..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Balotelli travels to Nice for transfer talks as Liverpool exit edges closer

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has travelled to Nice to discuss a move to the Ligue 1 outfit as his calamitous spell with the Anfield club nears its end, Goal can reveal.

No agreement has been struck between the sides yet, with the 26-year-old set to hold talks with Lucien Favre to determine whether a switch to the south east coast of France can act as the catalyst to reignite his career.

The Swiss boss has made it clear Nice will only recruit players committed to furthering their ambitions, and when prompted about Balotelli said: “I don't know him personally, but if he runs and wants to help the youngsters, then why not? If he doesn't want to run, then there's no way he'll come here."The Reds are hopeful negotiations will prove positive and the Italian can be shifted after being signed exactly two years ago for £16 million.

The move was described as a "gamble" by former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, and has been more risk than reward.Balotelli is out of contract in 2017 and an exit this summer - even on loan terms - would signal the end of his association with the Merseysiders.The forward has made only 14 starts in total for the club, netting four times, and spent 2015-16 at Milan on a temporary deal.

FC Sion have also admitted interest in Balotelli with their chairman Christian Constantin saying: "I can confirm we're discussing about a possible loan, we're progressing, but I can't say yet if the transfer will be successful or not.”

Meanwhile, Stoke are hoping to conclude a season-long loan for Mamadou Sakho. The French defender needs to build up his fitness as he shakes off Achilles tendinopathy, and Liverpool feel he would have a greater chance of securing games elsewhere as he works on his match sharpness.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton boss Koeman has 'no interest' in signing Joe Hart

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has ruled out the Premier League club making a move for out-of-favour Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart before the end of the transfer window.

Pep Guardiola preferred Willy Caballero to Hart for his first three games in charge at City and, although Hart made a first appearance of the season in Wednesday's Champions League play-off win over Steaua Bucharest, the expected arrival of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona appears set to push him further down the pecking order.

Everton have been reported to be among Hart's potential suitors, with the 29-year-old having been advised by England boss Sam Allardyce this week that he should ideally attain regular first-team football to keep his place as national team number one.

But Koeman told reports at a news conference ahead of Saturday's match against Stoke City at Goodison Park that the Merseyside ground will not represent Hart's escape destination."There is no interest," he said. "We have a game at Stoke on Saturday and that is more important than all the rumours. "I need to prepare the team for Saturday."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zidane should give James more respect - Asprilla

James Rodriguez deserves more respect from Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid, according to former Colombia international Faustino Asprilla.

Signed for €80 million from Monaco in 2014, James enjoyed a fruitful first season with Madrid, scoring 17 goals and assisting 18 others in all competitions.However, his opportunities were cut short in 2015-16, with a muscle tear in his thigh also seeing him miss a small part of the season.

Asprilla believes James is not being given the respect he deserves at the Santiago Bernabeu, and said the only way he can prove his worth is if he gets more game time. "If today he has not been able to demonstrate his quality, it is because the coach does not have him in his plans," the 57-time international told Onda Cero.

"He is giving him very few minutes, and it is always a different thing if James goes out, or he doesn't, or he goes out with his wife, or he doesn't, or what he's going to eat. "These are extra things that don't do anybody any good.

"Let James be able to say: 'Put me on three or four games straight'. If he is not good enough and he plays badly, take him off and send him to the Castilla or some other team, but give him the opportunity.

"When he arrived at Real Madrid with [Carlo] Ancelotti, they gave him that chance and it's no coincidence that with the Italian he played better than when Zidane arrived and he played badly. "We are talking about the top goalscorer from the last World Cup. One has to have a bit of patience and respect.

"Karim Benzema has six, seven years at Real Madrid and they should have sent him back to Lyon, but he battled it out and they waited for him. "For James he has lacked that confidence from Zidane and he needs a little bit more respect."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibrahimovic aiming to break 91-year-old Manchester United record

Zlatan Ibrahimovic can match Jimmy Hanson's record of scoring in his first four competitive games if he nets for Manchester United against Hull City.

The free transfer from Paris Saint-German scored against Leicester City in the Community Shield, followed by Bournemouth and Southampton in the Premier League in his first three games for his new club.

Ibrahimovic is the ninth player to net in his first three games for United, and the first since Ian Storey-Moore in 1971-72, and now has a better feat in his sight.

If Ibrahimovic scores against managerless Hull City on Saturday he will become the first United player since Hanson 91 years ago to score in four consecutive games.

With United in the old Division Two, Hanson scored on his debut, against Hull City in November 1924, before following up with goals against Blackpool and Derby.
A fourth appearance was delayed until the following season, with United having been promoted, with Hanson not deemed strong enough to deal with the physical nature of the game despite his exploits and he finally scored against Aston Villa in September, 1925.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Man City sign Bravo from Barcelona

Manchester City have completed the signing of Claudio Bravo for £13.75 million, plus a possible further £2.5m in performance-related add-ons.

Bravo will earn around £100,000 per week after signing a four-year deal at the Etihad Stadium, almost double what he earned during his two-year spell at Camp Nou.

The 33-year-old could make his City debut against West Ham on Sunday afternoon, and will also be registered in Pep Guardiola’s Uefa squad list for this season’s Champions League campaign.

He won two La Liga titles during his time with Barca, although he did not receive a medal from Uefa when the Catalans won the Champions League in 2015 because he did not feature during their European campaign.It is believed the opportunity to play in both the league and the Champions League was a major factor in the Chilean’s decision to link up with Guardiola.

Bravo arrived in Manchester on Tuesday to complete his move, although it is believed he was not present at the Etihad on Wednesday night as Joe Hart started what could be his final game for the club.

Barca had been keen to secure a replacement for the double-winning Copa America keeper, and the arrival of Jasper Cillessen from Ajax on Thursday morning allowed Bravo’s move to be completed.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Milan: Romagnoli not for sale, despite Chelsea bid

AC Milan insist Alessio Romagnoli is not for sale, despite receiving a "significant offer" for the player from Chelsea.

The Premier League club have been linked with a number of defenders in this transfer window, but have now seen two bids for Romagnoli rejected, the latest of which was reportedly in the region of €35 million plus bonuses.

Milan are eager to retain the services of the Italy Under-21 international as they look to build under new coach Vincenzo Montella."The player is not for sale, therefore this negotiation will not continue," read a statement on Milan's official website.

"The club wants to thank Chelsea FC, with whom we will continue to have a great working relationship."The seven-time European champions revealed earlier this week that a bid in excess of €25m had been turned down.

Romagnoli joined Milan at the start of last season, from Roma, and made 40 appearances in his first campaign with the club, scoring once.He also started their Serie A opener against Torino on Sunday as Milan ran out 3-2 winners.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Chelsea sign Eduardo from Dinamo Zagreb

Chelsea have completed the signing of goalkeeper Eduardo from Dinamo Zagreb.

Eduardo, who was a member of Portugal's squad as they won Euro 2016 in France, has signed a one-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and is set to provide cover for Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic.The goalkeeper has won 35 caps for his country, and made a total of 98 appearances for Dinamo.

"Having the opportunity to come to the Premier League and to Chelsea, to such a big club, it is an easy decision to make," he told Chelsea's official website.

"For me this is the best and the most difficult league and it is another level from where I have been until now. So it is a new challenge, at this moment I feel very good, so I am ready for this.

"All the colleagues I have always say the dream is to come to the Premier League, where there are the best clubs and the best players, and the opportunity to come here arrived at this moment.

"I am happy to be here and I hope I meet the expectations people have for me."
Eduardo is Chelsea's third signing of the summer, following the acquisitions of Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante from Marseille and Leicester City respectively.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal set to seal €20m signing of Lucas Perez

Arsenal are expected to complete the €20 million (£17.1m) signing of Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna on Friday.

The 27-year-old has been identified as the striker to help Olivier Giroud up front this season following a summer of failing to land targets including Jamie Vardy and Gonzalo Higuain.

Goal understands that Perez will travel to London tomorrow alongside his representative Rodrigo Fernandes where he's expected to undergo a medical and finalise personal terms.

According to reports in Spain, Arsene Wenger's side were able to fend off interest from Valencia and Everton, with the latter reportedly having a deal in place to bring the Spaniard to Goodison Park before the Gunners made contact.

Perez, who was scouted by Arsenal during Deportivo's 1-1 draw with Sevilla last December, was named in the squad to face Real Betis on Friday but will now be omitted so that he can complete his move to the Emirates Stadium.

Greek side PAOK will receive €6m (£5.1m) from the transfer fee due to a sell-on clause included in the deal which took Perez from Thessaloniki to La Coruna last August.

Wenger's men have signed four players so far this summer - Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding, Takuma Asano and Kelechi Nwakali - while a move for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi remains possible despite coach Pako Ayestaran insisting that the German defender will stay put.

Mustafi wants to move to the Emirates, having already agreed a switch in principle, but the Spanish giants remain firm on their stance that he will not be sold for anything less than £40m, although negotiations could be revived over the coming days due to Los Che needing to sell players in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo wins UEFA Best Player in Europe award

Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the second time.Ronaldo, 31, claimed the prize ahead of his club team-mate Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.

The forward, who first won the award in 2014, scored the winning spot-kick as Madrid beat Atletico in the Champions League final on penalties in May, having already scored 16 goals in the competition, in just 12 games.

And Ronaldo then went on to help Portugal to their first international title with victory at the Euros, scoring three goals during the tournament.

The former Manchester United star scored a total of 54 goals in La Liga, the Champions League and the European Championship, far outstripping his rivals."It's a great honour and thanks to the journalists for voting for me," he said.

"My team-mates are the key - they are the key every year. I work hard myself but without the help of my team-mates this would not be possible. Thanks to my team-mates from Real Madrid and Portugal."

"I have to mention Portugal because it was the first in their history. It was different because I've won the Champions League three times. To win something with Portugal was the highlight of my career."

Bale netted 19 league goals and also played a key role in guiding Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 while Griezmann helped France to the final on home turf, scoring six goals in addition to the 29 he had bagged for his club.

Ronaldo will now hope to be crowned the best player in the world at the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the end of the year, with Lionel Messi the current holder of the prize.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations CR7!

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[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola's Man City to face Barcelona in Champions League group stage​

Pep Guardiola will return to Camp Nou to take on Barcelona with Manchester City in the Champions League group stage.​

Barca and City, who reached the semi-finals last season before being defeated by eventual winners Real Madrid, will also face Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic in Group C.​

Defending champions Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in Group F, with Cristiano Ronaldo returning to his first club to face Sporting and Legia Warsaw completing their list of first-round opponents.​

In Group A, Arsenal will meet Paris Saint-Germain in another clash of two big hitters, with Basel and Ludogorets also standing in their way of a place in the knockout stage.​

Leicester City and Tottenham will be optimistic of reaching the second round, with the Premier League champions facing Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen in Group G and Spurs taking on CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco in Group E.​

There is a tougher path through for Bayern Munich, who will meet last season's runners up Atletico Madrid as well as PSV Eindhoven and Rostov in Group D.Juventus will also be tested by Europa League champions Sevilla, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb in Group H, while Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev and Besiktas are in Group B.​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Meh sare draw 1ka godak balance wena widiyata set wela wage

Anyway teams ekka gatthama Group A/Group C/Group E/Group H hoda fight 1kak yai Knockout stages walata

Good luck for all!

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal agree deals to sign Perez & Mustafi for over £50m

Arsenal have agreed deals to sign Deportivo striker Lucas Perez and Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi and expect both players to undergo a medical on Friday, Goal understands.

Gunners officials have been working throughout the summer in a bid to strengthen an injury-ravaged defence and limited forward line and an agreement has finally been reached to bring in two of La Liga's top performers in 2015-16.

Perez, 27, scored 17 league goals last season and was scouted several times by Arsenal, who originally opted to bid for Jamie Vardy instead.

The Leicester striker subsequently rejected a move to the Emirates Stadium, signing a new contract with the Foxes and leaving Arsene Wenger to work on other targets.

An offer of €20 million (£17m) was accepted by Deportivo on Friday, €6m of which will go to Perez's former club PAOK, and Arsenal have beaten both Everton and Valencia to the Spaniard's sought-after signature.Deportivo confirmed on Thursday night that Perez has been given permission to miss Friday's match against Real Betis.

Mustafi will follow Perez to north London after Valencia accepted an offer of £35m for the Germany centre-back. Talks over a deal for Mustafi have been ongoing for almost three weeks, with the 24-year-old's considerable price tag the only sticking point.

However, injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel have forced Arsenal's hand and Wenger will take his summer spending close to £100m following the signings of Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding, Takuma Asano and Kelechi Nwakali.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Perez & Mustafi hoda signs 2kak​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo: Griezmann deserved UEFA Best Player award


Antoine Griezmann deserved to be named UEFA's Best Player in Europe, according to Cristiano Ronaldo.Ronaldo picked up the gong after leading his country to their first-ever European Championship title and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.

The Portugal captain got the better of France star Griezmann in both finals before trumping the 25-year-old at the award ceremony in Monaco on Thursday, but believes his Atletico Madrid rival would have been a worthy winner.

"As I said on the stage, he [Griezmann] deserved to win this trophy," Ronaldo told the media after collecting his prize. "He lost two finals so it was unlucky for him but I think he's a fantastic player, he's a good boy, he's my neighbour - he lives next to me - and he deserved it."But he will win for sure one day - I hope so."

Ronaldo, who has scored 32 goals for Madrid in 2016, is also hoping to collect his fourth Ballon d'Or but refused to take all the credit without thanking his team-mates.

"I hope to win the Ballon d'Or but let me enjoy first this trophy. It's amazing. I wish to win tonight and I'm so proud. I have to thank you to my team mates - Real Madrid and national - because they helped me a lot to win these trophies.Asked if last season was his most successful, Ronaldo said: "In terms of collective, probably yes. We won two amazing trophies. I can say yes. In terms of the collective, yes."

As well as Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warsaw, Real Madrid were drawn against Sporting, the club at which Ronaldo started his career, in the Champions League group stage and the 32-year-old is looking forward to an emotional return when the two clubs meet.

"It's going to be special," he said. "It's the club that I started to play football and will be a very emotional moment when I'm gonna play against them.
"But it's good, I am happy we are in the same group."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ranieri calls for fight from Champions League 'underdogs' Leicester

Claudio Ranieri insists Leicester City are again "underdogs" in their Champions League group, despite being handed a relatively favourable draw.

The Premier League champions will face Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen in Group G as they tackle Europe's elite club competition for the first time.That means Leicester miss a number of tricky potential ties in the first round, but Ranieri still believes his side will do well to progress.

"Once again I say we are underdogs," he said. "For this reason we must fight for everything."Our supporters deserve the chance to watch their team around Europe against teams like Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen."

Leicester begin their Champions League adventure in Bruges on September 14, before Porto become the first visitors to the King Power Stadium.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Krul joins Ajax on loan after signing new Newcastle deal

Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul has joined Ajax on a season-long loan following Jasper Cillessen's move to Barcelona.Krul has also signed a one-year contract extension at St James' Park that will keep him on the club's books until 2018.

The loss of Cillessen to Barca left Ajax needing to quickly fill their number-one jersey, and Krul - who moved to Tyneside from ADO Den Haag in 2005 - is relishing the challenge after being relegated with Newcastle at the end of last season.

"I don't think many clubs are equivalent to Newcastle. Ajax is in that category," he told the Eredivisie outfit's official website. "Ajax is a club with many talents and I look forward to passing on the experience I have accumulated over the past decade."When I got the text from [director of football] Marc Overmars I was very grateful. Ajax is a great club.

"I think it's always good to play with the national team at the Amsterdam ArenA. That I will play here soon with Ajax is just fantastic."Krul has been sidelined since October with a knee ligament injury, but is feeling positive about his recovery.

"It's going well," he added. "I'm currently working on the pitch with the goalkeeping coach and then I will slowly join the group. We will look at it every day."I should probably play a few games with the second team because match practice is different to training."

Krul famously replaced Cillessen in the last minute of extra-time during Netherlands' 2014 World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica.The 28-year-old justified Louis van Gaal's call by saving two penalties as the Dutch went through in the shoot-out.

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Europa League draw 1ka adane​

Europa league hithana tharam lesi nehe. me para tough teams tikak inne.

Qarabag, Astana, , Anderchlet, rapid Wein, Fenerbache, gent, Paok, Panathinaikos.. oya okkoma ada qualify una hoda teams.

Thawa UCL playoffs walin kapuna hoda teams uth enawa. like Ajax,Salzburg..
And automatic qualify una hoda teams uth thiyanawa. Like Zenit..

Ada West Ham walata badu packet una. To the same team they lost last time. Astra Guirgu from romania. They are going bankrupt. 11th in the romanian league at the moment. Sold their best players. The coach is suspended and the owner is in Jail. But still won @ Olympic Stadium 0-1.
That's why I say the Primier League is overrated. Only money. And many playeers who can't play good football.

Eth Utd walata chance ekak thiyanwa. But I don't expect it to be an easy ride.
And UCL wala 4th pick teams uth hodai. But they don't have that much of a chance.
And rostov is a team to watch. I expect 1 or 2 draws at russia at their best.

Madrid vs Dortmund

 

[Wolverine GTR]

West Ham 0-1 Astra: Romanian minnows embarrass Hammers again

West Ham were dumped out of the Europa League by Astra for a second season running, losing 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-0 reverse at London Stadium.

A late equaliser from Denis Alibec had restored parity in last week's first leg of the qualifying play-off, leaving Slaven Bilic's men with nervy memories of last year's exit at the hands of the Romanian minnows.

And the Premier League side were left to rue a host of missed opportunities in the return game as Filipe Teixeira's strike late in the first half settled the tie to prompt a chorus of boos from home supporters as West Ham fell at the final hurdle before the group stages.

While it had come from Astra's first serious attack, it was no more than the visitors deserved in an opening 45 minutes where they had hassled and harried West Ham.

The hosts saw chance after chance go begging in the second period, but could not force a crucial goal against a side that had shipped five in the league on Sunday, meaning Bilic has to pick up the pieces following a humbling way to exit the competition.Bilic's star man Dimitri Payet was again missing, while Mark Noble also sat out, and his team made a slow start in their absence.

When a first chance did come in the ninth minute, Jonathan Calleri could not get the ball out from under his feet as he ran through, allowing Silviu Lung to smother.

The Astra goalkeeper had to be rather more impressive to beat away Pedro Obiang's low drive, but, despite a few nervy moments for the visitors, the home side continued to struggle.And, on the stroke of half-time, Bilic's men fell behind.

A counter-attack arrived at Daniel Niculae's feet and he waited long enough for the support of Teixeira, who coolly tucked a finish under Darren Randolph to become the first opposition player to score at London Stadium in a competitive fixture since West Ham switched to their new home ahead of this season.

West Ham started the second half stronger, with Angelo Ogbonna nodding into Lung's hands before his team-mates squandered two marvellous opportunities.

As in the opening period, Calleri failed to connect properly from a great position, this time with his head, allowing Lung to parry, and Michail Antonio then stormed onto a powerful Sam Byram cross but directed over.Cheikhou Kouyate volleyed wide before another headed chance arrived as Winston Reid angled an effort way off target.

It was starting to become apparent that West Ham's profligacy was going to cost them and Ashley Fletcher then surrendered the best chance yet, controlling Ogbonna's mishit to spring a fine stop from Lung with his close-range finish.

The outstanding Lung tipped Enner Valencia's free-kick away and likewise denied Fletcher from range as he clung on to a clean sheet and another incredible triumph.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Stones praises Hart as 'ultimate professional' as Man City exit looms

John Stones says that Joe Hart has been "the ultimate professional" as the goalkeeper faces up to the prospect of leaving Manchester City.

Hart was handed the captain's armband by coach Pep Guardiola for City's Champions League play-off game against Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday, a gesture which many believe signals the end of the Englishman's time at the Etihad Stadium.

Television footage appeared to show Hart on the verge of tears as the home crowd demonstrated their appreciation for his 10 years of service to the club with a number of chants, some of which implored Guardiola not to sell him.

Claudio Bravo will be installed as No.1 after he completed his move from Barcelona on Thursday, however, and Hart appeared resigned to his fate during a televised post-match interview in which he insisted that he and Guardiola are "dealing with the situation like men".

It is believed that the relationship between Hart and Guardiola has been strained since day one, with the Catalan having started his analysis of the City players long before he had severed ties with Bayern Munich and decided that a change in goal was necessary.

Hart did allow himself a wry joke on Wednesday night - he claimed that "pigs do fly" when it was put to him that he completed 100 per cent of his passes against Steaua - but his club and international team-mate, Stones, insists that it has been business as usual behind the scenes despite the England keeper's standing in the dressing-room.

"Yeah, definitely," Stones said after being asked if he was pleased for Hart. "Joe's the ultimate professional. It's good to see him play again. He's been working hard, as everyone has, and he deserved his chance to play. I've played with him a few times and it just seems to click; it was good to play with him again. It was nice. As I say, he's been working hard, he got his chance tonight and it's nice that the fans appreciated that."

City first targeted Barca's Marc-Andre Ter Stegen back in April as Guardiola indicated his desire to bring in a new keeper and the Catalan has pointed out on a number of occasions in recent weeks that he does not believe that Hart currently has the ability to contribute to the Blues' build-up play.

Willy Caballero had been given the nod for City's first three matches of the season before Wednesday's 1-0 victory - which Guardiola publicly puts down to his better use of the ball and the fact he joined pre-season training earlier than Hart - but it quickly became clear that Bravo will take over the gloves now that his £13.75 million move has been finalised.

That has left Hart in no doubt that his days are numbered but Stones says that he has remained professional throughout."Oh, yeah, 100%, everyone has, from the boys, from him coming in working hard," the defender declared. "I wouldn’t expect anything less from Joe. He's a top, top professional but he's a top guy off the field as well."

Stones has been thrown straight into the delicate situation surrounding Hart's future, having only joined from Everton a little over two weeks ago, but he insists that it has not affected his transition to life at a new club.

"It's been normal, really, all I want to do is play football and that's what's happening," he added. "I'm trying hard to stay in the team and keep improving and keep winning games. Every footballer wants to win and be a winner [and] I'm enjoying playing, improving and learning every day."