..::Football IV::..

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    Mourinho's Conte outburst out of context - Pedro

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    Pedro has defended Chelsea manager Antonio Conte after criticism from Jose Mourinho following Chelsea's 4-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday.

    The Portuguese was believed to have told off his Blues counterpart, saying that his pitchside gestures were over-emphatic and lacking class in the landslide result at Stamford Bridge.

    However, Pedro insists Conte never meant any harm or insult towards United, and was simply focused on saluting the fans."Mourinho's reaction was out of context. Conte was not making humiliating gestures or jeering," Pedro told Cadena Ser.

    "He was only cheering on the fans because we had played a great game and he wanted the supporters to sing in order to help us finish the game in the best possible way."I don't know if Mou considered it a lack of respect or a provocation but that was not Conte's intention.

    "Conte just wanted to thank the fans for the support. The fans were incredible.
    "There was a touchline spat between the two coaches at the end of the game but I reiterate that there was no bad intention from Conte.

    "We all know how Mou is and the comments he makes. But he is a great coach and I can attest to that. Perhaps the defeat was tough on him."
     

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    'Conte did not wrong Mourinho' - Bilic backs Chelsea boss after criticism

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    West Ham manager Slaven Bilic backed Antonio Conte's "aggressive" coaching demeanour after Jose Mourinho clashed with the Chelsea boss at the end of Sunday's hammering of Manchester United.Chelsea made light work of Mourinho's side upon the Portuguese coach's return to Stamford Bridge, with the hosts running out comprehensive 4-0 winners.

    Conte attracted attention for playing up to the home support after Chelsea's fourth goal and Mourinho, reportedly unhappy about the former Juventus coach's behaviour, appeared to have strong words with the Italian after the full-time whistle. But Bilic, whose West Ham side face Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, believes Conte's passionate coaching style should be embraced.

    "I know what Jose thought of that, but I don't think that's the reason Conte did it, to humiliate United," Bilic told reporters at a press conference."He just wanted the crowd to praise the team because they were winning, and for what they had done in the game.

    "From my point of view I don't think he wanted to humiliate United. On the touchline many managers just sit and watch the game, others are like they are playing. You have to be yourself."During that game I saw nothing wrong from Conte or nothing he hasn't done since he started. It was typical Conte, aggressive, but in a good way."

    West Ham's last-gasp win over Sunderland saw them move to seven points from their last three Premier League matches, as they start to put their difficult start to the campaign behind them.

    And Bilic is looking for his side to take that momentum into Wednesday's home clash with Chelsea, as he insisted West Ham will have their strongest possible team starting."We have seven points from three games in the league, so the confidence is back now. We have to continue in this way," he added.

    Squad goals: Klopp armed with killer options for Liverpool beyond first XI
    "I said after the Sunderland game that we would have our strongest possible team. We will see at training today [Tuesday] before we decide.

    "It's a one-off London derby cup game. Five or 10 years ago clubs weren't so keen on this cup, but now it's important."It is a very interesting competition for us. If we go through, it's already the quarter-finals. Big teams are playing each other.

    "It's not Wednesday-Saturday, we play Everton on Sunday. So we are going to play a very strong team and try and get through."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    De Boer fed up of Inter sack talk

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    Inter coach Frank de Boer is frustrated at ongoing speculation over his future at San Siro following a disappointing start to the season.

    The Nerazzurri have dropped to 14th place in the Serie A table after collecting just one point from their last four games, with De Boer having presided over three straight losses in the league.

    However, the Dutchman is refusing to throw in the towel as they prepare to take on Torino on Wednesday and wants to shut out talk of the sack so he can focus on his job.

    "I am growing tired of talking about this [his future]. The only thing that matters to me is the team," De Boer told reporters at a press conference."It is a difficult moment for me, for the team and for everyone, but we have to stay united to turn things around.

    "It is just a matter of time before things change. I know it is very difficult and I know you don't get a lot of time in football, but we are focused on the game against Torino.

    "We have started a project and are moving in a certain direction. We knew it would not be easy. Inter have not won any titles for five years or so. And it is clear you need time. The club know that.

    "We are going through a difficult time, but we are confident we will get through this. We knew it would not be easy when we started this. "I believe in this team. We know we have to improve, but we are confident that we can turn things around.

    "I do not want to think about leaving this club. I am only thinking about preparing the team in the best way possible for the game against Torino. I am always positive."I feel the faith of the club and that is very important. I am very happy with the club's support.

    "We have played a lot of games like I want us to play. I saw the Inter I want to see against Juventus, versus Roma, but we have made some mistakes that we should avoid. "
     

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    De Bruyne out of Manchester derby, confirms Guardiola

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    Manchester City will be without midfielder Kevin De Bruyne for Wednesday's EFL Cup clash against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.Belgium international De Bruyne was substituted at half-time during Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Southampton after taking a knock to the calf.

    The 25-year-old opened the scoring when City claimed a 2-1 win over United last month but Guardiola told a pre-match news conference he had "no way" of playing in the latest derby showdown.

    "He had a knock on the leg and he cannot play," Guardiola said, before casting doubt on De Bruyne's participation in City's matches over the coming week.

    "Hopefully [he can face] West Brom and Barcelona [but] he's a doubt even next weekend."Right-back Pablo Zabaleta also remains a major doubt after suffering a gashed foot in the 4-0 Champions League loss at Barcelona last week.

    Meanwhile, Guardiola has said he will still treat club captain Vincent Kompany with caution after he came through his latest injury comeback unscathed versus Southampton."Pablo, I think not [will not play against United]," the manager added. "Vincent, I think he can but I don't know if he will."

    Guardiola pledged to rotate his line-up – seemingly opening the door to youngsters such as Aleix Garcia, who scored his first senior goal against Swansea City in the previous round.

    But the former Barcelona boss is well aware of the high-stakes on the line in a derby battle as his Premier League leaders aim to turn around a run of five matches without a win in all competitions.

    "A derby is a derby," he said. "It's always special and so we are going to play a game like a game. "It's a special game. We're going to play seriously like we always do since my period here and try to win the game.

    "We're going to rotate, yeah - several [reserve] players are going to play for sure. First because they deserve, second because the last game was a tough, tough game. "Against Southampton the people [players] were tired. I will still decide which guys because I need today to see the players in a training session."

    United suffered a chastening 4-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday but Guardiola rejected the notion that this represents a fortuitous time to face his old Clasico adversary Jose Mourinho."Always expect the best from United," he added. "With the quality and experience of Jose and it's United - Man United! That means a lot from my experience as a football player and coach.

    "It doesn't matter how you play. It's always difficult. That's nice."It will be difficult when they come here to the Etihad [in the league] so it's a physical team, very good on the counter-attack with [Marcus] Rashford and [Anthony] Martial.

    "I don't have doubts about the quality of United. We've seen how difficult it is to win every single game."
     

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    :baffled:Juventus reveal Paul Pogba agent's huge fee for move to Manchester United

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    Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has revealed that Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola made €27million on the France international's move to Manchester United.United paid a transfer fee of €105m, potentially rising to €110m, for the 23-year-old and Juventus have made it clear a big chunk of that fee ended up in Raiola's pocket, even if they still made a €72m profit on the midfielder themselves.

    "We signed Pogba from Manchester United at the end of his contract for a fee of €1.5m in order to prevent the English club from starting a legal procedure that could have delayed his registration," Marotta said at the club's annual shareholders' assembly.

    "The agreement with the player resulted in a number of costs for activities carried out by agents and advisors."After four years at Juventus, he decided to return to England. He wanted to move at all costs, and not just for the money. We could also have met his demands, but that would have resulted in unrest in the dressing room.

    "The sale to United earned us €105m plus €5m in bonuses, a clause that gets triggered if he signs a new deal with United or is sold for more than €50m."This results in a profit of €95m, of which €27m will be paid to Mino Raiola and his company. Taking fees into account, our net profit on Pogba comes at €72m."
     

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    'Bite him back!' - Fergie reveals bizarre Suarez-like experience

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    Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his own experience of being bitten as a player - a long time before Luis Suarez 'popularised' the bizarre foul play.

    The former Manchester United boss, speaking at the launch of Glasgow’s Euro 2020 logo as an ambassador of the city, was reminiscing about his past as a player for Queen’s Park.But when he made his debut in 1957 aged only 16 he was involved in an incident he would never forget.

    “I was playing at outside right for some reason,” he told reporters. “Stranraer had this left-back McKnight. He was winding me up, saying: ‘What are you doing playing in this team?’ Then he bit me!“I told the manager and he shouted: ‘Bite him back, then!’”

    Ferguson had the last laugh in that encounter as he scored as the Hampden side ran out 2-1 winners.The legendary Scot, meanwhile, retains a great fondness for the venue he made his debut at.

    “Hampden’s a great stadium. There were 134,000 at the Real Madrid [v Eintracht Frankfurt] European Cup final, and the record crowd was 148,000 at the [1937] Scottish Cup final. It’s not the same size and more, but the atmosphere has been retained – it’s still got that aura about it. It’s a great venue and European Championship will be fantastic here.”Glasgow will play host to three group stage matches and a last 16 fixture.
     

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    Brazil legend Carlos Alberto dies at 72

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    Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto has died of a heart attack at the age of 72, former club Santos has announced.Widely regarded as one of the finest defenders of all time, Carlos Alberto is most fondly remembered for scoring the stunning fourth goal in Brazil's 4-1 final win over Italy at Mexico 1970.

    A sublime team move, that concluded with a thunderous finish after Pele rolled a pass nonchalantly into the right-back's path, sealed a third world title for Brazil, allowing them to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy that Carlos Alberto hoisted at Estadio Azteca.

    After beginning his playing career with Fluminense, Carlos Alberto moved to Santos, where he played alongside Pele in a celebrated line-up, making 445 appearances and scoring 40 goals.

    Capped 53 times by his country from 1964 to 1977, Carlos Alberto went on to become one of the star names to take part in the North American Soccer League, representing New York Cosmos in two spells between 1977 and 1982, when he hung up his boots.

    He then embarked on a varied coaching career, taking charge of Fluminense, alongside spells at Flamengo, Corinthians, Atletico Mineiro and Botafogo in his homeland.
    Mexican clubs Monterrey and Tijuana are among those in his CV during the 1990s and he also led Oman and Azerbaijan at international level – the latter, his final post, coming in 2005.A statement released by Santos read: "Santos FC regrets the death of the idol Carlos Alberto Torres, who was 72 years old.

    "He played 445 matches and scored 40 goals in the period 1965 to 1975 and is considered the best right-back in the history of Praiano Alvinegro. The club has decreed three official days of mourning."
     

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    Pogba needs time to adapt to the Premier League - Henry

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    Thierry Henry has leapt to the defence of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba after the France international's slow start to life back at Old Trafford.

    Pogba rejoined United for a world-record transfer fee of £89m in the summer, but has come in for some criticism following a handful of underwhelming performances.Henry has backed his compatriot to come good, however, stressing that the 23-year-old needs time to adapt to the Premier League.

    Speaking at a Puma event in Kolkata, the former Arsenal striker said: "I think that [Jose] Mourinho is still looking for his best XI, his best system.

    "To talk about Paul Pogba, we are talking about a quality player. When I arrived in the Premier League, I didn't play well in the beginning. A lot of players don't play well in the beginning. It's a process, [but] nowadays the press and fans don't give a lot of time for people to adapt."Pogba needs to adapt. We all know the qualities he possesses. I think he can deliver. That's my personal opinion.

    "Then it depends on Mourinho, he should know where or where not he used be playing. It's not an easy one, he [Mourinho] has also just arrived [and] he's also trying to learn about his player."

    A 4-0 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday leaves United in seventh place in the Premier League ahead of Wednesday's EFL Cup clash with Manchester City.
     

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    Costa competition benefitting Batshuayi, says Conte

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    Chelsea boss Antonio Conte believes striker Michy Batshuayi is benefitting from working alongside Diego Costa despite the summer signing being unable to break into the side.

    Batshuayi joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Marseille amidst reports Costa was set to return to La Liga with Atletico Madrid following a torrid last season.
    However, an impressive return to form for the Spain striker has instead restricted Batshuayi to a diet of substitute appearances in the Premier League.

    Wednesday's EFL Cup derby at West Ham now gives the Belgium international a chance to stake his claim, and Conte insists he is satisfied with the 23-year-old's work shadowing Costa as his understudy."The confidence for Michy must be high because he is a young player," Conte told a pre-match press conference. "For me he has shown great improvement.

    "He has great ability and the technical aspect and the physical aspect. He can grow a lot and is working very well."I have full confidence in him and I am sure that if Michy plays [against West Ham] he will play a good game.

    "For sure [he can learn from Costa] because when you are in a great team and you have the possibility to work every day with a great player and learn a lot of things it is positive for him."Michy has great potential in the physical and technical aspect and we trust a lot in him. He must continue to work and to exploit the moment when he plays."

    As before Sunday's 4-0 romp against Manchester United, Conte confirmed captain John Terry is fit for his first action since sustaining a foot injury against Swansea City on September 11.

    Branislav Ivanovic and Kurt Zouma are building fitness after the latter played 45 minutes for Chelsea's Under-23 side on Monday having recovered from a serious knee injury, although the match comes too soon for Cesc Fabregas."For Ivanovic, he is better because he started to train with us from yesterday, also today. He needs a bit of time to find the right shape to come back in," Conte said.

    "For Cesc, he is still not well. We must wait because he had a muscular problem and we are waiting. We must be patient because the muscular problem is with his thigh. We hope to see him soon with the team and in a training session."I'm pleased because Zouma is a young player but is a good player. I hope to see him very, very soon - very soon for me is when we start the training session after West Ham.

    "I hope he can work with us then. I am very happy that yesterday he played with the Under-23s. He had a good reaction in a physical aspect after the game."Conte added that Brazil winger Willian could return having been granted compassionate leave following the death of his mother.

    "Willian is at a [better] moment now… before the moment wasn't good but now, he is a fantastic man, we love him," he said. "We need him as a fantastic man and a fantastic player."
     

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    Arsenal 2-0 Reading: Oxlade-Chamberlain sends Gunners through

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    Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired Arsenal into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup with both goals in a routine 2-0 win over Reading on Tuesday.

    When these two sides met at the same stage four years ago, Arsenal came back from 4-0 down to win an incredible contest 7-5 after extra-time, but this encounter was a much more straightforward affair.

    Arsene Wenger's men have not lost in all competitions since the opening day of the season, and they were dominant throughout at the Emirates Stadium as Oxlade-Chamberlain broke the deadlock late in the first half.

    Reading are just a point off the play-offs in the Championship, but have been on a tough run of late and their hosts proved their class before the break with a string of chances culminating in the opener.

    Although Arsenal had enough chances to tally a handsome score against their second-tier visitors, goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi stood firm for long periods before Oxlade-Chamberlain's deflected second put the game to bed.

    Wenger was able to welcome back Olivier Giroud - who had not featured in just over a month - from injury off the bench, but Lucas Perez was withdrawn with a knock in the second half.

    This trophy has continued to evade Arsenal's clutches under Wenger - finishing as runners-up in 2007 and 2011 - but they move into the last eight in fine form after this success.

    Carl Jenkinson had the game's first shooting chance when he took Oxlade-Chamberlain's flick inside the area, but he shot first at Al-Habsi and then nodded the rebound over.

    At the other end, Jordan Obita side-footed into Emiliano Martinez's arms, while Perez should have shot as he ran through, but looked for a pass and the opportunity was gone when his square ball fell short.Arsenal continued to pile on the pressure and the goal finally arrived in the 33rd minute.

    As Reading again failed to sufficiently clear, Oxlade-Chamberlain took up possession on the right, ran at two retreating defenders and drilled a fine finish into the far corner of the net.

    A shock equaliser almost followed, though, as Callum Harriott's strike deflected narrowly over the crossbar off Gabriel.Just as in the opening period, Arsenal took a while to get going after the restart and Martinez was required to make a fine save when he held from Yann Kermorgant's header back across goal.

    Wenger responded by calling Giroud from the bench to roars of appreciation, and the Frenchman almost doubled his side's lead immediately.

    Nodding Mohamed Elneny's free-kick towards the top corner, Giroud was denied by a stunning Al-Habsi save, with a goalmouth scramble somehow preventing an own goal from Danzell Gravenberch.Giroud then slipped in Oxlade-Chamberlain, who looked set for a second, but Al-Habsi again stood up to save, and Alex Iwobi bundled the rebound wide.

    Oxlade-Chamberlain did manage his second, however, with 12 minutes remaining as another poor attempted clearance from Reading set up a strike for the former Southampton man, and his low effort took a deflection into the top corner to clinch Arsenal's progression.
     

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    Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Sturridge double sinks Spurs

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    Daniel Sturridge scored both goals as Liverpool overcame Premier League rivals Tottenham 2-1 at Anfield on Tuesday to seal a place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

    Sturridge turned in a loose ball inside the area to break the deadlock in the ninth minute before converting a one-on-one opportunity in the second half to double both his and Liverpool's tally.

    His second brace in this season's competition - he also scored twice in a 5-0 victory at Burton Albion in the second round - settled an all-Premier League affair that pitted the League Cup's last two losing finalists.Vincent Janssen converted a 76th-minute penalty to halve the deficit but Tottenham's unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end at eight games.

    Managers Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino used the fixture to demonstrate the art of rotation, the pair combining to make 21 changes from their respective line-ups that started in league action at the weekend.

    Klopp handed starts to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria, although it was a familiar face who put the hosts ahead.

    Despite failing to find the net in the Premier League so far this season, Sturridge seized on an unexpected opportunity to end a goal drought for his club that stretched back to August 23.

    The England forward reacted quickly to tuck home a rebound after Marko Grujic's shot was partially blocked, the ninth-minute goal punishing Georges-Kevin N'Koudou's untimely slip that had surrendered possession just outside his own penalty area.Later, Sturridge's curling left-footed effort was tipped over by Michel Vorm, while an attempt with his weaker right was scuffed straight at the Tottenham goalkeeper, wasting excellent build-up play Divock Origi.

    At the other end, the visitors' one real chance of note in the first half fell to Janssen, as his left-footed drive from a tight angle forced the recalled Simon Mignolet into a smart low save.

    Grujic dragged an effort wide of the target in the 38th minute after he had been put through by Sturridge's pass, while the latter let the visitors off the hook early in the second half when he fluffed his lines from Origi's low cross.Vorm tipped over Origi's stinging drive from outside the area just prior to the hour mark before Sturridge struck again.

    From a throw-in deep inside their own half, Liverpool moved the ball quickly forward and Georginio Wijnaldum's through-ball sent Sturridge clear of a high defensive line to fire the ball through Vorm.

    Erik Lamela coaxed a clumsy tackle out of Lucas Leiva to win a spot kick that Janssen fired home, yet Tottenham were unable to find an equalising goal in a frantic finish.

    The woodwork denied Sturridge a hat-trick, as an audacious chip was kept out by the bar with Vorm beaten, but his double proved enough to keep alive Liverpool's hopes of lifting the trophy for a ninth time in their history.
     

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    Genoa 3-0 Milan: Unbeaten run comes crashing to an end as Paletta sees red

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    Milan wasted an opportunity to extend their six-game unbeaten run and go top of Serie A after a 3-0 loss at Genoa.

    A win would have moved the Rossoneri ahead of Juventus, who play Sampdoria on Wednesday, but Vincenzo Montella's men could not reproduce the performance that led to victory over the Italian champions at the weekend.

    Nikola Ninkovic's first-half header, a Juraj Kucka own-goal and a smart finish by Leonardo Pavoletti within the last 10 minutes secured victory for Genoa in an ill-tempered game at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with Gabriel Paletta dismissed for Milan after a wild two-footed challenge.

    Milan rarely threatened against an organised Genoa side who resolutely defended their early lead, and Montella will hope the defeat is a temporary setback for his young side ahead of their clash with Pescara on Sunday.

    Their job was made much harder by Paletta's dismissal early in the second period, but the win is much-needed tonic for Genoa who had triumphed just once in their last six outings.

    Lax Milan defending allowed the hosts to take an 11th-minute lead when no-one tracked the run of Ninkovic, allowing the winger to meet a pinpoint Tomas Rincon cross and steer his header beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma for his first goal for the club.

    Throughout the first half, the visitors struggled to find the form that has propelled them up the Serie A standings, thwarted by Genoa's dogged persistence in protecting their early lead.

    Their five-man defence crowded Milan's attacking players whenever they found possession in dangerous areas, as off-target shots from distance by Alessio Romagnoli and M'Baye Niang represented the Rossoneri's only sights of goal during the opening period.

    Milan did start the second half brightly, though, testing Genoa keeper Mattia Perin twice within five minutes of the restart.

    First, Perin diverted Giacomo Bonaventura's drive wide of the post, then from the resulting corner he was alert enough to get to the ball ahead of Kucka as it fell kindly to the Milan midfielder in the six-yard box after a clever touch by Carlos Bacca.

    There were constant flare-ups between the two sets of players throughout the game, and the visitors' task got much harder in the 56th minute when Paletta was given a straight red for a two-footed lunge on Luca Rigoni.

    Buoyed by their numerical advantage, Genoa began to press for their second and Rincon went close when he curled an effort just wide of Donnarumma's post from the edge of the area.Perin held fierce drives from Kucka and substitute Suso from outside the box as Milan tried desperately to salvage an equaliser.

    But it was Genoa who did grab their second in the 79th minute when Kucka turned the ball into his own net following a well-directed low cross from substitute Darko Lazovic.

    Salt was then really rubbed into Milan wounds with just five minutes to play, when fellow Genoa substitute Pavoletti hared onto a through ball, cleverly cut inside onto his right foot and steered the ball past Donnarumma to seal an impressive victory for the hosts.
     

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    Lewandowski has not renewed with Bayern Munich - agent

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    Robert Lewandowski's agent has dismissed suggestions that the Polish star has agreed a new contract at Bayern Munich.

    Reports in his native Poland claimed Lewandowski had reached an agreement with Bayern over a new deal which would see him attached to the club until 2021 and earn €15 million per year.

    That figure would have reportedly seen him become the highest-paid player in the Bundesliga behind team-mate Thomas Muller.

    However, the story now appears to be wide of the mark, with the striker's representative Maik Barthel insisting there is no truth in the rumours.
    Barthel tweeted: "There is nothing new to report in terms of Robert Lewandowski."

    The former Borussia Dortmund star is currently contracted to the club until 2019 having joined in 2014.
     

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    Tuchel confirms Aubameyang and Reus injury woes for Dortmund

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    Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a doubt for Wednesday's DFP-Pokal clash with Union Berlin and Marco Reus is still some way off a return.

    Meet Dortmund's Footbonaut - Mark Pulisic innovating BVB's youth football
    Tuchel's men welcome the in-form second-tier outfit in the midst of a tough run of fixtures - Dortmund have won only one of their last five matches across all competitions with fierce rivals Schalke and then Sporting CP to come in the next eight days.

    Dortmund have been crippled by injuries so far this term and had 11 players out ahead of their last meeting with Sporting, and things are not showing any signs of getting better, with Aubameyang one of several to miss training on Tuesday.

    "[Christian] Pulisic, [Ousmane] Dembele and Aubameyang haven't trained today," Tuchel told reporters at a press conference. "Pulisic and Dembele are both ill and Aubameyang has a swelling in the calf muscles.

    "And it will take several weeks, at least, for Marco Reus to return. But [Nuri] Sahin is fit again and Sokratis [Papastathopoulos] will be able to play."With Dortmund struggling so badly with injuries, Tuchel is finding himself left with little option but to play younger players, admitting they are being given a "crash course" introduction to the rigours of the Bundesliga and Champions League."There is no time to ease young players into it," he added. "It's a crash course for them now.

    "Our young players have earned our full support, but it will be a difficult game for us against Union."It's our ambition to win the match. We want to get our fans behind us with the way we play.

    "Generally, there is always a special atmosphere at our home matches. But we expect Union Berlin to bring a lot of fans. Hopefully they won't crash the party."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Tuchel unaffected by 'dangerous' Real Madrid rumours

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    Thomas Tuchel feels it is "dangerous" to be flattered by links with Real Madrid, as his sole focus is on Borussia Dortmund.

    Tuchel, 43, enjoyed a successful first season at Dortmund after replacing Jurgen Klopp in 2015, steering the team to second in the Bundesliga and to the final of the DFB-Pokal.

    BVB sit sixth in the Bundesliga table after a 3-3 draw at FC Ingolstadt on Saturday, while they are also level on points with Real Madrid at the top of Champions League Group F, having drawn 2-2 at home to Zinedine Zidane's side last month.And Tuchel has insisted he is not being distracted by talk of a potential move to Santiago Bernabeu, telling reporters: "It's dangerous if you are flattered as a coach.

    "You lose focus on the important things. I read it as a rumour before our game in Ingolstadt and so I already said back then that it's dangerous to admit it and to think about it because it takes on too much importance.

    "The essential [focus] is the work with my team every day and I don't have any other thoughts."Dortmund are in DFB-Pokal action at home to Union Berlin on Wednesday.