Zlatan Ibrahimovic has quashed fleeting speculation he could return to Malmo by claiming he is too good for Swedish domestic football. Ibrahimovic on Monday vowed to return to play in Malmo, with many understanding his promise to mean he could make a sensational switch to his first club. However, the 34-year-old, who is available on a free transfer following the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract, has now said his only intention is to return to his home city with the national team. “I am too good for Allsvenskan,” Sweden captain Ibrahimovic told a news conference on Wednesday. New Manchester…
Author: David Folami
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone lamented that losing a second Champions League final in three years was a “failure”, after seeing his side fall short against Real Madrid in a penalty shoot-out in Milan on Saturday. The 46-year-old Argentine also appeared to hint at a possible exit from the Vicente Calderon in the aftermath of the match, which Real won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. “Do I have to continue with Atletico or is it the end of a cycle? I have to think about that,” Simeone mysteriously said. Simeone’s side were beaten by Real after extra time…
Wales winger Gareth Bale has set his sights on next month’s Euro 2016 in France after playing an integral role in helping Spanish side Real Madrid claim their 11th European Cup on Saturday. Zinedine Zidane’s men overcame local rivals Atletico Madrid 5-3 on penalties after the tense Champions League final finished 1-1 at the San Siro in Milan. Bale has been pivotal for Wales, scoring seven goals during the European qualifiers, and led the country to their first international tournament finals since 1958. The 26-year-old suffered from cramp during Real’s victory but he reassured Wales he would be fit when…
Juventus striker Alvaro Morata will only return to Real Madrid if he is guaranteed a starting role, he said on Tuesday. The 23-year-old Morata, named in Spain’s Euro 2016 squad, is under contract with Juve until June 2020 but Real can exercise a buy-back clause to re-sign him in July. “My wish is to succeed at Real Madrid, that is clearly what I would like the most,” Morata told AS newspaper. “But Real have great players and what I want is to play and feel important. Next season, I will play in the team which gives me the most opportunities…
Real Madrid have held talks with Poland’s star striker Robert Lewandowski, his agent has confirmed, while Bayern Munich insist they will pay whatever it takes to keep him. “Real Madrid approached us a few weeks ago, we have listened to everything and informed Bayern that we have held talks,” Lewandowski’s agent Cezary Kucharski told the latest edition of German Magazine Der Spiegel. According to reports in the German media, Real is prepared to pay the Poland striker €25 million per season. Lewandowski finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer, when he became the first foreigner to score 30 league goals plus…
Cristiano Ronaldo is hungry for even more silverware with Real Madrid after winning the Champions League on Saturday for the third time. The prolific Portuguese did not look fully fit and was far from his best in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid but he slammed home his team’s decisive fifth penalty in the shootout to seal Real’s second Champions League final success over their local rivals in three years. Ronaldo cited tiredness for his underwhelming display in the final, the last game of another gruelling season in which he played 48 competitive games and scored 51 goals, the sixth…
The football-mad Spanish capital of 3.2 million people had been dominated by the two clubs crests and colours in a frenzied build-up to the final, which attracted a worldwide audience of 180 million people in more than 200 countries. Praise poured in for Real Madrid, including from Spain’s acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. “Epic final in the League of Champions,” he tweeted. “Congratulations to all… for the 11th.” However, there were mixed emotions for fans in the city as Atletico – who have never won the Champions League – lost in the final for a third time. “I am delighted.…
Thousands of Real Madrid fans piled into the streets of the Spanish capital and filled the club’s 80 000 capacity Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday to welcome home their heroes after an historic 11th European Cup win. An open top bus emblazoned with the word “Campeones” (Champions) carried the team, who showed off the trophy to fans, just after sunrise on their return from beating local rivals Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout in Milan. “How can I not love you!,” shouted the ecstatic crowd at the Plaza de Cibeles – a traditional meeting point for Real’s trophy celebrations. The…
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has praised Zinedine Zidane for changing the “recent history” of the club as a player and a coach. Promoted from his position as head coach of the club’s reserve team to be Rafa Benitez’s replacement in January, three-times world player of the year Zidane steered Real to a runners-up finish in La Liga and to their 11th European Cup. “The key element is Zidane,” Perez told Marca on Tuesday. “He has changed the recent history of Real Madrid. Since 2001 he has created a way to understand football that has helped us win these European…
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has included uncapped Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez in his 23-man squad for next month’s European Championship in France. Vazquez made 33 appearances for Real in all competitions this season and scored in the penalty shootout to help his team win Saturday’s Champions League final against Atletico Madrid. “I wanted to balance the squad and I think I’ve chosen the best,” Del Bosque told a news conference in Salzburg on Tuesday. Spain won the Euros in 2008 and 2012. Real midfielder Isco was left out while team mate Dani Carvajal was excluded after the right…
Hodgson’s line-up could also give a clue as to who out of Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Everton’s John Stones will partner United’s Chris Smalling in central defence in France. England travel to their Chantilly base camp on Monday, when they will begin preparations to face Russia, Slovakia and neighbours Wales in Group B. Thursday’s game will be the first meeting between the countries since Portugal defeated England on penalties at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role that day in Gelsenkirchen, controversially imploring the referee to send off United teammate Rooney for a stamp on…
England manager Roy Hodgson could reveal his hand ahead of Euro 2016 when his side tackle Portugal at Wembley on Thursday in their final pre-tournament warm-up match. Hodgson finalised his 23-man squad for the campaign on Tuesday, including 18-year-old Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and cutting loose Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater and Newcastle United’s Andros Townsend. Rashford needed just 138 seconds to open his England account on his debut against Australia last Friday and midfielder Jordan Henderson has backed him to enjoy a distinguished international career. “It reflects the season he’s had –- he’s got no fear and wants the…
Jose Mourinho will not stoke his rivalry with fellow new recruit Pep Guardiola at Manchester City next season because it could damage his team’s Premier League title hopes, he said on Tuesday. Mourinho and Guardiola had a fractious relationship when the Portuguese was in charge of Real Madrid and the Spaniard was at the helm at Barcelona during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. “My experience does not allow me to be naive. What I mean by that is that I was with Pep for two years in a championship where the champion was either him or me, Real Madrid or…
Chelsea captain John Terry believes his former manager Jose Mourinho will lead Manchester United back to the top. Mourinho was appointed United manager earlier this week after Dutchman Louis van Gaal was sacked two days after leading the Red Devils to an FA Cup victory. And Terry, who won the Premier League three times as Chelsea captain with Mourinho as manager, believes the Portuguese is the right man to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford. “It’s fantastic news for Man United,” Terry told Sky Sports News. “I’m sure the Man United fans and players will be delighted with…
English Premier League champions Leicester City are set to make Hanover 96 goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler their first signing of this transfer window. The 27-year-old made 36 appearances for the Bundesliga’s bottom club this season but could not save his team from relegation. “Ron-Robert Zieler has exercised his option right enshrined in his contract and Hanover have been informed that he will travel to Leicester for contract talks,” the club said in a statement. The German began his career at Manchester United. He was loaned to lower league Northampton Town before returning to his homeland with Hanover in 2010. Zieler was…
Striker Marcus Rashford has signed a new contract at Manchester United which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2020 with an option to extend for a further year, the club said on their website(www.manutd.com) on Monday. The 18-year-old United academy graduate scored eight goals in 18 appearances this season, including two on his debut against Midtjylland in the Europa League. He followed up with two goals against Arsenal and scored the winner in the Manchester derby against City in March. “I am delighted to have signed a new contract. I have always been a Manchester United fan, so to…
Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is keen to breathe fresh life into his faltering career in England under new manager Jose Mourinho after enduring a disappointing debut campaign under former boss Louis van Gaal. The Netherlands international, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven in June last year, scored two goals in 29 Premier League appearances in his first season, 13 of which came as a substitute. “I did not play as many games as I hoped and I am obviously disappointed about that,” Memphis told British media. “I had different expectations. But I have to deal with that. You have…
Several members of Nigeria’s senior national team have spoken about their happiness following Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Luxembourg in an international friendly. Brown Ideye, Kelechi Iheanacho and Odion Ighalo all scored as the Super Eagles won emphatically at Stade Josy Barthel in Luxembourg City against Les Lions Rouges (The Red Lions). Ideye who opened the scoring for the three-time African champions took to Twitter to voice his sentiments. “Good win, great team, wonderful performance,” he tweeted via his verified account, @OfficialIdeye. William Troost-Ekong who made only his sixth senior appearance for Nigeria on Tuesday was also ecstatic with the win…
The sleazy background to the competition threatened to take the shine off an event which will bring together some of the world’s best players. Messi and Argentina will be aiming to win the country’s first major title since the 1993 Copa America after a series of recent near-misses. The Argentines lost both the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 Copa America in Chile. Messi, due in Spain this week to attend his trial for tax fraud, says it is time Argentina’s talented players delivered. “It has been a very long time since Argentina has won anything, and this group…
Lionel Messi and Argentina will be targeting the country’s 23-year title drought when the Copa America Centenario kicks off on Friday after a troubled build-up marred by corruption allegations which threatened to derail the event. One hundred years after Uruguay clinched the inaugural four-team South American championship in Argentina, 16 teams from across the Americas are gathered in the United States for a special one-off edition of the tournament. The three-week festival of football gets under way at the Levi’s Stadium in California on Friday, when the United States face Colombia at the home of the San Francisco 49ers American…