..::Football IV::..

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Man City closing in on Dani Alves deal

Manchester City are closing in on a deal for Juventus right-back Dani Alves, Goal has learned.

City are targeting four full-backs this summer and it has now emerged that Alves was identified as one of the four top names in April.

The Premier League club are also working on deals for first-choice targets Benjamin Mendy, the Monaco left-back, and Kyle Walker, the Tottenham right-back.

Txiki Begiristain, City's director of football, had hoped to conclude deals for Mendy and Walker before signing the Blues' other options, Alves and Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand.But despite renewed efforts in recent days City are yet to agree on transfer fees with Monaco and Tottenham.

Senior City sources remain confident of signing their top two targets but Alves could now become the club's third signing of the summer, following in the footsteps of Bernardo Silva and Ederson, as talks with Juventus have advanced significantly in the last 48 hours.

Whereas Monaco and Tottenham are keen to make as much money as possible for Mendy and Walker, Juve are thought to be requesting a relatively nominal fee for Alves.

The former Barcelona man, like Mendy, Walker and Bertrand, is also keen to link up with Pep Guardiola and City sources expect the team to agree personal terms swiftly.

Alves was a key member of Guardiola's dressing room at Barcelona and it is believed the Catalan wants to bring more big personalities to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Though Guardiola is happy that he has a committed, loyal squad of players under his command, he has identified Aleksandar Kolarov as one of few colourful characters in the squad and believes Alves will bring a lot to his team, both on and off the pitch.

Guardiola has also stressed the need for City to adopt a winning mentality in almost every area of the club, on the pitch or otherwise, and Alves is also expected to contribute in that regard, given his long and successful career at the top level.

The 34-year-old demonstrated throughout last season that he still has what it takes to play the kind of intelligent, high-intensity football that Guardiola wants from his City full-backs in the coming years.

Those are traits identified in Walker, Mendy and Bertrand, and City will continue working on those deals in the coming days and weeks.

Despite recent reports that some of City's Premier League rivals, such as Liverpool and Chelsea, could swoop in and tie up a deal for Mendy, sources close to the Blues' decision makers believe the France international has his heart set on a move to the Etihad Stadium.

City are aware that Monaco would be happy to keep the 22-year-old, should they not receive what they regard as a suitable offer, but the Blues are determined to bring him to the club as he has long been identified as one of Guardiola's priority targets.

 

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Guardiola hoda signs set 1kak karagannawa​

 

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David Villa reaches 50 MLS goals with shining performance in the rain

David Villa's first goal may have been a gift, but his second was pure magic, providing the ideal cap to a milestone day for the Spanish star.

Villa surpassed the 50-goal mark in MLS on Saturday, converting a questionably-awarded penalty kick before delivering a back-post volley winner in the 75th minute of NYCFC's 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders.

It was another trademark performance from Villa, who has become Major League Soccer's poster boy for designated players. Just three days removed from starting in NYCFC's U.S. Open Cup loss to the New York Red Bulls, Villa took the field at a waterlogged Yankee Stadium and once again delivered late-game heroics.

He had some help from referee Robert Sibiga. In the 52nd minute Sibiga whistled O'Neil Fisher for a foul on Villa in the penalty area. Replays showed a clean challenge, but the Spanish star converted the penalty for his 50th regular season goal.

Villa's 51st was one more fitting of a milestone, as he raced in unmarked on the back post to volley home a perfect Jack Harrison cross for the eventual winning goal.

"(Those) goals have given a lot of points and good moments for NYCFC, which is the most important for me," said Villa, who nows has 10 goals in 2017. "Now I'll rest and (try to) score (number) 52."

It was the kind of day NYCFC fans have grown accustomed to from Villa, who has tallied 51 goals and 18 assists in 77 matches since making the move to MLS in 2015. His productivity has been matched by his durability, which has allowed him to be a consistent contributor at the age of 35, with no signs of slowing down. It also made signing Villa to a contract extension through the 2018 season a no-brainer, not least of which because it will keep NYCFC from having to deal with speculation about Villa's future after this season.

By all accounts, Villa is loving life in New York, and seeing him fight and scratch and claw through 90 minutes on Saturday once again showed us a player who remains supremely motivated, even though it would be easy for a somebody with his resume to rest on his laurels.

That doesn't mean NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira isn't looking for ways to ease Villa's workload. The acquisition of USL standout Sean Okoli this winter has given NYCFC another target forward option to deploy, thus allowing Villa to play a more free role on the wing late in matches. This played out late in Saturday's match, when Villa's goal came just a minute after Okoli came on as a substitute, which led to Seattle losing track of the former Barca star as he slipped in from the left wing unmarked to score the winner.

NYCFC has done a good job of bolstering the supporting cast around Villa in 2017, with Rodney Wallace stepping in as an ideal left-wing option opposite Harrison, and Maxi Moralez providing more creativity in central midfield. The result is an attack that has scored the most goals in MLS to date, and while NYCFC held that same distinction a year ago, there is more balance to the attack in 2017.

Villa's team is going to need that balance this summer, with a brutal schedule looming in the coming months. A trio of matches against the Red Bulls and two against Toronto FC are mixed in with clashes against Chicago, Vancouver and the LA Galaxy. A visit from Minnesota United on June 29 is probably the easiest test NYCFC will face for two months.

That stretch will go a long way toward showing us just how seriously we can take NYCFC as an MLS Cup contender. Based on what we have already seen, NYCFC is a better team this year, but so are Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire in the East, and Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas in the West.

Villa and NYCFC aren't thinking about an MLS Cup run just yet. Not with a match against the Red Bulls looming next week in the latest installment of the New York Derby.


The Red Bulls got the better of NYCFC last year, winning two of three matches — including an unforgettable 7-0 beat down of NYCFC at Yankee Stadium. With 51 MLS goals under his belt after Saturday, Villa will be hoping to add to his next 50 with a goal or two at Red Bull Arena.

 

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Congratulations David Villa​

 

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'I can do it here' - Everton signing Klaassen confident in scoring Premier League goals

New Everton signing Davy Klaassen is expecting to score goals regularly in the Premier League.

Klaassen scored 14 goals and registered nine assists in 33 Eredivisie appearances for Ajax last season, following on from 2015-16 where he netted 13 and created eight.

The 24-year-old, who moved to Goodison Park in a €27 million transfer on Thursday, is confident of continuing to make an impact in front of goal after moving to England.

"I like to get in the box and I also like to be aggressive on the field and press all the time," Klaassen said to evertontv . "I like to score and create goals and I like to win. My whole life I have scored a lot of goals, so I expect that I can do it here as well.

"It is not the most important part of my game but goals are important in football. I will try to do my best and the goals will come."I like to win and to win you have to provide or score goals."

Everton finished seventh in the Premier League last season, but Klaassen is aiming higher."I want us to get better and better as a team and we will see where we go, but I have a good feeling about it," he said.

The signing of Klaassen came on the same day Everton splashed out a club-record £30m fee for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

 

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Gerrard backs Liverpool for 2017-18 success

Steven Gerrard believes "success is around the corner" for Liverpool if they manage to improve their record against the smaller teams.Jurgen Klopp's men finished fourth in the Premier League table in 2016-17, a huge 17 points behind champions Chelsea.

They impressed against the top teams, though, as they remained unbeaten against their top-six rivals and Gerrard is confident they are on the right track.

"We have got a fantastic manager at the helm. I think Liverpool are very, very close," Gerrard told BT Sport."If you look at the statistics in the top six, they are the best team in terms of head-to-head.

"Liverpool know where they need to improve and it is the consistency against the teams that are maybe in the bottom half of the table, the teams that sit narrow and compact and are difficult to break down.

"Hopefully we can get the two or three pieces of the jigsaw that are missing. I am really confident Liverpool can keep moving forward and success can be just round the corner."

 

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Thirty-minute halves & dribbling from free-kicks included in new rule proposals

Major rule changes such as 30-minute halves and dribbling from free-kicks are set to be discussed as part of new proposals suggested by the organisation in charge of the Laws of the Game.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which has jurisdiction over FIFA's official rulebook, has released a document called 'Play Fair!' which aims to complement FIFA's fair play policies.

Its suggestions are designed to create more respect for match officials and the laws of the game but also increase playing time and the entertainment value of the sport.The proposals around the length of halves and the taking of free-kicks centre around attempts to increase the amount of time the ball is in play and speed up the pace of games.

IFAB will discuss reducing halves to around 30 minutes, with the clock being stopped any time the ball goes out of play. They claim that although this would reduce the length of matches from 90 minutes to 60 minutes on paper, the 'effective playing time' - the time the game is active with the ball in play - would not change and time wasting would be eliminated.

Also to be discussed is a move to allow free-kick takers to take more than one touch, which would allow, for example, a dribbler to immediately resume play after being fouled.

To increase 'fairness and attractiveness', IFAB suggest clarifying the handball rule and only blowing the half-time and full-time whistles when the ball has gone out of play.

They will also contemplate making penalty kicks during games the same as in shootouts, with the only outcomes being a goal or a goal-kick to the defending team.

This, IFAB say, would eliminate the problem of players entering the penalty area before the shot is taken in a bid to be first to rebounds, which "annoys people as referees rarely punish them".

While those changes are only at a stage of being up for discussion, other proposed rule adjustments are defined by IFAB as 'ready to be tested' in match situations.

They include allowing defenders to receive goal-kicks within their own penalty area to make it easier to pass the ball out from the back and changing penalty shootouts so that teams take turns to shoot first.That would mean that after Team A took the first kick, Team B would then take two consecutively before Team A took the fourth shot.

FIFA have 50 per cent of the voting rights on the IFAB board, with the governing bodies of English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish football holding the rest of the power.

Proposed changes require a three-quarter supermajority to pass, which means that FIFA's support is necessary but not enough on its own for alterations to be imposed.

 

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Spain U21 5 Vs 0 Macedonia U21

Congartulations Spain U21 & Hattrick for Marco Asensio

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Macedonia Match 1ke Asensio ge meh goal 1kath patta

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'Don't spread sh*t!' - Dani Alves responds to transfer rumours as Man City close in

Dani Alves has hit out at claims that he is on the verge of leaving Juventus.
Goal understands that Manchester City are closing in on a summer transfer for Alves as Pep Guardiola rebuilds his defence for 2017-18.

The experienced full-back, 34, won Serie A and the Coppa Italia, as well as reaching the Champions League final, in his first season at Juve since completing a free transfer from Barcelona last year.

Juve team-mate Gonzalo Higuain posted and then quickly deleted a video on Twitter in which he appeared to be saying goodbye to his team-mate.But Alves appears to be unimpressed by the rumours, angrily responding to one Italian media company's speculative tweet.

The Brazil international wrote: "Don't spread sh*t, [Higuain] sent a video for me in a television programme. Don't do your job badly, please."

Alves has 12 months left on his contract in Italy.

 

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Ferguson calls on Mourinho's Man Utd class of 2017 to 'accept the challenge of beating the best'

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for Manchester United to “accept the challenge of beating the best” as they go in search of more silverware.

The Red Devils stagnated somewhat in the wake of their iconic former manager slipping into retirement on the back of a 13th Premier League title win in 2012-13.
David Moyes proved to be a forgettable appointment, while Louis van Gaal faced criticism of his playing style despite landing the FA Cup.

Jose Mourinho was drafted in to turn the tide and delivered three trophies in his debut campaign, with United tasting success in the Community Shield, EFL Cup and Europa League.

Ferguson believes the club are now in a position to kick on, telling United’s official website on the pressure which surrounds the team ahead of another action-packed preseason: "The great thing about United is you've got to accept the challenge of beating the best.

"The expectation is always there and the matches we'll face in the ICC are all big ones. It's very good for the younger players to come into this type of competition in terms of preparing to be a Manchester United player.

“The more intense the challenge they can get, the better prepared they will be when facing Manchester City in an important league match or Real Madrid or Barcelona in Europe.

"The preparation to play in games as big as that can be started in pre-season tournaments like the ICC, which is fantastic."United will take in a International Champions Cup derby date with City on July 20 in Houston.


Mourinho’s side will then face Real Madrid at the home of the San Francisco 49ers NFL team and Barcelona at the Washington Redskins’ FedExField.

 

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"The great thing about United is you've got to accept the challenge of beating the best."The expectation is always there"

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'Messi the best and Iniesta spectacular' - Ter Stegen

Marc-Andre ter Stegen has saluted Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta while offering an insight into his life.The Germany international goalkeeper has just completed his third season at Camp Nou after a slow start.

He spent much of the first two years playing back-up to Claudio Bravo, restricting him to domestic cup and Champions League outings.

Ter Stegen is now Barca’s undisputed number one, however, with 46 appearances made alongside Messi and Co. in 2016-17.And he has now lifted the lid on his experiences with the La Liga giants, hailing two of his colleagues as “the best” and “spectacular”.

Messi collected another Golden Shoe in 2016-17 as he found the target 54 times in all competitions.Iniesta, meanwhile, got his hands on another trophy, as Barca tasted Copa del Rey success.

His future at Camp Nou has been called into question, at 33 years of age, but Ter Stegen clearly feels that a role should be found for an iconic one-club man.

The 25-year-old has no such fears regarding his future, though, with a new contract signed in May which will take him through to 2022.

 

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‘Cristiano is innocent’ - Ronaldo in tax row backed by La Liga chief

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed by the president of the Spanish Football League in his tax evasion case.The Portuguese forward is accused of evading €14.7 million (£13m/$16.4m) in tax payments by Madrid's criminal prosecution system.

Ronaldo is alleged to have committed four crimes between the years of 2011 and 2014 by hiding from the treasury the income generated in Spain by his image rights, which is a "voluntary and conscious" breach of one's tax obligations in the country.

The issue has now come to a head, with the 32-year-old reported to have informed Madrid of his desire to leave the reigning La Liga and Champions League title holders amid an unwelcome off-field saga.

He has, however, received the support of LFP chief Javier Tebas, who has told La Sexta: "Knowing the environment and the professional that it is, I have no doubt that Cristiano is innocent. “We live in a time when any news related to the Spanish treasury is to point out criminals. From what I have read, I am convinced that there is no crime.”

Tebas has also acknowledged that the LFP would suffer if Ronaldo does take the decision to leave Madrid, with the four-time Ballon d’Or winner a considerable presence in La Liga.He added: "It is not possible to quantify, but would be very important.

“Even more so with the international growth of the League. It would be a great loss for us, an irreparable loss. "

Ronaldo netted 42 goals in 46 appearances for Madrid in the 2016-17 campaign, with that haul taking him past 400 for the club, 500 in his club career as a whole and through 100 efforts in the Champions League.

Former employers Manchester United and big-spending Paris Saint-Germain are among those now keeping a close eye on his situation at Santiago Bernabeu.

 

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Real Madrid target Mbappe must prove himself at Monaco, claims Trezeguet

David Trezeguet feels Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe should prove his quality at Monaco before seeking a transfer.

Mbappe has been linked with a big-money switch to one of Europe's heavyweights after firing Leonardo Jardim's men to the Ligue 1 title and the semi-finals of the Champions League.Zinedine Zidane's La Liga and European title-holders are believed to be among the favourites to secure the services of the exciting young striker.

But retired forward Trezeguet, who starred for Monaco, Juventus and France during a decorated playing career, feels it may be too soon for Mbappe to leave the Stade Louis II.

"In the semi-final, we played Monaco with Juventus, and we knew he is a player with a great future and that's the most important thing," he told reporters at a France Legends v Italy Legends exhibition game.

"He is aware of his qualities, he is aware he is just… 18 years old so he has a good opportunity at Monaco because it is a beautiful city, and a world-class academy. "But everything goes fast in football. Monaco has known a special case with Anthony Martial going to Manchester [United].

"Of course, the economic part is important but I think with time things happen naturally. "I think he still has to prove his qualities with Monaco, even if he will have the last word."

 

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Portugal 2 Mexico 2: Moreno's last-ditch header secures a point

Cristiano Ronaldo could not inspire Portugal to victory on their Confederations Cup debut as they drew 2-2 with Mexico on Sunday thanks to Hector Moreno's late goal.

The 32-year-old has reportedly made the "irreversible decision" to leave Real Madrid amid accusations of tax fraud, but it was Moreno who stole the spotlight in Kazan as he levelled in second-half stoppage time after Cedric Soares appeared to have won the game five minutes from time.Ronaldo had earlier teed up Ricardo Quaresma for the opener, with Javier Hernandez's equaliser leading to a tight second half before a hectic finish.

Mexico, the 1999 winners, struggled to match Fernando Santos' side as Portugal hit their stride halfway through the first half and Ronaldo provided Quaresma with a simple finish after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) had ruled out a goal for Nani.

But, just as sloppy defending had let Ronaldo in, Raphael Guerreiro's poor miscue led to an equaliser for Hernandez three minutes before half-time.

The Euro 2016 winners kicked on again in the game's closing stages and Cedric netted with the help of a Hector Herrera deflection, but Moreno responded to earn a share of the spoils, with further talk of Ronaldo's uncertain club future sure to follow Portugal to their next match against Group A leaders Russia.

Portugal were slow to find their feet, taking 20 minutes to get Ronaldo involved with a free-kick struck into the wall, the Madrid man then cannoning a fine left-footed effort off the crossbar when the ball broke his way again following a half-cleared cross.

With Mexico still scrambling at the back, another delivery from the right was flicked into the bottom-left corner by Nani, but the referee - assisted by the VAR - disallowed the goal for offside.

Santos' side improved from there, though, and when Carlos Salcedo allowed Ronaldo in on goal on the left, the forward quickly adjusted to an uncharacteristic stumble to slip a pass into the box for Quaresma, who coolly rounded Guillermo Ochoa to prod into the net.

Hernandez nodded straight at Rui Patricio with his first real chance at the other end, but Mexico's record goalscorer soon made amends and crashed a header into the bottom-right corner from Carlos Vela's cushioned centre after Guerreiro had failed to clear the preceding cross.

Quaresma had missed an opportunity to double his tally moments earlier and there was then time for Hernandez to squander a second opening of his own before the break as he blazed over.A frantic end to the first half gave way to a dull second as both sides were found wanting with their final ball, with Ronaldo - isolated after Nani's withdrawal - unable to influence the game.

But the Portugal captain created another shooting opportunity for Quaresma with 10 minutes remaining and, although Ochoa saved comfortably, they continued to pile late pressure on Mexico.

Ochoa saved well from Andre Silva, but he could do little as Cedric ran onto Gelson Martins' square cross from the right to fortuitously divert the ball into the far corner.

Martins wasted an opportunity to make the game safe as he fired narrowly wide on the spin and, just as Portugal thought they had clinched the points, Moreno flicked a corner in off the far post to leave the European champions frustrated.

 

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Milan will not sell Donnarumma before next season

Gianluigi Donnarumma will not be allowed to leave AC Milan in this transfer window, according to the club's sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli.

The 18-year-old goalkeeper has decided not to renew his contract at San Siro - which expires at the end of next season - leading to some doubt as to whether he would remain at Milan heading into the new Serie A campaign.But Mirabelli has responded strongly, insisting Donnarumma is not to be sold and that it is now up to coach Vincenzo Montella to decide whether or not the young keeper plays.

"Donnarumma is a great champion, a great guy and a Milan player," he told Sportitalia. "For this next season, he will certainly play with us still.

"It's the coach who makes the decisions. They say who will make the bench or sit in the stands - it is not in heaven or on earth."This applies to everyone - not only for Donnarumma, but also for the other players and those who will come."Donnarumma played all 38 league games for Milan in 2016-17, having broken into the side a year earlier.

 

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Perez to remain Madrid president until 2021

Florentino Perez will remain Real Madrid president until 2021 after no candidates ran against him.

Perez, who first held the position in 2000, won uncontested, the Spanish and European champions announced on Monday.

The 70-year-old has overseen a period of continued success at Madrid, who claimed their third Champions League in four seasons in 2016-17.

Zinedine Zidane's men also clinched the Liga title for the first time since 2012.
Having brought in the era of the Galacticos in Madrid, Perez and the club could continue that approach by adding Monaco star Kylian Mbappe this off-season.
However, speculation over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo continues to intensify, with reports the star wants to leave Spain.

 

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'Donnarumma and Raiola have cost Milan €100m' - Fassone

AC Milan CEO Marco Fassone said Gianluigi Donnarumma and his agent have cost the club €100 million over their decision not to renew the goalkeeper's contract, though the teenage sensation would be welcomed back with "open arms".

Tensions are running high following Donnarumma's decision not to sign a renewal once his current Milan deal expires at the end of the 2017-18 season.

The 18-year-old goalkeeper has outraged fans – who threw fake money at the shot-stopper during an Under-21 clash between Italy and Denmark on Sunday – while Mino Raiola claimed Milan bullied his client and created a hostile environment for the Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United target.

Fassone denied those claims and insisted there was nothing more Milan could have done to sign Donnarumma to fresh terms as the club boss gave his version of events.

"Nobody ever doubted he had the right to make this decision. It's perfectly within the rules. But it's one thing to be legitimate, another to work within the ethics of business," Fassone told Corriere della Sera.

"The bitterness here has to do with the unpleasant way the situation was handled. It could've been done without damaging the club, but by leaving like this, they have cost Milan €100m.

"If Donnarumma is worth this much at the age of 18, it's also because the club invested in him, had courage to launch him into the first team."All he had to do was say he didn't want to remain and we'd have renewed with a reasonable release clause. Then if the most important club in the world had turned up, even this summer, they could pay Milan that sum."This way, what Real Madrid don't pay me will end up in the pockets of his agent. I at least would've reinvested that sum into Italian football.

"Every time we spoke, face to face or on the phone, Gigio assured us he wanted to stay. It was that way until two days before the last meeting with Raiola. The agent, on the other hand, always said he was not prepared to negotiate on our timescale. So there were two different versions."

Fassone added: "We are pained at these extremes that football seems to generate. We are also disappointed if his decision, or that of his agent, provoked such reactions.

"As a club, I really don't know what more we could've done to give Gigio and his family the desire and pleasure to remain. We tried to transmit that to him every time we spoke.

"If he were to reconsider, not only would he be welcomed back with open arms by Milan the club, but in the end I think also by the Milan fans. Moods can change so quickly.

"There were no threats. Our position is clear: Donnarumma is not for sale, and Vincenzo Montella will decide on a weekly basis. As far as I am concerned, he can play every game. However, we cannot run any risks, so we need to seek out another goalkeeper.

"We can't rely on someone who is coming to the end of his contract, who is perhaps thinking of Real Madrid, especially in such a delicate role as goalkeeper. I have to be sure we've got a focused shot-stopper who is in ideal physical and psychological condition.

"For example, if San Siro were to protest during a game, that could take something away from his concentration. From what Raiola says, the lad seems very restless."

 

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Lewandowski disappointed in Bayern as never before - agent

Robert Lewandowski's agent has reiterated the striker's anger that Bayern Munich did not do more to help him finish the 2016-17 season as the Bundesliga's leading scorer.

The accolade went to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who struck twice in a 4-3 win over Werder Bremen on the last day of the campaign to take his tally to 31.That was one more than Lewandowski, who drew a blank in a 4-1 home victory over Freiburg.

The 28-year-old Poland international was not impressed after Carlo Ancelotti's side, who had already sealed the Bundesliga title, seemingly failed to support his individual aspirations.

"Robert told me that he got no support and that the coach gave no call to help him in the last game to win the top-scorer title," representative Maik Barthel told Kicker .

"He was disappointed as I have never seen him before. He really hoped that the team would support him proactively."Lewandowski had already expressed his anger over the issue earlier this month.

"It does not hurt anymore, but it did at first," he was quoted as saying by ESPN. "Maybe because I was not completely satisfied with the way my team helped me.
"Immediately after the last game, I felt anger. I was disappointed with my team. That was the feeling I had."