayern Munich​

2 - 2 Aggregate. Atleti win on away goals​

As much as I love bayern, atleti deserved to be in the final. Even deserve to win the La liga. However Simeone will be suspended the rest of the matches including the league final
It's time for Real to shine tomorrow. Hala Madrid!!!!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham: Hazard hands Leicester the title

Eden Hazard will be the toast of Leicester, as the Belgian and Chelsea struck a late equaliser to tie 2-2 with Tottenham and hand the Foxes the Premier League title.

Mauricio Pochettino's men needed victory to retain hope of stopping Leicester's astonishing march towards glory and Harry Kane's 25th Premier League goal of the season, along with a clinical finish from Son Heung-min, gave them a healthy half-time advantage.Monday's encounter was an ill-tempered one.

Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele is likely to face retrospective action for an apparent eye gouge on Diego Costa, though the feisty occasion perhaps helped Chelsea to rediscover some of the fire that has been absent far too often in their shambling Premier League defence.

Gary Cahill reduced the arrears in the 58th minute and Eden Hazard, who schemed menacingly as a half-time substitute, scored his first league goal at Stamford Bridge since last season's title-clinching win over Crystal Palace to ensure a new and unlikely name would be etched on the trophy.

Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri will hoist that silverware at a raucous King Power Stadium after Saturday's match against Everton, no doubt thrilled by the help from his former employers.

Cahill and John Terry were reunited at the heart of the Chelsea defence, with the former heading a fourth-minute corner wide as the hosts applied early pressure.
Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal midfielder who recently stated his desire for Tottenham to fall short in their title bid, was picked out by Costa and dragged wastefully wide in the 27th minute.

Tottenham spurned a similarly inviting opening with Son, in for the suspended Dele Alli, lashing past the near post but Pochettino's side crafted a fine opener 10 minutes before half-time.

Christian Eriksen combined with Erik Lamela for the Argentina international to pick out Kane's perfectly timed run, with the England striker able to coolly round Asmir Begovic and slot into an unguarded net.

Costa engineered space on the edge of the box to fire over as Chelsea sought a response but they were left with a mountain to climb by a blistering Spurs counter-attack.Kane intercepted a stray pass from Branislav Ivanovic and Eriksen expertly slid a pass through to Son, whose aim was true this time.

The half ended with unsavoury scenes after Danny Rose rashly fouled Willian – with Dembele particularly lucky to escape punishment as replays showed he made contact with Costa's left eye.

Rose and Willian were booked for their troubles and renewed acquaintances early in the second half as the Brazil winger crashed into his opponent before Son clipped the loose ball wide from the edge of the box.

Chelsea grasped a lifeline in the 58th minute as Spurs midfielder Eric Dier missed an attempted clearance from Willian's corner and Cahill pounced with an emphatic left-footed volley.

The complexion of the contest changed entirely, Hazard to the fore for the hosts, and Willian shot too close to Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from a Costa pass.

Spurs right-back Kyle Walker endured a tough outing and was grateful to see Hazard's low cross spin off his shin and wide in the 74th minute, while substitute Ryan Mason shot tamely at Begovic when he should have restored the two-goal cushion.

Despite his misfiring campaign, Hazard showed why he has a more renowned eye for goal from midfield as he darted towards the area, exchanged passes with Costa and found the top corner to break Tottenham hearts and set champagne corks popping in Leicester.

The Chelsea faithful delighted at their rivals falling short and, as tempers on the field frayed further, the name of the new champions boomed around Stamford Bridge, which will now offer a guard of honour to Leicester on the final day.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Leicester City!

EPL Champions 2015/16

meh sare EPL Champions la wei kiyala hithuwe wath nathi team 1kak thamai EPL Champions la une​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Peter & Kasper Schmeichel become second father & son duo to win Premier League

Peter and Kasper Schmeichel have entered Premier League history by becoming the second father and son to both win the title.

Ian Wright and Shaun Wright-Phillips became the first father-son duo to achieve this after Wright-Phillips was part of Chelsea’s title-winning side in 2006, while Wright won it with Arsenal in 1998.

Peter Schmeichel won five Premier League trophies during his career with Manchester United, while his son Kasper will end this season with a winners’ medal after Leicester City’s stunning title victory.
Leicester are the first 'new' winners of the English top flight in 38 years - the last first-time champions were Nottingham Forest in 1978. The Foxes are also the 24th team to win the top-flight title.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Smalling wins Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year

Chris Smalling has been named Manchester United’s Players’ Player of the Year for 2015-16.

The 26-year-old has been one of the key figures in United’s central defence, and has captained the side in the absence of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick this season.And the England international has seen off competition from David De Gea and Daley Blind to win the award.

"It’s a massive honour to receive this from my fellow players. There are some big names on the winners' list, so it’s great to add mine to it,” Smalling said at Monday’s ceremony.

"It’s been good that we [Blind and myself] have been able to play so consistently together and learn each other’s game. We’ve been quite solid as a team defensively.

"[The captaincy] is a huge honour and it’s great that the manager has shown faith in me. It’s nice that after Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney I get the chance. It really adds to your own sense of leadership.

"It’s nice to win this award tonight, but I’m looking forward to hopefully picking up another trophy at Wembley in a few weeks."

 

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De Gea wins record United Player of the Year award

David De Gea has become the first player to win Manchester United’s Player of the Year award for three consecutive seasons.

The Spain international has impressed once again for United, keeping 14 clean sheets in 32 Premier League games so far.

De Gea joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only other United player to win the award three times. The Portugal international picked up the prize in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

"It is difficult for me to say anything; winning this trophy three years in a row is amazing. I am really happy, it’s an honour to receive this and I want to thank the fans, who are the best in the world,” De Gea said at Monday’s ceremony.

"It is amazing to win this award three times in a row. I want to thank everyone one and we will keep fighting.

"I think everyone in the dressing room is important and now we have something important to win at Wembley. If we win the FA Cup, then it will be a good season."

Chris Smalling won United’s Players’ Player of the Year, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was Under-21s Player of the Year and Marcus Rashford was the Under-18s Player of the Year.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations for De Gea & Smalling!

​

 

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Vardy marvels at Leicester's finest hour

Top scorer Jamie Vardy hailed the biggest achievement in Leicester City's history after Claudio Ranieri's side were crowned Premier League champions.

Tottenham surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Chelsea, leaving Leicester with an insurmountable seven-point lead with two matches remaining.

Vardy, who was named the Football Writers' Association's Football of the Year earlier on Monday, has scored 22 goals to spearhead Leicester's unlikely charge - including setting a Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches.
The England striker hosted his City team-mates in a party at his house to watch Chelsea versus Tottenham and he reflected on a scarcely believable turnaround from last season's breathless battle against relegation

"It's an unbelievable feeling, I've never known anything like it," he told BBC Sport.
"We were scrapping to stay in the league last season and on Saturday we'll be lifting the trophy."That gives you an idea of how much hard work has gone into this season from every single player and member of staff.

"It's the biggest achievement in the history of a great club and we all feel privileged to be part of it. It’s even more special to have done it with these lads."

Vardy enjoyed some fun on Twitter at the expense of Tottenham striker and England colleague Harry Kane, who opened the scoring for Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

Last month, Kane posted a picture of lions on Instagram to indicate an ominous pursuit of Leicester.Amid the celebrations, Vardy tweeted a picture of Mufasa – a lead character from the hit Disney film The Lion King – falling to his death.

Leicester's title triumph could itself be worthy of a blockbuster big-screen interpretation, not least due to the starring role played by their 29-year-old former non-league striker.

Vardy added: "Every minute of hard work we've put in on the training pitch has been worth it for this moment."

 

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Kane: Chelsea celebrated like they won the title

Tottenham star Harry Kane accused Chelsea of celebrating like they had won the Premier League after Monday's 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.Spurs' hopes of winning the league were ended after they threw away a two-goal lead against Chelsea which ensured Leicester City were crowned as champions.

Second-half goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard helped Guus Hiddink's men hold Tottenham, who can no longer catch Claudio Ranieri's Foxes with two games remaining.

And afterwards Kane claimed last season's champions Chelsea had reacted to the draw as if they had won the league themselves."When the ex-champions are celebrating like they won the league at the end, it shows that we're doing something right," he told the BBC.

"We've just got to keep doing what we're doing, we've got a great bunch of lads, a great manager, great staff and we've just got to keep that and keep moving forward."

Kane and Son Heung-min had put Spurs in control away from home as they looked on track to keep the title race alive.

However, the hosts responded after the break in a feisty encounter that featured 12 yellow cards.Kane was full of praise for Leicester and said Ranieri's team were deserved champions after an incredible season.

"We're gutted. We've had a great season. Credit to Leicester. Well done to them for winning the league. They've been fantastic this season," he said."We done all we could, we fought until the end, but it's something we've got to learn from.

"I'm proud of everyone, I'm proud of the club and we've just got to keep moving in the right direction, finish the season off well now and look forward to next season."

 

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Morgan: We proved everybody wrong

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan lauded his "brothers" for proving the world wrong and clinching the Premier League title.

Second-placed Tottenham were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday, gifting Claudio Ranieri's men their first top-flight league title as a result.Leicester now hold an unassailable seven-point lead with two games remaining and they celebrated at the house of top goalscorer Jamie Vardy following their triumph.

In the midst of the euphoric celebrations, Morgan hailed his team-mates and said he is desperate to get his hands on the trophy when his team host Everton on Saturday."It's the best feeling of my career and I couldn't be prouder that it’s as part of this team," Morgan said.

"Everyone's worked so hard for this, nobody believed we could do it, but here we are, Premier League champions and deservedly so.

"I've never known a spirit like the one between these boys. We're like brothers. People saw it last season when everyone expected us to be relegated, but we fought back to prove people wrong."This season's been a continuation of that. We've built on the momentum, but I don't think anyone believed it would come to this.

"Saturday can't come quickly enough. I can't wait to get my hands on the trophy."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carrick: Top four not gone yet

Michael Carrick is not ready to give up on Manchester United's top-four hopes just yet, but he admitted his side's 1-1 draw with Leicester City were a frustrating two points to drop.

Leicester arrived at Old Trafford seeking a maiden Premier League title win but had to wait until Monday to secure it, with the draw leaving United four points off fourth-placed Manchester City.

That much is thanks to City's capitulation against Southampton, who ran out 4-2 winners later on Sunday, meaning Carrick sees enough of an opportunity to remain hopeful of Champions League football for United next season."We were certainly looking to win the game. It was an opportunity for us to build on what we had gathered over the last few weeks, so we're disappointed with a draw," he said.

"Of course there's all to play for. We will keep going. We have got the games left. We will just look to the next game now and try to win that.

"That's the only thing we can control and that is what we have got to focus on."I thought we came out very well and put them under a lot of pressure and caused them a lot of problems. We got a goal ahead and then their goal came out of nowhere. We are disappointed with that."

United have a game in hand over City, who are still in the Champions League and must play third-placed Arsenal domestically.United, meanwhile, must face Norwich City (away), West Ham (away) and AFC Bournemouth (home).

 

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Lineker: Leicester success the biggest sporting shock

Gary Lineker hailed former club Leicester City for creating the "biggest sporting shock" by winning the Premier League title on Monday.

Second-placed Tottenham were held to a 2-2 draw at Chelsea, giving Claudio Ranieri's Leicester an unassailable seven-point lead atop the table.It marked Leicester's first-ever top-flight title and came after they just managed to avoid relegation last season.

Lineker, who played for Leicester and is an England great, said what Ranieri's men had managed was unbelievable."I just think it's generally the biggest sporting shock. I can't think of anything that surpasses it," he told the BBC.

"When it's your own team, it's too extraordinary, too difficult to put over in words."
Lineker said he let the emotions get the better of him after the draw at Stamford Bridge, including struggling to breathe late on.The 55-year-old was struggling to believe the club's achievement even after the title was secured.

"I've followed them since I was a little kid. I was a season-ticket holder until I was seven-years-old," Lineker said."I saw them in a cup final - lose - that was the closest we ever got to big glory. We won the league cup a couple of times but this is just something else. This is actually impossible."

Lineker added: "There were no odds that I would have taken at the start of the season. No odds. You could have given me 10 million to one and I'd have said, 'Nah, it’s a waste of a quid'."

 

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Van Gaal: I am one of the best managers in the world

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels he is one of the best in the world and is adamant rumours suggesting he is on his way out are not affecting him.
The Dutchman's position has come under fire following United's underwhelming 2015-16, with Jose Mourinho reportedly lined up to replace him at the end of the season.

Van Gaal has acknowledged the ongoing speculation about his future can be difficult for his players, but has stressed it is not an issue for him personally."I can cope with it when the media is writing for six months I am sacked already. It is not new for me," Van Gaal said at United's Player of the Year awards evening.

"For my players, it is not so easy. They are reading it every day. How do you think that affects my authority? What do you think about the way they want to follow my advice, when their coach is portrayed like a nobody because I cannot do anything?
"But I am not like that. I am very arrogant. I am one of the best managers of the world."

United sit fifth in the Premier League table with three games left and can still qualify for next season's Champions League, while Crystal Palace await in the FA Cup final and Van Gaal feels the players deserve respect for their achievements.

"We have to meet the expectations of the biggest club in the world. Expectations are too high," he added."We are in a period of transition. It is not so easy. We're still in a position to qualify [for the Champions League], and we're in the final of the FA Cup.

"We've fought back many times [this season], so you can applaud the players, because they've done it."I came to England to win a trophy, but first we have to qualify for the Champions League.