..::Football IV::..

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Gerrard: I'll return to Liverpool soon

Steven Gerrard says he hopes to represent Liverpool again "sooner rather than later", though he maintains he is happy at LA Galaxy.

The midfielder remains a key player for the MLS side he joined in July 2015, and came off the bench to score an impressive goal in Sunday's clash with New England Revolution.

However, Gerrard admits that he wants to return "home" to Liverpool in the near future and take up a role with the club he spent 28 years with.

"I will be going home at some point," he said. "I don't want to start any unnecessary rumours. I'm really happy where I am at the moment.

"But I'm sure somewhere down the line I will represent Liverpool Football Club.

"I miss my friends and my family. I miss a bit of cold weather. I miss going to the games. I spent 35 years in Liverpool. Liverpool's my home, it always will be. This is my second home for a short period of time."Sooner rather than later I will return to where I'm comfortable with my people - and that's Liverpool."

The 35-year-old is enjoying his adventure in the United States, however, and is happy at the lack of attention he attracts in Los Angeles.

"Obviously the city's a fantastic city for myself and my family, the climate, there's plenty to do," he added. "I'm pretty much unnoticed as well, which is a bonus.
"I'm getting on a little bit now so eventually we'll move back and settle in Liverpool."

 

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Cavani only an option for Juventus if Morata leaves - Marotta

Edinson Cavani is only likely to become a transfer target for Juventus if Alvaro Morata ends up leaving Turin, according to general director Giuseppe Marotta.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Cavani is under contract with the French champions until 2018 but has long been linked with a return to Italy, where he spent several years playing for Palermo and Napoli.

Cavani's brother and agent Walter Guglielmone revealed in March that an end-of-season move to Juventus could be possible, while the player himself has also said he was keeping his options open when asked about his future last month.

And Marotta has not ruled out the possibility of signing the Uruguay international this summer, but suggests a move is only likely if Morata – who could return to Real Madrid if they activate their buy-back option over the marksman– was to leave.

Asked about Cavani, Marotta said to Mediaset Premium: "Last year we invested a lot into the attacking part of our squad by buying three players when we already had Morata. "It is an area up to the standards of our objectives. We would only do something and sign another one if there was a departure.

"There are so many names that we could build a new team around, but Allegri said that the team won't be revolutionised and his will is the same of the club. "Juventus are a prestigious club and very rarely we have sold our most important players. Moreover, Allegri also said that we need just a few signings to reinforce our team.

"It will depend on some forced exits, such as Morata and Juan Cuadrado, then we will keep the whole squad other than those who want to leave."We favour 'Made in Italy' and give priority to local talent, but naturally if we cannot find suitable options in-house, we have to look elsewhere.

"Last season we invested all the money from TV rights by buying from Italian clubs and we would like to continue that, as long as they are quality players."

 

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Wenger hails Pellegrini's Manchester City stint

Arsene Wenger believes Manuel Pellegrini has excelled at Manchester City despite their late-season stumbles in pursuit of a place in the top four.

City were held to a 2-2 draw by Wenger's Arsenal on Sunday having been beaten 4-2 by Southampton in their previous Premier League clash, opening the door for Manchester United to leapfrog them into fourth place with a win at West Ham on Tuesday.

Pellegrini led City to the semi-finals of the Champions League, only to be knocked out by Real Madrid last week in a meek surrender at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Chilean, who is to be replaced by Pep Guardiola, has won one Premier League title and the League Cup twice in his tenure, but saw most fans leave the Etihad Stadium before he took a lap of honour with his players after his final home game in charge against Arsenal.

But Wenger said of outgoing City boss: "I believe overall Manuel Pellegrini has done very well at Manchester City."When you look at the players today [Sunday], how they fought for him, that is a great credit to a manager.

"And as a man he is liked by everybody and he has a lot of dignity and respect for the game, and I respect that."

 

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Toni almost came to blows with Van Gaal

Luca Toni has revealed he almost came to blows with Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal when he played under the Dutchman at Bayern Munich.

Hellas Verona striker Toni, 38, is calling time on his playing days at the end of the current campaign after a 22-year professional career. The 2006 World Cup winner made the decision after a "terrible" season with Verona, with the club already relegated to the Serie B. Toni says his relationship with Verona coach Luigi Delneri is a complicated one, but the forward admits he has played under worse conditions in his storied career.

"[Delneri and I] didn't get along very well, that's for sure," Toni told Italian TV after helping Verona to a 2-1 win over Italian champions Juventus on Sunday.
"But it is not nice talking about it now. In any case we cleared the air.

"In the past I had much worse misunderstandings with Van Gaal when I was playing at Bayern Munich. "Back then we almost came to blows."

As for what the future holds for Toni, the two-time Bundesliga winner says he does not envisage going down the coaching path. "I have seen my former team-mates age five years every 12 months since they became coaches," he added. "I'd prefer to do something in a directorial role.

"I will speak to Verona and the president, because I still owe the city something.I'd like to help this club get back into Serie A, because it is where they deserve to be."If not then I’ll look around for something to do, because I doubt my wife wants me hanging around the house too much."

 

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Roma's Nainggolan and Pjanic not for sale - Pallotta

Roma president James Pallotta has reiterated that the club's top stars Miralem Pjanic and Radja Nainggolan will not be sold at the end of the season.

The Bosnia and Belgium internationals have developed a fine partnership in Roma's midfield, helping the capital club secure a Champions League return for next season.

Pjanic has been involved in 21 goals this term - more than any other player with the Giallorossi - and has reportedly attracted attention from Juventus and Chelsea, who are also thought to be keen on Nainggolan as they begin to prepare for life under three-time Scudetto-winning coach Antonio Conte.

However, after the pair were on the scoresheet in Sunday's 3-0 win over Chievo, Pallotta will not entertain the idea of tearing out the heart of his team."I have already said that we will not sell Pjanic and Nainggolan," Pallotta told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I want to see them continue in the jersey of Roma."Pjanic himself refused to commit his future to the Stadio Olimpico before the end of the season.

"I have a contract until 2018," he is quoted by Roma's official website. "You never know in football but I enjoy playing with my team-mates here. We still have the final match of the season to play but nevertheless I'm happy at Roma."

 

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Giroud delighted to end 15-game goal drought

Olivier Giroud was delighted to end his goal drought in Arsenal's 2-2 Premier League draw with Manchester City on Sunday and stressed he always kept believing in himself.

The France international had gone 15 league games without a goal after netting twice in the 3-3 draw with Liverpool back in January, but played a key role against City.Having opened the scoring with a close-range header, the striker laid on the second for Alexis Sanchez to earn Arsene Wenger's side a point.

Pellegrini led City to the semi-finals of the Champions League, only to be knocked out by Real Madrid last week in a meek surrender at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"The goal meant a lot because it has been a tough time for me on the pitch as I have missed a bit of efficiency, a bit of luck and a lot of things," Giroud told Arsenal Player.

"Things haven't gone my way to [allow me to] finish, but I kept the faith and knew that it would come back. "It is always nice for a striker to score and it was even better to also get an assist for Alexis' second goal which was important.

"These last few weeks I tried to set up goals. [Alexis' goal] was my sixth assist but I'm happy to score too and help the team to reach our target and qualify for the Champions League. We now have our own destiny in our hands to finish third or maybe second.

"We are a team and a group that makes the difference. We try to help each other do the job. We fight for each other and we have a good understanding."
Giroud has scored 21 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this campaign.

 

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Wilshere: Arsenal want to show Tottenham who's best

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere remains hopeful of leapfrogging Tottenham in the Premier League table with just one game to go.Spurs were beaten 2-1 by Southampton on Sunday, while Arsenal moved to within two points of their rivals following a 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

A win over Aston Villa next week combined with a surprise win for Newcastle United against Tottenham would see Arsenal climb into second place, and Wilshere hopes Rafael Benitez's men will do the Gunners a favour."We all knew the Spurs result [before the City game] and of course that motivated us," Wilshere told Standard Sport.

"When we saw it finished 2-1, it gave us a real lift."We want to finish above them and show we are the best team in north London. "We expect to win our home games so hopefully Newcastle can do us a favour."Tottenham have not finished above Arsenal in the Premier League since the 1994-95 campaign.

 

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Ben Arfa denies travelling to meet Barcelona

Hatem Ben Arfa has denied heading to Barcelona to hold advanced talks over a free-transfer move to Camp Nou.France international Ben Arfa has stolen headlines in Ligue 1 this season, scoring 17 goals in 33 games in his maiden season for Nice.

That form has prompted interest from across Europe, with Ben Arfa only tied to a short-term deal at the Allianz Riviera, and Barcelona are reportedly keen to bring the winger to Spain.

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere claimed last week that Ben Arfa and Barcelona were in tentative discussions, with reports on Monday claiming that the former Newcastle United attacker had flown to Catalonia for a tour of the Liga champions' facilities.

But Ben Arfa was quick to dispel those rumours, telling the Ligue 1 club's official website: "I am not travelling abroad, contrary to what I have read. I am in Nice."I am only focused on the trip to Guingamp, like all of my team-mates. I am focused 100 per cent on my objectives with OGC Nice."

 

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Vardy happy to stay at Leicester

Jamie Vardy has dismissed the idea of leaving Premier League champions Leicester City during the close season and the England striker hopes Claudio Ranieri's squad can shock Europe's elite.

Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year Vardy took his tally of league goals to 24 this season on Saturday as Leicester celebrated their remarkable title triumph with a 3-1 win over Everton.

The likes of Vardy, PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and France midfielder N'Golo Kante have all been tipped to make big-money moves following their exploits.

By the same token, Vardy knows a host of players will be candidates for a potential transfer to King Power Stadium, given the incentive of playing Champions League football.

And the 29-year-old, who was speaking at the launch of his V9 Academy project, is hopeful Ranieri can retain the close-knit feel that has been central to the squad's success."I've just won the league and I'll be playing in the Champions League next year. I'm happy here," he said.

"There's going to be names thrown into the hat all summer.But with the group of lads that we've got - winning the league and we've got with Champions League football next year - you'd hope it would keep everyone together."Nothing's really been spoken about between the lads [regarding close-season moves]. We've just been concentrating on each and every game, as they come.

"One thing that we want to do is to keep that mentality of wining. We'll be back on that training field this week to hopefully put in a performance on Sunday that gets us another win."

As national champions, Leicester will be among the seeded teams for next season's Champions League group stages under a change to competition rules.Vardy does not believe their playing style will hold any great surprises for the continent's big-hitters but expects Ranieri to stick with methods that have proved so improbably successful.

"We've got ourselves into this situation playing that way, so why change it? It's worked for us so we'll hopefully make sure it works for us again," he added."Leicester's been on everyone's radar all season, with all the stories that have been coming out about how well we've been doing.

"A lot of the European teams have probably been watching us. They'll have to do their homework, as well as we'll have to do our homework on them."Once it comes to game time it will be 100 per cent going out and getting wins."

 

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Van Gaal worried by Carroll threat in Fellaini absence

Louis van Gaal has admitted that he is worried by the damage Andy Carroll could do to Manchester United in West Ham’s final game at Upton Park on Tuesday.

The Hammers say goodbye to their famous old stadium in the Premier League clash but will be looking to avoid a repeat of the 2-1 loss to United in the last FA Cup match at the ground in April.

Van Gaal selected Marouane Fellaini in midfield to help cope with Carroll’s threat in that cup tie, but the Belgian’s absence through suspension leaves the Dutchman fearing the England striker’s potential impact.

“We are normally the smallest team in the Premier League and we have always problems with set-plays,” Van Gaal told a pre-match press conference. “You have seen that on Saturday, and we have to cope with that.“Yes, I am very worried about [Carroll]. I am always in a meeting about that every day. It takes also a long time to organise it well.”

Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday leaves United needing two wins in their final two league games to secure a spot in the Champions League play-off round next August.

And Van Gaal believes his side are well equipped to cope with the emotions involved in the Boleyn Ground’s farewell having overcome other hurdles in recent weeks, most recently in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Norwich.“On Saturday we had to play against a relegation fighter. They were fighting against relegation, so it was a tough match,” added the 64-year-old.

“On Tuesday we have to play against an opponent who says goodbye to their stadium, so they don’t want to lose in their own stadium. They have already lost to Manchester United in the last FA Cup match, and that’s also history. So that’s not good for us and West Ham United is a very good team, I think.“We have a lot of respect for West Ham United. It is a historical, big club in the Premier League so we don’t want to spoil the party but we need the three points.”

There may be a late decision made on the fitness of frontman Anthony Martial, who pulled up with a muscle strain during the warm-up at Norwich. Van Gaal says the Frenchman will not be rushed if he is not ready.

“I cannot say [if he will play]. We have to wait and see because on Saturday his muscle was very tight and we won’t take any risk because he is a very important player and we don’t want a rupture. That’s very important for us.”

Victory at Upton Park would take United into the top four for the first time since December with only a home fixture against Bournemouth on Sunday still to play.

 

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Welawe hatiyata Fellaini nathi 1kanam loku paduwak thamai​

 

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Van Gaal plans more Man Utd rotation ahead of crucial week

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will not take any unnecessary risks with his players as a vital week continues with Tuesday's crunch Premier League clash at West Ham.

Manchester City's faltering form means United will leapfrog their bitter rivals and head into the final weekend of the season in the fourth and final Champions League spot if they are victorious at Upton Park.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has demanded a response from his players ahead of their final outing at the famous old ground, with Saturday's 4-1 humbling at the hands of Swansea City leaving a bitter taste.

Van Gaal, meanwhile, has dealt with persistent injury problems over the course of the campaign, the latest being an Anthony Martial injury which will keep him out midweek.

Having opted to rest Marcus Rashford and Daley Blind for the trip to Carrow Road, he will continue to proceed cautiously for these final, pivotal encounters."It is always dependable on the data from my fatigue specialist," the Dutchman said in a press conference.

"We are going home and Sunday is recovery and Monday is recovery. I have to decide then on the data of my fatigue specialist who I am taking with me."It's always like that. It can happen that I leave players at home because they are too tired.

"Last week we played against Leicester and it was cold, six degrees or something. Against Norwich it is 25 degrees."It's a big difference and you have seen that, you have seen that on the faces of the players."

 

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Messi: Nobody at Barcelona wants Real Madrid to win anything

Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi hopes Real Madrid will lose the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.

The Catalan holders crashed out at the hands of Atletico in the quarter-finals, who then went on to reach the final at the expense of Bayern Munich.But Messi does not bear a grudge against Diego Simeone's men and hopes they can beat the Santiago Bernabeu side.

"It is clear that the people at Barcelona do not want Real Madrid to win anything," Messi told ESPN."It would hugely please Barcelona if Atletico beat them in the Champions League final."What Atletico Madrid have done is great, it is not easy to beat them. They are a very tough opponent and [Diego] Simeone deserves credit for their performances."

Barcelona's hopes of capturing a second successive treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League ended following their defeat against Atletico and Messi now wants the domestic double to make it a successful season.

"The Champions League elimination was a major blow. We were much better than Atletico in the first half and could have decided the tie there. It was then very complicated in the return at the Vicente Calderon," he added.

"It would be great if we can end the season by winning the Liga title and the Copa del Rey. We realise it will not be easy, though. We have two finals left, one in La Liga and one in the Copa.

"We spilled a lot of points in La Liga, but recovered just in time. We still have everything in our own hands."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixture 2016.05.10

Barclays Premier League Fixture 2016.05.10

West Ham Vs Manchester United

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Ada thiyenneth due or die match 1kakaniwa win karamma one match 1kak

West Ham lath ekka lesi wena 1kaknam naha ath kohomahari win karannama oneMartial injured nisa miss wena 1kanam apita lokuma paduwak & Fellaini ban eka nisa miss

Anyway kohomahari win karamu

Good Luck Manchester United!
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Ibrahimovic admits he is in talks with other clubs


Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won Goal’s Paris Saint-Germain Player of the Year award after a remarkable campaign, though he is remaining tight-lipped about whether he will remain in the French capital.

The Sweden international’s contract with the Parisians expires this summer and, after scoring a league-high 35 goals and counting this season – the most in his career to date – he is attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere.

The 34-year-old has long been linked with a reunion with Jose Mourinho, the prospective Manchester United boss, but he is yet to decide on his next decision, despite being in talks with several clubs.

“The situation is what it is. We will see what happens. We’re talking with everyone,” Ibrahimovic exclusively told Goal after receiving his award, which was voted for by readers of Goal France.

“We are in talks with PSG but also with other interested clubs. We will see what happens but I cannot give you an answer today. Just be positive!”

The Swede was also wary of committing to a timescale by when he would make up his mind: “[You’ll know] when it’s official! I will know at that time too. Before that, I wouldn’t know.

“It’s difficult to answer this question. When I know, you’ll know and the whole world will know. Everyone is asking that question but I do not have the answer yet.”

Ibrahimovic also leads the Ligue 1 assists charts in what has been his most productive season to date, fully deserving his award as he helped PSG wrap up the title in double-quick time.
And there are still milestones he can achieve before the season ends, with a 30th title of his career up for grabs in the Coupe de France final, while, with two matches remaining, he hasn’t given up on bettering the Ligue 1 scoring record which stands at 44 goals – nine more than his current tally.

“I only need one game to do it!” he jokes. “Seriously, nothing is impossible but it’s not something I’m that focused on.

“When I feel good and I’m playing well, the goals come from themselves. I’m not desperate when I get on the field to the point that I say, ‘I must score four or five goals’. They come from themselves.

“From the moment the team is playing well, I help the team, the team helps me, and the goals will arrive. Just be alert, concentrate and score when the opportunity presents itself.”

Marseille stand between Ibrahimovic and the perfect end to his PSG career, should he decide to leave the club, and he says winning titles means as much now as it did when he was a kid.

He continued: “Of course, it is always a magical moment when you win a trophy, it becomes an historical moment and the story will be written down in books.

“But if I ever forget what it means to win a trophy, that’s when I’ll quit football.

“When I started, when I was young, I just wanted to win as many titles as possible so people will remember me. I’m on 29 now and we still have the Coupe de France final to play, so hopefully I can make it 30!”

 

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Falcao expects to spend next season with Monaco

Radamel Falcao says he expects to spend next season at Monaco after two difficult years in the Premier League.

The Colombia striker joined Manchester United on loan in September 2014, where he managed four goals in 29 appearances as he struggled to sustain form and fitness under Louis van Gaal.

Falcao's career has further stalled at Chelsea this season, with the 30-year-old playing just once in the Premier League since October as a result of persistent injury problems, and his lack of game time has resulted in him being omitted from Colombia's Copa America squad.

The former Atletico Madrid forward says Monaco are eager for a return on the reported €60 million fee they paid to sign him in 2013 and is himself desperate for regular playing time next term."Monaco made a big investment in me and they want some return on that. They want me back at the club for next season," he told TYC Sports.

"I need to have minutes, to play, and we'll see what happens. Monaco want to see what my position is in a year, to see what possibilities I have.

"The project changed, it took a turn in every sense. Today they're more of a selling club than they were three years ago, when they wanted to put a very strong team together."In principle, the idea is that I'll be with Monaco for that season."

Falcao says he rejected enquiries from clubs in China and South America in the mid-season transfer window as he is holding out for a return to River Plate in future."It looks very difficult to come back to River, because I have two years on my contract [at Monaco]," he said.

"Options in China, Mexico and Brazil were talked about a bit, but if I were to go back to America, the idea is River, so I didn't move."

 

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Juventus could keep Morata but will not sign Isco - Marotta

Juventus have a "50 per cent chance" of keeping Alvaro Morata but will not be signing Isco from Real Madrid, says general manager Giuseppe Marotta.

The Serie A champions are poised to hold talks over the future of Morata, with speculation persisting that Madrid will utilise their buy-back option on the striker before potentially selling him on to another club in order to fund their pre-season spending.

Talk has grown that Isco could move to Turin as part of any deal for Morata, with the Spain international midfielder having been used sparingly this season by los Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane.

Marotta, however, has denied that the former Malaga star will join the club, telling gianlucadimarzio.com: "He will not come, we will discuss Morata with Real Madrid, but the months ahead are long.

"We have to meet with Madrid but right now they are busy preparing for the final of the Champions League. We've postponed the talks until after the final. There is a 50 per cent chance he [Morata] will stay."

Marotta then poured cold water on rumours that Juve are in talks to sign Edinson Cavani and Miralem Pjanic, and said the future of defender Andrea Barzagli will be announced in the coming weeks.

"I often read in the newspapers that Pjanic is close to signing for us, but in reality we have never negotiated with Roma, a club with whom we have a great relationship," he added. "He's certainly a great player. "Cavani? Our attack meets all requirements, made up of three players whom all arrived last summer.

"We're very happy with what they are doing and if a player like Morata leaves then we will evaluate what to do but I think that we will start next Serie A season with this arrangement.

"It's nice to hear that many players like Juventus. The fact of the matter is that now this team is where it has always been regarded to belong historically, now it's normal that we are very appealing and that many important players would like to arrive at Juventus.

"[Udinese striker] Antonio Di Natale refused us but those times are long gone.
"It's premature to speak about Barzagli just yet, we will make a statement and let everyone know what has been done."

 

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Henderson and Coutinho unveil Liverpool home kit for 2016-17 season

Liverpool have unveiled their new home kit for the 2016/17 season, with Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho launching it on Monday.

Made by New Balance, the kit is comprised of a red shirt with a yellow trim around the collar and yellow logos, red shorts and red socks. The goalkeeper's outift is made up of a green shirt with black shoulder pads, green shorts and green and black socks.

The shirt features words from some of "Liverpool FC's famous figureheads", with each quote "exemplifying the unique nature of the fanbase and the club".

There is also the customary Hillsborough commemoration, to honour the 96 supporters who lost their lives in 1989.

Henderson and Coutinho were joined by Simon Mignolet and Jon Flanagan in the unveiling, with former stars Robbie Fowler, Jason McAteer and players from Liverpool Ladies and the academy also present.

“This team has the winning mentality and now, with this spectacular new home kit every player will look the part lighting up Anfield," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of next season's attire.

 

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2015/16 Home kit ekath ekkath balanakota almost same wage​