Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media on Friday lunchtime, previewing Real Madrid’s Saturday afternoon clash with Elche and answering questions a wide range of topics. Discussing the game itself, he said: “There are no easy games. We know our opponents are in the lower half of the table, but they’re a good team.
They’ve had a lot of good games in this season, with their new coach too. So, we know we need to play a good game to take the three points. We’ve welcomed back Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard for tomorrow’s game. They could have minutes, but I won’t reveal my line-up now of course.”
Coach Zidane was asked about Christiano Ronaldo especially on the possibility of his return to Real Madrid. On that, Zidane said: “You know what Cristiano Ronaldo means for Real Madrid. You know the affection we have for him at Real Madrid. What he did here was magnificent. Right now he’s a Juventus player and he’s doing really well there. I can’t say anything about all the many things they say. I can only say that he is a Juventus player and we have to respect that.”
The Portugal international has spent over two years in Turin but is yet to learn the local language
Cristiano Ronaldo has been labelled “ignorant” by Pasquale Bruno, with the former Juventus defender of the opinion that the Portuguese superstar lacks respect for both his team-mates and the country of Italy as a whole.
Largely regarded as one of the best footballers in history, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner ended a nine-year stay at Real Madrid in 2018 as he opted to start a new chapter in his career with Juventus.
Despite his advancing years, the 35-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down since his arrival, doing his fair share of graft and bagging plenty of goals to help the Bianconeri to back-to-back Serie A titles.
But, while the Portugal captain’s talent is unquestioned, Bruno believes that a refusal to learn Italian throughout his two years in the country smacks of a lack of respect for the rest of the Juventus squad and general public in his new home.
“He is ignorant,” the 58-year-old said during an appearance on Tiki Taka. “He has been in Italy for two years and has not yet learned to speak our language. He uses Spanish to express himself. He has no respect for his team-mates or for the Italians.”
Ronaldo is unlikely to be affected by those comments, however, with Juan Cuadrado stating at the recent Champions League pre-match press conference that the attacker is a model professional who helps to drive his team forward.
“Ronaldo is very happy, he couldn’t wait to come back and play,” the Colombian said of his team-mate’s return from a coronavirus-enforced lay-off. “You saw that from the moment he stepped onto the pitch [against Spezia].
“He’s an extra weapon for us, we all know what he gives to the team. He is very confident and that helps us too, passing on the professionalism and desire to win that we all ought to have.”
While Ronaldo came off the bench against Spezia, he is expected to feature from the start against Ferencvaros on Wednesday and head coach Andrea Pirlo confirmed that he will not change his tactics despite switching up his on-field personnel.
“The attitude is the same. The players change from game to game but the positions are the same,” the Italy legend said. “[Weston] McKennie played against Spezia, [Aaron] Ramsey was there two games ago and [Dejan] Kulusevski before that.
“It doesn’t matter who plays, the model remains the same.”
The Argentine recorded a goal and an assist as the Blaugrana celebrated the end of a forgettable era with victory over Juventus in Turin
Josep Maria Bartomeu is gone as Barcelona president and the Blaugrana are playing good football again.
No, Barca fans, you are not dreaming.
The past few days have been filled with ups and downs at Camp Nou, from Saturday’s Clasico defeat to an impressive 2-0 win at Juventus on Wednesday, but Lionel Messi is smiling again and the club’s supporters can too.
The Argentine slotted home a penalty late on in Turin, adding to Ousmane Dembele’s opener, as Barca took three points in Italy, thus maintaining their 100 per cent start to this season’s Champions League.
Those feelings were compounded when Bartomeu claimed on Monday that he had “no reason to resign”, despite the impending vote of confidence against him.
He still might, at the end of the season, but now a new man will get the chance to convince him to stay beyond the length of his current deal.
The players, who even beyond Messi, have been at odds with the board recently, seemed invigorated. Ronald Koeman’s side started fast.
Antoine Griezmann smashed a shot against the post, Messi had an effort well saved by Wojciech Szczesny and eventually Dembele broke the deadlock in the 14th minute.
Messi whipped a spectacular crossfield pass from the left flank to the right, first time, and the France international controlled it immaculately. Dembele moved forward quickly, cutting inside and then back out, showing off his two-footedness and dribbling ability.
With the defence on the back foot, the ex-Borussia Dortmund star launched a shot at goal which took a huge deflection and looped into the net past the helpless Szczensy.
Of course, Dembele is one of the most expensive mistakes the club has made in the transfer market, with injury keeping him from finding any semblance of form since joining in 2017.
That said, it is not too late. There is a desperate need for his skill and pace in this team, as well as someone who can provide width on the right. Koeman wanted him out during the summer, but Dembele’s stock has risen with this performance.
Pedri’s, meanwhile, has gone through the roof.
The 17-year-old midfielder impressed Koeman from the word go this summer following his arrival from Las Palmas, and this display was just reward for the coach’s faith in him.
One roulette while bringing the ball out of defence in the first half was not just a sublime moment of skill, but showed that despite his age, he has ice in his veins. Having previously been likened to Andres Iniesta, the teenager looks extremely comfortable playing at this level and has a huge future ahead of him.
He played his part in Barca creating several chances either side of half-time which went to waste, and they deserved their eventual second, scored at the death from the spot by Messi after Merih Demiral had been sent-off for the hosts.
In all Barca passed the ball positively and moved well, in what was the best display of the Koeman era so far.
That is not to say this was a perfect performance, with Juventus striker Alvaro Morata seeing a hat-trick of goals disallowed for offside by VAR, with Barca too profligate at times.
Quarantined Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo, watching at home, would have relished reviving his rivalry with the Catalans against a weakened defence, and will still get the chance to face them at Camp Nou in December.
But this was a night for Barcelona and their fans to celebrate. After substitute Ansu Fati also erred badly in front of goal in stoppage time, the youngster could afford to flash a wry grin towards Messi.
A weight has been lifted at the club. The good times could be on the way back.
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.
Jurgen Klopp insists his Liverpool players have the hunger and desire to challenge for another league title.
The 23-year-old Italy international returns for a second spell at the club, though he will remain in Udine on loan for a season
Juventus confirmed the signing of Rolando Mandragora for €10.7million (£10m/$13m), but the midfielder will remain at Udinese on loan.
The one-time Italy international left Juve on a permanent deal in 2018 and has since become a regular at Udinese.
But the Serie A champions confirmed the signing of Mandragora on Saturday, although the 23-year-old will stay in Udine.
The fee will be paid across two seasons, with Mandragora – who has signed a contract with Juve until 2025 – staying on loan at Udinese for 2020-21.
Udinese also hold an option to extend that loan through 2021-22.
While the loan is free, Juventus said Udinese may receive bonuses up to €6m (£5m/$7m).
Mandragora has been sidelined since June after suffering a knee injury, missing the run-in as Udinese eventually finished 13th.
Born in Naples, Mandragora began his senior career at Genoa, making his Serie A debut against Juve in 2014.
He impressed while on loan at Pescara in 2015-16 and signed for Juve the following summer, but made only one league appearnace before being sent on loan to Crotone and eventually sold to Udinese.
Mandragora represented Italy at five youth levels and was a regular for his country’s under-21 side, but he is yet to add to his solitary senior cap. The midfielder made his bow for Roberto Mancini’s side in a friendly defeat to France in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup.
Mandragora arrives as Juve’s fourth major signing of the summer.
Arthur arrived in a big-money move from Barcelona early in the window, with Alvaro Morata signed from Atletico Madrid and Weston McKennie brought in from Schalke.
“I am happy to be in Rennes,” Rugani said. “I discovered a beautiful environment. I can’t wait to start playing with my new teammates and help them as best as possible to have a great season,” Rugani said.
“I arrive in an important championship. The Champions League is obviously a very high level but I think the club and I will have the opportunities to show good things in this competition. My goal is to make a fresh start.”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face off for the first time since the latter’s move to Turin from Real Madrid two years ago
Barcelona will face Juventus in the group stage of the Champions League after they were paired together in Group G in the draw, which took place in Geneva on Thursday.
The heavyweight fixture will see Cristiano Ronaldo come up against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi for the first time since his move to Juventus from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.
The two men, who have shared 11 of the last 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them, enjoyed a historic rivalry in La Liga, and will resume hostilities in Europe’s elite competition next month.
Barca and Juve have been joined in Group G by Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros, the Hungarian outfit who beat Celtic en-route to qualifying for the main draw for the first time in their history.
Meanwhile, Manchester United‘s return to the Champions League has been marked with a draw against last year’s Champions League finalists PSG, RB Leipzig and Istanbul Basaksehir in Group H.
Reigning champions Bayern Munich will play Atletico Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group A for a place in the knockout stages, having got their hands on the trophy for the sixth time by beating PSG 1-0 in Lisbon on August 23.
Group D will see 2018 winners Liverpool, who suffered a surprise early exit at the hands of Atletico last term, square off against Ajax, Atalanta and Midtjylland.
Manchester City were handed a more favourable draw against Porto, Olympiacos and Marseille in Group C, as they bid to win the competition for the first time in their history once again.
The last English side to qualify from the Premier League were Chelsea, who will play Europa League winners Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes, who will be making their first appearance on Europe’s biggest stage, in Group E.
In Group F, Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio and Club Brugge will do battle, with the 2020-21 edition of the Champions League set to kick off on October 20/21, with fixtures continuing through to early December to decide who will reach the last 16 stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most accomplished footballers in the world and the Portuguese attacker is set to keep playing until he is 40, according to his national team manager, Fernando Santos.
The Portuguese attacker has shattered goal records at the different clubs that he has played for and at the age of 35, he is still going very strong at Juventus. He scored 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid before moving to Turin and he has already scored 68 goals in 91 matches for the Bianconeri.
He has also netted 101 times for the Portugal national team. After netting twice in Juve’s 2-2 draw against AS Roma the last time, it is clear to see that he will be around for a long time.
Fernando Santos has been the manager of the Portugal national team since 2014 and he has managed the talented frontman since that time.
They won the Euro2016 together as well as the Euro Nations League last year.
Quoted by TuttoJuve, he said: ‘I don’t know if it will happen, because he might feel like he’s no longer at the top physically or technically, but Cristiano Ronaldo can play until he’s 40. He won’t lower his level, he’s going to stop if he finds out. If he understands he can’t be Ronaldo it won’t be Ronalndinho. Of course I’m not talking about the Brazilian.”
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