..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea close to agreeing Sarri contract


Chelsea are closing in on agreeing a £5 million-per-year contract with prospective new manager Maurizio Sarri.Goal understands the Blues have agreed to pay the £8m release clause in Sarri's contract with Napoli, which still requires paying despite Sarri having been replaced by Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday.

Though Chelsea are yet to formally part ways with Conte, the decision has now been made to relieve the former Juventus boss of his duties despite him guiding the Stamford Bridge outfit to the Premier League title and FA Cup during his two seasons in charge.

He is set to be replaced by compatriot Sarri in west London, who is set to sign a two-year deal to take his first job outside of his native Italy.The 59-year-old has managed nine sides in total, with the high point of his career coming last season as he guided the Partenopei to a second-place finishdespite pushing eventual champions Juventus close for much of the campaign.

His preferred passing style has drawn compliments from Pep Guardiola, and Zenit St. Petersburg had hoped they might pip Chelsea to his signature by offering him a huge contract to replace new Italy manager Roberto Mancini.

Presuming he takes over, Sarri will have a number of decisions to make regarding the Chelsea squad as he looks to make the necessary improvements required to get the Blues back into the Champions League following their failure to qualify for next season.Alvaro Morata's future remains in doubt after Inter joined Juventus and AC Milan in the race to sign the Spain striker.

Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have also been linked with departures to Real Madrid while squad player Kenedy has drawn interest from the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.

 

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Hughes signs three-year deal to remain Southampton manager


Southampton have handed Mark Hughes a three-year contract after the Welshman secured their Premier League survival, the club have confirmed.

Hughes was appointed in March as the replacement for Mauricio Pellegrino, with the Saints in danger of dropping to the Championship.Wins over Bournemouth and relegation rivals Swansea City either side of a draw with Everton proved enough to keep Southampton up despite a final-day defeat to Manchester City - Hughes' side finishing in 17th, three points above the drop zone.




And Southampton announced on Friday that Hughes has penned a deal for the next three years, while assistant manager Mark Bowen and first-team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki have also agreed long-term contracts."Mark, Eddie and I are thrilled to have signed long-term contracts with the club," said Hughes. "It was the only option we considered, having spent the last eight weeks with the club.

"Now it is vital that we take the unbelievable support we received from the fans during the last few games into next season. The staff and the players will work hard every day to deliver the success this club deserves, and with everyone pulling together we will achieve our goals." Southampton's survival was secured at the expense of Stoke City, who Hughes led from 2013 to January 2018.

And the Saints said via a club statement that the 54-year-old deserves backing after ensuring Southampton stayed in the Premier League."Mark and his team had a massive impact from the first day on the players, staff and fans alike, and was able to pull together everyone involved with the club to deliver the results needed," Southampton said.

"It is important now, under Mark's leadership, for everyone to move into the new season with a renewed focus and energy alongside the continued and valuable support of our fans."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal hold positive Lichtsteiner talks over two-year Gunners deal


Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign defender Stephan Lichtsteiner on a two-year contract, Goal understands.Lichtsteiner, 34, has been targeted by the Gunners as they look to bolster their defence this summer, with Hector Bellerin currently the club’s only natural right-back.

The Switzerland international, who held ‘positive’ talks with the north London giants on Friday and wants to join on a two-year deal, is out of contract with Juventus and would add experience to an Arsenal defence which will be without Laurent Koscielny until the end of 2018.

Unai Emery’s first task as Gunners head coach will be to strengthen a side which aims to close the gap on their Premier League rivals next season, with defence a clear priority having conceded 51 times in the Premier League during Arsene Wenger's final season in charge.Ainsley Maitland-Niles is able to play in Bellerin’s position but is viewed as being a more natural defensive midfielder while Carl Jenkinson appears unlikely to break into the starting line-up following a disappointing loan spell at Birmingham City last term.

Lichtsteiner announced he would be leaving the Bianconeri in early May having helped the club to their seventh successive Serie A title, with the Switzerland international having ended each season since joining the club from Lazio in 2011 as a national champion.In total he scored 14 goals in 250 appearances for Juventus, though he has fallen down the pecking order in Turin this season.

Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and Marseille have also shown an interest in signing him, but Arsenal are hopeful that they will be able to get the deal over the line.Lichtsteiner did hold talks with Valencia in January but was unable to agree terms on a move to the Mestalla, and the Gunners are now set to step in and secure the first arrival of Emery's tenure.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Van Dijk: Liverpool is my team and Anfield is my home


Virgil van Dijk has declared that “Liverpool is my team and Anfield is my home” after helping to transform the Champions League finalists following a big-money move in January.

The Netherlands international moved to Merseyside for £75 million ($100m) during the winter transfer window, with Jurgen Klopp identifying him as the man to plug holes in a leaky defence.Van Dijk has proved to be an inspirational presence in the Reds’ defensive unit, with the club looking to complement a top four finish in the Premier League with European glory.

The 26-year-old claims to already feel fully acclimatised to his new surroundings, with Real Madrid next in his sights as he seeks another clean sheet and a prestigious winners’ medal.

Van Dijk told reporters ahead of a continental clash in Kiev: “I think from day one, the lads and the manager and the staff and everyone around the club and the people who work at Liverpool have made me so welcome and that helps a lot with settling.“Obviously the results help as well. But I think Liverpool is my team and Anfield is my home. “I love playing for this club and we’re in the Champions League final and we want to do it.

“I think Liverpool as a club deserves to be in the Champions League year in, year out and hopefully that’s going to happen. But to be in the Champions League final now, hopefully we’re going to do it.”

Van Dijk has graced the Champions League before during his time at Celtic, but he is relishing the opportunity to compete for the grandest of prizes after arriving at Liverpool.He added: “Obviously it’s very special for every one of us in the squad to be in the Champions League final.

“I think everyone is looking forward to it since it happened and I think we just need to enjoy it, but give everything that we have and then hopefully in the end we can even enjoy it a little bit more.”

 

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Ronaldo at '140 per cent' is good enough for Real Madrid boss Zidane


Zinedine Zidane says a fully fit Cristiano Ronaldo "lives to play these games" as Real Madrid prepare to take on Liverpool in the Champions League final.

The Portuguese superstar suffered an injury in the 2-2 Clasico draw with Barcelona on May 6, before making a goalscoring return to action and completing 62 minutes from kick-off in Madrid's final La Liga match of the season at Villarreal last weekend.

Madrid coach Zidane has previously claimed the talismanic 33-year-old will be "150 per cent" fit for the clash with Jurgen Klopp's Reds in Kiev on Saturday.

And while the Frenchman revised that estimate slightly during a news conference at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Ronaldo remains a certain starter against Liverpool. "He's in good shape. If he's 140 per cent then that's good enough," Zidane said."This is the last training session before the biggest game of the season.One thing you have to know is Ronaldo lives to play these games, so we'll see tomorrow."

There are certain to be disappointed members of the Madrid squad when the team for the final is named, with Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Isco and Lucas Vasquez vying to join Ronaldo in attack.

"The players are all very good and there are many players who will be out of the squad or on the bench but we have to think of the team," Zidane said."A player can be disappointed but when the game starts that player has to be with the team to support the team. We are united. This will always happen. From the bench they can also bring a lot to the team and that's important.

"I've said it many times, it's the most difficult time for a manager when you have to leave out players, particularly for a final, when some are good enough to play. That is the most difficult part of being a coach but I've got to do it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Fekir to Liverpool far from a done deal, declares Lyon president


Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has said that Nabil Fekir’s reported move to Liverpool is far from a certainty, denying that there has even been contact between the clubs.

Fekir played a leading role in sending OL to the Champions League group stages next season, scoring 18 times and creating seven more in 30 outings for the Rhone side as they finished third in Ligue 1.Such stellar performances have caught the eye of many of Europe’s biggest clubs, but while Aulas admits that there has been interest in his ace, he has said that no official talks have been opened, either with suitors or the player.




“We simply know that teams are interested,” Aulas, who once proclaimed that he preferred his No.10 even to Neymar, said. “His agent, Jean-Pierre Bernes has told us so.“There have been no discussions either with Nabil or with other clubs, so it’s very premature.“He’s also hesitating about whether he wants to play in the Champions League with Lyon.”

Fekir, who has made Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the World Cup, was recovering from a serious knee injury the last time Lyon played in Europe’s elite competition, in the 2016-17 season. He has made five appearances for OL in the competition but has yet to show his full potential as a result of those problems.He has not dropped any clear hints as to his future, simply commenting: “We’ll see,” when asked to discuss speculation earlier this month.

Aulas, meanwhile, has previously declared to SFR Sport: “You will have to be very, very rich to sign Nabil Fekir this year.”There has been speculation that the Lyon-born playmaker will join the Reds in a €70 million (£62m/ $82m) deal after they take part Saturday’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Arsenal and Chelsea have also been associated with a move for the 24-year-old, who has spent his whole professional career at OL, where he has played 153 times since debuting in 2013. Meanwhile, he has turned out 10 time for France, scoring one goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shakhtar want more than €50m for Man Utd target Fred


Manchester United have been warned they will be expected to exceed Manchester City’s previous offer of €50 million if they are to sign Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The midfielder was the subject of an approach from Premier League champions City in the winter but the Ukrainian outfit rejected the bid.And while United are now the club leading the charge for the Brazil international, Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov insists that he is expecting offers this summer to be no lower than the one which City submitted in January.




“You know that we had negotiations with Manchester City this winter, and there was an official offer - a very big figure,” Akhmetov told Futbol 1. “They offered us around €50m for Fred. And we had enough strength to reject it, because we were playing in the Champions League, we were finishing the Ukrainian League campaign.“We won the championship and the cup - in principle, our decision was correct.And I am convinced that we will receive and are receiving no less interesting proposals than that from Manchester City.”

There have been reports that Shakhtar could hold on until Fred’s alleged release clause of €60m is met, but Akhmetov admits that the club cannot insist on a particular fee if the market does not allow it.“We'll get exactly the amount he costs,” he added. “We can’t get a dollar if the player costs 50 cents. We don’t want to sell him for 50 cents if the football player costs a dollar.

“This will be a market price, the fair price, and it will be beneficial both for the club inviting Fred and for us. That is, I can somewhat feel that Fred will be more expensive than Fernandinho and [Alex] Teixeira.”

Fernandinho left Shakhtar for Manchester City in 2013 for €40m while Alex Teixeira joined Jiangsu Suning three years later for €50m, and a deal worth more than that for Fred would break the Donetsk outfit’s record for transfer fee received.United appear to be the runaway favourites to land the central midfielder’s signature at this point, with the Red Devils hoping to try to push a deal through before the start of the World Cup on June 14.

Manager Jose Mourinho has spoken previously of his desire to build his squad for next season during the early weeks of the summer transfer market, while the Premier League deadline for incoming deals has also been brought forward this year to August 9.

 

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Buffon would be happy to make PSG move - agent


Gianluigi Buffon’s agent has dropped the greatest suggestion yet that the veteran goalkeeper will move to Paris Saint-Germain next season.

The Juventus and Italy legend announced earlier this month that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season and had an emotional send off with the Turin club as he helped them to a seventh successive Serie A title.He had been expected to retire from football but instead kept the door open for another move at the age of 40, having only previously turned out for Parma and Juve, although he did confirm that he would not move to another side in his homeland.




PSG, meanwhile, have offered him terms for the next two seasons and the shot-stopper’s agent, Silvano Martina, has confirmed it is a move that would be of interest.“We would be happy if Gigi came to Paris next season,” the representative told Le Parisien.

Indications in Italy suggest that a deal is as good as done. “I hope he does well at PSG,” Lapo Elkann, heir to the Agnelli family that owns Juventus told Gazzetta dello Sport. “It’s a choice I respect. I hope we meet again in the Champions League final.”

Current PSG No.1 Alphonse Areola, meanwhile, has been linked with a move away from the club as a consequence. Napoli are thought to be particularly interested in the 25-year-old, who will travel with France’s World Cup squad to Russia in the summer as the No.3 behind Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Umtiti reports 'no news' on Barcelona contract amid Man Utd transfer talk


Samuel Umtiti has reported “no news” on contract extension talks at Barcelona and refused to quash rumours regarding a possible move to Manchester United.

The France international is reported to have emerged as a top target for Jose Mourinho as the Red Devils boss seeks to reinforce his defensive unit at Old Trafford.Umtiti is set to be available for €60 million, with the 24-year-old’s current deal at Camp Nou including a relatively modest release clause.

Barca had been hoping to put fresh terms in place before the summer transfer window opens, allowing them to price rivals out of the market, but no agreement has been reached.

Umtiti has suggested that no deal is in the pipeline, although the highly-rated centre-back told reporters at France’s pre-World Cup training camp that he is hoping to find a resolution before heading to Russia: "On my contract extension I have no news. I look at my phone but I have not been called so nothing has happened.

“My situation? I don’t think it's going to disturb me too much because it's been going on for a few months and I had to finish a season like this.“I think it's important to settle these cases before the start of the competition and for my part it will be done.”For now, Umtiti is focused solely on France’s quest for global glory.

He will be taking on that challenge alongside Antoine Griezmann, a man who has been heavily linked with a move to join him at Barcelona.
Again, no deal is in place despite months of speculation and Umtiti is reluctant to be drawn into a debate regarding what could happen.He is, however, prepared to admit that a proven performer at La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid would be a welcome addition in Catalunya.

Umtiti said: “Antoine Griezmann is a fantastic player, he would be very important in any group. In Barcelona he could bring a lot of good things.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Thiago hints at uncertain Bayern Munich future amid Barcelona links


Thiago Alcantara has suggested his future at Bayern Munich is uncertain, although he insists he is focused on the World Cup for now.The 27-year-old midfielder signed a new four-year contract in April last year but has been linked with a possible return to Barcelona in recent weeks.

Thiago made 32 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this season but did not play the full 90 minutes in two of their biggest games. He came off the bench in the first half of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, while he was angry at being substituted in the DFB-Pokal final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern great Lothar Matthaus slammed the player's performances in key matches after that 3-1 loss in Berlin and said the club should consider selling him in the transfer window.

Thiago is ignoring speculation while he prepares for Spain's World Cup campaign but has admitted his future at the Allianz Arena is far from guaranteed.When pressed on whether he would stay, he told Mundo Deportivo: "Let's see. I told you I renewed with Bayern last year, but it's very complicated. Football is very difficult...

"I'm very much about enjoying the moment. You don't have to focus on the future. Now, I'm thinking about the World Cup, I'm living in the present and if a moment comes for you to think about it, I immediately focus on the World Cup."Thiago joined Bayern from Barca in 2013 and has won five Bundesliga titles in a row, as well as the DFB-Pokal, the DFL Supercup and the Club World Cup.

He has also been linked with a move to Manchester City to reunite with Pep Guardiola, who coached him at Barca before bringing him to Germany.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Final 2018.05.26

UEFA Champions League Final 2018.05.26​

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Real Madrid Vs Liverpool

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[Wolverine GTR]

Good Luck for both teams!

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[Alucard_SxE]

Vamos!!!! ​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid Vs Liverpool

Real Madrid Starting Line-up


Navas
Carvajal
Ramos
Varane
Marcelo
Kroos
Casemiro
Modric
Isco
Ronaldo
Benzema


&


Liverpool Starting Line-up


Karius
Alexander-Arnold
Lovren
Van Dijk
Robertson
Henderson
Milner
Wijnaldum
Salah
Mane
Firmino
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Half Time

Real Madrid 0 Vs 0 Liverpool

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First Salah & next Carvajal!
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Real Madrid are the Champions League Winners 2018!

Congratulations Real Madrid!


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Full Time

Real Madrid 3 Vs 1 Liverpool

Real Madrid Goal(s)

K.Benzema 51'
G.Bale 64'83'

&

Liverpool Goal(s)

S.Mane 55'
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[Wolverine GTR]

Bale ge 1st goal eka patta!

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