Sterling Wants Out Of
Liverpool
Raheem Sterling is set to resume contract talks with
Liverpool later this week but intends to tell them he does not plan to sign a
new deal. It is understood the 20-year-old
England international winger will make a decision about his future by the end
of this week, when he is due to meet with manager Brendan Rodgers and chief
executive Ian Ayre. After the meeting, it will become clear whether he intends
to stay at Anfield, or leave the club. Sky sources say it is because he feels
the club have tried to bully him into signing a new contract – and that he does
not think they have protected him from negative headlines. Sterling is also
angry that details of earlier contract offers have been leaked. Liverpool’s
position remains unchanged and that the club says Sterling is not for sale.
Gianluigi Buffon can scarcely believe Sir Alex Ferguson made such a big mistake
in allowing Paul Pogba to leave Manchester United. Pogba, 22, has developed
into one of the sport’s brightest talents in his three years in Turin after
departing United on a free transfer. The French midfielder is expected to play
a key role for the Serie A holders tonight in their Champions League semi-final
decider with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Juve won the first leg 2-1. “I
have been in football many years but the decision of Sir Alex Ferguson and
Manchester United to not play Pogba and let him leave is one of the strangest I
have ever seen,” Buffon told the Daily Express. “After just a few
training sessions we saw how good he was. it cannot have been the same player
they saw in Manchester – we thought they maybe needed glasses. I have never
seen a player who is so good at his age, he is so strong, so technically
gifted, has exceptional all-round play. Pogba can do things only Pogba can,
similar to Messi and Ronaldo. United let one of the top players in the world
leave but that has been only good news for us.”
Fifa will investigate
the arrests in Qatar of a group of journalists reporting on migrants’ working
conditions in the host nation of the 2022 World Cup. A BBC crew, which
included four journalists, were incarcerated for two days after being arrested
by security forces. The quartet, who were accused of trespassing, has initially
been invited by the Qatari prime minister’s office to tour new accommodation
built for construction workers. “Any instance relating to an apparent
restriction of press freedom is of concern to Fifa and will be looked into with
the seriousness it deserves,” Fifa said in a statement. Mark Lobel, one of the
apprehended journalists, told BBC’s ‘Today’ programme: “They had actually
photographed my every move since I had arrived. The worrying sign of this is
that it might be a crackdown on the media to deal with the problem at the same
time that other parts of the government are trying to change their image.” In a
report on Lobel’s ordeal he described instances in which migrant workers were
lured with false promises of inflated salary packages among other grievances. The
BBC later released a statement, which said: “We are pleased that the BBC
team has been released but we deplore the fact that they were detained in the
first place. Their presence in Qatar was no secret and they were engaged in a
perfectly proper piece of journalism. The Qatari authorities have made a series
of conflicting allegations to justify the detention, all of which the team
rejects. We are pressing the Qatari authorities for a full explanation and for
the return of the confiscated equipment.” Qatar has battled a string of
controversies since being appointed World Cup hosts in December 2010, including
the deaths of several migrant workers during the construction of stadiums as well
as claims of corruption in the bidding process.
Bayern Munich boss
Pep Guardiola would jump at the opportunity to coach Brazil, according to
former Santos and Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio. Spaniard Guardiola was
linked with the Samba Boys hotseat in June 2012, but CBF president Joe Maria
opted for Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has since been replaced by Dunga. “Guardiola
told me that he dreams of coaching the Brazilian national team, and he would
accept an invitation without thinking,” Sergio, who worked with Guardiola at
Bayern earlier this year, told ESPN. “He also said he wanted to lead Brazil in
the 2014 World Cup and assured me that if he was the coach, and had Neymar, he
would have been champion.” The 44-year-old Guardiola is contracted to the
Bundesliga champions for another 12 months. Brazil, who have never appointed a
foreign coach, have impressed since their 2014 World Cup semi-final 7-1 loss to
eventual champions Germany. The South Americans have won eight straight games
under Dunga ahead of next month’s Copa Ameria in Chile.
Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal says the onus remains
on goalkeeper David De Gea to decide his own future. The Spanish
shot-stopper has been increasingly linked with a move to Real Madrid, and after
being substituted off with an injury in United’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, was
given a standing ovation as he waved to the crowd, with speculation mounting
that the gesture was a sign of his last appearance for the Red Devils. Van Gaal said that based on what he knows
about the player, a move back to Spain could be a distinct reality. “I
analyse his position and then I say he is Spanish, he is a Spanish
international, still behind [Iker] Casillas [for the national team], now a
Spanish club is coming [in for him], his girlfriend is Spanish, his father and
mother come every week or every two weeks here [from Spain] so it is
difficult,” the Dutch coach said. Van Gaal said that the young gloveman will be
missed should he leave, yet that decision must be made by the player himself. “I
don’t think I can persuade him,” he said. “He knows everything what he has at
the moment in Manchester United so I don’t have to say something in benefit of
Manchester United because he can feel it every day. You have seen the fans:
unbelievable. When he is going, he is losing that. Here he has a lot of
credits. He has to decide.” Van Gaal said he is unsure whether or not De
Gea will be fit for United’s season-ending clash against Hull City next
weekend, with former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes donning the gloves for the
rest of the match against Arsenal in his compatriot’s absence. His injury is a
hamstring injury so it shall be difficult to play but you never know,” he
said.
Wolfsburg CEO Klaus Allofs says in-demand
playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is “unsellable”. De Bruyne has netted
15 goals and provided 25 assists in all competitions this season, prompting
interest from Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. However,
Allofs is confident the 23-year-old is staying put. “At the moment, I’d call
him unsellable,” he told German TV show ‘Doppelpass’ when asked about the
Belgium international. “I am 100 percent convinced he will play for us
next year. However, in football things can develop so rapidly, that you can’t
say this now.”
Manchester United-bound
winger Memphis Depay ended his career at PSV Eindoven as the top scorer in the
Eredivisie. The Netherlands international, who will move to Old Trafford in
the summer, netted 22 goals for the Dutch champions, two more than closest
challenger and teammate Luuk De Jong. Depay, 21, scored a modest 17 goals in
his previous three seasons. Groningen midfielder Michael de Leeuw and ADO Den
Haag striker Michael Kramer finished on 17 goals apiece, with the former
plundering a hat-trick in his side’s 5-4 win at NAC on the weekend.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s
hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Espanyol on Sunday saw him bypass Real Madrid legend
Alfredo Di Stefano on the club’s scoring charts. Ronaldo’s treble bolstered
his Los Blancos haul to 310 goals, two more than Di Stefano, who passed away
last year. Di Stefano achieved his tally in 396 games between 1953 and 1964,
while Ronaldo has made 299 appearances for the Spanish giants since his arrival
in 2009 from Manchester United. Ronaldo, who has struck 58 times this season,
is 13 goals shy of Madrid icon Raul, who made 741 outings for the capital
outfit from 1994 to 2010. Real’s victory on the weekend was not enough to stop
Barcelona from claiming La Liga honours with a 1-0 win at former champions
Atletico Madrid. Lionel Messi netted his 54th goal of the campaign for the
Catalans.
Juventus defender
Giorgio Chiellini has calmed talk of the tussle which awaits against Barcelona
striker Luis Suarez. The duo will meet in the Champions League final next
month for the first time since the Uruguayan famously bit the Italy
international at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, leading to a four-month ban
for the former Liverpool forward. Yet the Juventus centre-back, who said he
forgave Suarez after the incident, insists that incident is in the past, with
the players’ now solely focused on lifting the ‘Big Ears’. “I’ll face
Suarez as a great striker and nothing more, just as I did with all the others:
[Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Gareth] Bale, [Karim] Benzema, Chicharito,”
Chiellini said. “Episodes like that in the summer help you mature, for
both sides. Even on his part I think there is nothing other than the desire to
win the Champions League.” Suarez will also come up against former
Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra, who he was found guilty of racially
abusing in 2011, and former Uruguay and Juventus defender Paulo Montero
believes the Barca striker will be highly motivated come next month’s final. “For Suarez there will be a motivation
to face Evra and Chiellini again,” he said. “It’s his chance, I would
suggest, to be cheeky – to lift the cup right in their faces. With the way that
Suarez is playing, Evra and Chiellini should be very worried.” The
Champions League Final will take place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany
on Saturday, 6 June.
Four players from
Argentinean club River Plate were rushed to hospital after being attacked by
opposition fans during a Cup fixture against Boca Juniors. The last 16 Copa
Libertadores clash between the two rivals was called off just after half-time
after the players were attacked as they made their way out the tunnel. Fans
managed to get onto the pitch after getting through high wire fencing and spray
what seemed like a pepper-spray substance on the players, with four of River
Plate’s team members needing hospitalisation following the attack. “I
can’t see, I can’t see. I am burning. This is not a war,” said River Plate
defender Ramiro Funes Mori during the incident. Television images showed River
players Leonardo Ponzio and Leonel Vangioni rubbing their eyes after being
sprayed, while other players poured water furiously over their faces in an
attempt to appease the pain. Boca president Daniel Angelici described the
substance to reporters after the game, describing the guilty fans as “sick”. “These
people are sick,” he said. “An aerosol is small, it is very powerful.
It can fit in your pocket and when there are almost 50,000 people it can get by
security.” South American football’s governing body Conmebol will meet
later on Friday to decide the outcome of the match. It is believed that it
could be replayed, possibly at a neutral venue, or the victory could be given
to River Plate, who hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg played earlier this
month.
Former Chelsea
forward Andre Schurrle received a surprise text message from former coach Jose
Mourinho revealing that he has a Premier League winners’ medal waiting for him.
The German international left the Blues for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in
January, yet did not expect to receive any recognition for his 14 appearances
for the English club as they went on to secure this season’s League title. Yet
the 24-year-old recently revealed a surprise message he received from Jose
Mourinho, telling him of a winners’ medal awaiting him in London. “I
didn’t know that I’d get a medal when I didn’t play most of the second half of
the season,” Schurrle said. “Jose Mourinho sent me a text to say that I’d
get a medal and he asked me to come to the last game. That was very nice for
me. I’m really happy for the boys. They played
a very good second half of the season so of course, for me, it’s good to get a
medal but the boys did the work.”
Chelsea have given second-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech
permission to seek a transfer this summer.Cech, 32, is regarded as
one of the best keepers in the world, but he has played second fiddle to
Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge this season. The Czech Republic
international has made five Premier League starts and 14 outings in all
competitions in 2014/15. “Petr has a valid contract with his current club,
however, I can confirm that we have been permitted by Chelsea to negotiate with
interested parties,” Cech’s agent Viktor Kolar told talkSPORT. “Petr
has confirmed his interest to play regularly at a top club.”
Marseille president
Vincent Labrune has accepted the club will lose the services of Andre Ayew this
summer to a wealthier outfit. Ayew’s contract will expire at the end of the
season, with Premier League pair Arsenal and Liverpool reportedly tracking the
Ghanaian winger. Labrune told The Independent: “We can’t keep Ayew. He is
a very important player for OM but we can’t offer him the kind of money English
clubs can offer. The French financial system is complicated and we can’t offer
him an equivalent salary to what he can earn in England. And equally, we can’t
ask Ayew, who we love and is an icon of our team, to accept a lower salary.
That makes no sense so unfortunately he is going to quit the club and we hope
he has the great career that he deserves in England or somewhere else.”
Argentine legend
Diego Maradona says he scored more beautiful goals than prolific compatriot
Lionel Messi. Maradona attained greatness during his storied career,
starring for his country as well as Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors before
retiring in 1997. Messi, a four-time Ballon d’Or winner, is often compared to
the 54-year-old. And while the latter is impressed with Messi’s strike-rate, he
feels he edges the Barca talisman in at least one aspect. “I think the goals
come with the style. I think Messi is finding his own style, but he is killing
it with the goals. This makes you accelerate the pace. Most likely, he will
find his style very soon,” Maradona said. “I think that I had my own style from
the very beginning, so that is the point at which I could be better than Messi.
But Messi has scored 300 goals, whereas I think I scored a little over 200 in
my whole career. But the thing is, my goals were more beautiful!”
Gareth Bale admits
things are not going his way after another night of booing from the Real Madrid
fans. The world’s most expensive player has come under fire for some
sub-standard performances this season, and even more so last week as he wasted
a number of chances in Real’s UEFA Champions League exit to Juventus. There have been some reports that Real could
cut their losses and sell the player in the summer, though that has so far been
denied by the club’s bosses. Still, Bale admits that it’s been a trying
campaign. “I haven’t scored as many important chances as I would like this
season,” Bale told Sky Sports. “I feel my general play has been good,
but my finishing has been a bit rusty this year and it’s something to work on
for next year. I was unlucky not to score one versus Juventus. As long as I
keep trying usually one goes in, but unfortunately one didn’t now.” Bale added:
“There have been some ups and downs this season, but I feel I’ve played
well in general.”What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ll learn from
this season a lot, take it into next season and have a good season.”
Patrice Evra has
warned Luis Suarez that he can expect a tough time of it when they cross paths
in the UEFA Champions League Final. Evra will come up against Suarez, who
was banned for eight matches while playing for Liverpool for racially abusing
the then-Manchester United left-back. Suarez will also face Giorgio Chiellini,
the Italian defender he bit during the 2014 World Cup. Speaking after the
result in Madrid last night, Evra said: “The most important thing is I
play the final, you know. I am proud to be what I am, I am proud about my
colour and I will shake his hand, it is no problem, but I will make sure he
will feel me on the pitch.” Evra also rubbished suggestions that Barcelona
already have one hand on the trophy given the embarrassment of riches at their
disposal. “They are human beings. People forget that on Juventus’ team a
lot of players have already won the Champions League. They play as well in
finals, like myself, my fifth final. You never know. I believe in everything
because, if I don’t believe we can win against Barcelona, I will ask the
manager not to play me.”
AC Milan have
released Brazilian attacker Robinho a year before his contract was due to
expire. The 31-year-old is expected to now sign with Santos, who he helped
win the Pauilstao state championship after returning to the club on loan in
August. Robinho netted 12 goals in all competitions for his boyhood side,
prompting a recall to the Samba Boys squad for the upcoming Copa America. “Milan
and Robinho have resolved consensually the contract between the Brazilian
player to the Rossoneri club until 30 June 2016,” Milan confirmed last
Wednesday. “The contract is terminated on June 30, 2015, and Robinho will
be free from contractual obligations from 1 July 2015. AC Milan thanks Robinho.
He has made a significant contribution, in terms of goals and performance.”
Ivory Coast and
Manchester City star Yaya Toure has called on Fifa to clamp down hard on
racists as they launch a new anti-discrimination campaign. Toure was
speaking at the launch of FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System at
Wembley Stadium in London. Part of the new movement to try to eradicate racism
in football will see match observers report back on fan behaviour at all
900-plus qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Fifa say sanctions will
be brought upon perpetrators within as little as 24 hours and could range from
playing games behind closed doors to banning associations from World Cup
qualification. Toure, who has previously said black players could boycott games
in racist territories, believes the harshest punishment has to be meted out or
the initiative will never work. “Racism is a big problem now – it is a
problem in our society in general – and we need to show them they need to
change, otherwise there will be a radical sanction. UEFA have been doing things
for 20 years now, but it cannot solve the problem itself. I think Fifa needs to
work with the campaigners, the players and the media to resolve this. We are
all people who care about this. As an African, you can imagine how difficult it
is to deal with this. In the past I’ve played in Russia, and I have spoken of
this with friends who play in Russia and Ukraine. We all say the same. Something needs to change. And the ultimate
sanctions should be given if it goes on.”
Argentina have
announced their squad that will do battle in the upcoming Copa America next
month. The 2014 World Cup runners up have recalled Paris Saint Germain
midfielder Javier Pastore and in-form Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, who both
missed out on last year’s Mundial in Brazil. Tevez will have to compete for a
starting berth alongside a star-studded attack consisting of Lionel Messi,
Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Ezequiel Lavezzi. The tournament, which will be hosted by Chile
from 11 June to 4 July, features 12 South American nations who are all bidding
to be crowned the continent’s best. Argentina have been drawn in Group B
alongside Jamaica, Uruguay and Paraguay, who they face in their first encounter
on 13 June.
Full Argentina squad
for 2015 Copa America:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria/ITA), Nahuel Guzman
(Tigres/MEX), Mariano Andujar (Napoli/ITA), Agustín Marchesín (Santos
Laguna/MEX)
Defenders: Martin Demichelis (Manchester City/ENG), Nicolas
Otamendi (Valencia/ESP), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United/ENG), Pablo Zabaleta
(Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel Garay (Zenit St-Petersburg/RUS), Facundo
Roncaglia (Fiorentina/ITA), Federico Fernandez (Swansea City/ENG), Milton Casco
(Newell’s Old Boys), Lucas Orban (Valencia/ESP)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Lucas Biglia
(Lazio/ITA), Ever Banega (Sevilla/ESP), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Roberto
Pereyra (Juventus/ITA), Angel Di Maria (Manchester United/ENG), Federico
Mancuello (Independiente), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Newell’s), Enzo Perez
(Valencia/ESP), Javier Pastore (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Erik Lamela
(Tottenham/ENG), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica/POR)
Strikers: Lionel Messi (Barcelonea/ESP), Carlos Tevez (Juventus/ITA),
Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli/ITA), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/ENG), Ezequiel
Lavezzi (PSG/FRA)
Chelsea talisman Eden
Hazard has been announced as the winner of the Football Writers’ Association
Footballer of the Year award for the 2014/15 season. The 24-year-old has
enjoyed a stellar season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 19 goals and providing 12
assists in 50 appearances in all competitions, helping his side to League and
League Cup glory. And the Belgium international now has another trophy to add
to his cabinet. “We’re pleased to announce that ChelseaFC’s Eden Hazard is this
year’s FWA Footballer of the Year! Congratulations!” read a tweet from the
Football Writers’ Association’s official account. This to add to another
individual award this season, after Hazard was awarded the PFA Player of the
Year accolade last month.