..::Football IV::..

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Barcelona captaincy has changed Messi, says Bartomeu


Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes Lionel Messi is "very happy" at the La Liga club, praising the star for changing after taking the captaincy.Messi, 31, was named Barca skipper in August after Andres Iniesta's departure from Camp Nou.Bartomeu said he had seen a change in the Argentina international, lauding the attacker for his leadership.

"Messi is very happy here. He is delighted and excited about continuing to triumph at Barcelona," he told Onda Cero on Monday."Messi has made a change, he has decided to take on the captaincy and assume that responsibility in the team."

Messi and his team-mates could be heading to the United States for a La Liga game against Girona early next year.That decision has been criticised, but Bartomeu said his club were simply trying to grow the league.

"La Liga proposed that we play a match abroad and it seemed a good idea. We have the obligation to promote the league," he said."You have to get closer to the fans and find new streams of income. Playing a match abroad would help us.

"If it can be played, we'll do it. The club captains have been informed."

 

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Man Utd Champions League expectations too high - Ferdinand


Rio Ferdinand has told Goal that Manchester United cannot be expected to be amongst the front-runners for the Champions League this season.Jose Mourinho’s side begin their European campaign on Wednesday with a first-ever trip to face Young Boys in Group H, and many are expecting them to improve on their showing last season when they were eliminated by Sevilla in the Round of 16.

But BT Sport pundit Ferdinand, who spent 12 years with the club and captained them to the 2008 Champions League title, believes United still have a long way to go to match their status under Sir Alex Ferguson.

“With Manchester United the pressure of being there is that the expectations are to be going into the later stages, definitely,” he explained. “But it’s not the Man Utd of 10 years ago where they were dominating and that was the given every single time we went into the Champions League they were minimum semi-finalists.

“So it’s different now and this is a process of building still, Man Utd aren’t where they want to be as a team yet and they’re building towards that so I don’t think anyone can sit there and say Man Utd should be semi-finalists or finalists because even in their own league they’ve not won it yet, they’re still building.”Despite the disappointment of last year’s campaign, Ferdinand says he is hopeful of United getting out of a tough group which also pits them against Valencia and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus.

“It wasn’t the ideal scenario seeing them go out like that, against a team that you would probably have expected them to beat on paper, but that’s football,” he said of the Sevilla setback. “I think looking forward to this season it’s a tough group but it’s an exciting group.

“You’ve got Juventus coming to town as well with Ronaldo which is a great factor added to it. I think they’ll qualify from that group. I think Mourinho tactically knows how to play in the Champions League.”

The former England defender says that Ronaldo’s exit from Real Madrid leaves the field wide open for English clubs to be successful after the Spanish giants’ three successive European crowns.“I don’t think they’re going to be as potent. We saw it last year, whenever he’s there when the chips are down and something needs doing, Ronaldo would step up and get them out of a hole. I don’t know if they’ve got that player anymore.

“The pressure’s now on Gareth Bale, can Bale step up and be that man? We all know he’s got the ability and potential to do it, the stage is there for him now so I’d love to see him be that guy.

“I think Liverpool and Manchester City are contenders, and it hurts me to say that but it’s a fact. I think them two are definite contenders, the only two English teams who are capable of winning it, but whether they do or not remains to be seen.”

 

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‘Liverpool can win both Premier League and Champions League’, says Mohamed Salah


Mohamed Salah is upbeat about Liverpool's chances to finish the season as Uefa Champions League and English Premier League winners.

The Egypt star spearheaded the Reds’ campaign on both fronts, scoring 44 goals as Jurgen Klopp's men finished third on the domestic scene and fell short at the last hurdle in Europe, losing in the final to Real Madrid.

And ahead of their 2018-19 Champions League opener against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, the former AS Roma star believes they can attain success in both competitions.

"Last season we knocked out Manchester City, then Roma, who had just beaten Barca in the quarter-finals. Each time, they were incredible games," Salah told France Football."We played against teams challenging for the title and we still managed to reach the final, so of course we can do it again.

"I'm sure of it. We can even win both, the Champions League and the Premier League. I don't want us to put pressure on ourselves, but yes, everything is possible.

"It's a good draw with some good teams. PSG have some very good individuals and a great team. I'm looking forward to playing them. I'm looking forward to a very enjoyable and intense encounter."

 

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Neymar to face Liverpool, confirms PSG's Tuchel


Neymar will be in the Paris Saint-Germain team to face Liverpool but Thomas Tuchel would not confirm where the Brazil superstar will play.

The world's most expensive player sat out Friday's Ligue 1 win at home to Saint-Etienne after returning from international duty.But Tuchel said Neymar will be in his starting line-up for Tuesday's Champions League opener away to last season's beaten finalists.

Neymar has played in a number 10 role at times this season but Tuchel would not reveal whether the forward will feature in that position or from the left flank, while he is also keeping his plans for Angel Di Maria to himself.

"I will not tell, of course," Tuchel said at Monday's news conference. "What is sure is that he will play, but in which role, I will not tell!"It's never a risk to trust Di Maria. In which role though, same as Neymar - I cannot tell you. It would make it very easy for Liverpool to prepare."

The showdown at Anfield presents a difficult test for a PSG side that has struggled in the business end in the tournament in recent years, failing to move further than the quarter-finals since 1995.That has not deterred Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp from believing PSG are among the favourites for the Champions League title but Tuchel is not about to get caught up in favourites talk, as he does not think it brings any positives for his team.

"We can talk about this for hours and hours, but it doesn't bring you one centimetre closer to the title," Tuchel added. "It doesn't make sense to talk about things that happen next year. We like the challenge to play here and the challenge for our group.

"In my opinion, a challenge, a game like this can never come too early. This will bring out the best in us, get us used to this pressure, this kind of level. There is no problem with that. What we need tomorrow is the best performance we have."You can never be comfortable against Jurgen's teams, or at Anfield, but this kind of opponent, atmosphere, brings out the best in us. I believe we can be a very dangerous opponent tomorrow."

Tuchel also bristled at a suggestion PSG must concentrate on the Champions League as winning Ligue 1 should be a straightforward task. "I disagree with you, it is not easy," he hit back at a journalist. "It's a point of view which does not help us in the club.

"If we judge ourselves only by the biggest goal you can have in European football, then the possibility for disappointment is very high. Why should we do this?"

 

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Maldini admits AC Milan are a 'long way off' Juventus


Paolo Maldini insists AC Milan remain way behind Juventus in the battle for supremacy in Italy.

The 50-year-old was speaking after Gennaro Gattuso's side were held to a 1-1 draw at Cagliari, leaving them with a record of one win, one draw and one defeat from their opening three Serie A games in 2018-19.

In contrast, Juventus have won all four of their league matches and Maldini – who is in his first season as the club's sporting strategy and development director – accepted that the Rossoneri are unlikely to push for the title.

"The anti-Juventus? Let's be serious, we're still a long way off being that," club legend Maldini told Sky."We're aiming to reach the top four in the league and have a great run in the Europa League."Projects are important, but you can't yet compare Milan to Juventus."

The former defender, who retired in 2009 after making 902 appearances across 24 years with the club, underlined his determination to nurture young players and put in place strong foundations upon which Milan can build.The club's last Scudetto came in 2010-11, and the only domestic honours added to Milan's trophy cabinet since then are two Supercoppas Italiana."This is a serious project, we want to take Milan back to the highest levels," said Maldini.

"We have to take care of the mentality, there are young players who are not yet convinced of what they can do and who have to find self-confidence."Dialogue with us directors could be important for them."

Gattuso's men will travel to Luxembourg on Thursday for the first game of their latest Europa League venture, before facing Atalanta at the San Siro in their next Serie A fixture on Sunday.

 

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Liverpool are one of the Champions League favourites – Tuchel


Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has warned his players ahead of their Tuesday trip to Liverpool that the Reds are one of the favourites to win the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp’s men fell in last season’s final against Real Madrid, and the former Borussia Dortmund boss believes that they have the potential to go all the way this season.

However, he did suggest that the Spanish club have shown PSG the way in which the Anfield outfit, who have won all of their five competitive matches so far this season, can be beaten.

“There are many favourites and Liverpool are one,” Tuchel said when speaking to L’Equipe about the competition.

“In football, and for me sometimes it’s difficult, we have to understand that there are things that can’t be explained. Things that happen. One day, you can have your great win and it allows you to gather momentum. That’s the time you have to be most concentrated and not make a mistake. Real Madrid have shown us how it’s done.”Tuchel also spoke about what he wants to change in order to lead PSG to their first European title.

“It’s very important to have experience in this kind of environment, to have done it,” he said. And PSG miss that, it’s clear. When you don’t have it, you’re maybe more of a challenger than a favourite. We have to change our mentality.“Of course, PSG have great players, so it’s not really the same challenge as it would be with a team like Dortmund. But in the Champions league, you face teams with a great deal of success in this type of trial and we, we must go step by step.”

Beaten by Barcelona and Real Madrid in the last-16 stage in each of the last two years, the new boss does not believe it will take a big shift in fortunes to allow PSG to progress deeper into the competition, but he did note the fine lines that can be decisive.“It was the conviction of Real,” he said when considering why Zinedine Zidane’s side beat PSG 5-2 on aggregate last season.“They have experience in these games and they know that in the end they will win these matches.

“Look at the first match against Real. PSG deserved to win, were close to doing so, but in the end conceded three goals.

“I watched the return leg with my staff. You felt that PSG were not totally convinced that they could comeback, contrary to the players of Real.”PSG have been placed in Group C, alongside Liverpool, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.

 

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2018.09.18

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2018.09.18

Barcelona Vs PSV

Inter Vs Tottenham

Club Brugge Vs Dortmund

Crvena Vs Napoli

Galatasaray Vs Lokomotiv

Liverpool Vs PSG

Monaco Vs Atletico Madrid

Schalke Vs Porto

​

 

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Galatasaray 3 Lokomotiv Moscow 0: Terim's side make light work of Russians


Garry Rodrigues, Eren Derdiyok and Selcuk Inan were on target as 10-man Galatasaray opened their Champions League Group D campaign with a 3-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow.

The Turkish side started ferociously in front of a partisan home crowd and took a deserved lead inside the opening 10 minutes when Cape Verde international Rodrigues scored from distance.Lokomotiv twice came close to equalising through Solomon Kvirkvelia and Jefferson Farfan as Galatasaray looked like they might be punished for failing to double down on their early dominance.

Derdiyok had other ideas, though, whipping in a superb free-kick from 25 yards in the 67th minute before Inan netted a penalty in stoppage time after Emre Akbaba had been brought down in the area.

Not even the late dismissal of Badou Ndiaye for two bookings could take the shine off a fine night for Fatih Terim's side, who open their Champions League campaign with a flourish.

The hosts started with a spring in their step and opened the scoring after nine minutes when Rodrigues' low shot from outside the penalty area powered through Guilherme's less-than robust resistance.

The Russian champions recovered well and carved out a number of opportunities as the first half wore on. Kvirkvelia saw a close-range effort cleared off the line and then an unmarked Farfan headed over from six yards when it looked easier to score.

The sides exchanged quick-fire chances shortly after the restart, Aleksey Miranchuk's fizzing effort palmed away by Fernando Muslera and Guilherme tipping over Ndiaye's thunderous drive from 30 yards.There was little Guilherme could do about Galatasaray's second, though, as Derdiyok's free-kick found the net.

Ndiaye received his marching orders three minutes from time for a rash second booking, but that did not stop the hosts adding a third deep into added time from the spot after Guilherme tripped Akbaba to abruptly end a flowing counter-attack.

 

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Club Brugge 0 Borussia Dortmund 1: Super sub Pulisic scores late winner

Christian Pulisic scored a late winner to earn Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 victory over Club Brugge after Lucien Favre's side survived a number of scares in their Champions League opener.

In a battle between two sides with unbeaten records this season, visiting coach Favre gave rare starts to Mario Gotze and Jadon Sancho but saw his side frequently pinned back by a dynamic Brugge outfit.Dortmund improved significantly in the second half and substitute Pulisic had only been on the field for 16 minutes when he looped the ball into the net to ensure his side made the most of perhaps their best chance for an away win in Group A.

Atletico Madrid won 2-1 away at Monaco in the group's other fixture, and both those sides will fancy their chances against Brugge and Dortmund.
Jelle Vossen arrowed a header just wide with a near-post header after 11 minutes and Marco Reus had to clear the ball off the line eight minutes later when Vossen went through on goal again.Arnaut Danjuma drew a superb save from Roman Burki at full stretch, the goalkeeper parrying the ball away from the bottom left corner as Brugge enjoyed the better of the first-half chances.Shinji Kagawa floated a superb cross to the far post that Lukasz Piszczek arrived in time to connect with but he mistimed his swing.

With five minutes left to play, Kagawa played in Pulisic and he deflected Matej Mitrovic's attempted clearance up and over Karlo Letica for a fortuitous winner.

 

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Schalke 1 Porto 1: Fahrmann saves one penalty, but Otavio scores another

Ralf Fahrmann's fine display was not enough to earn Schalke a win as Otavio's penalty helped Porto claim a 1-1 draw in their Champions League Group D fixture.Iker Casillas became the first player to feature in a 20th Champions League campaign, but it was Fahrmann who left his mark at Veltins-Arena with a string of superb saves.

Having brilliantly kept out Alex Telles' spot-kick, Fahrmann somehow denied Felipe from point-blank range early in the second half before Breel Embolo nudged Schalke ahead just after the hour.


Fahrmann could not repeat his earlier heroics in the 75th minute, though, as Otavio stepped up to convert from the spot and secure a share of the spoils after Naldo had clumsily brought down Moussa Marega.

With all eyes on Casillas, it was Fahrmann who took the limelight in the 13th minute, getting down low to tip Telles' shot wide after referee Jesus Gil Manzano deemed Naldo had deliberately handled in the area.

Naldo could have made amends at the other end soon after but, having met Daniel Caligiuri's free-kick, the veteran defender failed to keep his header down.Fahrmann was at his best again two minutes into the second half, reacting instinctively to prevent Felipe bundling in from three yards out.Casillas could not replicate Fahrmann's form at the other end in the 64th minute - Embolo slotting home through the 37-year-old's legs after latching onto Weston McKennie's cross.

Schalke’s lead was short-lived, however, as - following a rash challenge on Marega by Naldo - Otavio sent Fahrmann the wrong way from 12 yards.
Yevhen Konoplyanka had the chance to snatch the points in the closing stages, only for the Ukraine international to drill wide from close range as Porto held firm.

 

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Red Star Belgrade 0 Napoli 0: Points shared as Italians fail to make possession pay

Red Star Belgrade marked their return to Europe's grand stage with a battling 0-0 draw against a frustrated Napoli at Rajko Mitic Stadium on Tuesday.

The highly fancied visitors probed patiently from start to finish but were unable to deny the Serbian champions a hard-earned point on their first appearance in the competition for 26 years.Though Lorenzo Insigne and Mario Rui both struck the crossbar either side of half-time, it was a largely unconvincing way for Napoli to commence their Champions League campaign.

Carlo Ancelotti may instead have to manufacture positive results against both Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain if his team is to escape a tough Group C.
Napoli's command of possession translated into few early scares for Red Star outside of an audacious Insigne rocket that came back off the woodwork.Though his defence was under constant examination, Milan Borjan only had one real save to make before half-time, the goalkeeper smartly covering his near post to block Arkadiusz Milik's first-time effort in the 29th minute.

Napoli were again frustrated by the frame of the goal when Mario Rui skimmed a free-kick off the top of the bar soon after the restart as opportunities for the opener began to flow more regularly, Jose Callejon next having a mishit finish cleared off the line by Milan Rodic.

But genuine chances were ultimately too few to deserve a winner and the Serie A side could themselves have been punished late in proceedings, David Ospina up to the test of a Richmond Boakye shot from the edge of the area.

 

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Liverpool 3 Paris Saint-Germain 2: Firmino strikes late as Reds edge five-goal thriller

Roberto Firmino came off the bench to fire in a stoppage-time winner as Liverpool downed Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in a Champions League classic at Anfield.

Kylian Mbappe appeared to have salvaged a draw for PSG after levelling the scores in the 83rd minute, but the World Cup winner then gave away possession 25 yards out from his own goal.

And Firmino, who started on the bench due to an eye injury suffered against Tottenham on Saturday, rifled across Alphonse Areola to ensure last season's beaten finalists got off to a victorious start in Group C on Tuesday.


PSG had fought back from 2-0 down, Liverpool leading thanks to a Daniel Sturridge header and James Milner's penalty, but Jurgen Klopp's men deserved to come out on top.

Virgil van Dijk and Milner forced early saves from Alphonse Areola, with the visitors having to defend a barrage of corners, and Liverpool took the lead on the half-hour mark.Trent Alexander-Arnold's delivery from the right was slightly too deep but Andrew Robertson arrived to deliver a brilliant first-time cross that Sturridge firmly headed past Areola.

The Liverpool lead was soon doubled, Milner beating Areola from 12 yards after Juan Bernat clumsily tripped Georginio Wijnaldum in the penalty area, but Thomas Meunier gave PSG an immediate lifeline with a low volley.

Liverpool thought they had restored their two-goal cushion after the break when Mohamed Salah tapped in from close range, but it was rightly ruled out for Sturridge's challenge on Areola.Mbappe, who had barely had a sniff of goal, seized on a loose ball after Neymar's driving run to slam home past Alisson and seemingly earn PSG a point with only seven minutes to go.

However, the France international crucially had an impact at the opposite end of the field in added time, giving up possession to allow Van Dijk to feed Firmino, who arrowed in a shot to settle a pulsating contest.

 

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Monaco 1 Atletico Madrid 2: Costa and Gimenez seal comfortable win

Diego Costa and Jose Gimenez did the damage as Atletico Madrid came from behind to begin their Champions League Group A campaign with a 2-1 win at Monaco.Atletico have been disappointing in LaLiga and again looked susceptible at the back in the first half, but their quality in the final third ensured they had too much for Leonardo Jardim's men.

A couple of mistakes in quick succession ruined Atletico's positive start as Samuel Grandsir netted on his Champions League debut, but the superior visitors deservedly went into the break ahead thanks to Costa and Gimenez.


That lead never looked in danger after the restart, as Atletico enjoyed complete control of the midfield and saw out the win.Although Atletico started the brighter, Monaco punished two errors in the 18th minute as Radamel Falcao robbed Saul Niguez in the area and saw Angel Correa knock his cutback on to Grandsir, who prodded past Jan Oblak.

Costa made amends for an early miss by levelling just after the half-hour mark, finishing beyond Diego Benaglio with aplomb after Antoine Griezmann's cushioned first-time pass released him.Atletico completed the turnaround on the stroke of half-time – Gimenez powering a header past Benaglio from Koke's corner.

The away side sat back more after the break, offering encouragement to Monaco, but a lack of sharpness in attack saw the hosts fail to capitalise.Substitute Jordi Mboula looked lively after replacing Nacer Chadli, though the best he could muster was a long-range effort which sailed over and Atletico easily cruised to the final whistle.

 

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Barcelona 4 PSV 0: Marvellous Messi lights up Camp Nou

Lionel Messi scored a marvellous hat-trick as Barcelona got their Champions League campaign up and running with a 4-0 win over PSV at Camp Nou.

Barca were off the pace for much of the first half of Tuesday's Group B clash, but Messi broke the deadlock with a trademark free-kick.They moved through the gears after the restart but found PSV dogged in defence, with two further excellent goals needed to make the points safe.

Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead with an outstanding individual effort and Messi fittingly had the final say, completing his hat-trick by scoring either side of a red card for Samuel Umtiti.
PSV had the better of the opening stages and Gaston Pereiro powered a shot over the bar and Steven Bergwijn curled narrowly wide on the counter with Philippe Coutinho heading over at the other end.

Luis Suarez fired into the side-netting as the hosts struggled to find their rhythm but a surging run forward from Dembele led to the free-kick from which Messi sparked them into life.

Dembele was fouled by Nick Viergever and Messi nonchalantly curled the ball into the top-right corner beyond a helpless Jeroen Zoet.PSV, to their credit, did not allow the floodgates to open in the immediate aftermath, though a flying Zoet save was required to tip over a curling effort from Coutinho two minutes before the hour mark.

Zoet was beaten all ends up as Suarez dug out a marvellous lob from the edge of the area, only for the Uruguay international to be cruelly denied by the bar.But Barca's second did eventually come in similarly superb style.

Dembele wonderfully turned two PSV players before running into space and unleashing a right-footed effort that beat the outstretched arm of Zoet, who was soon picking the ball out of his net again, as Barca finished with a flourish.

Ivan Rakitic lifted a delicate ball over the PSV backline that Messi dispatched with a fine first-time finish on the run to make it 3-0 and, after Umtiti received a second yellow for impeding Hirving Lozano, he latched on to a clever Suarez flick and emphatically capped off his treble.

 

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Inter 2 Tottenham 1: Icardi, Vecino complete dramatic late turnaround

Inter mounted a stunning late turnaround to come from behind and shock Tottenham with a dramatic 2-1 Champions League victory at a raucous San Siro on Tuesday.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, the home side were trailing to Christian Eriksen's heavily deflected strike until Mauro Icardi and Matias Vecino netted in quick succession to turn the Group B encounter on its head.Spurs were perhaps fortunate to see Eriksen's opener loop over Samir Handanovic off Miranda, but Mauricio Pochettino's side looked in little danger of relinquishing their lead heading into the final stages.

Inter were inspired by Icardi's moment of magic, however, the captain thundering a first-time volley into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards before Vecino nodded in Stefan de Vrij's header from a corner in the second minute of stoppage time.
It was a dramatic denouement to a largely scrappy affair, which had taken 37 minutes for either team to carve out a chance of any note - Harry Kane rounding Handanovic but then losing control after being picked out by Eriksen's majestic chipped pass.

That disappointment was swiftly overcome after the resumption, though, as a flat-footed Handanovic clawed unsuccessfully at Eriksen's effort, having got down smartly to keep out the initial shot.

And there was little sign of the late drama to come as Icardi thumped in Kwadwo Asamoah's cross from the left before Vecino was in the right place to secure Inter's celebratory return to European football's top table for the first time since 2011-12.

 

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Mourinho hints at Rashford start against Young Boys


Jose Mourinho has hinted that Marcus Rashford will start in Manchester United's Champions League opener away to Young Boys on Wednesday.Rashford has not featured for United since he was sent off against Burnley prior to the international break, though he scored two goals in as many games while on duty with England.

Despite being suspended for Saturday's Premier League win at Watford, Rashford was the subject of a long Mourinho rant ahead of the game, with United's manager taking aim at media pundits who have criticised his use of the talented attacker.

Even prior to that sending off, Rashford had started just one of United's games to that point in the season.

Some have suggested Mourinho has not played Rashford enough and is in danger of wasting his potential, but the Portuguese coach reeled off a list of statistics that appeared to provide evidence to the contrary.

Rashford could now return to the United line-up as their Group H campaign starts in Switzerland, though Mourinho asked the gathered reporters to not be too critical of those who are not included in his starting XI."He is selected for the game," Mourinho said in his pre-match news conference.

"But I just want to remind you, in advance, that we can only start with 11 players, so when tomorrow you see the team, you could try to speak about the ones who are going to play and not about the ones who aren't."We have [Romelu] Lukaku, Rashford, [Juan] Mata, Alexis [Sanchez], [Anthony] Martial and they cannot all play together.

"Try to be a little happy for the ones who are playing, not critical of those not playing."

 

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De Gea hints at new Man Utd contract after feeling the love at Old Trafford


David de Gea has hinted that he is ready to sign a new contract at Manchester United, with the Spaniard claiming to feel “really loved” at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper has entered the final year of his current deal, although the Red Devils do hold a 12-month extension option.Jose Mourinho is hoping that agreement will not have to be triggered, with United eager to have fresh terms in place before reaching that point.

De Gea, who has won a record-breaking four Player of the Year awards with the Red Devils, has suggested that he will be putting pen to paper as he feels settled and valued in his current surroundings.

"I feel really loved at his club from the fans from all the people who are for this club," he told reporters after being asked about signing a new contract."I am really happy to play for this club, one of best clubs in the world, so for me really good to be part of this club."De Gea has established a reputation as one of the finest goalkeepers in world football during his time in England.

He has remained a model of consistency for United throughout a testing period since Sir Alex Ferguson slipped into retirement, with his displays seeing him showered with praise.The same cannot be said for his recent outings with Spain,as his performances at World Cup 2018 saw him face further criticism.

De Gea has, however, been around long enough to ignore his detractors, saying: "Well, normally I never listen.

"Normally I focus on my job and focus on trying to help my team and trying to improve every training session and try to be as a good as I can."I never listen to stupid things like this they say."

Having learned not to dwell on events of the past, De Gea’s focus at present is locked on United’s Champions League opener against Young Boys on Wednesday.The Red Devils slipped out of Europe’s premier club competition at the last-16 stage last season, with there a determination on their part to make more of an impact at 2018-19.

"Yes, of course we want to improve in the Champions League," said De Gea.
"It's such a special competition. It's a long time for Manchester United not to win this cup so we are ready to do it.

"We are in a difficult group, starting tomorrow with a difficult team. We want to start well, winning games and try to win the competition but we know it's always difficult to win."

 

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Arsenal announce new CEO as Gazidis joins AC Milan


Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has resigned to join AC Milan, the Premier League club have announced.

The 54-year-old will step down at the end of October, following a decade at Emirates Stadium, and take up the same role at Milan, who were recently taken over by American company Elliott Management, on December 1.Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham will head up football operations at Arsenal, taking up the head of football and managing director roles respectively.

Sanllehi, a former director of football at Barcelona, joined the Gunners as head of football relations in February, while Venkatesham is currently the club's chief commercial officer.Gazidis headed up the interview process that led to Unai Emery's appointment as head coach, succeeding long-serving manager Arsene Wenger.

His overhaul of Arsenal's structure, including the appointments of Sanllehi and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, arguably helped to herald the end of the Wenger era as a degree of power was wrestled away from the veteran Frenchman, and Gazidis has described his pending departure as "the hardest decision of my life".

"For the last 10 years I have been privileged to dedicate myself to this great club.Arsenal is entering a new chapter and I have done everything I can to ensure that it is strongly placed to take on that challenge," he said in a statement on Arsenal's official website.

"This includes world-class facilities and outstanding leaders in every sector who carry the values of the club, including, of course, Unai Emery, Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham, in whom I have enormous faith.

"Although it is very hard to do - the hardest decision of my life - I believe that, after 10 years, it is the right time for me to step aside to allow new leadership, energy and ideas to take the club forward into this exciting new era."While this is the most difficult and challenging course for me, I am excited to see what the future holds for this great club.

"After so many years at Major League Soccer and Arsenal, I am now looking forward to joining one of the world’s other great clubs, AC Milan, and working to restore it to its rightful place in football. Until then, I will continue to devote absolutely all my energy until my last day to ensure an orderly transition for the benefit of Arsenal Football Club."Meanwhile, chairman Chips Keswick believes the club are in a stronger position thanks to Gazidis, but is confident about the change in direction.

"Ivan has led Arsenal with skill and dedication and leaves us in a strong position," he said. "The club has been transformed and he has recruited talented people, such as Raul, Vinai and of course Unai Emery, who will take us to future success.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba must learn from Cristiano Ronaldo's example – Ferdinand


Cristiano Ronaldo should be an example for Paul Pogba to follow, according to Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.

Pogba continues to come in for criticism at Old Trafford due to a perceived lack of end product to his game, particularly in light of his performances for France at Russia 2018. He has been accused of being more concerned by his image than his football, and while the 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Barcelona, Ferdinand certainly does not think his career at Old Trafford is on the rocks.

Indeed, he compared the ex-Juventus ace to Ronaldo, who developed his game with the Red Devils and refined himself into a player who would go on to win five Ballons d’Or.

The Portuguese is, according to Ferdinand, the example that Pogba must now follow.“Cristiano came as what we called a showpony, all the stepovers, looking good for the fans,” he told ESPN. “He left the best player in the world, who lived and died by the end product. Goals and assists.

“But that's down to intelligence, Ronaldo worked it out, actually: ‘That's good that the people love me for that, but what's going to get me there, to the top of the mountain. I need to adjust my game.’ And he left as the best player in the world.“So Paul Pogba can look at that as something to learn from there as well. What do I really need to do to make myself the best midfielder on this planet?

“He's got an ego, that's not hard to see on social media, this boy's got an ego, wants to be looked at and talked about as the best player. There's a hunger and desire for that, with that comes a work ethic.”

Ferdinand did, however, suggest that manager Jose Mourinho has a role to play in getting the best from the player by fielding him in his strongest position.

“I think that's been the problem so far, they've not been able to work out what's best for Paul Pogba in the Man United team,” the 2008 Champions League winner said. “Should he be playing in a deeper, reserved position? Should he be playing on the edge of all the attacks, assisting, providing chances, etc? Where is he best in this team?”

Pogba is expected to play a central role when United take on Young Boys in the Champions League this week, their first European outing of the season after five Premier League matches.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Napoli boss Ancelotti: Red Star are 'professionals at time wasting and diving'


An unimpressed Carlo Ancelotti branded Red Star Belgrade "professionals at time wasting and diving" after Napoli were held to a 0-0 away draw in their Champions League opener.

Napoli dominated possession and twice struck the crossbar without ever putting goalkeeper Milan Borjan under sustained pressure in the Serbian capital on Tuesday.

It made for a frustrating start for Serie A side Napoli, who face a difficult fight to escape Group C, which also includes Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ancelotti is confident his team can make up for the dropped points but was less positive about Red Star's method of negotiating the final stages."It was inevitable that the last 15 minutes would be different," Ancelotti told Sky Sport Italy.

"They are professionals at time wasting and diving. They play tight and they are always looking for a foul."But that's not the problem. We should have scored earlier."It was close, we just lacked the final spark. We made little mistakes in passing and shooting. We were unlucky too."

While tougher tasks are still to come, the experienced Ancelotti – three times a Champions League winner as a coach – warned against overreacting to Tuesday's result.

"We didn't win an important game, but we shouldn't be so negative," he said.
"There are still five games to go and we can beat anyone. We didn’t score, it's a pity, but we were very close."