..::Football IV::..

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'Robert needs a change' - Lewandowski's agent reveals Bayern Munich departure desire


Robert Lewandowski's agent has revealed that the Poland international has informed Bayern Munich of his desire to leave the club.

The 29-year-old has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and appointed Pini Zahavi as his agent earlier this year amid rumours he could leave the Bundesliga.Zahavi was responsible for brokering Neymar's €222 million (£193m,$234m) transfer from Barcelona to PSG last summer, and his appointment was seen as Lewandowski attempting to orchestrate a mega-money move of his own.

Bayern have denied an approach from Real Madrid for the striker, but reports have also linked him to a number of Europe's elite clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG.

Lewandowski was crowned the Bundesliga's top scorer for the third time in five seasons taking his tally to 180 total goals in Germany's top flight as he won his sixth league title.Zahavi believes that the striker has achieved all he can with Bayern Munich, having reached the semi-final of the Champions League only to be knocked out by eventual champions Real.

"Robert feels he needs a change and a new challenge in his career," Zahavi told Sport Bild. "The managers of Bayern know about it."Despite the repeated speculation, staff in Munich had expected Lewandowski to stay at the club following the World Cup, with new head coach Niko Kovac taking charge for the

In early May, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge urged fans not to be concerned with the possibility of the striker leaving as he is under contract at the Allianz Arena until 2021.

"They do not have to worry about Robert Lewandowski and the relationship with Bayern," Rummenigge told Kicker. "We have a very good one."We know what we have in Robert Lewandowski. I am very happy that we still have such a long-term contract. [There's] no need to worry - he will also play next season at Bayern Munich."

 

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Mourinho has made Man Utd 'slow, boring & dated', says Sharpe


Manchester United have become “slow, pragmatic, boring and dated” under Jose Mourinho, claims former Red Devils winger Lee Sharpe.

The Red Devils have won few admirers for their brand of football since seeing the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson slip into retirement.David Moyes oversaw a humbling fall from grace, while Louis van Gaal was considered to be far too conservative for the Old Trafford faithful.

Mourinho has put United back into contention for major honours, but he too has been accused of favouring a defensive mindset which stands in stark contrast to the attacking philosophies being embraced at arch rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.

Sharpe told PA Sport on the club’s current position, with silverware having eluded them in 2017-18: "For me it was a pretty disappointing season and not entertaining enough."There are clubs with certain identities and United have never been a 1-0 team that sits back and rests on its laurels.

"You've got the blue side of Manchester under Pep [Guardiola], you've got Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool playing some of the best football in the league and United are playing slow, pragmatic, boring and even dated football."Maybe it's time Mourinho reassess things tactically.

"He's been one of the most successful managers in the game over 10-12 years, trophies everywhere he's gone, so I can understand him saying, 'I'm doing it my way'.

"But times have changed and if it doesn't start well next season he could find himself under pressure from the fans."Liverpool also ended the season empty-handed, having come unstuck in the Champions League final, but Sharpe feels the football on offer at Anfield will be making United supporters envious.

"Who wouldn't be?" added the ex-England international."Liverpool play on the front foot, they're entertaining, they're exciting and they score a load of goals.

"The play like we used to. They're not a team to settle on a 1-0 scoreline, they chase games. Yes, they'll give a couple of results away and concede goals but they're attack-minded and that's why they got to the Champions League final."

 

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Aston Villa release Terry after play-off final defeat


John Terry and Aston Villa have parted ways after one season, the defender and the Championship club announced on Wednesday.

Terry joined Villa last summer after seeing his time with Chelsea draw to a close and captained the side to the final of the play-offs after a fourth-placed finish in the regular league season.However, Villa ultimately fell 1-0 to Fulham at Wembley Stadium, denying them a return to the Premier League after a two-year absence.

And Villa confirmed his contract will not be renewed for the 2018-19 campaign as they look to cut costs.“We would like to place on record our most sincere thanks for the effort and professionalism [Terry] showed with us last season,” the club said in a statement.

“John is a true leader and was everything and more that we hoped. Hugely popular and influential in the dressing room, he played a real captain’s role in creating the incredible bond the players shared with our supporters, and vice-versa.

“We hope he looks back on his time with Villa fondly and we wish him the very best as his career moves forward.”Terry himself took to Instagram following the announcement, saying: “Today I part ways with Aston Villa Football Club. I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to play and captain this great and huge club.

“I have given my everything this year both on and off the pitch and I’m still hurting today that we never managed to get back to the Premier League, where this club 100% belongs. Likewise, Villa gave thanks to Terry for his service to the club over the last season.

The 37-year-old defender previously had spent 21 years with Chelsea before ultimately losing his spot in the team under Antonio Conte and appearing only nine times in the Premier League in 2016-17.

A drop to the Championship saw Terry play 35 times, scoring a single goal, and will now have a decision to make as to whether he will retire or look for a new club.

 

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Chelsea hold positive Sarri talks as Blues close in on new manager


Chelsea have held positive talks with Maurizio Sarri in Milan and Goal understands that they remain optimistic about bringing him to Stamford Bridge this summer despite the slow progress of the deal.

Napoli have already replaced Sarri with Carlo Ancelotti but still contend they are entitled to a £7 million fee ($9m/€8m) as stipulated by a release clause in Sarri's contract.This has complicated talks as lawyers on all three sides work on the cost, with Chelsea and Sarri hopeful that they can reduce it.

The 59-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract, but the clause helps Chelsea as Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis could request any fee after it expires.

Chelsea are expected to offer a two-year deal to Sarri - which would see the former Empoli coach would earn around £5 million-per-year - with the option of an extra campaign still being negotiated.Zenit St Petersburg explored appointing Sarri but announced Sergey Semak on Tuesday as their replacement for new Italy boss Roberto Mancini , with Sarri preferring a move to west London.

Chelsea have yet to announce Antonio Conte's departure from the club and it could come at a substantial cost of around £9m, despite him having only one year left on his deal.

Conte has maintained that he intends to see out the final year of his contract , but it has been expected for much of the campaign that he wouldn't be the coach for 2018-19.Chelsea fell short of expectations in the Premier League last season, finishing in fifth place. They won the FA Cup but will play in the Europa League next season after missing out on the Champions League on the final day of the league campaign.

Luis Enrique was Chelsea's other serious candidate for the job, but they are pressing ahead to secure the manager who brought Napoli close to winning their first Serie A title in 28 years.

 

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Salah fit for World Cup as Egypt confirm three-week injury absence


The Egyptian Football Association has revealed that Mohamed Salah’s absence through injury will “not exceed three weeks”, meaning that the Liverpool forward will play some part at World Cup 2018.After being forced to leave the Champions League final in tears , fears were immediately raised as to the 25-year-old’s possible participation at a global showpiece in Russia this summer.

Various timescales have been put on Salah’s recovery, although the man himself was quick to declare himself “confident” that he would be ready for international duty as the furore surrounding an untimely knock swirled around him.

Hani Abo Rida, president of the Egyptian FA, has now confirmed that a talismanic presence for the Pharaohs will need three weeks in which to recover full fitness, with it possible that he could play some part in the group stage for Hector Cuper’s side.

A statement released by the EFA on their official social media channels read: “After the meeting of Abo Rida and the doctor of the national team in Spain today, the Football Association reaffirms that, God willing, Salah’s absence at the World Cup will not exceed three weeks.”Salah is currently in Spain to undergo treatment on a shoulder problem.He faces a race against time to recover full fitness in time to feature for Egypt at their first World Cup finals since 1990.

Their 2018 campaign is due to get underway against Uruguay on June 15 , with Salah seemingly destined to sit out that encounter.He may come back into contention for a meeting with hosts Russia on June 19, while Egypt will be hoping there is still something riding on a clash with Saudi Arabia on June 25 if their star frontman is to be unavailable until then.

They are desperate to get Salah involved in their plans after seeing him net 44 times across a remarkable 2017-18 campaign with Liverpool.
Those exploits landed him the Premier League Golden Boot and PFA Player of the Year award, among countless other prizes, with a standing now established as a global superstar.His popularity has surged inside and outside of Egypt, with the current struggles of a national icon seeing some extreme measures taken by his most loyal followers.

A petition calling for Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos to face punishment for the arm grab which caused Salah’s injury has passed 500,000 signatures, while an Egyptian lawyer has filed a €1 billion (£873m/$1.2bn) lawsuit against the Blancos defender .

 

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'Man City aren't going to sign Isco' - Guardiola rules out move for Real Madrid ace


Manchester City will not be signing Isco from Real Madrid in the transfer window, Pep Guardiola has said.

The Premier League champions have been linked with an €80million (£70m/$93m) bid for the Spain international, who has been unable to hold down a permanent place in Zinedine Zidane's plans at the Santiago Bernabeu.However, Guardiola has been quick to rule out a deal for the 26-year-old, who has a contract until 2022 that includes a release clause of €700m (£611m/$813m).




"City aren't going to sign Isco," he said simply when asked at an event for the Johan Cruyff Foundation.Although Guardiola shot down the rumour linking the Spain international to the Premier League champions, the Etihad Stadium club have been closely associated with a move for Leicester's Riyad Mahrez in recent times.

Meanwhile, the former Barcelona head coach was happy to pay tribute to Madrid's achievement under Zidane, after they claimed a third Champions League in a row last Saturday with a 3-1 win over Liverpool. However, he has promised City will do their utmost to end the Spanish club's recent dominance.

"It's spectacular, you have to take your hat off to them," he said. "It doesn't matter if they deserve it or not, because it's very difficult to do what they've done."They've demonstrated their quality, and we hope to prevent them from taking the fourth consecutive one.

"Zidane has done a spectacular job."

 

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Arsenal plot move for Juventus defender Medhi Benatia


Arsenal have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Medhi Benatia this summer.Le10Sport claims that newly-appointed Arsenal manager Unai Emery could bring the Morocco international to the Emirates Stadium after the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Following the retirement of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny's injury crisis, Benatia has been tipped as the potential candidate to strengthen the Gunners' defence.
The centre-back joined the Old Lady from Bayern Munich on a permanent transfer last summer after impressing during his temporary stay in the 2016-17 campaign.

The 31-year-old has also attracted interest from Marseille as Juventus look to replace their ageing defensive trio including Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli this summer.

 

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Man Utd & Real Madrid target Skriniar has "no reason to leave" Inter


Milan Skriniar may be attracting interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid, but the highly-rated defender claims he has “no reason to leave” Inter.The 23-year-old has seen his profile rise throughout the 2017-18 campaign to now find himself registering on the transfer radars of leading clubs across Europe.

He has taken in just one season at San Siro, having joined Inter from Sampdoria last summer, but is already sparking talk of another possible big-money move.

Potential landing spots in England and Spain have been mooted, but Skriniar is eager to avoid being dragged into a debate regarding his future as he has no desire to move on.

He told Pravda: “It’s the wish of me and the club.“I don’t know about any particular offer, I have no reason to leave, and I don’t think Inter would sell me anyway. “I also love the fact that we’ll play in the Champions League, I’m looking forward to it.”

Skriniar helped Inter to secure a fourth-place finish in Serie A this season, with final day drama enough to book them a return ticket to European football’s top table.

United and Madrid will both be gracing Champions League competition next season as well, with the Blancos preparing to chase down a fourth successive continental crown.Movement is expected at Old Trafford and Santiago Bernabeu before those respective campaigns get underway, with Jose Mourinho in particular being linked with a host of potential defensive reinforcements.

Goal has revealed that the Red Devils are closing in on the €20 million (£18m/$23m) capture of Porto full-back Diogo Dalot, but it may be that their attention switches to the likes of Skriniar once the search for centre-half additions kicks in.

 

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Man Utd hoping to sign €20m Dalot this week


Manchester United are hopeful of signing Porto full-back Diogo Dalot before the end of this week, Goal understands.

The 19-year-old, who is a natural right-back but can also play on the left, has been followed extensively by United in recent months as they look for a long-term solution in their defensive ranks. He was also named in Goal's NxGn XI - a squad made up of the greatest teenagers in the game earlier this year.

Current first-choices Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young both turn 33 before the start of the 2018-19 season, and Jose Mourinho has told United’s money-makers that he needs deeper stocks in the wide roles.

United have resolved to meet Dalot’s buyout clause of €20 million (£17.5m/$23m), and a source close to the operation says the Red Devils are hoping to have the deal done before the week is out.

Dalot has only seven senior appearances to his name, including a single Champions League outing in the 0-0 draw away to losing finalists Liverpool in March, but United have been impressed enough with his performances at youth level and his early form in the Porto first team to make a play for the youngster.

In 2016 Dalot was a member of the Portugal side which won the Euro Under-17 Championship and even scored his side’s goal in the final against Spain, while 12 months on he was a beaten finalist in the Under-19 edition as Portugal lost to England in Georgia.

A naturally right-footed player, Dalot has shown his versatility by also playing on the left side throughout his Porto career. Most notably, his Champions League debut at Anfield came as a left-back as the Portuguese side shuffled the pack following a 5-0 leg loss at the Estadio do Dragao.

The expected addition of Dalot comes at a time when United are preparing for the departure of Matteo Darmian to Juventus for around £10m, while Daley Blind is also set to leave Old Trafford this summer. Luke Shaw’s future is also still to be decided with only one year left on his contract with the Red Devils.

Manager Mourinho is keen to make moves quickly in this summer’s transfer market, with the earlier closure on August 9 giving the club three fewer weeks to do deals compared to previous years.

And while United are also runaway favourites to snap up Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred, Dalot could yet be the first of their signings this summer.

 

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'Man City an opportunity not to be turned down' - Jorginho nearing move


Napoli have received an official bid from Manchester City for midfielder Jorginho, according to the player's agent.

The Italy international has been heavily tipped to join the Premier League champions in the transfer window, although Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be providing competition.A report from Calcio Napoli 24 on Wednesday claimed City have agreed a deal with the 26-year-old that could cost the club as much as €50 million (£44m/$58m).




Joao Santos claims an offer has been made to Napoli and admits it would be hard to turn down City's advances."I know an offer to Napoli has arrived from Manchester City," he told Tuttomercatoweb. "We're waiting for their response. I don't think they have rejected offers.

"If Napoli find an agreement with City, we will assess everything. "Obviously, Manchester City would be very welcome, an opportunity not to be turned down. The coach is one of the best in Europe."

The agent has previously indicated a deal will be done if Napoli and City can reach an agreement.Jorginho has established himself as one of Serie A's finest midfielders since signing from Verona in 2014.He made 33 Serie A appearances in 2017-18, scoring twice.

 

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Ronaldo's mother favours Man Utd return over PSG move for Real Madrid star


Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted at a summer move away from Real Madrid and his mother would prefer a return to Manchester United over a switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

Having helped the Blancos to a third successive Champions League crown, the Portuguese went on to refer to his time at the Santiago Bernabeu in the past tense.Transfer talk was immediately sparked, with Ronaldo offering contradictory messages regarding his future since then to keep the rumour mill ticking over.

Few clubs would be willing to put a deal in place were the exit doors to be opened in Spain, with only those with the deepest pockets capable of pulling off such a coup.

United and PSG would form part of that exclusive club and Dolores Aveiro has suggested to her son that a second stint at Old Trafford should be taken in if he really does want a fresh start.She told SFR Sport prior to Ronaldo’s exit hint in Kiev: “I like Paris. I go there now and again.

“The last time was with my son when he won the Ballon D'Or. I felt very proud.“Every time I go to Paris, everyone treats me very well.“If I'm telling you the truth, I wouldn't mind, but I would prefer him to return to Manchester.”

Ronaldo told reporters after helping Madrid to a 3-1 victory over Liverpool when quizzed on where he will be for the 2018-19 campaign: “Money is not the problem.“I have won five Champions Leagues and five Ballons d'Or. I had already made history, but now even more.“I cannot guarantee anything. I'm not going to hide, in the next few days I'll talk... Life is not just about glory.”

A day later, as the Blancos paraded their Champions League crown through the streets of Madrid, Ronaldo appeared to have performed a U-turn as he told revellers: “It's a happy moment and we are very happy, too. Hala Madrid and nothing else!

“Thank you, guys. Until next year...”Ronaldo’s Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale also revealed after claiming another major title that he will be weighing up his options this summer, with the Wales international another of those to have been linked with a move to United for some time.

Neither star turn has made a decision as yet, though, so the rumours appear set to rumble on until a definitive statement is made or a big-money bid tabled.

 

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Ronaldo's mother favours Man Utd return over PSG move for Real Madrid star​

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Casillas 'couldn't say no' if Madrid offered a farewell equal to Iniesta and Torres


Real Madrid great Iker Casillas would be open to a return to the club and admits he would like a farewell comparable to ones received by Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres earlier in May.

Casillas ended a 25-year stay at Madrid in 2015, departing his boyhood club for Porto after winning five La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns.While Madrid have denied forcing Casillas out, his farewell paled in comparison to Iniesta's at Barcelona and Torres' at Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

Casillas, 37, said he would have no issues returning to Madrid in the future, but accepted his farewell was mishandled by the European champions."If Real Madrid call me, I couldn't say no to return to the club in the future," he said on Wednesday.

"I saw the Iniesta and Torres farewells and, well, my situation was another, different then in Real Madrid. "In the future there will be reconciliations and there won't be any problem.Everybody would love a farewell like those ones, but I'm not all the day focused on that."

Casillas played 16 seasons at Madrid, while the 167-time Spain international helped his nation win the 2010 World Cup and European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

 

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'Neymar better and faster every day' - Danilo offers positive update on Brazil talisman


Brazil right-back Danilo knows Neymar's fitness is improving with the World Cup approaching – because he is starting to give him the runaround in training.All eyes are on Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar as he steps up preparations for Russia 2018 alongside his international colleagues, despite being ruled out of domestic action with a broken metatarsal since the end of February.

Tite's men kick off their World Cup bid against Switzerland in Rostov on June 17 but Neymar's first target for match practice is Sunday's friendly with Croatia at Anfield.

According to Manchester City's Danilo, everything is on track."I've been talking a lot with him because, in these 10 days, I always got to confront him in the training sessions," he told a news conference."So, every day we talk because I always go and challenge him and each day he is better, faster and it is more and more difficult to block him.

"We hope he can arrive at the World Cup, if not at 100 per cent then something very close to it, because for us this is very important."Danilo is chasing a starting berth with the Selecao after PSG veteran Dani Alves was ruled out of the World Cup with knee ligament damage.

"First of all, Dani Alves' injury left us all sad because what he can give to this squad is unrivalled," said the former Real Madrid defender.
"What he gave to this group over all these years is his fighting spirit, his leadership and his style of playing. No doubt, that's a big loss."But [Corinthians full-back] Fagner and I have been working hard to do our best to contribute to Brazil also and we are focusing on this."Dani, for sure, is an experienced man with a strong mindset. He'll get over this and we'll try to do our best."

 

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Mourinho watches Arnautovic in Austria action amid Man Utd transfer links


Jose Mourinho was spotted at a friendly between Austria and Russia on Wednesday, as rumours swirl he is targeting a move for Austrian forward Marko Anautovic.

The West Ham star has been linked with a big money move to the north of England as Mourinho looks to bring in reinforcements for Manchester United behind Romelu Lukaku.The pair previously worked together in 2009-10 at Inter, when Arnautovic was on loan from Twente, but the move did not work out.

The forward only appeared in three Serie A contests as a substitute, with Mourinho saying the striker had “the mentality of a child” and claimed he was "unmanageable".

However, that was eight years ago, and the 29-year-old Arnautovic has displayed quality since then, scoring 11 goals last season for West Ham after making a £20 million ($24m) move from Stoke City, where he had spent the previous four seasons. He also added six assists in his 31 Premier League appearances

It was the second time in three seasons Arnautovic had scored 11 goals and added six assists, having managed it with Stoke in 2015-16. Those numbers have led to speculation Mourinho could seek to add him to play with or beside Lukaku after the Red Devils’ depth behind the Belgian was proven wanting in the 1-0 FA Cup loss to Chelsea .

And Mourinho’s presence at a friendly in which Arnautovic started is only likely to pour more fuel on the rumour fire despite Mourinho reportedly claiming he was only "on holiday" when asked why he was in attendance at Innsbruck

However, if Mourinho was there to have a look at the forward, he was treated to Arnautovic making an impact for his national side as he laid on the assist for Alessandro Schopf’s 28th minute opener.That proved to be the winner as Arnautovic played 83 minutes of the victory over the World Cup hosts.

 

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Lewandowski leaving future to agent amid Chelsea and Real Madrid talk


Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has refused to distance himself from claims he wants to leave the Bundesliga champions.Lewandowski's agent Pini Zahavi told Sport Bild his client is keen to move on after four consecutive top-flight title triumphs at the Allianz Arena.

"Robert feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career," said Zahavi, who helped to broker Neymar's world-record move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last August.

"The leaders of Bayern know about it."Addressing a news conference while on duty with the Poland national team on Wednesday, Lewandowski looked to sidestep the issue but confirmed his future remains in Zahavi's hands."My agent takes care of these things," he said. "I am focused on the preparations for the World Cup."That is the most important thing. I do not think about anything else."Lewandowski is under contract until 2021 at Bayern and has been heavily linked to the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid this season.

"Throughout the season there were many rumours about him, but we all stayed calm, Lewy as well," said Bayern defender Niklas Sule when he spoke to reporters at Germany's pre-World Cup training base.

"From the outside there is always more talk than there actually is inside the team.He was always motivated and scored 30 goals [29] again this season in the Bundesliga."What his agent said or what the situation is with Lewy - only he [Lewandowski] knows best.

"But the club will handle this situation. All I can say is that Robert Lewandowski is highly respected within the team, he is a great guy and he always scores goals for us."

 

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Everton appoint Silva as Allardyce successor


Everton have announced the appointment of former Watford coach Marco Silva as their new manager, replacing Sam Allardyce.

Silva had been heavily linked with Everton before Allardyce was hired in November, having enjoyed a fine start to the season at Watford.The Hornets signed Silva at the beginning of the campaign after he impressed at Hull City, despite their relegation at the end of the 2016-17 season.

But they cited Everton's initial approach as a major catalyst for Silva's sacking in January, following a run of one win in 11 Premier League matches.

When Watford refused to give Everton permission to speak to Silva, they turned to Allardyce and he ultimately steered them clear of trouble, finishing eighth in the Premier League.But supporters never took to the former England manager and Everton confirmed his exit on May 16, paving the way for Silva – who was always the big favourite – to make his return to Premier League football.

And the Portuguese coach says he is aware of the fans' expectations after Allardyce failed to truly convince them."I'm really proud to be the new Everton manager," he told the club's official website. "I'm excited and I'm really happy to take this big challenge for us as a club and for me as a manager.

"I want to express my thanks to Farhad [Moshiri, majority shareholder], to the chairman, to the board of directors and to Marcel [Brands, director of football] as well for the confidence in my work."I know the huge history of Everton as a club and what the fans expect. I'm sure with everybody working together I will be ready for this challenge.

"We have a lot of work to do in this next month and it is important to prepare everything in the right way. But there will be even more important work to do from the start of pre-season into the first Premier League match of next season.

"I know what our fans expect - they expect results but not only results. I want our fans to be proud when they see our team on the pitch. I want them to feel that we are committed, that we are working hard and enjoying our football because that is important as well.

"Everton is a really ambitious club and that is what I want. What we are seeing now are good changes at the club. The club is changing its approach, but one thing we cannot change and nobody wants to change is the huge history and ambition of the club."

 

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Zinedine Zidane announces shock Real Madrid resignation

Zinedine Zidane has announced that he is leaving Real Madrid less than a week after guiding them to an unprecedented third successive Champions League title.

The club revealed on Thursday that Zidane was to appear in a hastily arranged news conference that caught many by surprise, fuelling speculation that his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu could be coming to an end.Zidane confirmed his departure at the start of the news briefing, just five days after he presided over the 3-1 Champions League final win over Liverpool."I have decided not to be Real Madrid coach next season," said Zidane, who was joined by club president Florentino Perez.

"I spoke to Florentino yesterday [Wednesday] to tell him my thoughts, my feelings. I know it's a strange moment for everyone involved, but I think it's the right decision."I think this team needs to keep winning but I think after three years a change is needed, something different, a different message, different ways of going about things.

"That's why I decided to take this decision. It's a club I love and I love the president too, he brought me to this huge club and I will always be grateful, but I think a change is needed so I will not be here next season."Even European success, which he also managed in each of his first two seasons in charge of the team, has not been enough to persuade him to prolong his spell.

Madrid's third-place La Liga finish is likely the major factor in Zidane's departure, as Los Blancos ended the season 17 points adrift of bitter rivals and champions Barcelona.He did, however, confirm that he was not pushed out of the exit door.

"It's my decision," he said. "For many people, this will not make sense, but it does for me. It's time for a change."There have been tough times, in the Copa del Rey notably, and I don’t forget those. This club is in my heart. It ended well for me when I was a player and it’s ended well for me as a manager."

Zidane was appointed as Real Madrid boss in January 2016 and took charge of Madrid 149 times. He won 105 of those games, and as well as three Champions League titles, he also enjoyed success in La Liga in 2016-17.
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