..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Reus tipped to outshine Messi, Ronaldo & Salah star of World Cup by Cacau


Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah may be seen by most as the big stars to watch at the World Cup, but former Germany international Cacau has backed Marco Reus to shine brightest on his debut at the tournament,
Borussia Dortmund forward Reus missed out on the last finals after suffering an ankle injury in a warm-up match, watching on as his Germany team-mates won the World Cup.

But the 29-year-old is back in the squad and back in form ahead of the tournament in Russia, prompting Cacau to suggest he can make a big impact and win the Golden Ball.

"Marco Reus is the player of the tournament, for me," he told T-Online. "He is an absolutely top international player, who can dribble, is extremely fast and very strong in the final third."I am pleased that Reus is finally able to experience his first World Cup and I hope he stays in shape, which would mean a huge improvement in quality for the team."Reus was selected ahead of Manchester City star Leroy Sane, despite making only 11 Bundesliga appearances this season.

As the current Ballon d'Or holder and entering the tournament off the back of another Champions League win with Real Madrid, big things are expected of Ronaldo this summer.And while Cacau sees the 33-year-old as a big threat, he feels his team may late him down.

"I think he has already won the maximum for Portugal at Euro 2016 - he has won the title for his nation," he added. "That's what makes him a top player. But Ronaldo is also dependent on his team-mates and I do not think Portugal has the quality to make a big impact."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Alderweireld open to Tottenham stay despite Man Utd rumours


Toby Alderweireld has made it clear he is open to the possibility of staying at Tottenham despite stories linking him with a move.

The Belgium international featured just 14 times in the Premier League last season, with his campaign disrupted by suggestions of a contract stalemate as well as hamstring and thigh injuries.Alderweireld has two years left on his current deal, but the uncertainty around an extension has led to links with Manchester United.




Jose Mourinho's side are said to have already declared their interest in the centre-back, though he insists he is in no rush to leave Spurs.When asked if staying at Spurs was a possibility, Alderweireld told reporters:"Yeah, why not? I have two years left on my contract. I don't know what is going to happen."

The 29-year-old is away on international duty with Belgium at the World Cup and will come up against plenty of familiar faces when they face England.And Alderweireld thinks England have a better aura around them this time around.

"I have been in the Premier League for four years and something is different with England now,” Alderweireld added. "They are young lads, there is a lot of desire.

"There is a new vibe coming. They have wonderful players, not just stars but players who want to become better."I think they are going to have a very good World Cup. England can do whatever they want if they are on it. They are a very good team."I know most of the players. They have the right mentality to go far now. They have quality and desire, players with a good attitude."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lopetegui sacked by Spain on eve of World Cup kick-off after Real Madrid appointment

Julen Lopetegui has been sacked as manager of Spain , after taking the Real Madrid job on Tuesday.

Lopetegui was announced as Zinedine Zidane's successor in a move that surprised many just days before the World Cup in Russia is due to start.The announcement initially claimed that the 51-year-old would take the reins at Santiago Bernabeu after the conclusion of the tournament, but La Roja have acted now after making the announcement at a press conference in Krasnodar.

"We have decided to fire the national coach," Spanish Football Federation president, Luis Rubiales, said. "What we have achieved in getting here is due in great part to him, and we must thank him and wish him luck."Rubiales insists he does not feel undermined, but has suggested that Real acted in a manner unbecoming of their status.

He added: “I don’t feel betrayed. Lopetegui has done impeccable work. How all this has been done is something else."I have spoken with the players and I can guarantee they will do everything, along with the new coach, to take the team as far as possible.

"Real Madrid look for the best coach, that is fine by me. I have no opinion about how Real Madrid act. But the federation have an obligation to represent all Spaniards."I found out [about the deal with Madrid] five minutes beforehand and asked for nothing to be done, that I was getting a plane and coming here.

"But, after five minutes, I saw it in the press and we had to react. We have a responsibility. I know there will be criticism but the values of the RFEF are set by the RFEF itself."To win is very important, to have the best coach is very important, but above everything is acting in the right way. Maybe this is tough now, but in the end it will make us stronger.”

Lopetegui was unbeaten in his time in the Spain dugout, guiding his team to 14 wins and six draws from 20 matches, and he signed a new two-year contract to take him through to Euro 2020 in May.The stunning development threatens to destabilise a team regarded as one of the favourites to win the tournament in Russia.Spain face Portugal on Friday, and will also face Iran and Morocco in Group B.

Rubiales has not revealed who will be in charge for La Roja's opening game of the tournament, but insists that an announcement will be made in due course.
“We are going to touch as little as possible," he said. "We are working on it.When we know we will tell you.”Spain sporting director Fernando Hierro and Under-21 coach Albert Celades have been tipped to take over for at least the World Cup.

The planned media conference on Wednesday was delayed by more than an hour while Rubiales reportedly held last-minute talks with Lopetegui.There were also rumours the team's senior players, including captain Sergio Ramos, had called for the former Porto coach to stay in charge for the tournament.

Rubiales, though, insists the squad is entirely focused on Friday's match against Portugal in Sochi."All this is a big blow, but we are training again later today, we will stay together and move forward," he said."The players are very focused and they have told me they are fully committed and will give 100 per cent."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hierro to replace sacked Lopetegui as Spain manager for World Cup

Fernando Hierro will manage Spain at the 2018 World Cup after Julen Lopetegui was sensationally sacked on Wednesday.The former Bolton Wanderers defender was previously the sporting director of the national team, and will now step into the breach following Lopetegui's astonishing dismissal.

Lopetegui was appointed Real Madrid manager on Tuesday, with an announcement from the club claiming that he would take the role following the conclusion of the World Cup, with Spain set to play Portugal in their opening game on Friday.

However, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) took the decision to sack the former Porto boss, with the announcement of his deal with Real reportedly sending shockwaves through the nation's football hierarchy.

Hierro has previously been assistant manager at Real Madrid and has also worked as Malaga's director of football.However, he has managed just one club in his career, taking over at Real Oviedo in Spain's Segunda Division for the 2016-17 season, though he failed to take the club to promotion, and subsequently departed by mutual consent.

Hierro is best known in Spain for his playing days at Real, where he won five La Liga titles, as well as the Champions League three times. He also spent the 2004-05 season playing under Sam Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers.As well as Portugal, Spain will face Iran and Morocco in Group B in Russia.La Roja were heavily fancied to win the tournament, boasting a squad packed with world-class players, but it remains to be seen how they will adjust to their new circumstances.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mokakda meh karanneLopetegui OUT Hierro INThanikarama pissuwakne

World Cup eka atha laga thiyagena meh wage dewal karana ekenam kohethma hoda deyak newei team eka patthen gatthama


​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Juventus signing Icardi is fantasy football'


Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta insists the club cannot sign Inter striker Mauro Icardi this summer, insisting reports suggesting such are "fantasy football".

Juve have been linked with a move for the mercurial Argentina international, with several outlets suggesting that Gonzalo Higuain could move the other way.Marotta, though, says such talk is nonsense, and has scotched any suggesting that Inter have entered into negotiations with Icardi, who scored 29 goals in 34 Serie A appearances this season.

“Juventus players are considered unsellable, up until the moment they ask to be sold," he told reporters. "In the case of Higuain, even if he’s at the World Cup, we’ve received no such request.“Icardi is a suggestion. Obviously we’re talking about an excellent player, one who belongs to Inter, and then there are these news reports that we’ve approached him.

“All that falls into the realms of fantasy, fantasy football.” Juve have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Mattia Perin this summer, and are also hopeful of completing the acquisition of Emre Can from Liverpool on a free transfer.

“We’re optimistic on Emre Can,” Marotta confirmed.“We can say that the contact with his representatives has started and are going well. We hope we can reach a conclusion in 10 days.”Juve won a seventh straight Scudetto in 2017-18, finishing four points ahead of second-placed Napoli.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

No regrets - Hierro looking ahead with Spain following Lopetegui saga


Fernando Hierro says there is no time for Spain to lament their pre-World Cup plans being left in disarray by the shock dismissal of Julen Lopetegui.The Royal Spanish Football Federation announced on Wednesday, the eve of the finals, that Lopetegui had been sacked, just 24 hours after it was confirmed he would take over at Real Madrid following the tournament.

Hierro, a former captain of La Roja whose international career spanned from 1989 to 2002, has assumed the reins for the World Cup, where Spain must first tackle a Group B consisting of Portugal, Iran and Morocco.

And the retired defender insists that rather than rue their chaotic preparations, the 2010 winners must move on swiftly, with Cristiano Ronaldo and the reigning European champions looming as their opening test in Sochi on Friday.

"The players are excited, they want this challenge, it's a challenge for everyone, we do not have time to regret," he told a media conference."We have to be positive, opinions are not valid here, we have to turn the page, be positive, think about the players in the squad and what we represent. "We came to fight for the World Cup, the team is excited, we have a great opportunity and that must be the focus.

"I know that they are going to give up their soul and give 100 per cent in a World Cup ... we all know what this means. The response I've received is fantastic, it's a united group, they know their goals."We have the obligation to think that we have a great opportunity, we need the work and dedication of the whole world ... we are going to try with all our strength."

Hierro, a five-time La Liga winner as well a European champion on three occasions with Madrid, offered his best wishes to Lopetegui."My highest admiration for Julen Lopetegui. I wish you the best of luck," he said."When the president told me about the possibility, there were two or three alternatives: one was to say no, the other was to leave, the third was to be here to take a step forward for the federation and for Spanish football."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich open to Boateng offers


Jerome Boateng could be heading for the exit at Bayern Munich after chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed the Bundesliga champions are open to offers.Boateng last month admitted he was considering leaving Bayern to once more test himself abroad, having endured a disappointing 2010-11 season at Manchester City.

City's arch rivals Manchester United have been linked with a move for the Germany international, and Rummenigge confirmed the club will not stop him from seeking a departure.

"His thoughts about leaving Bayern still exist, as his agent has told me," Rummenigge told Sport Bild."We know that this topic might be approaching.When a club is interested and Jerome says that he wants to join this club, we will consider it."I don't hide the fact that we have a financial threshold, but it won't be low for sure. But I know that Jerome is thinking about leaving."

Boateng has struggled with injuries over the past three seasons and missed the end of Bayern's campaign due to a hamstring issue, but he was still included in Joachim Low's Germany squad for the World Cup.Low said that Boateng does not appear distracted by his future and is focused on helping Germany defend their title in Russia.

"I haven't heard about that, I didn't read anything and I don't care at all what happens after the tournament," Low said of Boateng's future."There have always been situations where players change their team after a tournament. During a tournament there are situations with clubs that create interest around certain players.

"What I can say after the training sessions is that Boateng worked incredibly hard. He worked hard on his fitness levels when he came back on the first day of training, he made an incredibly good impression and also since then."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mbappe feeling '100 per cent' after ankle knock in training


Kylian Mbappe insisted he was feeling no ill-effects from his injury scare while acknowledging that the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and himself will have to be clinical if they are to propel France to World Cup glory.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward limped out of training on Tuesday nursing a left ankle problem following a challenge from team-mate Adil Rami.Mbappe subsequently tweeted to calm fears that he could miss Les Bleus' Group C opener against the Socceroos on Saturday, and the 19-year-old was in high spirits as he faced the media on Wednesday.

"I'm 100 per cent, I wanted to continue," he said."Club or national training is the same. We play as we train. These are things that happen and will happen again. It's a bit innocuous, it's a little late, certainly, but no-one died!"

Mbappe also spoke about the possibility of lining up alongside Griezmann and Dembele in attack - a prospect that greatly excites the teenager, although he concedes the trio will have to continue to work on their relationship."We are three players who appreciate each other and there is a lot of movement and speed," he said."But we can improve our defensive [work]. We cannot arrive in this competition with a team cut in half.

"We must also be more effective in front of goal, we will not have 60 opportunities. Sometimes we will have one and it will be necessary to put it away."Asked for his thoughts on the favourites to lift the trophy come July 15, Mbappe named three sides who he feels are ahead of Didier Deschamps' men in that regard, and one for whom he sees 2018 as the last chance for a golden vintage to perform on the grandest stage.

"Brazil, Germany and Spain are at present three teams that are a little ahead of us," he said. "After, there is Belgium. For them it's now. With their generation, I think it's the last chance."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Man Utd don't have wingers they need to succeed!'


Former Manchester United star Andrei Kanchelskis sympathises with the club's fall from grace since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, but does not believe the club have the required wingers to succeed.

Kanchelskis made a name for himself as a flying winger at Old Trafford, winning two Premier League titles at United under Ferguson's management and playing with the likes of Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs and Bryan Robson.United have not won the league title since Ferguson's departure, and finished second in 2017-18, with a yawning gap of 19 points to eventual champions Manchester City.

And Kanchelskis believes that Ferguson's influence continues to cast a long shadow over the club, while bemoaning the quality of players in his old position."I think after Ferguson's departure, it's hard for any coach to work there," he told Goal. "After so many victories, the fans got used to seeing their team only in the first place. And then, I think it lacks good wingers, as there could be many in the 90s.

"Those who raise the level of a team. At that time, the use of wingers was very important, now a little less. In European football, there are few clubs that attach importance to the flanks."Maybe Bayern, but otherwise I don't see others. Through the flanks, there is everything that happens, the fast attacks and the centre-forwards that follow. There are not many good wingers in the world."

Many critics of Mourinho's United tend to focus on the lavish sums spent on players, notably the £89 million ($118m) investment in Paul Pogba.Kanchelskis agrees that fees are getting out of control, but believes that the biggest clubs have no choice but to pay the going rate.

"Under Ferguson, there was no such investment," he added. "He was thrifty. But, in football, we see that every year, there is more and more money flowing."Everything is evolving. Of course it's a little too much. To my taste, it is. But you cannot escape this: if you want good football players, then pay the price. If you don't want them, don't pay. It's that simple."

 

[foundation one]

 

[foundation one]

http://www.elakiri.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1855519

 

[RottenCOLT]

ada neda patan ganne

 

[Wolverine GTR]

 

[Wolverine GTR]

http://www.elakiri.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1855519

 

[Wolverine GTR]

ada neda patan ganne

Ow bro ada patan ganne​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mane 'very happy' at Liverpool amid Real Madrid links


Liverpool star Sadio Mane has insisted that he is "very happy" at the Premier League club amid links to Real Madrid.Mane, 26, has been linked with a shock switch to the European champions after another fine campaign in England.

While the Senegal international said he was happy with life at Liverpool, he was unwilling to rule out a move in the future."I am very happy in Liverpool and my contract will last for three more years," Mane told Salzburger Nachrichten.

He added: "As I said, I'm happy in Liverpool. But you never know what will happen in the future."Mane scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 29 games in the Premier League in 2017-18.

He is the latest member of Liverpool's 'Fab Three' attacking unit to have become a rumoured target for Madrid.On the back of a 44-goal debut campaign at Anfield, Mohamed Salah has been heavily linked with a big-money move to the Santiago Bernabeu.The Egypt international has, however, also been quick to talk up his happiness on Merseyside in an effort to curb the rumours.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mexico's speed can trouble Germany – Sanchez


Former Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez believes his nation's speed can trouble Germany in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

Juan Carlos Osorio's men were handed a tough draw in Russia, including taking on the defending world champions, who won all 10 of their qualifiers.Sanchez, who made 99 appearances for Mexico, said the team know they have a challenge on their hands, but if they play their game, they could push Germany.

"There's no question that Germany is much bigger and taller than the Mexican squad, but this is not basketball, it's soccer, so the way to challenge them is to move quickly and play the ball really well," Sanchez told Omnisport in association with Powerade, the official sports drink of the World Cup and the Mexican team.

"Focus on speed, speed is what kills [strength] and height, so Mexico will have that going for them."Germany are a well-oiled machine that enter the tournament in Russia as one of the hot favorites, with Mexico to face South Korea and Sweden after their Group F opener.

The match against Sweden, who will be playing without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is set to be a challenge even though they have not won an opening game at the World Cup since 1958. That win, ironically, came against Mexico in 1958."They're a very interesting team to watch," Sanchez said before pointing to Sweden's ability to make the most of their talents. "They're incredibly disciplined," he continued. "They thrive on their ability to fit all the pieces of the puzzle really, really well."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Griezmann is 'the boss' for France, says Mbappe


France star Antoine Griezmann has shown he is "the boss" since Euro 2016, according to team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

Didier Deschamps' men, runners-up at their home European Championship two years ago, enter the World Cup in Russia as one of the favourites.That is in part thanks to Griezmann, the Atletico Madrid forward having top-scored at Euro 2016 with six goals.

Mbappe, another one of France's attacking talents, said Griezmann had already shown he could lead his nation at a major tournament."I think that he is the boss since the Euro already," he said Wednesday."When you end the European Championship the best goal-scorer in your own country, you show the world that you have the shoulders to handle the pressure.

"It's true that he went through a bad patch following the competition but he showed how [much of] an amazing player he was and he is by scoring goal after goal. "He will be pivotal for us if we want to get results."France begin their Group C campaign against Australia Saturday before meetings with Peru (June 21) and Denmark (June 26).

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Xavi criticises Real Madrid's timing of Lopetegui appointment


Spain great Xavi has criticised the timing of Julen Lopetegui being announced as Real Madrid coach.Lopetegui was stunningly sacked as Spain boss on Wednesday, a day after it was revealed he would be Zinedine Zidane's successor at Madrid.Xavi, a 133-time Spain international, was unhappy with the timing of the announcement of Lopetegui's Madrid move.

"I am not the person to talk about it [Lopetegui joining Madrid]," the Barcelona great told Radio Marca."It was not the most ideal or opportune moment."

Lopetegui's sacking came just two days before Spain's opening game against Portugal in Sochi. But Xavi believes the nation, who will be led by Fernando Hierro, can still have a strong World Cup.

"You never know, the players have already seen it all and sure, they can play a good role at the World Cup," he said."Leadership will not be missing, there is [Sergio] Ramos, [Gerard] Pique, [Andres] Iniesta."There are very prepared people and a very good atmosphere. It's not the best situation but at the same time, it unites them more and they give more of themselves, you never know."