..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Torino reveal asking price for Arsenal target Belotti

Torino chairman Urbano Cairo has revealed the club's asking price for Arsenal target Andrea Belotti.

The 23-year-old has been the subject of a bid from Arsene Wenger's side, but Torino rejected the offer as it did not match their valuation of the in-form striker.Belotti has attracted the attention of the Gunners after a fantastic start to the season in Serie A, scoring 13 goals in 17 league games for Torino.

However, they will need to up their bid if they are to sign the five-time Italy international, with Cairo confirming the amount necessary to force the Turin club to sell.

"In Belotti's contract, we have fixed a €100 million release clause, so if we'll receive this offer we can't refuse it. But we won't sell for less than it," Cairo told Sky Italia.Since moving to Torino in 2015, Belotti is averaging a goal every second game in Serie A, netting a total of 25 times in 51 games.

That form has seen him called up to the Italy squad, where he made his debut in September 2016, coming off the bench against France.Belotti has since played four more times for his country, scoring three times as he impressed international boss Giampiero Ventura.

After the striker scored twice against Liechtenstein, Ventura was asked whether he believed Belotti's €100 million release clause would be a distraction for the player.
"I do not think so," Ventura told Corriere della Sera. "Belotti is someone who wants to get to the top, he is hungry, he wants to improve."The great champions are those who continue to push themselves, like [Cristiano] Ronaldo or [Gianluigi] Buffon."

On Sunday Torino's sporting director, Gianluca Petrachi revealed the news of the rejected bid from Arsenal.The bid was reported to be €65m, far less than the €100m confirmed by Cairo as Belotti's release clause.

"Yes, we received the offer, but it does not reflect the value of the player," Petrachi told Sky Italia."Anyway, he is going nowhere for now. We want to enjoy him, then we'll see what happens.

"We intend to keep Belotti and president Urbano Cairo signed this important buy-out clause. I think he's worth more than they have offered."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

€100 million?​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

€100 million?​

danda ban danne?
minihage contact eka renew karana dawas walama oka kiwwa

 

[Alucard_SxE]

messi's freekick was amazing!
But Barca droped points again
That golden age is drawing to an end. Speciaally after Iniest & Messi retires, Barca will drop heavily. Messi is the nly person keeping barca alive atm.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

danda ban danne?
minihage contact eka renew karana dawas walama oka kiwwa

Gana nam wadi hodatama bro
​

 

[ironmantoko]

Any matches today?

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Any matches today?

osasuna vs valencia

& there's a portugese primeira match

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Gana nam wadi hodatama bro
​

release clause ekak neh. Hoda investment ekak.
Katahari buy karanna one unoth minimum bid eka oka thama
the club will get richer
Just good business

 

[Wolverine GTR]

release clause ekak neh. Hoda investment ekak.
Katahari buy karanna one unoth minimum bid eka oka thama
the club will get richer
Just good business

Arsenal thamai interest.Wenger mona karaida danne naha.​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Janssen the Premier League's worst striker

Vincent Janssen is officially the worst striker in the Premier League.The Netherlands international joined Tottenham in a £17 million deal in the summer, but has thus far failed to effectively deputise for first-choice striker Harry Kane.

Janssen has scored three goals for Spurs but each has come from the penalty spot, against Gillingham and Liverpool in the EFL Cup and Leicester City in the Premier League.

However, Opta stats reveal that Janssen has had the most shots of any Premier League striker, 33, without scoring from open play.

The 22-year-old drew another blank against Aston Villa in the FA Cup and was hooked by Mauricio Pochettino just before the hour mark, to be replaced by Dele Alli.

Spurs subsequently scored twice before full-time, with left-back Ben Davies and Heung-Min Son on the scoresheet.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

"He's taking a moment to reflect' - Juventus chief Marotta confirms Evra considering exit

Patrice Evra was left out of the Juventus squad for Sunday's match at home to Bologna as he considers his future at the Serie A champions, according to chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.

French defender Evra has been an important figure for Juve since joining from Manchester United in 2014.

The 35-year-old, who has added two Scudetti to his career trophy haul during his time in Italy, has been linked with a return to Old Trafford, as well as a potentialmove to Spain with Valencia.

And Marotta confirmed the France international could be set to leave Juventus Stadium during the transfer window.

"Evra was not called up to the squad because he's thinking about his future," he told Sky Sport Italia. "If he leaves, we will not sign a replacement.

"It's only right he's taking a moment to reflect, as his contract will expire in June, he is 35 years old going towards 36. We'll see next week."I don't think we need to find a replacement, as we have internal options like Kwadwo Asamoah and Federico Mattiello."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Rashford can pass Rooney's goal record

Jose Mourinho has tipped Marcus Rashford to become Manchester United's all-time highest scorer, overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney on the way.

Rooney scored in United's 4-0 victory over Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday to join Charlton on 249 goals, before 19-year-old Rashford scored twice.

And while it would take something special for the teenage to eclipse the record, Red Devils boss Mourinho believes he is well on his way with 14 goals.

“Marcus, he is 19,” said Mourinho. “If he plays at Manchester United until the end of his career, maybe Marcus can do it, but Rooney scored a lot of goals.“I don’t know the distances, really, but I think the ones that are close to the record are players that have left United already. So, especially in modern football, I see it as being really difficult.”

Rashford's Old Trafford team-mate Chris Smalling agrees with his manager and believes the pressure on the striker's shoulders will only prove beneficial.

“If he can stay injury-free, there’s no stopping him in terms of what sort of records he could get,” said Smalling.

“I think it’s good to put the pressure on him because he can handle it. He’s shown that. He’s gone from one level to the next level. He could have had more goals and he still ended up with two.

“He’s so down to earth."He is surrounded by a lot of his mates here so it helps that when it comes to this stage, it’s just another day for him. I hope he never changes, because he is such a great lad.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juve expect Dybala stay amid Real Madrid links

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta ruled out letting Paulo Dybala leave the club, insisting Real Madrid and Barcelona are yet to ask about the forward.

Dybala scored from the penalty spot in Juve's 3-0 win over Bologna on Sunday, taking his tally to four Serie A goals in 11 games this season.

The Argentina international has been linked to Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Marotta said the 23-year-old was going nowhere."No calls [from the LaLiga giants]," he told Mediaset Premium.

"I want to point out that we have a multi-year contract with Dybala and approached his entourage a few months ago to improve his wages, which is only fair.

"Our rapport is good. There are no fears he could leave."Juve are one of the best teams in the world and this is a place where you arrive, not pass through."Dybala is contracted until mid-2020 with Juve, who are four points clear atop the Serie A table.

The win over Bologna saw the club set a record, becoming the first team in Italian history to win 26 straight Serie A matches at home.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lahm not ready for Bayern retirement

Philipp Lahm insists he is not playing his final campaign with Bayern Munich, as Carlo Ancelotti's team continue their preparations for the second half of the season.The Bavarian giants are in Qatar for a warm weather training camp ahead of a trip to Freiburg on January 20, when the 2016-17 Bundesliga resumes.

Having turned 33 in November, Lahm - who retired from international duty following Germany's World Cup triumph in 2014 - is in the twilight of his decorated career and has been tipped as a future sporting director.But the versatile captain, capable of playing in defence and midfield, is adamant he still has more to offer on the pitch at the Allianz Arena.

"In this moment, it is my second last [mid-season] training camp," he was quoted as saying by Bild."My contract still runs until 2018."

Title holders Bayern are three points clear of surprise challengers RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, with the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal to come in February.

While they signed off the first half of the season with an important 3-0 home win over Leipzig, Lahm knows the team have plenty of room for improvement under head coach Ancelotti, who succeeded Pep Guardiola in July.

"We have to find a better balance between attack and defence," he said."In many games it already worked well, but there were times in this season where it has not been perfect."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi rescues Barca yet again, but La Liga is now in Real Madrid's hands

Lionel Messi to the rescue. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner stepped up to level with a stunning strike in the last minute and save Barcelona from a damaging defeat away to an excellent Villarreal on Sunday. But La Liga is now very much in Real Madrid's hands.

Barca began the day six points behind their fierce rivals and had the chance to cut that deficit to three, albeit with one more match played due to Real's recent participation in the Club World Cup.

But this was another subdued showing. With Ivan Rakitic left out of the squad amid reports in Croatia that the midfielder will join Manchester City in the January transfer window, Andre Gomes was disappointing again in midfield.

Gomes, along with Barca's other summer signings, was supposed to help Barca's strength in depth. However, he has added little and bar Samuel Umtiti and some select moments from Lucas Digne and Denis Suarez, the Blaugrana do not seem stronger at all.

Neymar put in a shift further forward, but the Brazilian is nowhere near his best at the moment and Luis Suarez was off colour once more, leaving it to Messi to salvage something from a game that had looked like going against Luis Enrique's side after Nicola Sansone shot Villarreal in front.

Messi has papered over the cracks on numerous occasions in recent seasons, but Barca's current form is as bad as anything the Catalans have produced under Luis Enrique and they will not win the title with the Argentine's talents alone.

Villarreal, to their credit, were excelllent. Bruno Soriano is one of La Liga's best midfielders and although he was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a blatant handball, he frustrated Barca all night. And alongside him, Manu Trigueros and Jonathan dos Santos also worked incredibly hard to contain the visitors.

Villarreal are now one of the finest teams in La Liga. Despite a late coaching change in the summer, the Yellow Submarine are in fifth, just one point behind Atletico and five adrift of Barcelona, under Fran Escriba.

For their part, Barca are five behind Madrid and that with one more match played. La Liga, theirs in each of the last two seasons and in six of the previous eight overall, now appears to be slipping away."La Liga doesn't depend on us," Luis Enrique admitted afterwards. "It depends on Real Madrid, who are the strongest team."

There is a long way to go, of course, and the championship is not even at its halfway stage yet. However, Madrid have not been beaten in any competition for 39 games and if they win their game in hand, they will be eight points clear of Barca.

And that is lot of ground to make up - even with Lionel Messi in your team.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ranieri named FIFA Coach of the Year for 2016 for Leicester City heroics

Claudio Ranieri has been named FIFA Coach of the Year for 2016 after guiding Leicester City to their remarkable Premier League triumph.The Italian led the Foxes to their maiden top-flight crown in his first season in charge of the club last term, in one of the greatest shocks in sporting history.

Leicester's incredible consistency has dropped off this season but they have at least qualified for the Champions League last 16, topping their group to secure a knockout tie with Europa League 2015-16 winners Sevilla.

Ranieri, 65, fended off competition from Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and Portugal coach Fernando Santos to claim the award at FIFA's 'The Best' awards ceremony on Monday.

Zidane guided Real to victory over neighbours Atletico Madrid in last season's Champions League final, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2016.He took over from Rafa Benitez with Real at a low ebb following their embarrassing exit from the Copa del Rey and with Barcelona looking comfortable in La Liga.

Santos, on the other hand, managed Portugal to their first major trophy with victory over France in the 2016 European Championship final.Despite having Cristiano Ronaldo as captain, Portugal went into the tournament unfancied but battled their way to victory after a group stage in which they did not look convincing at all.

Ranieri entertained the award ceremony audience in Zurich with a typically eccentric speech, saying he felt as though it was fate that Leicester won the Premier League in 2015-16.

"What a fantastic evening for me to be here with a lot of legends, and now to win this award," he said upon receiving the prize. "I'm crazy! I'm very crazy. Thank you so much those who voted for me.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Ranieri!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo crowned FIFA's Best Player in the World

Cristiano Ronaldo has been crowned the world’s best player at FIFA’s annual awards gala in Zurich.The Real Madrid superstar enjoyed a fantastic 2016, and has now beaten his perennial rival Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to the prize.

"It's a great feeling, as I mentioned many times last year was a dream year, no doubt about that," the striker said at the ceremony shortly before receiving the prize."Real Madrid win the Champions League and the national team won the Euros for the first time in history. Unbelievable season. I'm so proud and happy.

"I have to say thank you to my team-mates of Real Madrid, and team-mates of Portugal and the coaches. It was an amazing year."Ronaldo scored a total of 59 goals for both club and country throughout the 12 months, as his career reached new heights.

The Portugal international, despite suffering an injury in the final, guided his country to Euro 2016 glory, scoring three goals and cajoling his team-mates from the sidelines after being stretchered off.Eder’s late goal ensured that Ronaldo lifted the trophy in France, with Griezmann – the player to outscore him in the tournament - on the losing side in the showpiece.

Ronaldo also scored the winning penalty in the Champions League final, as Real defeated Griezmann’s Atletico at San Siro in Milan, and was rewarded with a staggering new deal until 2021.

The 31-year-old’s incredible year – which also saw him named the world’s highest paid sports star – was capped in December, when he was awarded his fourth Ballon d’Or award.

While Messi, the man who has forever threatened to overshadow Ronaldo during an era of individual footballing dominance, scored a sensational 55 goals throughout 2016, he was topped by four goals by Ronaldo, though he did guide Barcelona to La Liga glory.

Ronaldo was recently linked with a mind-boggling move to China, with a £257 million bid mooted, but the former Manchester United star appears set to continue his battle for supremacy with Messi and Griezmann in La Liga.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations C.Ronaldo!

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd handed home draw against Wigan in FA Cup fourth round

Manchester United have been handed a home draw against Championship side Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Red Devils are looking to defend the trophy they won for the first time since 2004 last year and saw off second-tier opposition in Reading in their first match of this year's competition.

They will now take on the Latics, who were promoted to the Championship last season and are struggling in 23rd place, with just four league wins to their name.
Wigan, the shock winners of the FA Cup in 2013, were able to see off fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest to reach the fourth round.

Chelsea are also at home and will host a west London derby against Brentford, while Arsenal will visit the winners of the replay between Norwich City and Southampton.

Tottenham will welcome League Two side Wycombe Wanderers, and Manchester City could face Premier League opposition if Crystal Palace win their replay against Bolton Wanderers.Liverpool will have another home tie against Wolves to look forward to if they can see off Plymouth away from home.

Premier League champions Leicester City, meanwhile, will have to overcome a Midlands rival in Derby County to reach the fifth round.

The fourth-round draw in full:

Tottenham Hotspur v Wycombe Wanderers
Derby County v Leicester City
Oxford United v Newcastle United or Birmingham City
AFC Wimbledon or Sutton United v Cambridge United or Leeds United
Plymouth Argyle or Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Southampton or Norwich City v Arsenal
Lincoln or Ipswich v Brighton
Chelsea v Brentford
Manchester United v Wigan Athletic
Millwall v Watford
Rochdale v Huddersfield Town
Burnley or Sunderland v Fleetwood Town or Bristol City
Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley or Blackpool
Fulham v Hull City
Middlesbrough v Accrington Stanley
Crystal Palace or Bolton v Manchester City

Ties will be played between January 27 and 30.