The former midfield maestro stated that not getting
enough minutes on the pitch hastened his decision to quit the round
leather game
Austin Jay Jay Okocha has attributed his decision to retire active football early to lack of enough playing time.
The ex-Nigeria international who dazzled the footballing world with
his sizzling skills and breathtaking performances made the shock
decision to leave the game in 2008. According to the Olympic Gold
medallist, reduced minutes on the pitch of play triggered his exile from
the round leather game, at the age of 34.
“I must confess that [not getting a lot of playing time] was one of
the main reasons why I retired from playing at a very young age,” Okocha
told media men at a press conference organised by Star Times.
“I believe that it is not worth it to train from Monday to Friday
just to have 20 minutes on the pitch or sit on the bench on Saturday. I
am very competitive.”
The midfielder who last represented Nigeria in 2006, appeared for the Super Eagles 75 times with 14 goals to his name.
Chelsea, Inter, PSG, United - where will James go when he leaves Real Madrid?
The 25-year-old is unhappy in Spain due to a lack of
appearances and many of Europe's elite clubs want to sign him. Here,
Goal takes a look at some of his options
"I can't assure I will stay at Real Madrid," the 25-year-old said on Sunday. "I have offers and seven days left to think about my future. I am happy in Madrid, but I want to play more. I have a bitter feeling as I wanted to play the final, but I am happy for the title. It's the 15th title of my career."
Those quotes alerted a number of Europe's elite clubs and here, Goal takes a look at the options open to the former Banfield, Porto and Monaco midfielder.
CHELSEA
Chelsea have watched James Rodriguez for some time and reports in the Colombian media on Tuesday claimed the midfielder was back in his homeland applying for a British visa ahead of a possible move to the Premier League.
Those reports are unconfirmed, but with Oscar off to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG and Cesc Fabregas' future unclear as Antonio Conte refused to confirm he would be at the club beyond the winter window, the Blues may well be in the market for a top-class creative midfielder.
James certainly fits the bill in that respect, while Chelsea have the money and could push for a move in the coming weeks - even though Madrid are keen to hang on to the player until the summer, when they will be able to sign players again following the reduction of their transfer ban on Tuesday.
INTER
Inter's interest in James is nothing new. The Serie A side had hoped to sign the Colombian in the summer, but the player ultimately stayed in Spain as Madrid were reluctant to sell ahead of a two-window transfer ban.
But with that now reduced to one and James featuring sparingly for Los Blancos, even Zinedine Zidane has admitted that the player's situation has become "a problem".
Inter's interest remains and the club's Chinese owners see James as the big name who can inspire a sporting project that is struggling to get going at the moment, but which should count on the arrival of Diego Simeone as coach in 2018.
However, Inter are over budget right now and need to offload players before they can bring in new ones. That means a January bid is unlikely, but if the books can be balanced and the club are in line to meet Financial Fair Play regulations, the Milanese outfit should be back with an offer for the Colombian in the summer.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Jose Mourinho's tenure at Manchester United has got off to something of a slow start and with a lack of creativity in midfield, the club could make a move for James.
The Portuguese coach said in the summer that he was happy with his squad following the arrival of several high-profile players, but there is still room for improvement and his close relationship with Jorge Mendes may help him swing a deal for the Colombian.
James, like Mourinho, is a client of Mendes and the South American is also an Adidas athlete, so suits in that respect at Old Trafford too. And despite their position in sixth place in the Premier League, United remain one of the biggest clubs in the world - perhaps the ideal stage for a footballer frustrated at giving up on his Real Madrid dream.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Paris Saint-Germain's project is also off to an uncertain start under Unai Emery and the French champions are looking for a player who can create chances.
That need could be solved by the imminent signing of Julian Draxler from Schalke, but whatever happens in the remainder of the current campaign, PSG are a club desperate to join Europe's elite and that means attracting some of the world's finest footballers.
The Parisian club have arguably lacked star quality since the summer departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and, with Edinson Cavani backed to continue as the team's main striker, they will likely look to strengthen the midfield instead.
James is one of the world's premier playmakers and his signing would add real quality to an already strong side at the Parc des Princes, so PSG could well be in the running for the Colombian in the summer window.
Learn to train like Ronaldo - Real Madrid star launches gym chain
The Real Madrid superstar is working in partnership
with US health club chain Crunch to launch CR7 clubs, initially in Spain
but then branching out around the world
Three Champions League crowns, La Liga and Premier League titles,
four Ballon d’Or wins, a Euro 2016 medal, over 500 career goals and now
the owner of his own gyms – is there anything Cristiano Ronaldo cannot
turn his hand to?
The Real Madrid superstar, as one of the most recognisable figures on
the planet, is teaming up with US health club chain Crunch to launch
CR7 Clubs.
The fitness initiative is said to combine “Crunch’s ‘No Judgements
philosophy with Ronaldo’s CR7 Live Life Fit attitude” and will take a
“fusion of fitness meets athletics to a global level”.
It will initially launch in Madrid, before branching out around the world.
A statement released by Crunch read: “Franchise owners can join the
world's top athlete in establishing their own Crunch gym in Spain,
where CR7 members will experience cutting-edge equipment, a full roster
of innovative group fitness programming, the opportunity to work with
expert personal trainers for one-on-one and small group training,
nutrition guidance, and enviable amenities like full-service locker
rooms and more.”
Any budding Ronaldos will get the opportunity to work with the
equipment that has helped to make the Portuguese icon a sporting force
of nature, with the 31-year-old delighted to be adding to his business
portfolio.
He said: “I am very excited about this incredible CR7 Fitness Club
venture with Crunch Fitness. We are able to offer great health and
fitness to everyone at a reasonable price and members can use the same
fitness equipment that I use!”
Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Franchise, added: “It's been an absolute
honour to work with Cristiano Ronaldo and his team. We're very excited
to build something truly incredible, particularly knowing that we will
be able to impact the lives and fitness journeys of thousands of new
people as we continue to grow.”
While Ronaldo continues to expand his CV away from the football field, on it he remains a trophy-winning phenomenon.
Victory in the Club World Cup final on Sunday has allowed him to add
to his medal haul, and there is the promise of more to come.
Real currently sit top of the La Liga table, three points clear of
Barcelona with a game in hand, while the defence of the their Champions
League crown has reached the last-16 stage and a meeting with Serie A
outfit Napoli.
FIFA fine England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over poppy displays
All four of the Home nations have been punished by
the world governing body following the latest round of international
matches in November
The punishment relates to the row over whether poppies could be displayed before and during last month's match at Wembley Stadium.
Scotland themselves have been fined CHF 20,000 (£15,700), while Wales have received the same penalty and Northern Ireland must pay CHF 15,000 (£11,800) for similar offences in their matches against Serbia and Azerbaijan respectively.
"FIFA can today confirm sanctions imposed on several football associations for incidents during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and international friendlies," read the governing body's statement on Monday.
"England has been fined CHF 45,000 for several incidents in the framework of the England v. Scotland match, including the display by the host association, the English team and spectators of a political symbol and several cases of spectator misconduct. Scotland, as the visiting association, has been fined CHF 20,000 for the display of the same political symbol and cases of misconduct committed by its own group of spectators.
"Wales has been fined CHF 20,000 and Northern Ireland CHF 15,000 in relation to several incidents, including the display of political symbols in the context of the Wales v. Serbia and Northern Ireland v. Azerbaijan matches."
Spectacular’ year for Cristiano, says Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo said he had answered his critics in style
as he rounded off a “spectacular” year with a hat-trick to win the Club
World Cup for Real Madrid and add to his multitude of titles.
After his heroics floored Japan’s Kashima Antlers 4-2 in
extra-time on Sunday, the Portuguese superstar summed up a remarkable
season in which he has also lifted the Champions League, Super Cup, Euro
2016 and Ballon D’Or trophies.
“They always expect more of Cristiano,” said Ronaldo, referring to himself in the third person.
“It’s been a week full of joy after winning the Ballon d’Or
too. I thank my team-mates because without them Cristiano couldn’t win
these individual awards,” he added.
Ronaldo showed why he was voted the world’s best player for a
fourth time last week, but there were also the moments of
self-indulgence that make him such a polarising figure.
At one point in the first half, he even tripped over the ball after attempting one of his trademark stepovers.
But as a nail-biting final went into extra time, Real’s talisman pounced twice to bring the Spanish giants a second world club title in three years and fifth in total.
It capped an astonishing year in which Ronaldo helped Real become champions of Europe for an 11th time, added a Super Cup and led Portugal to a stunning Euro 2016 title.
“The stats don’t lie, as always,” sniffed the player of the tournament, referring to last week’s Ballon d’Or award, which put him one behind fierce rival Lionel Messi’s record five.
“People criticise me often but I’m used to it,” added the 31-year-old, who scored his 500th career club goal in Real’s 2-0 semi-final win over Mexico’s Club America.
“I’ve shown my quality on the pitch for many years and I had a spectacular season for Real Madrid and Portugal.”
– Video nasty –
His preening style and pouty social media photos showing off his six-pack can grate, but Ronaldo is pure box office.
A crowd of 68,000 in Yokohama oohed and aahed at Ronaldo’s show-boating, even if his team-mates weren’t so enthralled.
It was inevitable at a tournament where FIFA trialled video referees for the first time in official competition that Ronaldo was central to that plotline too.
When his semi-final goal was briefly reviewed — by accident, as it turned out as a video referee had inadvertently kept his finger on the intercom button, alerting the referee to a possible offside — Ronaldo’s face turned to thunder.
Moments later he broke out into a broad grin, order restored as the referee confirmed his 377th goal in 366 games for Real — now 380 in 367.
After their punishing trip to the Far East, La Liga leaders Real finally get some time off before a home game against Granada on January 7.
But as Real savoured another piece of silverware, spare a thought for want-away forward James Rodriguez, who faced a gloomy flight home on Monday.
After Rodriguez hinted at leaving in the January transfer window, captain Sergio Ramos had a blunt message for the Colombian: “Today was a day to be happy and satisfied, not to focus on other matters.”
At one point in the first half, he even tripped over the ball after attempting one of his trademark stepovers.
But as a nail-biting final went into extra time, Real’s talisman pounced twice to bring the Spanish giants a second world club title in three years and fifth in total.
It capped an astonishing year in which Ronaldo helped Real become champions of Europe for an 11th time, added a Super Cup and led Portugal to a stunning Euro 2016 title.
“The stats don’t lie, as always,” sniffed the player of the tournament, referring to last week’s Ballon d’Or award, which put him one behind fierce rival Lionel Messi’s record five.
“People criticise me often but I’m used to it,” added the 31-year-old, who scored his 500th career club goal in Real’s 2-0 semi-final win over Mexico’s Club America.
“I’ve shown my quality on the pitch for many years and I had a spectacular season for Real Madrid and Portugal.”
– Video nasty –
His preening style and pouty social media photos showing off his six-pack can grate, but Ronaldo is pure box office.
A crowd of 68,000 in Yokohama oohed and aahed at Ronaldo’s show-boating, even if his team-mates weren’t so enthralled.
It was inevitable at a tournament where FIFA trialled video referees for the first time in official competition that Ronaldo was central to that plotline too.
When his semi-final goal was briefly reviewed — by accident, as it turned out as a video referee had inadvertently kept his finger on the intercom button, alerting the referee to a possible offside — Ronaldo’s face turned to thunder.
Moments later he broke out into a broad grin, order restored as the referee confirmed his 377th goal in 366 games for Real — now 380 in 367.
After their punishing trip to the Far East, La Liga leaders Real finally get some time off before a home game against Granada on January 7.
But as Real savoured another piece of silverware, spare a thought for want-away forward James Rodriguez, who faced a gloomy flight home on Monday.
After Rodriguez hinted at leaving in the January transfer window, captain Sergio Ramos had a blunt message for the Colombian: “Today was a day to be happy and satisfied, not to focus on other matters.”
Marseille to make Mikel highest-paid player
Festus Abu
Struggling French Ligue 1 side
Marseille may have succeeded in convincing out-of-favour Chelsea
midfielder Mikel Obi to shun big-money move to the Chinese Super League
to help revive the club.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank
McCourt, who bought Marseille in October, had promised to invest
heavily in the January transfer window to help manager Rudi Garcia
build a team that could be European champions.
Les Phoceens were ready to rescue Mikel
from his Chelsea nightmare in the summer but the player’s reported
£3.4m-a-year salary reportedly aborted the move.
With McCourt ready to spend in January –
and Mikel yet to play a single game for Chelsea since the beginning of
the season – reports in France on Sunday claimed Marseille were ready to
sign the 29-year-old.
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr also
confirmed Mikel, whose contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of
the season, was in talks with Marseille.
“I saw him in London. He is in advanced discussions with OM. Marseille is a serious option for him,” the German told Europe 1.
Chinese moneybags Shanghai SIPG
reportedly offered Mikel £170,000 per week to move to Asia but Europe 1
believes the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner will move to Stade
Velodrome next month as he will be a key player at the project at
Marseille.
Garcia has said he will only sign top
players in January and believes Mikel will bring a wealth of
experience playing at the top level to help the side.
Former Swansea forward Bafetimbi Gomis
is currently Les Phoceens’ highest-paid player at €420,000 per month,
according to L’Equipe.
But reports say Marseille are ready to
significantly improve on Mikel’s reported €350,000-a-month salary at
Chelsea to lure him to France.
Chelsea’s Italian manager Antonio Conte
has stuck with the team who chalked up their 11th match winning
streak in the Premier League following their 1-0 defeat of Crystal
Palace Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Mikel, who represented Nigeria at the
2014 World Cup in Brazil, has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League
Cup, Champions League and Europa League since he joined Chelsea from
Norwegian club Lyn Oslo in 2006.
'Sturridge's time at Liverpool is up'
Kris Boyd thinks the England international will move
on in January, while Danny Mills has questioned the attitude of the
ex-Chelsea and Manchester City forward
The England international has fallen out of favour at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp, making just four Premier League starts this season.
He is yet to open his top-flight goal account in 2016-17, with Roberto Firmino being favoured as the Reds’ first-choice central striker.
Speculation regarding Sturridge’s future has surfaced on the back of his lack of game time, and Boyd can see the 27-year-old heading away from Merseyside when the transfer window re-opens.
"I don't think there's any question about how good Daniel Sturridge is as a player, but I think his time is up at Liverpool and he'll have to move on to find regular football," he told Sky Sports News.
"There's no doubt he's a talented footballer, but when somebody is coming in and scoring goals like Origi has, every time he has come in he has not let Liverpool down, it's difficult.
"Does Klopp really fancy Sturridge? Even when he's fit, he's not played a lot of football."
Firmino has edged to the front of the attacking queue due to his impressive work rate and willingness to graft for the good of the collective cause.
Sturridge does not boast those qualities, with former England full-back Danny Mills admitting that the ‘attitude’ of a player he worked with at Manchester City continues to be called into question.
He said: "He [Klopp] has questioned his attitude at times, he's questioned his hunger and desire to really want to play at times, is he really injured?
"You don't get moved on from Manchester City, then get moved on from Chelsea and then maybe get moved on from Liverpool unless there's something not quite right.
"I worked with him during his early days at Manchester City, potentially then he was superb, his ability is second to none, he's outstanding and a great goalscorer.
"He had that fantastic couple of seasons at Liverpool with [Luis] Suarez, but Suarez did an awful lot of hard work for that team.
"Does Daniel Sturridge give you enough and enough on a consistent level to warrant being in the team week in, week out?
"Origi has maybe not got the same talent, but you know what you're going to get and as a manager you like that. Sturridge can be a 10 out of 10, but he can be a 3 out of 10 and managers don't like that."
Zidane 'like a brother' to Benzema
The striker celebrated with his countryman and manager after scoring the opener in Los Blancos' Club World Cup semi-final
Benzema opened the scoring to put Madrid on their way to a 2-0 Club World Cup semi-final success over Club America in Yokohama on Thursday, running to embrace Zidane on the touchline to celebrate.
The victory was wrapped up in second-half stoppage time when Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 500th club career goal, sealing Madrid's place in Sunday's final against Kashima Antlers.
Benzema was glowing in his praise of Zidane post-match, while also reflecting on a productive 2016.
"He is like a brother," the forward told Teledeporte. "He is an example for me and I am very happy to work with him.
"It has not been a difficult year, I just have not played well in two or three games.
"It's been a very good year, where I have won titles with Real Madrid and I've scored many goals."
Zidane, meanwhile, was pleased for his compatriot, as he began to turn his attentions to Sunday's showdown.
"I'm happy for him and all the players. I'm happy above all to win. I was happy to see him score and he gave me a hug," Zidane said.
"Now we have one game left in order to lift the trophy, and we'll prepare well for it.
"We didn't have too many chances in the first half. It was a strange game, the rhythm was very low, we dropped to the level they were playing at a little.
"Then we got the goal before the break and that was important."
'The best contract I've ever signed!' - Morgan agrees deal with rum company
It has been a year to remember for the Foxes skipper, who has signed a sponsorship deal with rum company Captain Morgan
What better way to spice up an already remarkable 2016 than signing a
sponsorship deal with an alcohol company bearing your name?
That's exactly what Leicester City skipper Wes Morgan has done - with rum makers Captain Morgan.
The Jamaica international led the Foxes to a scarcely
believable Premier League triumph in May, as Claudio Ranieri's underdogs
showed admirable bottle to romp home 10 points clear of Arsenal.
This season, Leicester seem to be suffering something of a hangover
from their unlikely success, Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth leaving
them 14th, just four points clear of the relegation zone.
But captain Morgan has reason to smile after agreeing an endorsement deal that makes perfect marketing sense.
On Thursday, Morgan posted a photo on Twitter of what appears to be
the terms of his contract with Captain Morgan, along with the message:
"Well this could be the best contract I've ever signed."
Included in the contract details was the proviso that: "During the
term, Wes Morgan shall be entitled to enter licensed premises and
purchase a Captain and Cola beverage for each patron in attendance in
accordance with the provisions below.
"Prior to ordering the beverages from the outlet, Wes Morgan shall
turn to face the patrons, extend his arms to form a 'Y' and shout,
'There's only one Captain Morgan!'
"Patrons who are tempted to consume too much alcohol should be told,
'Only anchors go overboard, please drink responsibly', and instead be
offered water."
Leicester's title defence may be on the rocks, but news of Morgan's
unusual arrangement should serve to raise spirits around the King Power
Stadium.
'Messi? This is the era of Cristiano' - Ancelotti predicts how long Ronaldo reign will last
The former Real Madrid manager believes the
31-year-old, whom he won the Champions League with two and a half years
ago, still has a lot left in the tank
Ronaldo was crowned Ballon d'Or winner for the fourth time on Monday after helping Madrid and Portugal to Champions League and Euro 2016 glory respectively in the last 12 months.
The 31-year-old scored 51 goals in all competitions for Madrid last season, while he netted three at the European Championship in France, but despite his exploits, there is a belief that Ronaldo's best football could be behind him.
However, Ancelotti - who teamed up with Ronaldo to win the 2014 Champions League with the Spanish capital club - believes the Portugal captain has plenty left in the tank, having seen him score 10 LaLiga goals already this term.
"I don't know when he'll keep going until, but I don't think he's that old," Bayern Munich boss Ancelotti told AS.
"Playing in a more advanced position could have an influence. He's now playing more centrally and with time he'll have to drop deep less often and stay in a more advanced position.
"I think he'll keep up this high level for three or four years."
The ex-Manchester United star is now just one Ballon d'Or short of Messi's all-time record and the Italian thinks he doesn't get enough credit sometimes for his impact on the sport.
"I think it's deserved, because Ronaldo won the Champions League and the European Championships," Ancelotti said. "He's performed better than the rest this year and the award is a logical one.
"For many this is the era of Messi, but it's also the era of Cristiano. The competition between them has improved them. Messi is better because he's had Cristiano, and Cristiano is better because he's had Messi.
"Without doubt he can [add to his collection] over the next two or three years. Like Messi. The rest will still have to wait, although we can help some of them as a team, such as [Robert] Lewandowski for example, if we win lots of trophies."
Cristia-NO! The 11 countries that rejected Ronaldo in Ballon d'Or voting
The Real Madrid forward walked away with the top
prize for the fourth time in a glittering career, but not everyone
thought he was the world's best in 2016
The Portugal international took the top prize having enjoyed another standout year for club and country.
His efforts for Real saw him land another Champions League winners’ medal, with Los Blancos conquering Europe for a record-extending 11th time.
On the back of that success, Ronaldo went on to help Portugal to Euro 2016 glory – both on the field and as a cheerleader on the sidelines after picking up an injury in the final.
In total, the 31-year-old has netted 48 goals in just 52 appearances in the calendar year to date.
That return was enough to impress many of the Ballon d’Or voters, with Ronaldo receiving more than twice as many points as runner-up Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona talisman collected 316, while his rival polled 745.
Journalists from across the globe - 173 in total - were asked to cast their vote for a deserving winner, and they overwhelming favoured Ronaldo.
They awarded five points to their first pick, three to second and one to the man positioned in third.
Only 11 nations opted to leave Real Madrid’s main man off their shortlist: Uruguay, Turkmenistan, Swaziland, Namibia, Romania, Libya, Iran, Central African Republic, Bolivia, Cape Verde and Andorra.
Ronaldo will now be hoping to convince them of his worth over the next 12 months, although there are further individual prizes on the horizon.
He has already claimed the Ballon d’Or and top spot in the Goal 50, and is expected to add FIFA’s Best Player award to his ever-growing collection in the New Year.
Attention can then switch back to collective battles, with Real currently perched at the top of the La Liga standings and safely through to the last 16 of the Champions Leagu
Toure insists drink driving was unintentional but accepts charge
The Manchester City midfielder has been charged with the offence, but maintains that he was unaware he had consumed alcohol
The 33-year-old was charged with the offence after he was stopped and tested by police while driving in Dagenham, London.
It is reported by BBC that the former Barcelona player has been given an 18-month driving ban.
Toure, who appeared at Barkingside Magistrates on Monday, has stressed that he would never knowingly drink due to his religious beliefs – an argument he says the judge has accepted.
He said in a statement: "Over the last two weeks there has been some confusion as to why I was charged with drink driving, as it is well known that I am a Muslim and do not drink.
"I have always refused alcohol. Anyone who knows me or follows football will have seen me refuse champagne for man of the match performances because of my commitment to my religion.
"The matter has now been resolved in court on Monday. As I was above the permitted limit when tested on the night, I decided not to challenge the charge. However, it was important to me that I told the court that I had not intentionally consumed alcohol. The judge in his sentencing remarks accepted that I had not been intentionally drinking.
"Drink-driving is a serious crime and even though I was not intentionally consuming alcohol I accept the ban and fine and I would like to apologise for this situation. I would also like to thank my family, the management and staff at Manchester City, my legal team and the fans for the support they have given me during this difficult time."
"I spoke with him about the issue, he gave me his reasons," Guardiola said. "I trust him.
"So no, I take decisions based on what I see on the pitch and his behaviour. I said this before I played him against Crystal Palace.
"He is part of the team because he is training good and he is fit."
'Hazard needed TLC that Mourinho didn't give him' - Nicol
The former Liverpool midfielder believes the Belgian
forward is back to his best because Antonio Conte has handled him better
than his predecessor did
The Chelsea forward endured a difficult 2015-16 campaign, alongside a number of his team-mates.
Morale dipped alarmingly at Stamford Bridge on the back of a difficult start, with the reigning champions stumbling their way through the first half of the season.
Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties after failing to inspire a response, but not before publicly questioning the attitude of his star-studded squad.
Hazard was among those to be pulled up by the Portuguese, as he looked a shadow of the player who had been named PFA Player of the Year a few months earlier.
A change in the dugout has revitalised the 25-year-old, though, with Conte’s troops riding high at the top of the table on the back of an eight-goal input from their Belgium international.
Pressed on ESPN as to the reasons behind Hazard’s renaissance, Nicol said: “It’s called TLC – a bit of tender love and care.
“From the very start Conte tells the Chelsea fans: "This is the guy I’m pinning my hat on." Eden Hazard takes a big breath of air and says: ‘I love this guy.’
“It’s mind games. Mourinho criticised Eden Hazard for not doing his defensive duties. Eden Hazard is the type of player that you take that responsibility off.
“You want Eden Hazard to be doing what Conte’s got him doing now – go forward, create chances and score goals. And that’s it.”
Hazard has netted six times during Chelsea’s recent run of eight straight wins – a sequence of results that has lifted them to the Premier League summit.
They will be looking to cement that standing on Sunday when they welcome West Brom to Stamford Bridge.
Mustafi limps out of Stoke clash as Bellerin makes Arsenal return
The German defender appeared to suffer a hamstring
injury during the first half of Arsenal's Premier League clash with
Stoke at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have suffered an injury blow with Shkodran Mustafi limping
out of the clash with Stoke City, with Hector Bellerin returning to
replace the centre-back.The 24-year-old summer signing from Valencia pulled up with what is believed to be a hamstring injury during the 25th minute of the Gunners encounter with Mark Hughes' men.
Mustafi has played every minute of the 11 Premier League games he's been involved in this season, having formed a solid partnership alongside French defender Laurent Koscielny.
Brazilian defender Gabriel, who has spent the last few games filling in for the injured Hector Bellerin, moved to centre back during the first half of Saturday's game with the Spaniard forced to make his return from injury earlier than expected.
FIFA 17 story mode star Alex Hunter joins Chelsea and bonds with John Terry
EA Sports went behind the scenes with the Blues
skipper, as well as Antonio Conte, to chat about what life is like for a
young player at Stamford Bridge...
The Blues have arguably the best academy setup in the country at the moment, having won five of the last six FA Cup Youth Cups as well the UEFA Youth League for the last two seasons.
Such is the wealth of young talent pouring out of Chelsea's youth system that Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah and Ola Aina have also broken through into the first team this season.
And therefore Hunter, the lead character in FIFA 17's 'The Journey' mode - which allows gamers to rise the top as a young prodigy - travelled to Chelsea to chat with a number of their figureheads.
One of them was first team manager Antonio Conte, who is keen to build a clear bridge for more young players to transition from Chelsea's youth system to the first team in the future.
He said: “It is very exciting to work with the young players here at Chelsea. Chelsea has a fantastic academy and it is important to have the opportunity to bring these young players through to the first team.
“This year we have already played four young players from the academy, which is fantastic for me, the club and the academy. We have Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ola Aina and Dominic Solanke and I think this is a fantastic thing for the club.
“John Terry is a great example for the young players because he came through the academy and they can learn a lot from him.”
Terry remains Chelsea's greatest ever youth graduate, having captained the club to numerous honours over the last ten years after making his Premier League debut back in 1998.
"I actually think it’s harder nowadays for young players to come through," said Terry. "When I look back to the era when I came through the ranks at Chelsea, you had three or four players in your position, whereas nowadays there is so much money in the game and there are youngsters that have been brought in from all over the world in their position that they are fighting against.
"The quality in the first team, for me, makes it more difficult for them to break through too."
Pirlo visits Chelsea - but Conte rules out shock transfer or loan
The Italian met up with his former Juventus manager
at the Blues' training ground, but fans hoping for him to join the squad
will be disappointed
Pirlo, 37, visited the Blues' training ground on Friday where he met up with Conte, his former manager at Juventus and some of the club's players.
But the Chelsea boss stressed they are not making a move to bring in Pirlo, even on a temporary basis, and simply enjoyed seeing his ex-player.
"Andrea came here only to visit and he has another year of contract in America," Conte said ahead of Sunday's Premier League match with West Brom. "He is playing and enjoying his football in America.
"I'm pleased for this visit because Andrea was my player at Juventus for three years and we won together.
"I am very happy for his visit, with his son. We have a good relationship and I'm pleased for this."
Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas tweeted a photo of his meeting with Pirlo during the midfielder's visit, describing him as "the master".
Pirlo did not train with Chelsea but Conte is convinced he could still impress, adding: "He only came to see [us] but he is still able to do a good training session!"
Ronaldo, Benzema AND Modric left out of Real Madrid squad to face Deportivo
Zinedine Zidane has decided to rest the star trio for
the clash at the Bernabeu on Saturday, with one eye on the Club World
Cup fixtures coming up later in December
Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Real Madrid's squad to face Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
The 31-year-old, who is one goal short of 500 in his club career, is
understood to have been given a rest ahead of Madrid's Club World Cup
campaign, which begins for Zinedine Zidane's side next week.
Striker Karim Benzema and midfielder Luka Modric have also been left
out of the squad, while Gareth Bale is still sidelined with an ankle
injury, leaving Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez and Mariano Diaz as
Madrid's attacking options.
Despite being happy to rest key players ahead of the tournament in
Japan, Zidane insisted on Friday that he does not consider LaLiga's
title race to be completely under his side's control.
"I don't think LaLiga is decided," he said. "We're playing and happy
with the results lately but we know that the road is still very long.
"The six-point advantage doesn't mean anything. We're ahead right now but that doesn't mean we're going to win the league.
"This Club World Cup is another trophy we can win. We'll have a game
in LaLiga on Saturday first, then we'll stay a week there and we'll do
our best.
"We will do it, as always, for all those who won't be there, all
those who support this great club. We will do our best for sure."
Conte issues response to Alexis Sanchez to Chelsea rumours
The Blues have been linked with a sensational move
for their rival's most important player, but Conte isn't thinking
transfers ahead of the weekend's action
The Arsenal talisman was linked to a sensational move to Stamford Bridge after reports in England linked him with the surprise move as he continues talks over a new contract at his club.
Chelsea's boss issued a response to whether he is interesting in securing Sanchez from his rivals, if Arsene Wenger fails to come an agreement over a new deal to keep the 27-year-old.
"I don't think it is right to talk about other players and other teams, Conte said at a press conference at Cobham Training Centre. "It is not right and we are totally focused on the next game, next season.
"January and next season are very far for us. It is important not to talk about other players because it is a lack of respect. We have four games before January. It's important to be focused on this game.
"January is far away for me. Now I'm pleased, very glad, with this squad and to work with these players. For this reason, I repeat: stay concentrated on this game, go game by game, and then we'll see.”
Wenger, yesterday, denied that Chelsea would sell Sanchez to his rivals but the Blues could look to do business for midfielders or defenders in January including the likes of Fiorentina's Milan Badelj, Internazionale's Geoffrey Kondogbia and Middlesbrough's Ben Gibson.
Ronaldo reveals €203 million in assets to silence tax evasion claims
The company run by the Portuguese's agent has
published what it claims to be further evidence of the superstar's
complete tax compliance
The Portuguese has been the subject of allegations made in several European media outlets that he avoided paying taxes through structures set up by Gestifute, the company founded by his agent, Jorge Mendes.
Those claims are part of the so-called 'Football Leaks', which will see 12 European newspapers publish the findings of what is described as "the largest leak in the history of sport" over the next three weeks.
Gestifute issued a swift denial of the allegations last week, insisting that Ronaldo is "fully compliant with tax obligations", and they threatened legal action against any party who insinuated an offence on the part of either the Portugal captain or his agent's company.
After the Spanish state secretary of the treasury, Jose Enrique Fernandez de Moya, was quoted as saying that the body would take "inspections we consider appropriate" on Saturday, Gestifute released a further statement, in which they insisted that Ronaldo has always operated within tax rules.
Late on Thursday, Gestifute released another statement, attached to which was documentation that appeared to be official confirmation that on 30 March 2016, Ronaldo had declared assets and rights abroad to the total of more than €203 million.
"Cristiano Ronaldo communicated to the Spanish Tax Agency on 30 March all the information about his assets, as can be shown in the attached documentation," the statement read.
"This procedure is known as presentation of the model 720, and offers to the Spanish Tax Agency all the data regarding the assets of the player.
"This document confirms that Finance has knowledge of all assets and revenues of Cristiano Ronaldo. The player will not make further statements on the subject.
"As reported in recent days, the player is aware of his tax obligations from the beginning of his professional career in any of the countries in which he has resided, and is not and has never been involved in any problem with the tax authorities of any country.
"This communication, which was not required by law, constitutes irrefutable proof that Cristiano Ronaldo and his representatives are in good faith and cooperate with the authorities in a spirit of transparency and compliance with legality."
Blatter blasts Infantino over lack of respect
The 80-year-old — who on Monday lost his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a six year ban from football for a two million Swiss franc ($2 million/1.8 million euro) payment to then UEFA boss Michel Platini — said Infantino had dropped by his house once since he was elected in February and Blatter had raised matters he thought should be dealt with.
“I am definitely not a happy man (with) what happened with FIFA,” Blatter told the BBC.
“I have never seen in any company that the new president… was not paying respect to the old president.
“After his election we had a very good contact and he stopped at my house and we had a chat. I told him I have a list of questions that should be solved in Fifa which has not been solved before.
“(Infantino) said ‘I will work on that’ and he never came back.”
Blatter said Infantino, who was UEFA secretary-general under Platini, had not returned his phone calls since that meeting.
“I have asked him, I have sent him a letter and I have his personal number and I was told that it’s still correct. Never never an answer – never,” said Blatter.
Blatter, who served as FIFA president for 18 years but was subject to withering criticism during his tenure, claims he is too trusting and as a result he and his team never expected the FBI investigation that exposed massive corruption involving senior FIFA members.
“I think people are good, and they are not good,” said Blatter.
The Swiss, who served as the faithful secretary-general under his similarly disgraced predecessor as FIFA president the late Joao Havelange, also claims he came perilously close to death late last year.
An unusually dishevelled and unshaven Blatter had alluded to this when he held a press conference last December but he went further with the BBC.
“It was 1 November 2015. I was at the cemetery in my home village — where we have a family grave. And I was there… very, very weak, I couldn’t move,” he said.
“They brought me immediately to a hospital in Zurich and they thought I was going to die in the next hours. Seriously.
“It was a lady doctor there and she (asked) me: ‘Who should I phone?’ And I said: ‘No, no, no, I will go home tonight.’ And she said: ‘Oh no.’
“They brought another doctor and he said: ‘OK calm down, calm down.’
Willian happy he snubbed Tottenham
The Brazilian star looked set to join Spurs back in
2013 but now says he is happy he jumped at the chance to complete a
dream move to Stamford Bridge instead
Chelsea's Brazilian star Willian says he has no regrets about his
dramatic late move to the club after turning down what looked like a
certain switch to Tottenham.
The 28-year-old was all-but a Spurs player until Chelsea made a late
bid to steal him away from their London rivals in 2013, and Willian had
no hesitation whatsoever in taking them up on that offer.
Willian says that joining the Blues was always his dream, so he jumped at the chance to move to Stamford Bridge.
"I don't know how I can explain that moment. But it was the best
moment I think in my life when I signed with Chelsea because it was my
dream to come here," Willian told the Chelsea YouTube channel.
"When I came I am very, very happy to play for Chelsea, to win titles here, so I am very, very happy."
Willian has been a big hit at Chelsea and was the club's Player of
the Year last year as the shining light in an otherwise dismal season.
He did say that it was difficult to make such a late change of heart,
but having not yet put pen-to-paper with Spurs he felt he had no option
but to join Chelsea.
"Yes, it was difficult. But I didn't sign. When at the last moment
Chelsea call me I say I'm sorry but I go to Chelsea, that's my dream.
"I have to go there, I don't care. I go there."
REVEALED: The best-paid player in the world - and it's not Messi or Ronaldo
The best-paid player in the world reportedly earns
more than £100,000-a-week more than Cristiano Ronaldo and nearly twice
that of the multiple Ballon d'Or winner
According to documents leaked by whistleblowers 'Football Leaks', Ezequiel Lavezzi - Messi's international team-mate - is paid nearly twice as much per week as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Early this year, Lavezzi joined Chinese club Hebei China Fortune from Paris Saint-Germain in an eye-watering deal, reported to be worth £400,000 a week.
However, his newly leaked contract reveals that he is paid even more handsomely than previously thought. The alleged figure would make him the best-paid footballer in the world, with a weekly salary of £493,000.
By contrast, Messi is still yet to sign a new contract and he is believed to earn around £270,000-a -week - some £223,000 less than 31-year-old Lavezzi.
Messi's rival, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, signed a new five-year deal last month, at a reported £365,000 per week, while his team-mate Gareth Bale has also committed his future to the La Liga leaders and his weekly wage is said to be more than £350,000 after tax.
The Sky Sports pundit refused to criticise Manchester
United boss Jose Mourinho for introducing bungling midfielder Marouane
Fellaini at Everton after he conceded a late penalty
Fellaini came on for the last five minutes with United leading through Zlatan Ibrahimovic's first-half strike but clumsily bundled into Idrissa Gueye inside the area two minutes later and Leighton Baines slotted home the resultant spot-kick. Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, refused to criticise Mourinho for bringing Fellaini on and pinned the blame squarely on the former Everton midfielder. He said: "It [his introduction] was purely to deal with the long balls into the box. You can see the sense in it but when he goes on and does such an idiotic thing like that... "It was really poor from an experienced international. You can't blame the management, it's just a poor moment." Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman was not surprised at Fellaini's clumsiness. He said: "He's always been like that. If you came up against him in training he was always likely to stand on your toes or give you a dead leg. "When he played for us we always wanted him as far away from our box as possible." Ibrahimovic reveals why he kicked Coleman in the head
The Manchester United striker has attempted to play down his clash with the Everton defender in Sunday's fixture
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has explained why he kicked Seamus Coleman in the
head during Manchester United's draw at Everton, insisting it wasn't a
deliberate incident.
The 35-year-old scored the visitors' goal at Goodison Park with a
brilliant first-half lob, but was frustrated when Leighton Baines
claimed a point for Ronald Koeman's side with a penalty one minute from
time.
Sunday's match also saw Ibrahimovic involved in a heavy challenge
with Everton defender Coleman - who later had to be substituted - and
his foot made contact with the Republic of Ireland international's head
in the aftermath.
But Ibrahimovic has stressed there was
no intent in what was a hard-fought battle on Merseyside with the
prospect of a retrospective ban looming large should the FA deem
otherwise.
"They played hard and I heard one of the commentators say I kicked someone in the head on purpose," Ibrahimovic told MUTV.
"It was a 50-50 duel. He pulled me down and I tried to avoid touching him."
The draw means United have only won two of their past 11 Premier
League matches, a run Ibrahimovic knows is unacceptable if the club are
to challenge for the title - or even make the top four.
"It was very disappointing obviously, because the last couple of
games in the league have not had the outcome that we wanted especially
after a good performance," added the striker.
"We controlled the game, not 100 per cent, but most of it and I think
we did good until 70 minutes. Then I think we were not playing our
normal game, we lost confidence and we lost the two points.
"The positive is we didn't lose the match. That's the positive. We
know we need to win. You want to reach the Champions League and win the
competition [the league title] and you need to get three points to do
that.
"I would be more confident if we were higher up in the table because that's what we play for."
In-form Ibrahimovic's goal was his sixth in five matches across all
competitions, but the Sweden great would have sacrificed scoring if it
meant United took all three points.
"I went for the run in the space and got a fantastic ball from [Anthony] Martial," added the former Paris Saint-Germain star.
"I saw the goalkeeper come out and I just tried to time it good and
went to touch the ball. It hit the post, hit the bar and in the end it
went in.
"I scored but in the end it only got me and the team one point. I
would prefer not to score but win the game, that's my way of thinking.
We have to fight more and do more to get the three points we need."
Dad-to-be Lewandowski reveals baby news with goal celebration |
The Poland international striker dedicated his winning strike to his wife and unborn child as FCB claimed a notable scalp
Lewandowski netted a stunning first-half free-kick to see Bayern past Group D winners Atleti 1-0 at the Allianz Arena.
The 28-year-old Poland international then wheeled away in celebration, tucking the ball underneath his shirt and sucking his thumb to celebrate his wife's pregnancy.
"For me it was a special game, a special goal, so I'm very happy today.
"It's a really special feeling. We were not able to keep it secret for a longer time, so it was the perfect moment to tell it."
"It was always my dream to declare it myself when my wife is pregnant. I'm very, very happy."
Lewandowski has scored 17 goals in all competitions for Bayern this season.
From 92:48 to 92:34 and now 89:49 - Sergio Ramos is Real Madrid's man for the big occasion
The captain was the hero for Los Blancos right at the end at Camp Nou on Saturday, but there's nothing new about that...
COMMENT
He is almost always there when it matters most. From Munich to Lisbon, Marrakesh, Milan, Trondheim and now Barcelona, Sergio Ramos has shown time and again that he - perhaps more than anyone else at Real Madrid - is the man for the big occasion.
The Spain defender headed home with 11 seconds of normal time remaining as Los Blancos bagged a valuable 1-1 draw in the Clasico on Saturday, maintaining their six-point lead over Barca at the top of La Liga.
"Until the final whistle. Always until the final whistle," Ramos wrote on Twitter after adding another late goal to his collection. It is becoming a habit.
This time, the centre-back coverted from a Luka Modric free-kick, and in the mixed zone he said: "Another good cross by Luka, as usual... I'm happy with the goal."
It was Modric who found Ramos with a corner for the defender's epic equaliser against Atletico after 92 minutes and 48 seconds in Lisbon, which forced extra-time and allowed Madrid to claim La Decima on May 24, 2014.
....
"He told me where to put it," Modric said after the two combined again at Camp Nou on Saturday. "I put it there and that was that. It looks easy. But we don't practice - it just comes naturally."
Scoring important goals certainly comes naturally to Ramos, who also headed a leveller in Trondheim to save Madrid from defeat in the UEFA Super Cup in early August, netting to force extra-time in similar circumstances to Lisbon, this time with 92:34 on the clock, before Real ran out 3-2 winners over Sevilla.
"I would have preferred Ramos to have scored a bit earlier," president Florentino Perez joked afterwards. "I'm a bit too old for this suffering!"
It was another reminder to the club chief of his captain's enormous worth - and it seems incredible now that the construction magnate almost let the player leave amid stubborn contract negotiations in the summer of 2015, having gone back on his pay promise after Ramos' previous heroics in the final in Lisbon.
Real reached that showpiece fixture by beating Bayern Munich 4-0 at the Allianz Arena (and 5-0 on aggregate). But having taken a slender 1-0 lead to Germany, it was Ramos who scored twice to give Madrid the upper hand before Cristiano Ronaldo added two more in a memorable victory.
In the final itself, Atletico took an early lead following a mistake by Iker Casillas and Madrid huffed and puffed for the remainder of the match, but could find no way past the Rojiblancos' disciplined defence. Not until Ramos headed home that Modric corner after 92:48. And in extra time, Los Blancos went on to win it - just as they did in the UEFA Super Cup.
That Champions League win qualified Madrid for the Club World Cup in December 2014, and again Ramos played a pivotal part en route to yet another trophy as he scored the opener in a 4-0 win over Mexican side Cruz Azul in the last four and then netted the first goal in the final against San Lorenzo in a 2-0 victory.
A year and a half went by before Real reached another final, but when they did, up popped the defender again to score from close range in Milan against Atletico. The match ended 1-1, but Zidane's men prevailed on penalties and Ramos scored the fouth spot kick in the shootout before Juanfran missed and Ronaldo converted to seal an 11th European Cup - La Undecima.
That was in May and in August, Ramos was there once more - just as he was on Saturday and just as he has been in all of the important games for his club of late.
"You can always rely on Serge," the injured Gareth Bale tweeted after the Clasico. And indeed that is true. The defender showed once again that he is Madrid's man for the big occasion - and fans of Real will hope he continues in the same vein for many more years to come.
Chelsea’s Victor Moses has been named
the English Premier League African Player of the Month of November by
organisers New African Soccer, AfricanFootball.com reports.
The Super Eagles winger edged Kenya’s
Victor Wanyama of Tottenham and fellow Nigerian Victor Anichebe of
Sunderland to win a second straight award in two consecutive months.
Moses has flourished in a new right
wing-back role under Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and has been
instrumental in his team being top of the Premier League.
New African Soccer in a statement,
congratulated the Nigeria winger but also mentioned the competitiveness
of the November award, especially in the votes.
‘Victor Wanyama, also a one-time winner
of the award, put up a strong showing and this was rightly justified,
considering his role in Tottenham Hotspur’s early surge which made them
the last to be beaten in the League. His move from Southampton was a
positive one,” Tunde Adelakun, CEO of New African Soccer noted.
Guardiola apologises for Man City meltdown
City took the lead late in the first half, but second-half goals from Diego Costa, Willian and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a smash-and-grab victory and the hosts lost their composure in stoppage time.
Sergio Aguero was sent off for a flying lunge on David Luiz and in the ensuing touchline melee, Fernandinho was dismissed after throttling Cesc Fabregas and shoving him over an advertising hoarding.
“It’s a pity it finished like this. I don’t like that. I apologise for what happened,” said Guardiola, whose side have gone four home league games without victory.
Aguero now faces a four-match suspension, but Guardiola claimed his airborne foul on Luiz had not been intentional.
He also said Fernandinho, who will be banned for three games, had merely wanted to “defend his team-mate” when he confronted Fabregas, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona.
Asked for his verdict on Aguero’s challenge, Chelsea defender Luiz told Sky Sports: “I don’t like to speak about these type of things. Aguero is an amazing player who does a lot for football.”
But he added: “We showed our power. It also shows our character that we didn’t lose our heads.”
It was Chelsea’s eighth victory in succession — their best such run within the same season since 2007 — and left them four points clear of City at the top of the table.
Win number eight was a smash-and-grab effort, with City dominating the game and seeing Kevin De Bruyne hit the bar from five yards at 1-0 before Chelsea clinically picked them off on the break.
“I think today was very tough and the game was open until the end. There were lots of chances for both teams to score,” said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.
“I saw lots of character from my team and that’s very important to grow. But we must continue to work and improve.”
City defender John Stones, whose side went ahead courtesy of Gary Cahill’s own goal, said: “There is quite a sour feeling running through everyone’s mind. It is a difficult one to take in the end.
“The scoreline didn’t reflect the way we played. In my opinion we should have won 3-1. But that’s football.”
Conte: It is a pity Chelsea sold De Bruyne
 |
The Italian has admitted he would rather the Belgian
playmaker was not playing for Manchester City in the clash at the Etihad
Stadium on Saturday
Conte's side have won seven consecutive top-flight matches and sit one point clear of Liverpool and City at the top of the Premier League ahead of the meeting at the Etihad Stadium.
De Bruyne is likely to play a key part in City's attempts to overturn that deficit, with the Belgian having developed into one of the world's outstanding midfield playmakers since Chelsea allowed him to join Wolfsburg in 2014.
And Conte has admitted he is an admirer of a player the Blues allowed to slip from their grasp under Jose Mourinho.
"De Bruyne played with Chelsea and I think he is a really great player," Conte said when asked if Chelsea had let De Bruyne go prematurely.
"It is a pity that now he is playing for another team.
"For sure this is the case because he is a fantastic player, but now he plays with Manchester City. I wish him the best - after our game."
Conte is hoping to be able to name another unchanged team against Chelsea's title rivals but will check on the freshness of a couple of members of the starting XI that has hit such fine form.
He continued: "No injuries at the moment, we have to check on the physical condition of one or two players and then decide the line-up tomorrow. I prefer to keep this secret.
"I'm pleased for all the players that are playing. Those on the bench understand. There is the right atmosphere.
"I think tomorrow it’s a really tough game. It is a great test for us, for our formation, to continue this way. We know that it won't be easy because we face a really great team, with a great idea of football.
"I think it is another step to show if something has changed compared to the start of the season.
"For sure it is a big game. This season we played also a big game against Arsenal Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, but I think in this league every game is a big game because it's very difficult and very tough.
"For me this is my first season in English football and these games are new in my career experience. It's fantastic and I'm looking forward to playing."
Real Madrid must win La Liga and end Barca dominance - Roberto Carlos
Though the Bernabeu side have performed well in
Europe in recent years, the Brazil great wants to see them excel on the
domestic stage
Madrid have emerged as Europe's dominant force in recent seasons, winning the Champions League twice in the past three years, each time at the expense of Atletico Madrid, but have won the domestic title just once since 2008.
In the meantime, arch rivals and two-time defending champions Barca have gained a stranglehold in Spain, claiming three of the last four La Liga trophies.
Madrid's league record remains formidable – they have finished outside the top two positions just once in the last 12 seasons - and they head to Camp Nou top of the table and six points ahead of Barca.
And former left-back Roberto Carlos feels claiming that piece of silverware ought to be the priority, although he did not talk down the prospect of Zinedine Zidane leading them to the treble.
Speaking exclusively to Omnisport, the Brazilian, winner of four Liga crowns and three Champions League titles during his illustrious career at the Santiago Bernabeu, said: "Madrid recently have entered into a dynamic of winning the Champions League.
"If Madrid can successfully juggle the league as well as the Champions League and the cups then I think we could win all three.
"I think the most important thing this year is to win the league as it has been too long since we have been champions."
Last week's 2-1 win at home to Sporting Gijon, on the back of their Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired 3-0 victory over Atletico, means the capital club have won 10 of their opening 13 league matches.
"Everybody is playing well so far. Six points ahead gives you a bit of breathing space but not too much," Roberto Carlos said. "It's a very difficult and long season. The gap allows the team to push on in search of the title."
Known for their goalscoring exploits, it has been at the other end of the field where the Bernabeu side have impressed this season.
While they have scored a division-high 36 goals, they have the look of a more balanced side under Zidane's guidance, possessing the second-best defensive record in the league, having conceded just 11 goals.
"Obviously it has a big part to do with Zidane but also the entire technical staff," Roberto Carlos added. "Madrid are now a very well organised team in attack and defence, and that's the reason why the team has gone so long without losing a match.
"Even though the atmosphere was good under the previous manager [Rafael Benitez], the results weren't coming. With the arrival of Zidane the team evolved a lot and that's why I think the team has got this advantage so early in the season over its competitors.
"From the beginning of the season the team has shown a very positive growth."
"Playing at Camp Nou is always very difficult. If we can get a win like we did last year, it will give even more confidence to the team and help us distance ourselves even more from our rivals, because to be the champions of La Liga you have to win away at the hardest of stadiums - one of those is Camp Nou," he said.
"It's not that Barcelona are playing badly, the other teams playing against them have been playing very well.
"It's obvious that if we win at Camp Nou we stretch the lead to nine points.
"It's not that the league is decided but it will be a very big statement and it will provide a nice buffer for the team. I played so many Clasicos but the feeling of when you lose is the same as losing the World Cup final. No one ever likes to lose matches of that magnitude."
The German believes the Reds are one of only four
sides capable of taking the Premier League crown, with Arsenal,
Manchester City and Chelsea still in the mix
The German acknowledges that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are still in the mix, but has already written off the claims of Manchester United and Tottenham.
The quartet Karius considers to be in the hunt occupy the Champions League places at present, with only three points separating table-topping Chelsea from Arsenal in fourth.
The Blues have enjoyed a remarkable run of form, with seven straight wins carrying them to the top-flight summit.
Arsenal are unbeaten in the league since the opening day of the season, while Liverpool and City have suffered just one setback apiece.
Spurs have also come unstuck on only occasion, but they are seven points adrift of top spot, while United are another four points back in sixth.
Karius believes they now have too much to do to come back into the reckoning, with it likely that the destiny of the crown will be decided in meetings between the leading contenders.
"Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and us,” he told Kicker when pressed for his pick of the Premier League crop.
"That quartet is standing eye-to-eye.
"Many thought City with Pep Guardiola would be the favourites, but Chelsea went on a brutal run recently.
"The direct duels could be decisive."
Liverpool sit second at present, but Karius insists no-one at Anfield is getting swept up in the wave of optimism that is building behind Jurgen Klopp’s troops.
He added: "It's a dream that is still far away.
"We've not made that [winning the league] our goal because if you do and finish second you'd think the season was a disappointment.
"Our goal is to play in the Champions League next term."
The Reds’ next outing takes them to Bournemouth on Sunday, by which time they will know whether the Premier League summit is within reach.
Chelsea face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, and any slip from them will leave the door open for a rival to edge past and to the front of the title-chasing pack.
'Costa only missing one attribute that Messi and Ronaldo have'
Stuart Pearce considers the Chelsea striker to be
'unstoppable', with it only the ability to beat opponents that separates
him from Barcelona and Madrid icons
Diego Costa has ‘got everything’ and would occupy a standing in the
global game alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo if he could run
at opponents, claims Stuart Pearce.
The former England international considers the Chelsea striker to be
in ‘unstoppable’ form at present, with 10 goals netted in 13 Premier
League appearances.
That return is enough to have him sat joint-top of the scoring
charts, with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero pushing him hard in the
race for the 2016-17 Golden Boot.
Both men are likely to have a big say in what their respective
employers achieve this season, with their firepower set to be crucial in
the tussle for major honours.
Pearce believes Costa will be ‘key’ for Chelsea, with the Spain
international sitting only fractionally behind the superstars of
Barcelona and Real Madrid that are held up as the finest footballers on
the planet.
Pressed on who the Blues’ leading man is at present, with Eden Hazard also back to his best, Pearce said in the Daily Express: "The unstoppable Costa, at this moment in time.
"For me, he's got everything. The only thing he hasn't got is the
ability to go past somebody one-on-one like a [Lionel] Messi or
[Cristiano] Ronaldo.
"Apart from that he's got a great work ethic for the team, he's got a
great eye for a goal, he links play, his movement's clever.
"He's got everything, he is so key for Chelsea."
Costa has helped to fire Antonio Conte’s side to the top of the
Premier League table, and Pearce sees them staying there if they are
able to leave the Etihad Stadium with something in a crunch clash on
Saturday – with fixtures against West Brom, Sunderland, Crystal Palace,
Bournemouth and Stoke carrying them through to the end of the calendar
year.
He added: "If you take Chelsea, seven victories on the bounce, their
next games after this one are really key matches. Five games, all
winnable.
"If they can get a result, whether it be a point or three, come New Year's Day they'll be top of the league."
Victor Moses is my toughest opponent, reveals Luke Shaw
The Red Devils defender has picked the Super Eagles winger as his toughest opponent in the English topflight
Manchester United defender, Luke Shaw has disclosed that Victor Moses is the toughest attacker he has played against.
The Nigeria international was recently crowned the PFA Fans' Premier
League Player of the Month for November, following his superb
performance for Chelsea.
Shaw, 21, admitted that the former Liverpool player’s strength and
pace always left him breathless, most especially when he was at
Southampton.
“A lot of people rinse me for it, but Moses is the toughest opponent," Shaw told Tobiias.
“The power and strength he had… so direct, he never gave me a second to breathe.
“I was pretty young, it was either my first or second season with
Southampton, he was, now when I think back, my toughest game I’ve had.”
How Barcelona could've signed Ronaldo for €17m |
The former Barca president Joan Laporta has revealed
that the club were offered the Real Madrid superstar for less than
Manchester United paid for him back in 2009
Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that the Catalan
club were offered to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for €17 million when he was
18.
Madrid made Ronaldo the most expensive player in the world when they
paid an estimated €94m to Manchester United for his services in 2009.
Ronaldo scored a last-gasp winner for Madrid at Camp Nou last season
to end a 39-game unbeaten run for Barca and he will once again be front
and centre for Zinedine Zidane's side when they head back to Barcelona
on Saturday.
But Laporta - Barca's president between 2003 and 2010 - has made
public a conversation he held with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes about
bringing the then-teenager to Catalonia as he led a rebuild of the
squad.
"When we [Laporta's administration] arrived, we signed Ronaldinho,
[Rafael] Marquez and [Ricardo] Quaresma," Laporta is quoted by AS .
"We were in a process of reconstruction. Cristiano was at Sporting CP and he was close to signing for United.
"The player's agent, who was handling Marquez and Quaresma said 'I've
got another really good player who's called Cristiano Ronaldo.'
"We told him we knew about him and he offered him to us for two
million [Euros] cheaper than to United, who ended up paying 19 million."
Ronaldo would go on to make almost 300 appearances for United,
scoring 118 times, while he needs just one more to reach 500 club career
goals.
Chelsea Team News: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Man City
Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday
Pep Guardiola's City side sit behind Chelsea in third, with Liverpool second, while Antonio Conte's men set the pace in the English top flight after a seven-game winning streak continued against Tottenham last weekend.
Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero are two of the favourites to win the Premier League's Golden Boot award and are likely to be decisive for their respective teams on Saturday. Kevin De Bruyne will also be out to make an impact as he faces his former club.
CHELSEA INJURIES
Conte will be without John Terry, who is suffering from a glute injury which will keep him out for a number of weeks, as the Blues boss confirmed last weekend.
John Obi Mikel was also said to have had a muscular injury last week, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been struggling for match time for both club and country having picked up a niggling back problem.
Meanwhile, Chelsea welcomed back Willian from injury against Tottenham, and Cesc Fabregas has been available for selection without being picked for the past two weeks having recovered from a thigh injury.
Kurt Zouma is in line to make his first Chelsea start since his anterior cruciate ligament injury against Manchester United in February. The France international has been playing for Chelsea Under-23s in recent weeks, but was left out against Feyenoord on Tuesday and could make the bench in Manchester.
CHELSEA SUSPENSIONS
Costa has been one yellow card away from a suspension since he was booked against Arsenal in September, but has since cleaned up his discipline record to remain available. He will earn a suspension for Chelsea's match against West Brom if booked.
Chelsea have no other players walking a disciplinary tightrope, but have David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta both on three bookings. Should the Chelsea squad reach 2017 without picking up another caution, they will avoid suspensions for yellow card accumulation.
CHELSEA POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP
Conte has picked an unchanged line-up in his last six games, which is a Premier League first for Chelsea. He's likely to do so again, with no fresh injuries ahead of the trip.
Kurt Zouma is available to start on the bench, however, while Conte might be tempted to select Willian ahead of Pedro to improve his side defensively against a strong opponent.
Chelsea will once again use the 3-4-3 formation which resolved their defence issues after they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in September.
The tactical switch has tightened the Blues up at the back, while they have scored 19 goals in their last seven games. Chelsea did look out of sorts in the first half against Tottenham, though, which may concern Conte ahead of a massive top of the table clash.
MAN CITY DOSSIER
City have won their last two Premier League games, while they also earned an impressive draw away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League in recent weeks.
Vincent Kompany will miss Chelsea's visit and is out for four-to-six weeks with a medial ligament injury. Raheem Sterling walked off the pitch against Burnley with an injury last weekend but is expected to recover in time, while Fabian Delph is City's only other doubt.
Nicolás Otamendi and Aleksandar Kolarov will be suspended for City's next game away to Leicester City should they pick up bookings against Chelsea.
BEST OPTA MATCH FACTS
-
Chelsea have collected just two points from their last four league
games against City (D2 L2), which is their current longest winless
streak against them in the competition’s history (four games).
-
Sergio Aguero has scored four times in his last two Premier League
games against Chelsea, including a hat-trick in his last league meeting
against the Blues.
-
Diego Costa has the best minutes per goal ratio of any Chelsea
player in Premier League history (min. 10 scored), averaging one every
134 minutes.
Ronaldo & Griezmann head World 11 nominations
The Portuguese superstar has maintained his proud
record of being shortlisted for every award, while his French
counterpart is making his debut
Portugal captain Ronaldo, who lead his country to victory at Euro 2016, and Italy counterpart Gianluigi Buffon are the only men to have been included in all 12 editions of the award, which is based upon votes from 25,000 professional players across 75 countries.
Meanwhile, France forward Griezmann, who won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot at Euro 2016, has made the cut for the first time in his career.
The Atletico Madrid ace is joined by 10 other newcomers: N'Golo Kante, Hector Bellerin, Leonardo Bonucci, Serge Aurier, Kevin De Bruyne, Dimitri Payet, Paulo Dybala and Jamie Vardy.
Elsewhere, there are returns for Claudio Bravo and Mesut Ozil, both of whom were last short-listed in 2014, while Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain features for the first time in six years - thanks in no small part to his record-breaking exploits in Serie A last season with Napoli.
Wayne Rooney misses out for the first time since the award's inception but his Manchester United team-mates David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all included.
The final 11 will be announced in Zurich on January 9 but readers can predict their own line-ups HERE!
WORLD 11 NOMINEES:
Goalkeepers (5): Claudio Bravo (Chile/FC Barcelona/Manchester City), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), David de Gea (Spain/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid) and Manuel Neuer (Germany/FC Bayern Munich).
Defenders (20): David Alaba (Austria/FC Bayern Munich), Jordi Alba (Spain/FC Barcelona), Serge Aurier (Cote d'Ivoire/Paris Saint-Germain), Héctor Bellerìn (Spain/Arsenal), Jerome Boateng (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy/Juventus), Daniel Carvajal (Spain/Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juventus), Dani Alves (Brazil/FC Barcelona/Juventus), David Luiz (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain/Chelsea), Diego Godin (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund/FC Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil/Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal/Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain/FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real Madrid), Thiago Silva (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain) and Raphael Varane (France/Real Madrid).
Midfielders (15): Xabi Alonso (Spain/FC Bayern Munich), Sergio Busquets (Spain/FC Barcelona), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain/FC Barcelona), N'Golo Kante (France/Leicester City/Chelsea) Toni Kroos (Germany/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (Croatia/Real Madrid), Mesut Özil (Germany/Arsenal), Dimitri Payet (France/West Ham United), Paul Pogba (France/Juventus/Manchester United), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/FC Barcelona), David Silva (Spain/Manchester City), Marco Verratti (Italy/Paris Saint-Germain) and Arturo Vidal (Chile/FC Bayern Munich).
Strikers (15): Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Argentina/Juventus), Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina/Napoli/Juventus), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/FC Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany/FC Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona), Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay/FC Barcelona) and Jamie Vardy (England/Leicester City).
Pioli: Messi is a dangerous dream for Inter
The club's new coach insists he has no time to think
about a move for the Argentina ace and says he is focusing solely on
Friday's clash with Napoli
Stefano Pioli is not entertaining suggestions that Inter could launch an audacious bid for Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
Messi has always maintained he will return to Newell's Old Boys in
Argentina when his trophy-laden career with La Liga giants Barca
eventually comes to an end.
However, there have been murmurings in some quarters that his future
at Camp Nou is unclear due to a reported impasse in contract
negotiations.
Marco Tronchetti Provera, the chairman of Inter's chief sponsor
Pirelli, stated earlier this week that the Nerazzurri are "dreaming" of
signing Messi.
But head coach Pioli was staying firmly in the realms of reality when
asked about the topic at a pre-match news conference ahead of Friday's
trip to Napoli.
"It's good to dream but it can also be dangerous," he said.
"I have no need or time to think about anything outside of our club.
"We just need to stay focused on our work and on our upcoming games. We need to concentrate on our day-to-day work."
Pioli, who replaced Frank de Boer in the Inter hotseat last month,
says plans will start to form ahead of the January transfer window soon,
though.
"My thoughts on the January transfer window aren't the be all and end all," he added.
"We'll have more meetings in the coming weeks to prepare ourselves for the window."
Inter have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and defeated Fiorentina 4-2 at San Siro on Monday.
Napoli are one place and four points above Inter in seventh and Pioli
called on his side to maintain their momentum at Stadio San Paolo.
"We need more results to make sure our confidence keeps growing," he said. "Right now, we need to be focused on the match.
"It's an important game for both sides, but it's not last-chance
saloon. I don't think Napoli are in trouble, they're a great side and
they play good football.
"We know what to expect but we're prepared well and we'll go out there to win."
Ronaldinho to Chapecoense? Fans launch social media campaign
The legend is being urged to offer his services to
the Brazilian side following Monday's tragedy by fans who have flooded
his Instagram page
Supporters have called for Ronaldinho to play for Chapecoense on
social media as the club begins the rebuilding process after the tragic
air crash in Colombia.
The tragedy killed 71 people and left six others injured after the
plane carrying the Brazilian club to the Copa Sudamericana final crashed
on Monday night.
Several Brazilian clubs have reportedly offered to loan Chapecoense
players and fans have now taken to social media urging Ronaldinho to
offer his services.
Supporters using the hashtag #ronaldinhonachape have flooded posts on
Ronaldinho’s official Instagram page calling for the Brazilian legend
to feature for the stricken side.
Ronaldinho has not played officially since leaving Fluminense in 2015 but has featured in friendlies all over the world.
Chapecoense are expected to begin planning for the future next week.
Enzo Zidane wants more opportunities after 'special' debut goal
The son of the legendary Frenchman scored in his
first appearance for Real Madrid against Cultural Leonesa on Wednesday
and is excited to convince his father to use him more
Enzo Zidane cannot wait for more first-team opportunities as he
reflects on a "special" debut goal for Real Madrid in Wednesday's
battering of Cultural Leonesa.
The 21-year-old is following in the large footsteps of his father and
Madrid coach, Zinedine, who is a legendary figure at the Santiago
Bernabeu.
But the younger Zidane took his first steps as a first-team player in
his own right by scoring Madrid's fourth goal in the 6-1 Copa del Rey
rout of Leonesa on his competitive debut.
The midfielder was delighted to mark his bow with a goal and is determined to play more regularly in the first team.
"To score on your Real Madrid debut is always a dream and I'm really
happy it's come at the Bernabeu and with a win," he told Madrid's
official website.
"It's been a very special night. I've had to wait for my chance and
now it's here. This is the beginning and I have to keep working to get
more chances and help the team."
Zidane, a graduate of Madrid's famed youth academy, replaced Isco
early in the second half and says that the elder statesmen in Madrid's
squad are more than happy to help out the club's burgeoning talent.
"The squad treat me and all of the other younger players really
well," he added. "You learn things all the time just from watching the
best players in the world.
"What's more, there's a really good vibe, the first-team players
always give us a warm welcome, they offer us advice and are always there
to help.
"That's really important for a player like me as it allows me to enjoy my football with them."
Mikel can replicate Toure's emphatic return to Man City team at Chelsea, says Kalou
The ex-Blues forward has called upon his former
team-mate to remain patient as his compatriot did in Manchester, and has
said that his time may not be up in west London
EXCLUSIVE
Salomon Kalou believes that former team-mate John Obi Mikel can make
an emphatic return to the Chelsea first-team if he just stays patient,
as Yaya Toure has done at Manchester City.
Toure was dropped by City after his agent fell out with their new
boss, Pep Guardiola, but eventually worked his way back into the
first-team and scored twice on his return last week against Crystal
Palace.
Mikel has similarly not played for Chelsea under new boss Conte - the
Italian hasn't been able to find the Nigeria captain a place in his
side after he left his club's pre-season tour to win a medal at this
year's Olympic Games. Kalou, though, believes that Mikel needs to remain
calm and he will get his chance or, failing that, a move to another
club.
"He is my dear friend. He has to wait and be patient, that is football," Kalou told
"Patience is the key for him right now. What I learned in this game is
that nothing is guaranteed in football, you can find a move fast, or
find yourself back in the team.
"Like Yaya, he played after not playing for several months and came
back and scored two goals. Everything can change from today or tomorrow.
Just wait for your moment. I said to Yaya [when he was on the bench]:
'at the end of the day, you have to wait and do your talking on the
pitch.' And that’s what he did!"
In Kalou's six years at Chelsea he won every major domestic honour,
while he was also part of the squad that won the Champions League in
2012 - the first time in the west London club's history.
Now 31 years of age, Kalou leads the line of Bundesliga side Hertha
Berlin, who are looking to compete for the German title, and African Cup
of Nations champions Ivory Coast. He regards his countryman Toure as
one of the best African players of all time and believes he should look
to play his football elsewhere if he drops back out of Guardiola's
plans.
"Every club would love to have him, he is a great player, of course,"
He added. "A player like Yaya Toure will find a club whenever he needs
to, I wouldn’t worry about that. If we had the money to get him, I’d say
come to Hertha, *Laughs* I’d love to arrange that.
"My best African player ever? Of all time, I don’t know because there
are so many to choose from, but right now, it is [Pierre-Emerick]
Aubamayang, for sure. I am a huge fan of Yaya, I have always played with
him, I started out with him and I saw always how he looks after himself
as a player and he is a player with a brain and that is my kind of
player.
"He is a player with a brain and sometimes people don't understand
that you don’t need to take hundreds of steps per game when you can give
one pass and win the game. You can run 300 kilometres and not touch one
ball, but he knows how to move around the pitch and do things other
people can’t do. He is a genius."
We can’t afford to lose to Falcons again – Cameroon
Festus Abu
Cameroon coach Enow Ngachu has written
off the chances of Nigeria winning the 2016 African Women’s Cup of
Nations at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde on Saturday.
Hosts Indomitable Lionesses defeated
Ghana’s Black Queens 1-0 in the first semifinal of the tournament in
Yaounde on Tuesday to set up a final showdown with the Super Falcons,
who also beat South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 1-0 in the second
semifinal in Limbe on the same day.
Seven-time African champions Nigeria have won the tournament twice at Cameroon’s expense.
The Falcons humiliated the Lionesses 5-0
to claim their fourth title in the final of the championship hosted by
South Africa in 2004. Nigeria returned 10 years later to win their
seventh title after beating their bitter rivals 2-0 in the Namibia
2014 final at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek.
France-based striker Desire Oparanozie and Arsenal Ladies forward Asisat Oshoala scored a goal apiece to hand Nigeria the title.
But Ngachu, who watched helplessly from
the dugout as his team suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of
the Falcons in their second final in the tournament, which began in
Abeokuta in 1998, has vowed the Lionesses will win the title this time
round.
He says the Lionesses cannot afford to
lose to the Falcons for the third time in the final of the elite
competition, saying they will give everything in Saturday’s clash.
“I’ve already lost two finals and I hope
to win this time,” Ngachu was quoted as saying by Cafonline after
guiding Cameroon to a 1-0 triumph over Ghana.
“We know how to handle pressure. We will continue to work so that our players manage this situation at best.”
Nigeria coach Florence Omagbemi
said the Falcons would correct their mistakes in the clash against South
Africa ahead of the final.
'Football not about money' - Pochettino slams Sissoko for attitude problem
The club-record signing must do more to show he deserves his Tottenham spot, his manager has said
The midfielder, 27, joined Tottenham in a deal reportedly worth £30 million from Newcastle United in August.
But the France international has made just six Premier League appearances – four of those starts – this season.
Pochettino, whose team suffered a 2-1 loss to London rivals Chelsea on Saturday, said Sissoko was yet to prove he deserved a spot.
"Football is not about money. It is about players being better and that they show on the training ground that they are better than another team-mate and that they deserve to be involved or not," he told France Football.
"In my opinion, I need to take the decisions and I believe that the players that started in the game and the players on the bench deserved to be involved in the game.
"There's nothing else to it."
Sissoko was left out of the squad for the trip to Stamford Bridge, with Spurs seven points behind leaders Chelsea after the loss.
Pochettino called for the midfielder to show he deserved to be picked ahead of some of his team-mates.
"It's not frustrating for me. It's about football. We can see in football different things that happen. You sign a player and then you expect something, and you don't find what you expected," he said.
"If another deserved to be involved, like maybe Josh Onomah or maybe [Vincent] Janssen then why [Sissoko]?
"Because we pay money, do they deserve to play? He needs to work hard and to show in future that he deserves to be in the team."
No Arsenal? Hazard only names two teams as Chelsea's title rivals
The Belgian has suggested the race for glory in
England is already a three-horse race, notably omitting the Stamford
Bridge outfit's greatest rivals
Eden Hazard says Manchester City and Liverpool are Chelsea's two rivals to win the Premier League title.
In a snub to the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United,
the Belgium international only named two teams as threats to his side's
chances of top-flight glory.
Chelsea are top of the table after 13 matches and face a huge trip to play Manchester City on Saturday.
And Hazard is clear in his view that they and Liverpool are the teams
who must be beaten if Antonio Conte is to lift silverware in his first
season at Stamford Bridge.
"Man City and Liverpool," Hazard told reporters when asked who his team's title rivals are.
"They are both good. If we want to be there at the end, then we have to finish above them.
"Next week we go to Man City – a very good opponent. We want to keep
going like this. We are full of confidence and want to win every game."
Hazard's words come despite Arsenal being the last team to beat
Conte's side in the league, winning 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in
September.
Chelsea have won seven straight matches since and sit one point clear of Pep Guardiola's City, as well as Liverpool.
"We know it's always difficult to win there," added Hazard ahead of the City trip.
"They won at Burnley and they have a lot of good players – Sergio
Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne. I hope it will be a good game and if we can
win there it will be good.
"Two months ago we went to Arsenal and weren't ready, but now we know
what we have to do. We will give everything and be ready for the game."
The match will see Hazard do battle with Belgium team-mate De Bruyne, a player the 25-year-old is a big fan of.
"I know him well from Belgium and he's a top player," continued the winger.
"He didn't get his chance here at Chelsea, but did very well in Germany and since he went to City he's been on fire.
"Sometimes you don't get the chance to play or the system the manager uses isn't right for you, but now he's full of confidence.
"I hope next week he'll have less confidence! It's good for Belgium
that two players are fighting for the title in England, but I hope when
we go to the national team we don't fight! We're good friends."
Mourinho: I want to stay at Man Utd for more than three years
Mourinho: I want to stay at Man Utd for more than three years
The 53-year-old has endured a mixed start to life at
Old Trafford but is hopeful that, like Sir Alex Ferguson, he will be
given time to turn the club around
Jose Mourinho has admitted he would "love" to stay at Manchester United beyond his current three-year contract.
Mourinho agreed a deal with the Red Devils in May which expires in
2019 and, despite enduring an indifferent start to life as United boss,
sees his long-term future at Old Trafford.
The former Chelsea boss acknowledged, however, that he must deliver success in order to make that hope a reality.
"Let's go step by step," Mourinho said. "I am in the beginning of my contract and also in the beginning of the process.
"If you ask me if I want to stay longer than three years? Then I say
yes I would love it, but also I have to earn and deserve that.
"If the club feels I deserve to stay then I will be very, very proud.
The job is as difficult as I was expecting; when I said I wanted to win
the Premier League this year, I said it was risky.
"I still can't believe how we didn't win our last three home games because we played so well, yet we didn't win."
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Arsenal left United in sixth position in the
Premier League and nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea, whose coach
Antonio Conte is also in his first season in charge.
But Mourinho believes United are moving in the right direction and
pointed out that even Sir Alex Ferguson had needed time to turn the club
around.
"I think by playing well the future can be bright," he added. "The
team is happy with the way they're playing, they are happy with
direction.
"With our style of play we are keeping people believing that the good results will come.
"The best manager in Premier League history needed a few years to
build a successful period. If the best needed time, then others do too."
Calm down internet! Why Neymar is NOT going to jail
Prosecutors in Spain are requesting a two-year prison
sentence, but the footballer's lack of previous convictions will spare
him time behind bars in Barcelona
Yes, prosecutors in Spain are requesting two years jail for the Brazilian footballer but, in reality, he wouldn't actually spend any time behind bars.
WHY WON'T NEYMAR GO TO JAIL?
The reason Neymar won't go to jail is that is he has no previous convictions and the prosecution, led by Jose Perals, are seeking just two years - which under Spanish law means the time can be served under probation.
It's a similar situation to Lionel Messi's conviction in July 2016 for tax fraud offences. On that occasion, the Barca star was memorably sentenced to 21 months in prison for defrauding Spain of £3.5 million . No jail time was served.
In December 2015 Mascherano also accepted a year's jail time conviction for tax fraud but, again, the Barcelona player just had to pay a large fine of an estimated £1.3m.
WHAT IS NEYMAR ACCUSED OF DOING?
Neymar has been accused of business corruption for the details surrounding his transfer from Santos in 2013, as are his mother and father. The prosecution are seeking £8.5m in damages from Neymar if found guilty.
While Neymar isn't expected to be locked up any time soon, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell might not be so lucky. He's accused of defrauding DIS - who owned 40 per cent of the player's rights - for the player's transfer to Camp Nou, and the prosecution want him jailed for five years.
IS NEYMAR'S BARCELONA CAREER OVER?
Probably not. DIS wanted a five-year prison sentence for Neymar, which would have also seen him disqualified from playing professional football for the Brazil captain during that period.
It would have ruined Neymar's career, beyond any doubt. He would not have been able to evade jail if found guilty and the best years of his career would've been lost.
The sentence isn't official and depends on what the judge decides in court, but it looks like Neymar's football career remains in tact as the prosecution chose two years and a huge fine.
However, what could happen is Neymar becomes sick of Spain and sick of being accused of being a criminal at Barcelona. The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City - two of the few clubs who could afford Neymar's large transfer fee and hefty wages - will no doubt be watching the case closely.
Rodgers warns Barcelona: Celtic have learnt from 7-0 smashing
His team's heavy defeat to Luis Enrique's men came
about because they showed the Liga champions too much respect, according
to the coach
Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic were made to pay for showing
Barcelona too much respect at Camp Nou and is determined to learn from
the 7-0 defeat's harsh lessons on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick and Neymar and Andres Iniesta got among
the goals before a late Luis Suarez brace sealed Celtic's worst-ever
European defeat in September.
Rodgers' Scottish Premiership leaders have performed with far more
distinction since then, claiming a share of the spoils at home to
Manchester City and away at Borussia Monchengladbach in Champions League
Group C.
However, they are still looking for their first round-robin win after
four matches, and only an unlikely victory can preserve Celtic's hopes
of remaining in the competition – a City win at Gladbach will eliminate
them regardless.
Ahead of the Parkhead match, former Liverpool boss Rodgers is
primarily concerned with his players showing Barca what they are made of
this time around.
"We showed them too much respect and the scoreline was bitterly disappointing at the time," said Rodgers.
"There were many aspects we learnt from, like being brave, and the players have shown they have learned from that.
"It was a tough game against a top-class, world-class team, but I'd hope it will be a different performance from ourselves.
"We have to fight and ensure we do everything we can to try to stop them, but it's not easy.
"They are a team of quality that can play through pressure and we have have to play how we are best – on the front foot.
"You also need a little bit of luck as well and when the opportunities come, you can take them."
Rodgers will assess striker Leigh Griffiths, who is making progress
in his recovery from a hamstring injury, and maintains Celtic can repeat
the improbable victory they registered against Barca in 2012.
"We have to look to impose our style and make it as difficult as we possibly can," he added.
"For us it's about the team. It's an opportunity for us all to play
here. We want to get a victory and know it will be difficult.
"We have no fear for the result. If we play our style we have an opportunity to get the result."
Ibrahimovic: United not as strong as PSG
The Red Devils striker remains confident he made the
right choice to move to Old Trafford in the summer and wants to win
trophies
The superstar striker moved to Old Trafford on a free transfer after four trophy-laden years in the French capital with PSG and etched his name in the club's folklore by becoming their all-time record goalscorer.
United have not won the Premier League since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season and last season's FA Cup victory is their only major trophy since the Scot's departure.
Ibrahimovic, though, says the challenge of helping to restore United to their past glories, coupled with working alongside his former Inter boss Mourinho, made the switch to Manchester such an inviting one.
"The presence of Mourinho was very much decisive. The team I signed for this summer is not as strong as the one I left, but when Mourinho called the decision was easy," Ibrahimovic told Aftonbladet.
"When he calls I have no problem coming, all we had to decide was when I was to be presented as a United player. The rest, the financial deal, was not the difficult part.
"It was about the challenge really, and I will never say no to a challenge. This is what I wanted, coming to one of the world's biggest clubs, that has had troubles and not won much of late, and try the Premier League. That is the challenge."
United have endured a difficult start to the season and are already trailing Premier League leaders Chelsea by nine points, but Ibrahimovic is not surprised by their indifferent form.
"I said from the start that we are underdogs, we are not favourites to win the title this season," he added.
"With all the new signings this summer, people were getting all excited. But it has been four or five years that the club has not won the league or been in the top of the table. That is something we work on.
"We started off well with a few wins in a row. Then we started losing, and we lost playing badly, by several goals. We had a week when we lost three games, that has never happened to me in 15 years."
Ibrahimovic has scored six goals in 11 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils this season.
Bieber better than Ronaldo!' - fans go crazy for pop star's Barcelona appearance
Legions of Beliebers and football fans shared their
reactions online as the singer stopped by to train with the Catalan
club, even tipping him for the Ballon d'Or!
When pop star Justin Bieber dropped by Barcelona training on Monday, fans around the world were impressed with his silky skills.
So much so that he even earned rave reviews, claiming he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba!
The Canadian singer was pictured with Barcelona stars Neymar, Rafinha, and Lionel Messi as he took time off from his Purpose World Tour, with fans going online to comment on his prowess in front of goal and share their love for his appearance in a Barca kit.
Messi doesn't pick Argentina side - Bauza
It has previously been suggested that the Barcelona
superstar influences his country's starting XI whenever they play, but
his manager has now rubbished such rumours
Reports have suggested that the Barcelona superstar chooses the first XI in every international break, but Bauza has now rubbished the rumours.
"They say that Messi puts his friends in the Argentina team and it's all lies," Bauza told DeporTea.
"It's an invention of the media."
Messi scored a stunning free-kick and assisted two goals as Argentina defeated Colombia 3-0 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying last week.
The Barcelona star also announced Argentina players would no longer be speaking to the media following accusations made against team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi amid allegations he was left out of the squad because he had been smoking cannabis.
Messi then missed Barca's goalless La Liga draw at home to Malaga, though he is expected to be fit for the Champions League fixture against Celtic.
Bellerin signs new Arsenal contract
The Spain international had been linked with a move
back to Barcelona, while Manchester City were also reportedly
interested, but he has committed his future to the Gunners
The Spain international, 21, had been a target for his former side Barcelona, who saw him as a potential long-term replacement for Dani Alves, while Pep Guardiola was reportedly interested in taking him to Manchester City.
Bellerin distanced himself from a potential move back to Catalunya, though, insisting he would have stayed if he wanted to play for the Blaugrana, having left to join Arsenal in 2011 before breaking into the first-team in 2014-15.
While he says he has been frustrated by the Gunners turning him into a right-back, an agreement over a new contract has seemed imminent.
The new deal for Bellerin comes as a major boost to Arsenal, who are also locked in renewal negotiations with star players Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, both of whom are out of contract in 2018. Furthermore, there remains a great deal of uncertainty around Arsene Wenger's future, with his deal expiring at the end of the current campaign.
Wenger reveals why he started 'remarkable' Alexis against Man Utd
| to start him in Saturday's draw at Old Trafford regardless |
The Chile forward suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty and returned to north London on Thursday, leaving his inclusion in the tie at Old Trafford uncertain.
However Wenger not only included him in his travelling squad but started his star forward and allowed him to play the full 90 minutes.
"It's very unusual [to play someone after that]," the Frenchman told the club's official website. "I chose him because Alexis is a guy who can take people on and I knew that would be a quality that would work. He's always a player who is not scared of anybody.
"He is good on the counterattack, good in short spaces as well.
"He played very well in the first half but we didn't give him enough service in the second half because we dropped off too much and we played too many balls in our own half. We didn't give him enough support by coming out more. For a guy who played a decisive game on Wednesday morning, and then travelling after, it's remarkable."
Jose Mourinho's side looked certain to wrap up the victory following Juan Mata's opener, with Arsenal failing to register a shot on target before the introduction of Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberain.
The pair then linked up in the final minute of the game - Oxlade-Chamberlain providing the cross for Giroud's headed equaliser - and Wenger believes that his strength in depth will prove the difference to this season's Premier League title challenge.
"When you're 1-0 down and you come back to 1-1 with one minute to go, it feels like more than a draw, that's for sure," Wenger added. "I hope it strengthens the belief inside the squad that, no matter what happens, we can always come back.
"As long as you're playing many big games, you can give games to everybody. It's more than that. It's just the understanding and camaraderie in the side. It's the common target you share. Sometimes a player won't play in October and then afterwards he'll play every game until January. That's part of it."
Tevez unimpressed after Gutierrez celebration sparks mele
The Colombian's goal celebration for Rosario Central
against Boca Juniors saw the match descend into farce and the Argentine
was not happy
Diego Costa leads Premier League Team of the Week
Boca led at La Bombonera through Dario Benedetto after 11 minutes, only for Gutierrez to level six minutes later.
The Colombia forward, formerly of Boca's bitter rivals River Plate, then celebrated provocatively in front of the home supporters, leading to an angry response from the opposition players and a melee that saw police enter the field.
Gutierrez and Boca's Ricardo Centurion were sent off as a result and neither side could find a winner thereafter with reduced numbers.
"It was a strange game, after the equaliser it became very difficult," Tevez told reporters.
"What Teo did was not necessary, but I'm not surprised. We all know what kind of player he is. This is normal for him."
The draw leaves Boca fourth, seven points behind undefeated Estudiantes after 10 matches.
Chelsea go top as Diego Costa proves he's the Premier League's best striker
The Blues stretch their winning run to six games as
they go top of the Premier League in the twelfth match week of the
season, as Costa inspires his team despite being half-fit
Chelsea had to battle past Middlesbrough who were tough and dogged, but were defeated after Costa reacted quickest in the 41st minute to win a second ball and slot past an in-form Victor Valdes.
The 28-year-old proved how important he is to Antonio Conte's side after being used over Michy Batshuayi despite missing his international games for Spain due to a thigh injury sustained against Everton.
He appeared to be suffering few ill effects as he provided Chelsea with a complete performance that improved as the game wore on. Aside from his goal, his hold up play was an example for all strikers, at any level, including his cushioned header that Pedro slammed against the bar in the 62nd minute.
Costa drew fouls and got in behind as well as operating in a number 10 role at times, which all helped to take pressure off Chelsea who were increasingly sitting back in a tough second half.
Victor Moses was another who had the chance to kill off Boro at the Riverside Stadium, after Costa drove through the middle of the park and delivered a perfectly timed through ball, only for Moses to blaze over.
Costa has been devastating from set-pieces this season, but also away from home earning his side vital points against Watford, Swansea City, Southampton and, now, Middlesbrough.
He has continued his run as the Premier League's top goalscorer, adding a ruthless side to his already brilliant all-round game. 10 goals in 12 games, coupled with three assists mean that he has contributed to more goals than any other player in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the Blues put in a strong and solid away performance as a full team, with the likes of Eden Hazard playing a vital role in the win, and the midfielders and defenders holding firm in their individual and collective battles.
His interplay with the likes of Hazard and Pedro is fluid, as Costa is able to drop deep to allow Hazard to run behind if it looks like a counter attack would be a better weapon than their usual approach to dominate possession.
Against Middlesbrough, however, it was Costa who offered a service that no other Chelsea player can match and it might mean that we will have to wait a while before the £33 million man, Batshuayi, gets his next start. Costa provides the ability to take up two men in the box and is always available to hold up the play with not only his power, but equally his pace.
In fact, he hasn't been booked since Chelsea's last defeat away to Arsenal and his yellow card record has become as good as Thibaut Courtois's clean sheet record in recent weeks.
It is reductive to say Costa is the only reason with Chelsea now gaining the best defensive record in the Premier League after a sixth clean sheet in a row, but Costa may be the player that Conte would least like to see injured and as he is essential to everything Chelsea do.
Forget Sergio Aguero, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Harry Kane as Costa now sets the standard as the most decisive all-round centre forward in the Premier League, and could lead the charts for the rest of the season.
If Costa is fit, Chelsea will fancy their chances to beat anyone with each player bringing the best out of each other in the new 3-4-3 formation. A worry may come on the day that Chelsea have to play without Costa in the league, but they will hope that day never comes.
Will Diego Costa be fit for Chelsea's clash against Middlesbrough?
The Blues top goalscorer is reportedly winning his
race to shake off the groin problem which kept him out of Spain's
midweek friendly with England
The Spain international was forced to sit out a midweek friendly date with England after picking up a groin injury.
He was sent back to Stamford Bridge after aggravating the problem in training and was considered to be doubtful for a trip to Middlesbrough with his club side on Sunday.
Costa is, however, said to have responded well to rest and treatment and could be at Antonio Conte’s disposal this weekend.
The 28-year-old striker was able to take part in a training session with his Chelsea colleagues on Wednesday and is now in contention for a starting berth at the Riverside Stadium.
The Blues could certainly do with him in their line-up, as he is the Premier League’s leading goalscorer at present with nine efforts to his name.
His rejuvenation this season has mirrored that of his domestic employers, with the Brazil-born frontman back to his buccaneering best.
Chelsea have benefited from his efforts in the final third, while a tactical tweak to a 3-4-3 formation has sparked a surge up the English top-flight standings.
A five-game winning streak has lifted the west London club into second spot, with a productive sequence of results seeing them net 16 times without reply.
Conte will be hoping that momentum can be maintained after the international break, and will be delighted to have Costa as part of his plans if he is cleared for duty.
The Italian will also be looking to call upon the services of Eden Hazard, Cesar Azpilicueta and Thibaut Courtois after they were returned to him nursing slight knocks.
Ndukwe urges Mikel to leave Chelsea
Patrick Osueke
Former Nigeria forward, Chukwu Ndukwe,
has urged the Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, to leave Chelsea for
another club in January.
Mikel has not played any game for Chelsea since the beginning of the season.
Ndukwe, who represented Nigeria at the
2000 Africa Cup of Nations, praised the midfielder for his impressive
display in the Eagles’ 3-1 defeat of Algeria in their Russia 2018 World
Cup qualifier in Uyo on Saturday.
The former Italy-based player said,
“Mikel played very well in the game against Algeria. He was the only one
that could hold the ball for long, and he gave accurate passes. His
movement was forward and I love the fact that he was asked to play
beside Kelechi Ihenacho,” Ndukwe said on SuperSport.
“What I am concerned about is how he
can keep fit since he is not playing for Chelsea now. For him to keep
fit, he should look for a smaller club by January and he should not be
waiting for a big club to sign him.
“He should join a smaller team to avoid
being idle. He will need to maintain a good match fitness before the
World Cup qualifiers against Cameroon. The matches are still far and I
believe that Mikel will be very important for the Eagles in that game,
so his being fit is very important. “
Meanwhile, former Nigeria forward,
Victor Ikpeba, has urged the Eagles to take their next year’s Russia
2018 World Cup qualifying matches against Cameroon seriously.
“We should not get carried away with
the win against Algeria. We played very well against them with
confidence and a higher determination than we have done in recent times.
Also, we showed the hunger to win the game from the start and everyone
watching could predict victory for the Eagles,” Ikpeba said on
SuperSport.
“The game against Cameroon (on August
28, 2017), which is next year, will be tougher than the one against
Algeria. I can’t say how the game will look like for now but Nigeria
need enough preparations for it. Friendly matches will be a good avenue
for the team to prepare well for the match because it will show how
well the Eagles have been preparing.”
Oshoala, Oparanozie lead Cameroon 2016 squad
Idris Adesina
Super Falcons coach Florence Omagbemi
on Wednesday named her 21-man squad for the Cameroon 2016 African
Women’s Cup of Nations.
Arsenal Ladies forward Asisat Oshoala,
Avant Guingamp’s Desire Oparanozie, Ebere Ngozi, Francisca Ordega,
Faith Ikidi Michael, Rita Chikwelu, Onome Ebi and Osinachi Ohale top the
list as Nigeria seek their eight win in the tournament, which begins on
Saturday.
However, former Nigeria midfielder Omagbemi dropped captain Evelyn Nwabuoku from the final squad.
Nigeria, who are the defending champions
of the competition, will play in Group B alongside Kenya, Mali and
Ghana. The Falcons will play their first match against Mali on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the team departed the country for Cameroon on Wednesday to defend their title.
Full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alaba Jonathan (Bayelsa Queens), Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels), Rita Akarekor (Delta Queens)
Defenders: Ohale
(Rivers Angels), Ikidi (Pitea IF), Gladys Akpa (Rivers Angels), Ebi
(Minsk), Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels), Ebere Ngozi (PSG)
Midfielders: Osas Igbinovia (Bayelsa), Rita Chikwelu (Umea), Ngozi Okobi (Vittsjo), Halimatu Ayinde (Minsk), Glory Iroka (R’ Angels)
Attackers: Oparanozie
(Guingamp), Oshoala (Arsenal), Chioma Wogu (R’ Angels), Ordega
(Washington), Uchechi Sunday (Icheon Diakyo), Ijeoma Obi (Sunshine),
Esther Sunday (Belediyespor)
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