SOCCER TALKS: June 2015

Saturday 13 June 2015

England look to remain unbeaten against Slovenia

England's tenth and final game of the 2014/15 season, and it's one where they can take another giant stride towards qualifying for Euro 2016.At the moment Roy Hodgson's side lead Group E with 15 points from five games. Their nearest challengers are Switzerland and Slovenia who are both on nine points.Victory in Ljublijana on Sunday will extend their lead over Slovenia to nine points, leaving only Switzerland with a realistic possibility of overhauling England (those two meet at Wembley on September 8).Speaking to the England players this week it was clear they really wanted to complete the season unbeaten and so far their record is seven wins and two draws.

The England international midfielder has been reported as a target for rival clubs but he is keen to remain at the Emirates Stadium and put his injury frustrations behind him.Midfielder Jack Wilshere is adamant that his priority is "to be wanted by Arsenal" rather than any rival clubs.The England international had another season disrupted by injury in 2014-15 but has been linked with a summer move to potentially revitalise his prospects.Wilshere, though, is keen to stay with the Gunners after their back-to-back FA Cup triumphs and remains confident that he can put his injuries behind him.He told the press: I definitely wouldn't go somewhere just because I'm a homegrown player.

Official: Liverpool agree Bogdan deal

The goalkeeper will move to Anfield when his contract with Bolton expires, joining as back-up to Simon Mignolet following Brad Jones's release.Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan on a free transfer.The 27-year-old will move to Anfield on July 1 when his contract at the Macron Stadium expires and becomes Brendan Rodgers third signing of the summer after James Milner and Danny Ings.Bogdan, who has over 100 Premier League appearances to his name, will act as back-up to first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after Brad Jones was released earlier in June.The Hungarian featured against Liverpool as recently as January, when he was named man of the match after a string of impressive saves during a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup fourth round at Anfield.Bolton have already acted to replace Bogdan, signing Ben Amos following the expiry of his Manchester United contract.

TransferTalks

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool have rejected Manchester City £30 million offer for Raheem Sterling.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Man U have agreed on a deal with Hoffenheim £13.1 million for Roberto Firmino.And United are planning to make a bid of £50 million for Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

CHELSEA: Chelsea have completed the signing of right back Cristian Manea from Viitorul Constanta for a fee of £3 million.The 17 years old signed a five year contract.

Bursaspor excluded from Europa League for one year

The Turkish side have been excluded from the competition after they were found to have flouted FFP laws Bursaspor have lost an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS over a one-year ban administered for breaking the governing body's Financial Fair Play FFP rules.The Turkish club were due to play in the Europa League next term, but CAS' upholding of Uefa's sanction means they will be excluded from the competition.In 2012, Bursaspor were fined and given a one-year ban from UEFA club competition, deferred for a three-year probationary period, for breaching FFP.The club played in the Europa League last season, but were found last December to have breached FFP again.Bursaspor filed an appeal with CAS, pushing for the sanction to be set aside or made less severe, but sport's highest court rejected the appeal.

Thursday 11 June 2015

Carlos Tevez may go but Alvaro Morata is staying, Juventus reveal

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta says Carlos Tevez is likely to leave this summer, but Alvaro Morata will stay.Tevez is under contract with the Italian champions for another year but has been linked with former club Boca Juniors while Atletico Madrid are also keen to sign the Argentina international.When asked about Tevez's future, Marotta told Sport Mediaset: The possibility that he leaves is quite high but I'm not going to give a percentage.It's more likely that he will leave than Andrea Pirlo.

The German is "proud" of the Gunners' FA Cup win, in what he describes as the hardest season of his career, but feels improvements can be made on home soil and in Europe.Mesut Ozil has targeted winning the Premier League title with Arsenal next season.After suffering a worst start to a campaign for over 30 years, the Gunners yet again failed to mount a credible challenge for top spot as Chelsea claimed a first league crown in five years in dominant fashion.Ozil, though, feels a number of injuries to first-team players - including the likes of himself, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere - hampered Arsenal's progress but is now confident of improvement home and abroad We had bad luck with injuries this season, he is quoted as saying by Kicker.

The midfielder started an expletive-filled chant during Arsenal's FA Cup celebrations in front of a family crowd, and will now face either a fine or match suspension.Jack Wilshere has accepted a Football Association misconduct charge for starting a foul-mouthed chant about rivals Tottenham during Arsenal's FA Cup celebrations.The midfielder caused controversy as the Gunners toured north London in an open-top bus, grabbing a microphone and shouting "What do you think of Tottenham?" with supporters replying "s***".The taunt continued, with Wilshere being informed while on England duty that he faced disciplinary action, despite apologizing for his actions in a post on Twitter, and the 23-year-old admitted surprise at the charge.

The Brazil legend says it is his duty to stand in the upcoming elections following Sepp Blatter's announcement that he will stand down.Former Brazil player Zico has announced that he intends to stand as a candidate for the Fifa presidency.Elections will be held either at the end of 2015 or at the start of 2016 to elect a new leader of world football's governing body after Sepp Blatter announced he would stand down from his post just four days after being re-elected for a fifth term."I would like to confirm the decision to be a candidate," said Zico. "I feel I am capable. For sure, certain rules need to change.It's sad for our sport to see what is happening in football today - the corruption... and the hard work of many other good people wasted."I see it as my duty to use my experience and knowledge to try and stand for the presidency."He admits however that he may struggle to gain enough support.

Swiss authorities have seized computer equipment from Fifa President Sepp Blatter's office as part of an investigation into corruption in football's governing body.The inquiry, which Fifa claims to have requested in November, is looking into possible criminal mismanagement and money laundering related to the next two editions of football's most prestigious tournament.World football's governing body willingly handed over what is hoped to be useful computer data at its Zurich headquarters on Wednesday, according to Swiss police.The latest probe is unconnected to the FBI investigation which saw a number of past and present Fifa officials indicted following raids on Fifa headquarters in May.Police insist that Sepp Blatter, who recently resigned as the organisation's president just days after being re-elected, and his secretary Jerome Valcke are not suspects in the case.

Lionel Messi could stand trial on tax fraud charges

The Barcelona forward is now due to stand trial on accusations he defrauded authoritiesLionel Messi's appeal against allegations of tax evasion has been thrown out by a Barcelona court and the Argentina star will now stand trial.The Blaugrana forward and his father and agent, Jorge Messi, are accused of defrauding authorities over a tax amount totalling €4.1 million between 2006 and 2009.It is alleged that Messi's image rights were sold by Jorge - who assumed full responsibility when the case began - using companies in countries like Belize and Uruguay to avoid Spanish tax obligations.A judge at a court in Gava, near Barcelona, determined in October 2014 that the 27-year-old would have to face trial over the allegations, despite his pleas that he was neither guilty nor fully aware of the suggested impropriety.

Most valuable players in study: Raheem Sterling among

The study of the most valued player has been carried out by a team of statisticians at the Football Observatory, a research group in the International Centre for Sports Studies which was founded in 1995 as a joint-venture between FIFA and the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. The Football Observatory itself was established in 2005 and has undertaken research for both FIFA and UEFA.The top 30 most valuable player is as follows.
1.Lionel Messi (Barcelona)£205m
2.Eden Hazard (Chelsea)£109m
3.Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)£92m
4.Neymar (Barcelona)£72m
5.Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)£63m
6.Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)£60m

The announcement of the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup has been delayed by FIFA.The decision was due to be made in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, in May 2017 but amid allegations over corruption into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, the process has been puit on hold with no clear date as to when it can be made.The 2018 and 2022 tournaments were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively, but both are being investigated by Swiss authorities due to allegations of bribery and corruption within their bidding processes.FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said on Wednesday: "Due to the situation, I think it's nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being. It will be postponed."Among the countries interested in hosting the 2026 World Cup are believed to be USA, Canada, Mexico and Colombia.

Brazil star Marta scored a record 15th Women's World Cup goal on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over South Korea.Marta's second-half penalty in the Group E clash in Montreal saw the 29-year-old overtake Germany's Birgit Prinz as the top goalscorer in the history of the tournament.It was a 92nd goal in 93 internationals spanning 13 years for the Sweden-based player.Brazil now lead Group E after rivals Spain and Costa Rica played out a 1-1 draw in Montreal.Vicky Losada's first ever World Cup goal for Spain on 13 minutes was cancelled out by Costa Rica's Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno a minute later.Daniela Montoya's late equaliser for Colombia denied Mexico a first World Cup win with a 1-1 draw which saw goalline technology used to decide Veronica Perez's 36th-minute goal.

The 2015 summer transfer window is now officially open in England, Scotland and Wales.Clubs can now conclude deals already made with interested players and work on others as they begin to build and restructure their team ahead for next season.Soccer Talks readers can keep up with all transfer news from all clubs this summer.Already completed signings are as follows,

An Argentine businessman wanted in connection with allegations of corruption at FIFA has handed himself in to police.Alejandro Burzaco surrendered to authorities in Italy, he was among the group of 6 Interpol issued a red notice for on charges including racketeering conspiracy and corruption.This group of 6 comprises of four corporate executives and two former FIFA officials.Ex-FIFA vice president Jack Warner, from Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguayan Nicolás Leoz, who was previously a FIFA executive committee member, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, from Argentina, and José Margulies, also known as José Lazaro, from Brazil, were the others.According to the US Department of Justice indictment filed in a New York court, Burzaco is one of several businessmen alleged to have paid US$110m (£72m) in bribes to secure valuable marketing contacts in Central and South America.

Luis Enrique signs one-year contract extension with Barcelona

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique has signed a one-year contract extension with the European champions.The former Barca and Real Madrid midfielder agreed terms on a deal which will keep him at the Nou Camp until 2017.

Tuesday 9 June 2015

The Portugal star has confirmed that he is to be the subject of a documentary detailing "a year in the life of the world's best footballer"A film documenting a year in the life of Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is to be released in autumn 2015.The Portugal international will be the subject of what the film makers claim to be a "powerful documentary following a year in the life of the world’s best footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo.The film, when it hits the big screen, should offer a fascinating insight into the life of the former Manchester United star.It is likely to document the highs and lows of Ronaldo's 2014/15 season which saw him awarded the Fifa Ballon d'Or for the third time in January and the subsequent slump in form which saw him overshadowed by great rival Lionel Messi.

The email, seen by Sky Sports News HQ, was sent by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke to South Africa's then deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi in December 2007.In it, Valcke is chasing up the $10m payment and writes: I haven't received confirmation yet. More importantly I would like to know when the transfer is going to be done.He reminds Moleketi that the plan was "based on a discussion between FIFA and the South African government and also between our President and HE President M'Beki.The letter was leaked to South Africa's Sunday Times and was sent three months earlier, in September 2007, again by Valcke.

The 23-year-old faces punishment after leading Arsenal supporters in a series of explicit songs directed at the club's bitter north London rival.Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is surprised by his FA charge for swearing and says his anti-Tottenhamjibes were "a bit of fun".Wilshere is considering contesting the misconduct charge, which came after he sang offensive songs during the Gunners' FA Cup victory parade in London.The 23-year-old was told of the charge by a member of the FA's media department when he joined up with the England squad ahead of Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia.Wilshere, at Arsenal since 2001, insists he has learned his lesson - but feels the threat of FA disciplinary action is too harsh.

Arsenal will make a £25 bid for Porto,s Colombia striker Jackson Martinez, but only if they can offload Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sango and Joel Campbell.

Maradona says "I will be Fifa vice-president if Prince Ali wins election"

Prince Ali stood against Blatter in the recent Fifa presidential election, but failed to prevent the Swiss from winning a fifth term. However, after a series of arrests in relation to corruption charges across world football's governing body, Blatter announced four days after the election that he will be standing down.Diego Maradona says he has a chance of becoming Fifa vice president if Prince Ali bin al-Hussien wins the election to succeed Sepp Blatter,He said on Show del Futbol.Prince Ali and I got 73 votes, which has not happened at Fifa for many years."The 54-year-old added that he feels Blatter decided to resign quickly after the election because he was scared of being named in the corruption charges.

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother detained for carrying 55,000

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother was held at the Barajas airport for carrying over five times the maximum amount of cash allowed on an aeroplane.According to reports the mother of the Real Madrid star got herself into trouble with the law, for travelling with €55,000.The maximum amount of cash a person is allowed to carry on a plane while flying out of Spain is €10,000 but Dolores Aveiro was detained for carrying over five times of that.The press agency reports that she could not justify the amount of money she was carrying, so the police confiscated €45,000 and allowed her to travel to Portugal with the remaining money.In carrying so much, Aveiro committed an administrative offence and now must pay a fine to the tax authorities in order to free up the remainder of her money.

Monday 8 June 2015

Luis Enrique will continue as Barcelona boss says Bartomeu

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed that Luis Enrique will continue to be the clubs coach next season.His future at Barcelona has been in doubt despite his historical success, He was admitting after Saturdays Champions League final win overJuventus that his future at Barcelona remains uncertain.Now Bartomeu has said Luis Enrique will be staying as the club coach, and he continued by saying "There is no reason to break our contract with Luis Enrique after he earned a
full mark for this season".Bartomeu had called for summer presidential elections following the debacle and on Monday promised "renewal" if he was re-elected, while also rejecting rumours he has approached Juventus with a view to acquiring Paul Pogba.Pogba is an iconic player at Juventus and has a contract there," Bartomeu continued. "We have not tried to sign him, but we are closely monitoring his progress".

Jack Warner should hand himself over to US authorities, says Trinidad & Tobago minister

The Trinidad and Tobago Justice Minister has urged Jack Warner to fly to New York to stand trial.Ramadhar says Warner, who is one of 14 people wanted on suspicion of multiple offences connected to his FIFA dealings, can still ‘do the right thing’ by handing himself over to US authorities and end a process which he feels is damaging the sport in the country.When asked if he felt Warner should voluntarily fly to New York to face trial, Ramadhar added: That is what we are asking for.This is a problem for all of Trinidad and Tobago and the solution rests in the heart, conscience and in the hands of Mr Warner.

Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag scored hat-tricks as Germany opened their Women's World Cup campaign with a 10-0 rout of the Ivory Coast in Ottawa.The Germans, one of the tournament favourites, scored five goals in either half and coach Silvia Neid was able to take off star striker Sasic at half-time after she had completed her treble.Mittag scored the other two first-half goals and made it 6-0 as the Ivory Coast's decision to try and play a version of the offside trap consistently failed. Simone Laudehr, Sara Daebritz, Melanie Behringer and Alexandra Popp were also on target for Germany, who came close to beating their tournament record for the biggest winning margin - they beat Argentina 11-0 at the 2007 World Cup.

Belgium lived up to their billing as second only to world champions Germany in the FIFA rankings with a 4-3 friendly win over France at the Stade de France in Paris.The last two meetings of the neighbours ended in goalless draws, with Belgium last beating France in May 2002, when Marc Wilmots scored in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win against the then world champions.But there was no shortage of goals on Sunday night as Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini gave Wilmots' side a 2-0 half-time lead, before second-half strikes from Radja Nainggolan and Eden Hazard appeared to put the result beyond doubt.

Messi enjoys breakfast with Champions League trophy

The 27-year-old helped his side to victory on Saturday night and then ate croissants and drank coffee with the silverware by his side.Lionel Messi celebrated winning the Champions League by having a special breakfast with the trophy by his side.He posted the picture on Instagram eating croissants and a cup of coffee.The 27-year-old didn't get on the scoresheet, but still played a starring role as Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin to clinch the second treble in the club's history.Despite the celebrations, Messi was up bright an early for croissants and coffee with a special companion.

Sepp Blatter: Why I quit Fifa

Sepp Blatter has revealed the reasons why he quit his position as Fifa president, stating that he did it for the good of football and the organisation.The 79-year-old beat Prince Ali of Jordan in the presidential election to win a fifth term in power on June 29, but was urged to quit following a host of serious allegations.US authorities arrested seven Fifa executives on suspicion of corruption and bribery, while Swiss officials have opened a separate case looking into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Following the victory of Barcelona 3-1 over Juventus, Dani Alves revealed "he has an offer from Italy" and that he is open to the idea of moving to San Siro.Barcelona defender Dani Alves says it would be a pleasure to join AC Milan after revealing he has a proposal from Italy.Dani Alves will be out of contract later this month and his seven years playing at Camp Nou is coming to an end with the full back having been linked to PSG and Man-U.He told Sky sport Italia that "it would be a pleasure to join AC Milan". The 32 year old has won 5 La Liga titles, 3 Copa del Rey medals and 3 Champions League title during his stay at Camp Nou.

Juventus will spend big this summer - Marotta

The club has refuse to back down following the defeat they faced on Saturday at the hands of the Catalans, they are already preparing to have another great impact on Champions League next season. Juve have already completed the signing of Palermo worth €32 million and Marotta says there could still be more signings.Beppe Marotta says Juventus will spend whatever it takes to launch another assault on the Champions League next season.The club had a time of struggle in Europe under Antonio Conte but have re-emerged as a force in the competition under Massimilano Allergi this term, while winning Serie A and the Copa Italia.Juve CEO says "We are ready to do whatever it takes to improve a team that's already important". He also added that it's a great satisfaction to have come this far, but defeat wont stop us.

Barcelona treble winners again

Barcelona has proven again to be the best team in the world by wining the most prized trophy in a 3-1 win against Juventus. Barca is the only team that has won a treble twice, their first treble was won 2009 against Manchester United in Rome in a 2-0 win.

Suarez, Rakitic & Neymar deliver Champions League glory

The Champions League final ends with Barcelona 3-1 Juventus.The spanish side opened the scoring with a goal from Rakitic within the first four minutes,while Alvaro Morata equalised in the second half.Luis Suarez the Uruguayan restored Barcelona leads 22 minutes after Alvaro Morata has just given hope back to Juventus.Neymar had a header disallowed, via a handball, as Barca sought to put the game out of sight late on.But it proved inconsequential in the end, as the Brazilian added a third with the last touch of the match to ensure that Luis Enrique's side repeated the treble-winning achievement of Pep Guardiola's Barca in his debut season of 2008-09.The victory also provided Xavi with a successful send off to his career with the Catalan giants. While the been the European Champions ontinues to elude Juve since thier last won in 1996.

Saturday 6 June 2015

Zidane: I hope Morata does something special against Barcelona

The Real Madrid Castilla coach is hoping a familiar face can inspire his old club Juventus to victory over Barcelona in Berlin on Saturday.Real Madrid Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane wants to see former Blancos star Alvaro Morata star in the Champions League final for Juventus.Morata, who left the Spanish capital to join the Italian champions at the start of the season, helped his new side earn a place in Saturday’s showdown with Barcelona in Berlin after scoring in both legs of Juve’s semi-final over his old club.Zidane is now hoping the Spain international will repeat his heroics against Real's great rivals.Alvaro Morata has had a fantastic year.

The Juventus defender says he expects no repeat of the moment the Uruguay international snubbed him during their racial abuse feud.Juventus defender Patrice Evra says he will shake hands with Barcelona’s Luis Suarez in Saturday’s Champions League final.The two were embroiled in a race row during their time in England when Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing the then Manchester United defender during a clash with Liverpool at Anfield.Suarez was handed a ban but, upon his return, caused more controversy by snubbing Evra in the pre-match handshakes.I will shake his hand – I am a professional,” the Frenchman told Sky Sports.Like I’ve said many times, I’m proud of my colour and it doesn’t matter.

Germany coach Joachim Low believes that Juventus are up to the challenge of stopping Barcelona’s prolific triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.The two sides are both hoping to secure famous trebles in Saturday’s Champions League final in Berlin, with both already having claimed domestic league-and-cup doubles.Barca arrive in Germany as favourites but Low is expecting a tight affair.

The five-time Liga winner says he has no interest in personal praise, explainingn that he is solely motivated by helping others shine.Barcelona ace Sergio Busquets says that he is unconcerned by his lack of individual accolades and interested only in the success of his team.The defensive midfielder doesn’t enjoy the individual fame and stardom bestowed upon some his more illustrious colleagues and rarely features in the media spotlight.However, the 26-year-old says that he is more than comfortable with his low profile.The only thing that interests me is my team, Busquets told L’Equipe.Among players, coaches, people who know football, yes I feel I get recognition. In the media, I do not feel recognised, but that’s because I don’t put myself in the media.

The Argentina international believes the success of his partnership with Luis Suarez and Neymar owes a lot to the relationship they enjoy off the field.Lionel Messi says the friendship Luis Suarez and Neymar enjoy off the pitch has been key to their success on it.The Barcelona trio have hit a record-breaking 120 goals between them season, eclipsing the 118 scored by Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain in the 2011/12 season to become the most devastating front three in football history.Messi puts their down success down to the wonderful rapport that he and his fellow South Americans have built up since Suarez's arrival from Liverpool last summer and says that his two team-mates have played a key role in him rediscovering his very best form.

Thai investor Bee Taechaubol is ready to acquire nearly half of the Rossoneri in a deal reportedly worth up to €470 million to the club.AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has revealed he is close to agreeing a deal that will see him sell a 48 per cent stake in the club to Thai investor Bee Taechaubol.The Rossoneri have been forced to sell off some of their biggest names in recent years and have subsequently struggled in Serie A with minimal investment in the playing squad.

The Wales international is confident that the Gunners can rival champions Chelsea next season even if they do not add to their current squad in the summer window.Aaron Ramsey insists that Arsenal do not need to sign a marquee player this summer in order to win the Premier League.Arsene Wenger’s men finished third in 2014-15, 14 points behind eventual champions Chelsea, but racked up the longest winning run of the season and retained the FA Cup.Ramsey has previously expressed his desire to win the title in 2015-16, outlining his ambitions in an exclusive interview with Goal, and he maintains that the club do not need to splash the cash.

The Saints full-back struggled to cement his place in the Blues' first-team during his nine-year stay at Stamford Bridge but insists he is good enough to play for the champions.Ryan Bertrand claims that he should be Chelsea’s first-choice left-back, but insists that he is fantastically happy at Southampton.The 25-year-old left Stamford Bridge to join the Saints in 2014, initially on loan, before later making the move permanent in a £10 million deal earlier this year.Bertrand spent nine years with the Blues but made just 57 appearances for the club and he maintains that he should currently be in Jose Mourinho’s first-team, but admits his transfer to the Saints has given him the freedom to develop as a player.

Real Madrid confirm Casemiro return

The midfielder enjoyed a successful loan spell with Porto but will not extend his stay in Portugal.Real Madrid have confirmed they will call Casemiro back from his loan spell at Porto, ending the Portuguese club's hopes of securing a permanent deal for the Brazil international.The 23-year-old spent last season at the Primeira Liga runners-up and starred in their Champions League campaign, leaving Porto keen to activate a release clause in his loan deal last month.However, Madrid - who appointed Rafael Benitez as coach on Wednesday - have now informed Porto that Casemiro will return to the Bernabeu.

The Blues have identified the Colombia international as a potential signing, despite his struggles at Manchester United, but is the deal doomed to fail or a piece of brilliance?It acquired the reputation as a strikers' graveyard. Stamford Bridge, the place where the most potent players on the planet became laughing stocks. First Andriy Shevchenko, then Fernando Torres. Roman Abramovich's dream signings were exposed as hubristic follies.So Radamel Falcao threatens to complete an unwanted hat-trick of supposed superstars who became sorry substitutes. Except there are two significant differences. The Colombian is the manager's choice, not the owner's. And, unlike Shevchenko and Torres, Falcao's decline seemed to begin before Chelsea even entered the bidding.The statistics were damning. He scored 155 goals in 200 games for Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco. He mustered a mere four in 29 for Manchester United.

The new Real Madrid boss Benitez has pleaded for patience from Real Madrid fans, he says he will need time to adapt to his role after replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu.Rafael Benitez admitted it was a dream come true to be the new coach of the Blancos, he was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, but he has asked for some time from the fans to get to the right fomular.

The former Barcelona captain says the star forward has shown the rest of his team how to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the collective.Lionel Messi is the best player in history and leads by example with the way he sacrifices himself for the sake of Barcelona, according to Carles Puyol.The former Blaugrana captain says the Argentine shows the way with his selfless approach to the game, putting the club in with a great chance of beating Juventus in Saturday's Champions League final.For me, he is the best player in history, Puyol told L'Equipe. It is difficult to have an opinion on players from the past as I have only seen them on videos, if at all. But Leo has been the best for so many years and with amazing regularity, and if anything he continues to improve.

The former Germany player and coach has insisted that the Bianconeri's run to the Champions League final cannot gloss over the deficiencies of the Italian league.Franz Beckenbauer believes that Serie A remains a sub-standard competition despite the fact Juventusstand on the verge of Champions League glory.The Turin outfit take on Barcelona in Saturday's final in Berlin having already collected the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia this season.However, the former Bayern Munich player and coach insists the Bianconeri's progress is no reflection of Italian football as a whole.I wouldn't go as far as to say this is a renaissance for Serie A. Italian football has been weakening for some time," the 69-year-old told Bild.

The king of Spain and Italy will meet in Berlin on Saturday for the Champions League final, who do you think will be crowned winner?

Maldini says Buffon deserves a win

Former Italy skipper Paolo Maldini said on Friday Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon deserves to win the Champions League for being the best goalkeeper of the last three decades as his side take on FC Barcelona in the final at Berlin on Saturday. Maldini-led Italian team AC Milan that beat Juventus in 2003 final on penalties in the Champions League final, but he says he will be rooting for the Italian giants in the grand final.Of course I'll be supporting Juve, I have friends playing for them. I have had everything in my life, and while teasing can be fun I will not be rooting against my own, Maldini was quoted as saying by goal.com on Friday.Besides, Buffon deserves it since he has been the best goalkeeper of the last three decades and is an icon of world football.

Andrea Pirlo says he could move to another country and end off his career there if,he wins the champions league with Juventus on Saturday.The Veteran midfielder admits loosing the 2005 final was one of the worst feeling of his life.Pirlo who has two Champions League medal to his belt from his ten years with AC Milan, will also line up for Juve against the king of Spain on Saturday.Pirlo told the times of india that "if we win the Champions League, I might move abroad because Juventus will be my last team in Italy". He said MLS could be an idea, but for the moment I don't have any thought about it.

Whether the kings of spain or italy wins the Champions League, History will be made in Germany on Saturday.Both teams Barcelona and Juventus has proven to be kings of Italian and Spanish League, the match on Saturday will determine who will be crowned with the treble win.According to History only seven teams have won the treble , Barcelona been among this elite team he is the first bidding to become the first club to achieve the feat twice just six years after pep Guardiola's 2009 vintage swept the board.

Just one match official has been recruited ahead of next season, despite Chris Foy's retirement, leaving a total of 17 to call upon including big injury doubt Phil Dowd.The Premier League is facing an unpreceedated shortage of referees for the upcoming season, according to You-Are-The-Ref.com.The independent referees organisation state Championship official Graham Scott will be the only referee promoted to top-flight duties despite the retirement of Chris Foy and Phil Dowd's ongoing injury concerns.Scott's promotion leaves the Premier League with a record low of 17 referees to call upon, a number which includes Dowd, who only has a small chance of passing fitness tests due to a knee injury.

Saturday 13 June 2015

Friday 12 June 2015

Thursday 11 June 2015

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Monday 8 June 2015

Sunday 7 June 2015

Saturday 6 June 2015

Friday 5 June 2015