Juventus manager, Pirlo makes promise to Cristiano Ronaldo


 
on
 August 18, 2020



Juventus manager, Andrea Pirlo, has contacted forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, to assure him that he remains vital to his plans at Allianz.

Gonzalo Higuain reacts as Juventus coach, Pirlo takes final decision on his future


 
on
 August 18, 2020



Juventus striker, Gonzalo Higuain, has said that he will return to the training on August 24 to introduce himself to the club’s new coach, Andrea Pirlo.
DAILY POST recalls that this is coming after Pirlo took a final decision on Higuain’s future at Juventus.

Lukaku speaks on Man Utd’s strikers, Solskjaer as Inter Milan qualify for Europa League final


 
on
 August 18, 2020



Inter Milan striker, Romelu Lukaku, has said he “expected” Manchester United’s front three to prove their talents this campaign and praised his former club for a “good season”.

The Argentine maestro’s commitment at Camp Nou is reportedly in doubt after the Catalan giants’ woeful European exit

Former Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o has joked that the Catalans will have to change their name should Lionel Messi depart the club.

The 33-year-old La Masia graduate, who is the most prolific player in the Blaugrana’s history, played for a full 90 minutes as they lost 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last Friday.

It was Barca’s biggest European defeat in history and their heaviest loss since 1946. It was also the first time since the 2005-06 season that neither Messi nor Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo made it to the semi-finals.

This has fuelled speculation on Messi’s future at the club, with a year left to run on his contract, and he has been linked with a possible move to Manchester City to be with his former coach in Pep Guardiola or his Argentine hometown club Newell’s Old Boys, where he featured as a youth player.

“I love Messi like he was my own son, I want the best for him. Barcelona is Messi and I think if Messi decides to leave, we’ll have to change the name of the club,” Eto’o told Argentine TV channel TyCSports.

“We are lucky in that at Barcelona, we have the best player in the world and of all-time, we have to do everything possible to ensure he finishes his career at Barcelona.”

https://sportvilla.com.ng/2020/08/17/if-messi-decides-to-leave-we-have-to-change-barcelonas-name-etoo/

Why Xavi refused to replace Setien as Barcelona manager


 
on
 August 18, 2020



Barcelona are close to appointing Ronald Koeman as their next manager.
However, the Dutchman was not the first choice of president Josep Bartomeu, according to AS.

Juventus give PSG transfer fee to wrap up Cristiano Ronaldo deal

 
on
 August 18, 2020

 

Juventus would be ready to sell Cristiano Ronaldo for offers of £54m and above, according to Sport.
Ronaldo is no longer considered ‘untouchable’ at the Italian giants, and they would be willing to do business this summer.

Barcelona reveals what will happen to senior players who refuse to leave club

 August 18, 2020
By
 


Barcelona has revealed what will happen to senior players who refuse to leave Camp Nou this summer transfer window.

Ex-Manchester City goalkeeper, Joe Hart completes shock transfer to Tottenham Hotspur (Photos)











Ex-Manchester City, Joe Hart has completed his shock move to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer following his release from Burnley at the end of last season.

 



 

The former England international, 33, underwent his medical tests on Monday and has signed a two-year contract that will see him earn £50,000 a week. 

 



 

He becomes Tottenham's second signing of the summer after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who joined the club for £15 million from Southampton and will compete with Paulo Gazzaniga for Hugo Lloris' No 1 spot in Jose Mourinho's squad next season.

 

During 12 years at Manchester City, Hart won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup. 

 



 

He also enjoyed loan spells at Torino and West Ham before joining Burnley in 2018, where he made 24 appearances.

 

Hart, who started his career at Shrewsbury, has 75 caps for England.

 


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The French former full-back is the latest to have been shown the door, with Josep Maria Bartomeu still not prepared to offer his own resignation.

Barcelona have announced the termination of technical manager Eric Abidal's contract as the club's backroom purge continues.

The Catalan club announced the sacking of head coach Quique Setien on Monday following a dreadful end to the 2019-20 season, Barca having conceded the Liga title to eternal rivals Real Madrid and crashing out of the Champions League in dramatic style.


https://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/barca-terminate-abidals-contract-as-backroom-clearout/1ewn89lylbfog1oztodggfnkc6

Messi warned against leaving Barcelona for EPL as Koeman takes over


 
on
 August 18, 2020




Lionel Messi’s former Argentina team-mate, Gonzalo Higuain, has warned him not to consider a move to the Premier League, because defenders in England “kick the s*** out of you”.

Quote:[b]PSG Beat RB Leipzig To Reach Their First Ever Champions League Final 

Paris St-Germain are through to their first Champions League final courtesy of a deserved victory over RB Leipzig in an entertaining semi-final in Lisbon.[/b]

One of Europe's biggest spenders, but also one of the continent's most high-profile underachievers on the grandest stage, PSG finally seized their opportunity courtesy of goals from Marquinhos, Angel di Maria and Juan Bernat.

The former, who scored the first of two late goals in a comeback win over Atalanta in the last eight, rose to head home a superbly delivered free-kick from Di Maria.

The Argentine forward then finished well from close range following an audacious flick from Neymar after Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi had relinquished possession with a dire kick.

With the fit-again Kylian Mbappe and Neymar terrorising the Leipzig backline, the French side should have been out of sight before the break, but the latter twice hit the post - from a clipped finish then an opportunist free-kick from range - before side-footing another chance wide at the near post.

Prior to PSG's second, Yussuf Poulsen had Leipzig's best chance but fired wide after he was found by a Dani Olmo pull-back.

Bernat sealed the win in the second half with a header that Leipzig felt was offside but was legitimate as the prone Nordi Mukiele, who had slipped in the build-up, was playing the scorer onside.

PSG will find out who they face in Sunday's final when five-time winners Bayern Munich play Lyon in the other semi-final on Wednesday.

This is glorious, but nervous, virgin territory for PSG.

The vast sums of money pumped into the French club by owners Qatar Sports Investments since 2011 has enabled them to dominate domestically. In Europe, though, not so much.

In the three seasons prior to this one they exited in the last 16, and before that they went out in the quarter-finals four years in a row - results that ultimately cost managers Laurent Blanc and Unai Emery their jobs.

Thomas Tuchel, though, has found a way to break the glass ceiling, leading the side from the French capital to their first major European final since the Cup Winners' Cup in 1997, a year before Mbappe was born.

You cannot begrudge them it either on the basis of Tuesday's performance, which was calm, confident and incisive, in contrast to a nervy and often negligent display from their opponents.

The first and third goals gave Di Maria his 88th and 89th assists in all competitions since he joined the club in August 2015 - only Barcelona's Lionel Messi has more in Europe's top five leagues in that time.

He also now has nine goal involvements in the competition this season, surpassing the tally he managed in helping Real Madrid lift the trophy in 2013-14.

Neymar's brilliant assist took him to 23 goal involvements in 19 appearances for PSG (14 goals & nine assists) in the Champions League and while Mbappe's finishing was rusty, he was still able to regularly fashion chances for himself and others.

When this trio have started together this season, PSG have lost just one of 12 games. With them fully fit and firing, they will be a match for whoever they face in the final.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53759778

Barcelona president lists 8 players that are ‘untouchable’ at Camp Nou


 
on
 August 19, 2020

 


Barcelona president, Josep Bartomeu, has named the players that will not be sold this summer, as the club looks to rebuild its squad.

Quote:Former Super Eagles forward Victor Anichebe hopes to become a football owner in future in order to improve Black, Asian and minority (BAME) representation at boardroom level within the sport.

The lack of ethnic minority representation in positions of power across sports has come to light through the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months.

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling called on English football to address the problem in June.

“We have to have a seat at the table to really effect change,” Anichebe said.

“We can’t try and affect change from the outside and looking in. I have seen a couple of players say they want to become CEOs or sporting directors and I think that is what we need to do.

“We need to aspire to these positions. But also, when we aspire to these positions [we then need] to get an opportunity to be in these positions. All of us together have a big role to play.”

The 32-year-old’s former team-mate Tim Howard became a part-owner of English fifth-tier club Dagenham & Redbridge and United Soccer League side Memphis 901.

Speaking of his hopes for such an opportunity to present itself, Anichebe said: “I would like to go down that route of owning a team.

“I do have a group of people that are quite wealthy guys and together we could come together and go down that route.”

He added: “I don’t see why we can’t all come together [as players] and buy clubs. I do think that is another way to really affect change. Instead of wanting change, we can be the change ourselves.”

https://www.completesports.com/anichebe-declares-plans-to-buy-a-football-club/

             

b

Champions League: How Real Madrid players reacted to Barcelona’s 8-2 defeat to Bayern


 
on
 August 19, 2020



Real Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos, has revealed that his team-mates celebrated in their WhatsApp group, following Bayern Munich’s 8-2 win over their Spanish rivals Barcelona.

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Quote:[b] "I Need To Speak To Messi" - Koeman 


Ronald Koeman: New Barcelona manager plans to speak with unhappy Lionel Messi[/b]

New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he does not know if he will have to "convince" Lionel Messi to stay at the club.

Koeman, 57, has signed a two-year deal with Barca, two days after the club sacked Quique Setien.

Messi's future at the Nou Camp is uncertain after they failed to win a trophy last season for the first time since 2007-08.

"He's still got a contract and is still a Barcelona player," said Koeman.

"At this point I need to speak to him because he is the captain.

"We need to work with him and speak with various players. We need to make some decisions but in Messi's case I hope he stays with us.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi [to stay], whether it's that or not. He is the best player in the world and the best player in the world you want in your team, you don't want him playing against you.

"As a coach I would love to work with Messi because he wins matches. If he's at the ability and level he has always shown I'd be more than happy for him to stay."

'Messi has never been closer to leaving' - Guillem Balague

Koeman has left his role as Netherlands boss, with two years left on his contract, to take over at Barca.

He played for the Spanish giants between 1989 and 1995, helping them to four league titles and the European Cup.

The Catalans finished second in La Liga last season. The five-point gap to champions Real Madrid and the humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final last week culminated in the dismissal of Setien on Monday.

The club also announced Ramon Planes as the new technical director. He was the assistant to Eric Abidal, who left his role as sporting director on Tuesday.

"What we need to do is give a different image to what we gave against Bayern, that's not the Barca we or the fans want to see," said Koeman.

"You have to be very happy to wear the Barca shirt. You have to show that with commitment, professionalism, with everything you have inside. If we do that, the image will be totally different to what it was last week."

He added: "We're going to work very hard to build a strong team but we'll have to make changes because the image of the other day is not what we want. We'll have to work hard to recover our prestige.

"It's a big challenge and it won't be easy because Barca always demands the best of you, which is the way it should be.

"Barca are still the biggest club in the world. Now we have to work hard to make sure Barca get back to where they should be. There is enough quality in the team to demand the best results and to win trophies."

Koeman had his first taste of coaching when he was assistant to national team coach Guus Hiddink during the 1998 World Cup, before becoming Louis van Gaal's right-hand man at the Nou Camp from 1998 to 2000.

He eventually went on to have success as a manager back in his homeland, winning league titles with Ajax and PSV. A brief stint at Valencia in 2007 brought Copa del Rey success, but he was sacked after the side finished only two points above the relegation zone in La Liga.

After spells at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, Koeman was appointed by Southampton in 2014 where he was a huge success, guiding the Premier League club to seventh- and sixth-place finishes, which resulted in qualification for the Europa League group stage.

Everton came calling in 2017 but his time at Goodison Park only lasted 16 months, Koeman departing with the club in the bottom three.

But that disappointment was soon forgotten when in February 2018 he was appointed coach of the Dutch national team, who had failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Koeman led the side to the final of the Uefa Nations League and helped them qualify for Euro 2020.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53827543

Quote:[b]Bayern Munich Breeze Past Lyon To Set Up A UCL Final With PSG

Bayern Munich's relentless march through this season's Champions League continued as they brushed aside Lyon to book an 11th appearance in the final of the competition and a showdown with Paris St-Germain.[/b]

The German champions have barely had a glove laid on them in Europe this season, with this their 10th straight Champions League win - equalling the record for winning streaks in the competition set by Real Madrid in 2015 and Bayern themselves in 2013 - as part of a 28-game unbeaten run stretching back to December.

And Lyon simply did not have ability or approach over the 90 minutes to buck that trend.

The French side will be left to rue two missed opportunities in the opening quarter, though, with Memphis Depay shooting wide after running clear before Karl Toko Ekambi struck the upright from close range after cutting in from the right.

Moments after the latter effort, Serge Gnabry moved infield and fired a stunning opener for Bayern, who never looked back.

Gnabry also scored the second, with a much simpler finish, following up to tap in after Anthony Lopes had blocked Robert Lewandowski's scuffed effort from point-blank range.

Ekambi could have made matters interesting had he been able to find a way past Manuel Neuer after being set up by Houssem Aouar, but the chance went begging and Lyon's belief with it.

Philippe Coutinho saw a finish ruled out for offside before Lewandowski had the final word, scoring for the ninth European game on the bounce with a header - his 15th in the competition this season.

Bayern's win ends their run of having lost the previous four Champions League semi-finals in which they had appeared. It also keeps them on course for a treble of trophies in Hansi Flick's stellar debut campaign as coach.

Sunday's final promises to be a thriller, pitting arguably the best side in world football against one of the planet's finest forward lines.

After the stunning 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the last eight - which had pundits and fans alike purring and sent the Spanish club seemingly into meltdown - Wednesday's game was always going to feel somewhat anticlimactic, despite it being at a later stage of the competition.

The German giants rode their luck a bit early on but once they got their noses in front the tie was only going one way.

Against Barca it was Thomas Muller and Coutinho scoring doubles, here it was Gnabry with polar opposite finishes - one a solo screamer, the other an unmissable tap-in.

Gnabry's goals mean he now has nine Champions League goals this season, has eight in his last eight matches in the competition and has been directly involved in six goals in his last four.

He is second in the scoring charts only to Lewandowski, who has 55 goal in 46 games this season and becomes only the second player to score 15 or more Champions League goals in a single campaign after Cristiano Ronaldo (who has managed it on three occasions).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53815521

Quote:Alphonso Davies: I Wanted Messi's Shirt But He Was A Little Bit Upset

The full-back saw his request denied after his side's 8-2 demolition of Barcelona last week
Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies said Lionel Messi denied his request for his shirt after last week's 8-2 demolition in the Champions League quarter-final.

Davies and his Bayern Munich team-mates beat Lyon 3-0 at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Wednesday in the semi-final, reaching the final against PSG.

Serge Gnabry grabbed a first-half double and the prolific Robert Lewandowski nodded in his 55th goal of a staggering season to put Lyon out of their misery late on.

It followed an astonishing win over Barcelona in the quarter-final, where the only blot on a fabulous evening for Davies came when he failed to claim Messi's famous number 10 jersey as a souvenir afterwards.

"I asked for it but I think he was a little bit upset," the left-back told BT Sport. "It's OK, next time hopefully."

Messi's frustration was understandable after Barcelona finished the 2019-20 season without a trophy, casting doubt on the 33-year-old's future with the club.

Reports have suggested that Messi could be looking for a way out of Camp Nou as his contract enters its final year.

New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has said that he plans to sit down and talk with Messi, expressing his hope that he can work alongside the Argentinian star for years to come.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi or not," Koeman said on Wednesday. "You want to have the best in the world in your team, not the opposite.

"I want to work with Messi. He wins you games and, if he provides the performances he has always shown, I'll be happy if he wants to stay.

"He has a contract. I have to talk to him, because he is the captain of the team. We are going to work and talk with several players. And in the case of Messi, I hope that he will be here for many more years.

"What I talk to Messi, there are private things between player and coach. We will talk about what he thinks of Barcelona and then I will make decisions."

Koeman took over from Quique Setien, who was sacked in the aftermath of the heavy defeat to Bayern. Technical manager Eric Abidal was also shown the door.

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/bayern-star-davies-i-wanted-messis-shirt-but-he-was-a-little-bit-/tljs2hj0258p1tugzpk3mskqi