Football

‘I don’t understand’ – Southgate responds to reports of Mourinho rift over Kane fitness

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The England boss was rumoured to be on a “collision course” with Tottenham’s head coach, but he claims to know nothing about it

Gareth Southgate says he “does not understand” the fuss surrounding Harry Kane’s fitness as he insists that the striker is “fully fit” following a public exchange with Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

Prior to the international break, Mourinho stated his hopes that Southgate would not overuse Kane, with the England boss saying that Mourinho should back that up by resting Kane ahead of the Euros next summer.

The 27-year-old striker has been dealing with muscle fatigue and was not involved in a friendly match against Wales last Thursday.

He then started on the bench against Belgium on Sunday before replacing Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 66th minute.

Southgate has stated that Kane is due to start against Denmark despite Mourinho’s concerns, which the England boss doesn’t necessarily understand.

“I don’t really understand the story because he has been fully fit since the end of last week, just before the last game,” Southgate said. 

“He would have started the last game but he hadn’t had enough training time really. He was fine during the game so he is fit and I didn’t understand the story.

“So where that is coming from is not to do with the conversations that we have been having with Spurs medically and it is not affecting us in the camp. He is fit, he hasn’t had an injury. 

“He had delayed muscle soreness [that stopped him training initially] but there hasn’t been an injury at any point.

“We don’t risk players, I said this before the camp. My priority is always the welfare of players, we never risk the player and we have ended up having on very rare occasions injuries during matches. 

“That happens. But we have never lost a player through injury because of training loading and we pride ourselves on looking after the players.

“We want them fit and sharp as possible for the games. Our issue with Harry before Sunday’s game was just to be able to perform at the highest level. Now he has trained for a few days, it is not an issue.”

England are set to face Denmark on Wednesday before Kane returns to Spurs ahead of Sunday’s clash with West Ham.

After that, Tottenham will look ahead to the start of the Europa League as Kane, Mourinho and Co. play host to LASK in London on October 22.

Football

Aguero: Messi and I are like an old married couple!

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The Manchester City striker says that he and the Barcelona star have conflicting habits that leads to a bit of bickering

Sergio Aguero joked that he and Lionel Messi are like “an old married couple” whenever they room together while on international duty with Argentina.

The Manchester City star has been a member of Argentina’s senior setup since 2006, having earned 97 total caps while scoring 41 goals.

Aguero is Argentina’s third-leading goalscorer, trailing only Gabriel Batistuta and, of course, Messi, who sits atop the country’s scoring list with 71 goals.

With Messi having made his Argentina debut in 2005, the Barcelona star and Aguero have become close throughout their careers as they’ve featured together at three World Cups, four Copas America and during the gold medal-winning run at the 2008 Olympics.

And Aguero says that sharing a room with Messi isn’t always easy as the two have developed a unique relationship during their time as team-mates with Argentina.

“He always complains, we are like an old married couple,” Aguero joked on the “Santo Sabado” program.

“I always fall asleep with the TV on and when I wake up the next morning he is always complaining to me.

“He arrives at the hotel and is instantly taking a shower while I’m just sitting talking on my mobile phone. Then he will remind me that we need to go down to dinner and we do not have time.”

Messi scored the lone goal from the penalty spot in Argentina’s recent 1-0 win over Ecuador to kickstart CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

With that goal Messi has now scored 21 times in World Cup qualifiers, with his former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez’s 22 goals the most ever in the competition. 

Messi and Argentina are set to face Bolivia on Tuesday before returning next month for qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.

Aguero is currently battling injury, with Manchester City set to face Arsenal on Saturday ahead of an October 21 Champions League opener against Porto.

Messi, meanwhile, will rejoin Barcelona ahead of this weekend’s clash with Getafe before the club turn their focus towards their Champions League clash with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

Football

‘Henderson knew Van Dijk was captain competition’ – Liverpool skipper saluted by Aldridge for raising game

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The former Reds striker remains a big fan of the man chosen by Jurgen Klopp to be an on-field leader for the reigning Premier League champions

Jordan Henderson has “upped his game as a captain” at Liverpool because he knew the arrival of Virgil van Dijk would place his role as skipper under threat, says John Aldridge.

The Reds added a commanding centre-half to their ranks in the January transfer window of 2018 when Van Dijk slotted seamlessly into the fold, with his value and leadership qualities apparent from the off.

He has taken the armband at times while at Anfield, but Henderson remains very much the go-to man for Jurgen Klopp in that department.

The England international has shown himself to be deserving of such responsibility since inheriting the job of captain from the legendary Steven Gerrard, with consistency added to his game that few believed he had when making a slow start to life on Merseyside.

Henderson’s game has been taken to even greater heights under Klopp, allowing him to get his hands on Champions League and Premier League crowns, with the challenge posed by Van Dijk successfully fended off.

Former Reds striker Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo of a power battle at Anfield: “When Virgil van Dijk came to the club, everyone was saying he would go on to be the captain and Jordan’s not soft, he probably knew what people were thinking and that the big Dutchman was a threat to his hopes of keeping hold of the armband.

“But he upped his game as a captain, in the dressing room and on the pitch, and I really think he’s been a brilliant captain for Liverpool and deserves all the accolades which have come his way in recent times.

“When he’s on the pitch he’s always shouting orders, lifting and organising the players around him and if he’d have been playing at Aston Villa we would not have lost 7-2, without a doubt.”

Henderson is currently away on UEFA Nations League duty with his country, with his efforts to earn a penalty in a 2-1 victory over Belgium seeing him come in for criticism from Roy Keane.

Aldridge is not surprised to see a man he knows well speak out against supposed theatrics, but he has no issue with the Liverpool midfielder going to ground under little pressure from Thomas Meunier.

“I see he’s got a bit of stick from my old Republic of Ireland team-mate Roy Keane for ‘screaming’ and drawing attention to the fact he was fouled for the penalty which brought about England’s equaliser,” Aldridge said.

“At the end of the day, he was only doing what many players, foreign and home-grown, have been doing pretty much since football began although it does seem to have crept into the game more and more over the years.

“There’s a big difference though between what Jordan did and what we see from other players who go down like a sack of spuds when they’ve not been touched.

“He was fouled by the defender, who clearly pulled him back when Jordan was going to get to the ball ahead of him so it was a penalty, all day long.

“We’ve seen plenty of examples, including a few with Mo Salah in recent times, when players have tried to do what is supposedly the right thing by staying on their feet and the referee takes the view that because the attacker stayed upright he didn’t have to give a decision.

“A foul is a foul whether the forward ends up on the ground or not and until referees start to give them in those situations, players will feel they have no alternative.”

Football

When is the next El Clasico? The dates of Real Madrid vs Barcelona 2020-21 fixtures

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Goal brings you all the information about this season’s Clasico games, such as when they are, where and how to watch

The 2020-21 La Liga season has ushered in a new era for Barcelona, in the wake of talisman Lionel Messi informing his club that he wants to leave .

The Catalan side has been undergoing some hardship in recent seasons, with a failure to pick up a single title in the 2019-20 season amid their hugely embarrassing exit at the hands of Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Real Madrid will be defending their La Liga title under Zinedine Zidane, and Spain‘s showpiece fixture promises to be one of the most highly anticipated match-ups in football.

Goal has what you need to know about when the Clasico will take place this season and more.

When is the next Clasico?

The next Clasico will be held on October 24 at Camp Nou, with kick-off at 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET. The return fixture will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 11, 2021.

New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman will oversee the Blaugrana following the dismissal of Quique Setien.

Setien was dismissed following Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 Champions League destruction to Bayern Munich.

Last season’s El Clasico in La Liga saw a draw between the two at Barcelona, with Real Madrid registering a 2-0 victory in the return leg in March.

Real Madrid were crowned winners of La Liga for the 34th time in 2020.

How to watch El Clasico

In the UK, La Liga matches will be available to watch and stream on La Liga TV, while Premier Sports and FreeSports also have rights for some games.

In the US, La Liga games will be broadcast on the beIN Sports network, which has both English language and Spanish language channels, as well as an online streaming service, beIN Sports Connect.

Football

Ex-Man City & Liverpool striker Balotelli to sign for a new club “in a few weeks”

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The Italian frontman has been without a club since leaving Brescia at the end of last season, but says he’s got a new destination lined up

Former Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has revealed he will sign for a new club “in a few weeks”.

Balotelli dropped into the free agency pool after being released by Brescia at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 30-year-old forward failed to report for training with the Italian club following the coronavirus lockdown, and was publicly criticised for a lack of discipline by his manager.

Brescia head coach Diego Lopez told Corriere della Sera in June: “There’s only one truth here: the team have followed one path, Mario has followed another. I thought he could give so much, playing in the city of his birthplace.

“He had a lot to give but he had to do more, much more. These are the facts. Therefore, it’s normal that there’s disappointment.

“I spent a lot of time on him. He didn’t even show up on Zoom during quarantine.”

Genoa were reportedly prepared to offer Balotelli a one-year contract during the summer transfer window, but a final deal never came to fruition.

The Italian frontman has also been linked with a move to MLS, and he now claims that he has already got his next destination lined up.

During a live conversation with his brother Enock, who is currently taking part in the Italian version of the reality show Big Brother, Balotelli fielded questions on his future.

Asked where he has gone to ply his trade at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, the ex-City star responded: “I still don’t play, in a few weeks I’ll sign, don’t worry.”

Balotelli joined Brescia as a free agent in August 2019, and went on to score five goals in 19 appearances for his boyhood club.

He took in a brief spell at Marseille earlier that year after terminating his contract at Nice, where he had initially rebuilt his reputation after a disastrous spell at Liverpool.

Balotelli only managed to score four goals at Anfield between 2014 and 2016, failing to fill the boots of Luis Suarez upfront following the Uruguayan’s move to Barcelona.

The ex-Italy international enjoyed a prolific spell at Milan prior to his ill-fated stint on Merseyside, having moved to San Siro from City in 2013.

He also managed to win a Premier League title at Etihad Stadium, but never quite managed to live up to the potential of his early days at Inter, who sold him to the Manchester outfit for €22 million (£20m/$26m). in 2010.

Football

‘Napoli haven’t treated me well’ – Premier League-linked Milik wants January transfer

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The Polish international nearly left the club in the recently completely window and now must wait three months until he can depart

Napoli‘s Arkadiusz Milik believes he has “not been treated well” by the Neapolitan outfit after they failed to sanction a move to another club despite the player having accepted offers, and then subsequently leaving the striker out of their squads for Serie A and the Europa League.

Milik appeared to be on the brink of leaving Napoli in the most recent transfer window, as Juventus and Roma were close to a deal while Tottenham also showed interest in the Poland star. 

The 26-year-old, however, would end up staying at Napoli despite admitting he had accepted offers from other teams. Milik has revealed he turned down the chance to stay with Napoli long term, with his current contract set to expire at season’s end.

“Napoli wanted to extend my contract for five years and gave me two choices: to sign or leave,” Milik told SportoweFakty. “I decided that I would like to try something else.”

“The life of an athlete is beautiful but short. I am 26 years old, I want to grow, to be a better player,” the striker continued. 

“I think this is the right time to try a new challenge. There has never been hostility on my part towards Napoli. I wanted to solve everything professionally. I have great respect for the club, I spent four wonderful years in Naples. I respect Napoli, the fans. That’s what I decided. Right or wrong, but it’s my decision.

“I don’t want to name the teams that have contacted me, but the truth is that I had accepted some of the offers. But the teams in question never reached an agreement with Napoli and I had to stay.”

After his proposed move fell through, Napoli responded by leaving Milik out of their Serie A and Europa League squad. The striker was especially dismayed to find out that news from media reports rather than the club itself.

“I heard it from the press,” Milik said. “I expected this decision but the lack of communication from the club is not professional. I believe I haven’t been treated well.”

Milik has now been forced to train separately from Napoli with his only likely game action to come on international duty with Poland. All the striker can do now is wait until the transfer window opens again in January and find a new club then. 

“I’m waiting for the next transfer window,” Milik said. “I hope the clubs reach an agreement at that point. I feel good physically, I have trained individually. I will play other matches with the national team. In three months my form will not suffer a lot. Where will I go? We’ll see. 

“I have no regrets for what I have done and what I have decided. I will suffer a little, but I will resist.”

Football

Veteran star Modric sets Real Madrid future target

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The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner admits he is approaching the end of his career, but he still feels that he has plenty to offer at Santiago Bernabeu

Luka Modric accepts that he has reached a “certain age”, but the 35-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer at Real Madrid and would welcome the opportunity to extend his association with the club.

As things stand, the Croatian playmaker is due become a free agent in the summer of 2021. He will have spent nine years at Santiago Bernabeu by the time his current contract ends.

Many notable highs have been experienced since swapping Tottenham for the Spanish capital back in 2012. Modric has enjoyed two La Liga title triumphs and four Champions League successes, while also landing the Ballon d’Or in 2018.

He has seen regular game time under several different coaches, with Zinedine Zidane continuing to find a role for him in his present star-studded squad.

With there no sign of him slowing down, Modric hopes fresh terms will be put to him at some stage in 2020-21.

Discussing his club future while away on UEFA Nations League duty with his country, the classy playmaker said: “It’s the same as with the national team. I go from match to match and then we’ll see what happens.

“Of course I’d like to stay at Real Madrid. However, I am aware that I am at a certain age and the club must do the best for everyone. 

“As long as I feel that I am an important part of Real Madrid, I would like to stay. When that is no longer the case, I will look for new challenges. However, this issue is not yet on the agenda.”

Modric is approaching the 350-appearance mark for Real and 130 caps for Croatia. He has been a talismanic figure for club and country at times and believes he can maintain his standards for the foreseeable future, with there no plans on his part to start considering retirement any time soon.

Modric added: “I don’t want to set any limits or dates for myself. I’m going from match to match and I’ll see how I feel both physically and mentally. As long as I feel good, I want to play for the national team.”

Football

Barcelona target Depay expects clubs to show interest in January transfer market

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After he was unable to leave for Camp Nou before the end of the summer window, the Lyon ace is optimistic more talks will be held imminently

Lyon attacker Memphis Depay is hopeful that there will be more interest shown in him during the January window, having narrowly failed to complete a switch to Barcelona before the transfer deadline.

With a contract that expires next June, it was expected that the Netherlands international would leave the Ligue 1 side before the October 5 deadline, but while the Camp Nou side were close to getting a deal over the line they stumbled at the last.

Memphis is not perturbed by the setback and seems optimistic that a deal can be completed in the winter.

“I’m 26 and my transfer will cost next to nothing,” the former Manchester United player told BN DeStem on Saturday. “So we can expect that clubs will show an interest. It’ll be January soon. We’ll have to see how things are going. Not that I will definitely be leaving, but the possibility of clubs showing up soon is probably greater.”

Amid the transfer speculation that has swirled around him, Memphis has found his playing time under Rudi Garcia cut down and he is eager to get back in the team with Lyon foundering in mid-table in Ligue 1 after six matches of the season.

“What I found regrettable is that I’ve played a lot fewer minutes in Lyon in recent weeks. I felt it was all due to the fact that I was going to leave,” he said, having scored four goals in the opening six games of the French season. “As a forward, you want to continue this streak. I scored the first three of those goals in the first game. It’s a shame.”

Lyon will be braced for a busy January after they also saw deals for midfielder Houssem Aouar, who was attracting interest from Arsenal, fall through.

On the park, Garcia’s side, who reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, have once again endured a difficult start to the season and lie 14th, having drawn four of their opening six matches of the campaign.

Memphis, meanwhile, is currently away on international duty, with the Netherlands set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday before travelling to face Italy on Wednesday.

Football

Wenger reveals why he would never be Arsenal’s director of football and his one piece of advice to Arteta

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The Frenchman has said he would consider a boardroom role, while he has tipped the current Gunners squad to have a fine season in the Premier League

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed why he would never take a role as a director of football – either at the Emirates Stadium or anywhere else.

The 70-year-old, who is now FIFA’s head of Global Football Development, left day-to-day management in 2018 after more than two decades in charge at the Gunners, and while there has regularly been speculation that he could return to club football since then, he does not believe that such a position would suit him.

Wenger did, however, confess that he may consider a different role.

“I would have considered being on the board at Arsenal as an adviser,” he told The Guardian in response to a question asked by long-time rival Jose Mourinho.

“I believe that honestly there is a deficit of knowledge in the big clubs of top, top-level competition and games of top-level sport. And I believe we have seen recently that there are many ways to be successful in football. 

“For example, there’s the Bayern [Munich] way, where the whole success and continuity relies on people who know the values of the club, and they transfer that from generation to generation: Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinze Rummenigge. 

“Or there are models in England of quick money and quick success. Both can work. I like the fact that a club is first an identity and has knowledge that is transferred from generation to generation. So that’s why I saw things that way.”

Meanwhile, Wenger was asked what advice he would pass on to Mikel Arteta, who is present in charge of first-team affairs with the north London side.

“To continue to have a grip on the team, as he has at the moment. And to go to the end of his beliefs,” he said. “I think there is a good team spirit and they have a good chance to do well. I believe it will not be very difficult to improve on the number of points they got last season, but I’m convinced Arsenal can be in the top four, if not more. Why not more? 

“They can be the surprise package for me this year: they bought well, they strengthened the defence well, and they kept the players who were already there. In my last year I bought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, they kept him. They have every ingredient and no real weakness.”

Football

‘I was mediocre’ – Barcelona ace De Jong accepts Koeman criticism of performance against Sevilla

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The young midfielder was given a slap on the wrist by his coach after a disappointing outing in La Liga last weekend

Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has accepted criticism from head coach Ronald Koeman for his performance against Sevilla, admitting he was “mediocre”.

The Catalans dropped their first points of the season at home against the Andalusians last weekend in a 1-1 draw.

While Sevilla instigated a high pressing game that complicated life for the Camp Nou side, it was De Jong who bore the brunt of the criticism publicly from Koeman in the aftermath.

“He lost too many balls and has not been fine like his other team-mates,” the new Barca coach said in the post-match press conference.

It was a critique that midfielder De Jong admits was true ahead of the Netherlands‘ match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.

“I didn’t play at the top level against Sevilla,” he admitted to the media. “I was only mediocre. How is my form? We’ll see, but I feel good.”

He warned his international team-mates to expect a tricky encounter away from home before a clash with Italy on Wednesday.

“We have to be realistic and not expect the Netherlands to dominate and win every game,” he said. “We want to aspire to that.

“I think we have many players who are already world class and are already first rate. We have other talented young players who can grow with the squad.

“We are a very good team but when you see some details you realise that there are still aspects in which we have to grow. We need to improve tactically and in our understanding.

“We want to show Bosnia that there is still magic with us.”

The 23-year-old is in line for his 18th international cap, having made the breakthrough under Koeman in 2018 when he was still with Ajax. A year later, he made his big move to Barcelona after impressing in the Champions League, in which he helped the Amsterdam outfit to the semi-finals only to be undone at the last by Tottenham.

His first season with the Camp Nou side saw him feature on 42 occasions in all competitions and score two goals. He has played every minute of Barca’s three competitive fixtures at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Football

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hits out at crowded calendar

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Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hit out at football’s crowded calendar on Saturday on the eve of their Nations League match against England, the second of three national-team games inside a week.

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has criticised football’s busy schedule post-lockdown, as he prepares to face England with Belgium.

“I’ve been playing without a break for two years now. But nobody listens to the players,” De Bruyne, who will captain the team against England at Wembley, told a news conference.

The match follows Belgium’s 1-1 friendly draw with the Ivory Coast on Thursday and will be followed by another Nations League trip to Iceland on Wednesday, before De Bruyne returns to play for his club Manchester City in the Premier League next weekend.

“Sometimes I worry. Especially when I look at my personal situation. I’ve had eight, nine days off this summer,” De Bruyne said.

“I couldn’t go on holiday because my wife was pregnant at the time, so basically I’ve not had a holiday and if the season goes on, it means I will have played for two years without a break.

“It takes a toll, especially mentally. I think, like everybody, you need a break just to switch off like everybody and your body needs to heal…

“I know everyone says ‘you earn a lot of money, you should handle it’. That’s the way it goes. I take it on the chin but I can see a lot of injuries coming,” he added.

De Bruyne also said he wanted to discuss a possible contract extension with Manchester City as soon as possible.

“I am happy in Manchester. I am open to conversations, but so far I haven’t spoken to City myself,” he told reporters.

Football

Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements ‘more impressive’ than Lionel Messi’s – Iker Casillas

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It’s the most heated debate in football: who is the greatest of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Now Iker Casillas has had his say, claiming that his former team-mate’s feats in football are superior to those of his one-time rival in La Liga.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements in football are “more impressive” than those of Lionel Messi, according to his former team-mate Iker Casillas.

While Messi has won six Ballons d’Or to Ronaldo’s five, Casillas has weighed in in favour of the man he shared a dressing room with at the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo’s work ethic is legendary and Casillas believes that the fact Messi has more innate talent means Ronaldo has in fact had to work harder to achieve what he has in football.

“Cristiano always had huge desire to be the best, ever since he was a boy and I believe he has achieved that,” said Casillas, in quotes reported by As.

“If I have to compare him to Messi, what Cristiano has done is more impressive because we all know the talent Messi has, but Cristiano was determined and worked hard to be the best.

“I feel we have been lucky to have been able to enjoy two phenomenal players. For people that don’t know Cristiano, he can appear to be cocky and arrogant, but it’s totally the opposite.”

Football

Lionel Messi: Manchester City have ‘financial strength’ to sign Barcelona forward

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Manchester City have the financial strength to sign Lionel Messi next summer if the Barcelona forward still wishes to leave, says the Premier League club’s chief operating officer.

Messi had sought to leave Barcelona for free at the end of last season and he favoured a reunion with his former head coach Pep Guardiola in Manchester.

But the six-time Ballon d’Or winner got into a bitter contract dispute with the club he joined as a teenager from his native Argentina and, ultimately, had no choice but to stay in Barcelona.

City missed out but, according to chief operating officer Omar Berrada, the club will be ready to pounce should Messi allow his contract with Barcelona to expire next summer.

He told the Manchester Evening News: “He’s the best player in the world, he’s the best player of his generation. I think any club in the world would like to explore the possibility of him joining their team. Sponsored Links

“He’s probably an exception to potential investments that we’d do… but our planning has been done with this current squad and it is being considered with the current opportunities that we have.

“For every single position we have to be prepared because there can be so many things that can happen but, at the same time, I think we have the financial strength and system ability to make that investment when required.”

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Kai Havertz: Chelsea midfielder says Premier League games are ‘exhausting’

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Chelsea’s new signing Kai Havertz says the Premier League has no bad players and that the games are “exhausting”.

Havertz signed for Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen last month, and has made five appearances and scored three goals for Frank Lampard’s side so far.

The 21-year old scored a hat-trick as Chelsea romped to a 6-0 victory against Barnsley in the third round of the Carabao Cup, but is yet to score in his four Premier League appearances. The German international says the league is “more intense” than what he experienced in the Bundesliga due to the fact that “everybody is at a very high level”.

“It was difficult for me, especially because the Premier League is a completely different league,” Havertz told Chelsea’s official website. “It’s more intense and I noticed that in the first few games.

“The intensity in the duels and the runs is much higher. It’s a completely different league and the games are very exhausting.

“The Bundesliga isn’t worse but I noticed differences. It seems to me like there aren’t any average or bad players here – everybody is at a very high level.”

Havertz was satisfied with his performance against Barnsley, but says he is aware it will take him time to adjust to his new environment and build relationships with team-mates.

“The hat-trick was good for me,” he said. “The start was a little difficult because I only trained with the team for five or six days, then played the first game right away. It was also a very big step for me to leave my family and familiar surroundings. Of course, it takes time to get it right.”

Havertz is currently with the German national team ahead of Nations League fixtures against Ukraine and Switzerland, both live on Sky Sports.

The midfielder made his international debut in September 2018, and says he is remains patient in his quest to add to his eight appearances so far under Joachim Löw.

“In my two years with the national team, I haven’t played too many games but I’m still relatively young,” he said.

“I have a lot of games ahead of me which is why so far I’ve always remained calm. I have enough self-confidence to attack the national team.”

Football

Neymar and Firmino delight Tite as Brazil start World Cup qualifying in style

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The Paris Saint-Germain star caught the eye on international duty while the Liverpool ace also won praise

Brazil coach Tite praised the performance of Neymar and was pleased at Roberto Firmino’s contribution in the 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia. 

Liverpool forward Firmino scored twice as Brazil opened their World Cup qualifying campaign in impressive fashion, despite having not played an international fixture in nearly 12 months. 

Marquinhos and Philippe Coutinho also scored, with Bolivia not helping their cause with an own goal in the rout in Sao Paulo. 

Neymar, who has 61 goals in his 102 caps, did not find the net but was influential throughout, the Paris Saint-Germain forward showing no signs of the back problem that had bothered him during the build-up to the game. 

“We seek knowledge, strategies, [to play] with harmony,” Tite said after the resounding victory. 

“Neymar was looser, more central, with freedom of movement, as the opponent’s marking is more demanding.  

“Coutinho played inside, with Firmino not far behind. He [Firmino] did not seek the ball so much, he waited for it more.  

“He scored two and could have had two more. As the game requires, we may not change the function of the team, but adapt it to suit.”

Brazil are next in action on Tuesday, when they are away to Peru. 

Tite will hope his side can be just as clinical on their travels in what will be a repeat of the 2019 Copa America final in Rio de Janeiro, a game the Selecao won 3-1 to lift the trophy.

“It is a feature to maintain possession of the ball. But there is no use getting the ball and finishing little,” the Brazil boss added in his press conference.

Brazil are chasing a sixth World Cup trophy, having not lifted the crown since defeating Germany 2-0 thanks to a couple of Ronaldo goals in the final of the 2002 showpiece.

They reached the semi-finals in the home edition of their tournament in 2014 before being infamously hammered by the Germany side that eventually won the competition, while four years later they found Belgium too strong in the quarter-finals, with an own goal and a Kevin De Bruyne strike sending them spinning out in Russia.

Football

‘Ozil doesn’t have the best discipline’ – Wenger details how to get the best out of Arsenal outcast

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The former boss believes that if the balance of the team is correct, the ex-Germany star can still be effective

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been given some tips on how to get the best out of Mesut Ozil by legendary ex-Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

The former Germany international does not appear to fit into the Spaniard’s plans at the Emirates Stadium, with his high-profile omission from the Europa League squad the latest blow to his chances of breaking back into the thinking at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger believes that the 31-year-old can still be effective, but he needs a certain structure in place around him to thrive.

Speaking to Der Speigel, Wenger said: “He wasn’t exactly the one with the greatest discipline on the pitch. And playing the game without the ball wasn’t exactly his forte. But you can deal with that if you put some more defensively minded players by his side. The main thing is to get the balance between attack and defence right.”

Wenger did hint, however, that the way the game is played now is perhaps not to the liking of the former Real Madrid man.

“Players have lost their technical quality over the past 10 years,” Wenger argued. “Athleticism has become more important than technique and decision making. It’s more about physical characteristics and intensity, about explosiveness. And it’s also about being a showman.”

Ozil joined the Gunners when Wenger was still in charge in the summer of 2013 and in the 2015-16 season recorded 19 assists in the Premier League – the second most on record at the time behind Thierry Henry’s 20 in the 2002-03 season, a tally since matched by Kevin De Bruyne.

He was also the quickest player in Premier League history to 50 assists – although De Bruyne has since beaten that record – but he continues to hold the distinction of being the only player to top the assist charts in La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

Despite this, Ozil has proven to be a polarising figure among the Arsenal support due to his perceived lack of work rate.

Arteta, meanwhile, has frozen him out of the first team while the player has insisted that he will not be moved on, much to the frustration of some supporters, who believe he is picking up a large wage for doing little.

Earlier this week, Ozil said he would pay the wages of Gunnersaurus after the mascot was let go by the club after 27 years of service.

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Nigeria coach Rohr takes positives from Algeria defeat

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he Super Eagles succumbed to the African champions in Austria and the German tactician feels the game was a good test for his side

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr has taken the positives from their 1-0 defeat to Algeria in Friday’s friendly game. 

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ramy Bensebaini scored the only goal that separated the sides in the sixth minute, poking home his effort from close range.

The North African side held on to their first-half lead to see off the three-time African champions in Austria and extend their impressive form. 

The defeat ended the West Africans’ five-game unbeaten run, having last lost against the Desert Foxes in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Super Eagles were without some of their key players like Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, Rangers’ Joe Aribo, Galatasaray’s Oghenekaro Etebo and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, among others.

The German tactician used the opportunity to hand a debut to Kevin Akpoguma, Zaidu Sanusi, Samson Tijani and Frank Onyeka in the encounter.

Despite the defeat, Rohr is satisfied with the quality of the friendly and has now shifted his focus to their next game against Tunisia on Tuesday.

“This is a very good test for us. There are positives to pick from a tough game like this,” Rohr said.

“Now we have to recover well and start to plan for the next game on Tuesday against another tough team.”

The three-time African champions will hope to bounce back to winning ways against the Carthage Eagles, who defeated Sudan 3-0 on Friday.

Nigeria last met Tunisia in their third-place match at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where the Super Eagles won to finish third in the tournament.

The friendlies have been lined up as part of the Super Eagles preparation for the Afcon qualifying game against Sierra Leone in November.

The West Africans currently lead Group L with six points after victories over the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.

Football

‘Nobody thanked Napoli for preventing Ronaldo getting the virus’

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While the club have been targeted for criticism by Juventus, the region’s president says the response should be very different

Napoli should be thanked for not risking the health of Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campania region of Italy.

After two players from the squad tested positive for Covid-19, the local health authority (ASL), decided to prevent them from travelling to an away Serie A fixture with the league champions.

Despite this decree, Juventus were angered by the inability of the fixture to go ahead, claiming that protocols were not followed.

De Luca, though, has taken to the defence of his region’s most successful club. “Nobody has thanked us for preventing Cristiano Ronaldo from getting the virus,” he explained on a Facebook video. “Try and imagine it. If Napoli had travelled with several positive cases in their squad like Genoa did. If Ronaldo had got the virus a week later, we would have hit the front pages even of the New York Times. 

“The protocol is no good when it comes to health and the laws. Napoli didn’t travel because the ASL decided that and Juventus ended up going to play with the ball boys.

“The players, from a health point of view, are subjected to the same rules as all Italian citizens. And, therefore, Napoli will not play because they have been quarantined by the ASL.

“Juventus, through the words of president Andrea Agnelli, made a painful statement, embarrassing. ‘Since there’s a protocol, we will go to the stadium,’ they declared.

“The Juventus president is a man who is passionate, not only about football, but philosophy too. And that’s why I remind him of what Schopenauer said: ‘Honour has not to be won; it must only not be lost.’

“If I had behaved in this way, I would have felt that I lost my sporting honour. “We are talking about sport, sporting values, sporting loyalty, honest competition and respect for our opponents.

“But how can we reduce ourselves to the pettiness of pretending to win a match when the antagonists are quarantined by the ASL and not by their own will?”

Napoli have won both their Serie A fixtures to date this season, while Juventus have four points from their two games under new boss Andrea Pirlo.

Football

Mario Goetze Joins PSV Eindhoven On Two Year Deal

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German World Cup final hero Mario Goetze, who was a free agent after Borussia Dortmund allowed him to leave, has signed a two-year contract with PSV Eindhoven.

Goetze, scorer of the extra-time goal that gave Germany a 1-0 victory over Argentina in Brazil in 2014, made only five Bundesliga starts at Dortmund last season.

The club decided not to offer him a new contract and, at 28, he became a free agent which meant he could sign after the transfer window shut and after reported negotiations with Hertha Berlin went nowhere.

The attacking midfielder started his career at Borussia and moved to Bayern Munich in 2013 but was allowed to return to Dortmund after three seasons. He won the last of his 63 Germany caps in 2017. (Reuters)

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