German champions Bayern Munich have repeatedly signalled their desire for a contract extension with coach Pep Guardiola but the Spaniard seems in no rush to sign a deal past 2016. . Guardiola led Bayern to the domestic league and Cup double in his first season in charge last year but any talk of a contract extension past his original three years will happen later in the year. . Despite their runaway lead in the Bundesliga again this season, any possible deal extension seems to largely hinge on Guardiola’s ability to land the Champions League title this season. . Last season’s…
Author: David F.
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has said that he is optimistic regarding his side’s survival chances as they head into the second half of the Bundesliga season. . The Westphalians occupied the penultimate position in the Bundesliga at the turn of the year after a dramatic fall from grace and, rather than challenging for a place in Europe next season, their focus is on avoiding relegation. Klopp, who has presided over the worst half a season in his coaching career, remains convinced they will pull away from danger and soon be able to forget about the first half of the…
Germany midfielder Ilkay Guendogan could be sidelined with a thigh muscle injury when ailing Borussia Dortmund start the second half of the Bundesliga season on Saturday at Bayer Leverkusen. . Guendogan sustained the injury in a tune-up match in Dusseldorf last week and has not been in team training since. . Also uncertain, although back from Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations duty are Shinji Kagawa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But Japan’s Kagawa resumed team training on Wednesday. . The 2011 and 2012 champions Dortmund are second bottom after a terrible first half of the season. They now hope for…
Guinea and Mali will have to wait for the drawing of lots to take place to find out who will qualify for quarterfinals. . CAF Article 74 has come into play to be the tiebreaker as the teams are level in every category. . The rule is also used by the world governing football body Fifa. . It is not everyone’s preferred manner and most fans have actually called for penalty shootout, which is more thrilling and entertaining than a draw that basically amounts to a lottery. . This is what the Confederation of African Football (CAF) stated after the…
Didier Drogba has paid tribute to the inspirational way Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard and John Terry helped turn his career around after suffering some difficult times in his early days at Stamford Bridge. . The powerful Ivorian striker, signed in a big-money deal from Olympique de Marseille 11 years ago, was frequently criticised by reporters for the theatrical way he would go to ground but he said Lampard and Terry made him clean up his act. . “I’m very proud because I managed to push things and also that I learned from my mistakes,” Drogba told Reuters in an interview,…
Stoke City forward Bojan Krkic will miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee ligament injury against Rochdale in their FA Cup fourth round win on Monday, the Premier League club said. . The 24-year-old Spanish forward opened the scoring after four minutes in a 4-1 victory but limped off in the 32nd minute after collapsing while challenging for the ball. . “Scans have revealed he suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee and will have to undergo surgery,” Stoke said on their website (www.stokecityfc.com). . The Midlands club signed the one-cap Spain international forward from…
Mali and Guinea face a long night as they await a rare drawing of lots to decide which team goes through to the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals. . A 1-1 draw between the teams in Mongomo on Wednesday left them tied in second place in Group D behind the Ivory Coast, who finished top after beating Cameroon 1-0 in Malabo. . Max Gradel’s first-half goal means the Ivorians will take on Algeria in the last eight in Malabo on Sunday. . But Group C winners Ghana are still awaiting the identity of the last team through from the group…
Sunning themselves in Abu Dhabi and arriving home 19 hours before their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Middlesbrough was not the reason for Manchester City’s shock 2-0 home defeat on Saturday, manager Manuel Pellegrini said. . Arab-owned City jetted out to Abu Dhabi following last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Arsenal for a week’s warm-weather training before arriving back in Manchester at around 2000 GMT on Friday. . After a goalless first half at the Etihad Stadium, City midfielder Fernando’s defensive error allowed on-loan Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford to put Middlesbrough in front on 53 minutes. . City continued to be…
A bemused Jose Mourinho described Chelsea’s performance as unacceptable and a disgrace after the Premier League leaders slumped to a 4-2 home defeat against third-tier Bradford City in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. . It was an old-fashioned Cup tie, full of noise, tension, rip-roaring goals and a thrilling comeback victory for the brave underdogs on a chilly afternoon in west London. . Mourinho, twice a Champions League winner, who has led teams to titles in his native Portugal, Italy and Spain as well as at Chelsea, said the defeat was one of the worst of his career.…
Middlesbrough were rewarded for beating Manchester City with a trip to FA Cup holders Arsenal while Chelsea’s conquerors Bradford City host Sunderland or Fulham after the fifth round draw on Monday. . Third tier Bradford and Championship (second tier) Middlesbrough overcame the odds to register two of the biggest FA Cup shocks in recent memory. . Bradford trailed 2-0 against Premier League leaders Chelsea before mounting a stunning fightback to win 4-2 while Middlesbrough outplayed City to claim a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium. . “I’d prefer (to play) Sunderland to be fair,” Bradford co-chairman Mark Lawn told Sky…
Real Madrid released a statement late on Monday saying it complies fully with Fifa’s rules on transfers involving minors, after acknowledging that football’s governing body is looking into previous deals. . Earlier, during Lucas Silva’s presentation, club director Emilio Butragueno said he knew Fifa had asked the Spanish federation for documents relating to the transfers of minors to Madrid over the past five years. . Butragueno said “we are in agreement with Fifa in this matter,” and that we will continue collaborating with them in everything that is asked of us. We are absolutely calm about how Real Madrid has…
The president of Barcelona says the Spanish club is considering ending its lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar because of concerns over social issues in the Gulf state. . Josep Maria Bartomeu said in an interview on Catalan radio Tuesday that Barcelona was “looking at alternatives to Qatar,” pointing out that the contract ends in 2016. . Bartomeu said “four years ago, we signed for economic reasons,” adding that now “other social issues” needed to be taken into consideration. . Barcelona made headlines in December 2010 when it ended its long-standing refusal to wear sponsorship logos on its jerseys by…
Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale says he is happy at the Bernabeu and has no intention of moving to Manchester United. . Despite playing a significant role in Real winning their celebrated 10th European Cup and the King’s Cup last season there has been talk of a move back to the Premier League for the Welshman. . He has been criticised by a section of the Real fans and the media for being greedy on the ball and failing to link up with his team mates. . It has led to rumours that he could be part of a deal…
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu believes Fifa regulations concerning under-age player transfers needs to be revised and that current rules would have prevented Lionel Messi from joining the club. . The Catalan side have been banned from signing players during this transfer window and the next one for breaking the rules over the signing of foreign under-18 players. . Now Real Madrid are also being investigated by Fifa over the transfer of 51 players and there are rumours that the activities of other La Liga clubs could be examined. . The ban is a major blow for Barca, who have…
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has attributed his side’s comeback triumph to eliminate South Africa from the on-going Afcon to experience. . The Black Stars were on the brink of elimination after conceding through a 17th minute volley by Mhlandhla Masango but revived their chances of qualification after 73 minutes of play. . Centre-back John Boye, who replaced injured youngster Daniel Amartey, latched onto a loose ball with a low shot under goalkeeper Nhlanhla Khuzwayo to level matters. . Ghana continued to pile pressure on the South African defence and 10 minutes on were rewarded with the winner through an Andre…
Regular watchers of Ligue 1 were unsurprised when Andre Ayew headed powerfully to secure a win for Ghana over South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday. . The attacking midfielder has a penchant for scoring them for club and country. . In fact, Andre Ayew is distinguished as being the winger with most headed goals in Ligue 1. He has scored an incredible 15. . “I think in football we try to practice everything and it is true that it is one of my qualities but I work very hard on it to make it better,” he…
If you told Avram Grant that the better side lost on Tuesday, he might just shoot you. . The Ghana boss is adamant that over 90 minutes, his side outplayed Bafana Bafana in their final Group C Afcon eliminator at the Estadio de Mongomo. . The South Africans went ahead, but yet another late rally in the last quarter hour ensured a top spot for the Ghanaians. . He deadpanned after the match: “We deserve it because South Africa were not better than us.” .. “We have finished first in the group of death, which is not bad. After losing…
Max Gradel’s superb long-range strike catapulted Ivory Coast into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations as they defeated Cameroon 1-0 to top Group D on Wednesday. . The match was a straight shootout for a place in the Last 8 as all teams in the pool entered the final round of matches with two points, an even goal-difference and the same number of goals scored. . The Ivorians have now set up a quarterfinal against Algeria in Malabo on Sunday, while the second side to emerge from this pool will be decided with the drawing of lots on…
Premier League leaders Chelsea could be without midfielder Cesc Fabregas and defender Filipe Luis for Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. . Both came off during Chelsea’s 1-0 victory in the Capital One (League) Cup semifinal second leg against Liverpool on Tuesday, while Branislav Ivanovic, who headed the winner in extra-time, is also a doubt with a cut foot. . “Branislav could finish the game, Fabregas and Filipe couldn’t,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho explained. . “Filipe has a calf problem, Fabregas has a hamstring.” . Mourinho added that Fabregas “said he wasn’t yet injured but that he…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been fined 25 000 pounds ($38 000) by the FA after claiming there was a “campaign” to influence referees’ decisions against his team. . Mourinho, 52, was in trouble for his comments after his side were denied a penalty in a 1-1 draw at Southampton in the Premier League on December 28. . The Portuguese contested the charge but the FA’s Independent Regulatory Commission ruled the comments were “improper and brought the game into disrepute” although it said they did not “imply bias on the part of a referee or referees”. . Mourinho denied his comments constituted…