March 2015 - Soccer Wiretap

Carlo Ancelotti Dreams Of Managing Italian National Team

Feb 27, 2015 7:59 PM

Carlo Ancelotti has managed Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but his long-held ambition is to become manager of the Italian national team.

"My dream is to coach the Italian national team," Ancelotti said at a conference at a university. "And I hope in the future to realise it, because I'd like to win a World Cup with Italy."

 

Ancelotti is 55 years old and is in his second season with Real Madrid.

Peter McVitie/Goal.com

Tags: Italy, Real Madrid, UEFA Euro, World Cup

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Pellegrini: Yaya Toure 'Very Happy' At City

Feb 27, 2015 7:04 PM

Manuel Pellegrini has echoed comments from Yaya Toure's agent that Manchester City wants him to remain with the club long-term.

The 31-year-old was noncommittal about his future in a January interview before agent Dimitri Seluk came out and said his client, whose current deal expires in 2017, wants to remain in Manchester.

"That means that Yaya's very happy here," he said in a news conference. "He's a player who has a lot of criticism this year, always thinking that he wants to go but what you are telling me is just the opposite.

"He's very happy here, he's an important player for us so we will see what will happen in the future."


Richard Jolly/ESPN

Tags: Manchester City

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Van Persie Facing Lengthy Absence With Ankle Injury

Feb 27, 2015 1:08 PM

Robin van Persie is facing a lengthy lay-off with an ankle injury.

Van Persie will be unavailable for Manchester United when they play Arsenal in the FA Cup quarterfinals on March 9.

Van Persie suffered the ankle injury on Saturday.

Scans have shown the injury is “not heavy”, according to his manager Louis van Gaal, but he still expects a relatively long spell out for his leading striker.

“He is injured. He is the only injured player I have so we change [Michael] Carrick for Van Persie,” he said.

Jamie Jackson/The Guardian

Tags: Manchester United, Injury

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NYCFC Remains Interested In Xavi

Mar 1, 2015 10:27 AM

New York City FC confirmed they pursued Xavi last summer and intend to make another offer again this year.

Xavi said in December he was close to leaving Barcelona for NYCFC before deciding to stay.

David Villa, a former teammate of Xavi on Barcelona and Spain, is NYCFC's biggest star. Frank Lampard is due to join the club in the summer.

"We are very interested in 'franchise' players, like Xavi," said sporting director Claudio Reyna. "The door is not closed. We will see. For sure we will need to bring in a third 'franchise' player in the summer."

Xavi has started 14 of Barca's 30 games in all competitions, but has played in just four of the club's 13 fixtures since a poor display at Real Sociedad in January.

Dermot Corrigan/ESPN

Tags: Barcelona, New York City FC, Misc Rumor

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Wenger: Arsenal Was Suicidal In How We Tried To Level

Feb 26, 2015 11:09 AM

Arsenal lost to Monaco 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League tie.

Arsène Wenger was upset by how his team overcommitted to leveling the match and being exposed on the counterattack.

Wenger even suggested that complacency might have been a factor in the defeat. “It looks, when you have not that kind of sharpness, anything is possible,” the Arsenal manager said. “We were not at the level defensively. We were a bit unlucky as well because the first goal was deflected. But on the second and third goals, we were suicidal.

“We had the luck to come back to 2-1 and you do not have the right to give a goal away the way we did. That makes our task in the second leg extremely difficult. It looks like we have lost our nerves and our rationality on the pitch. The heart took over the head and, at this level, it doesn’t work. Mentally we were not ready, not sharp enough to get into this game. We paid for it.”

David Hytner/The Guardian

Tags: Arsenal, Monaco

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Luis Suárez Denies Biting Demichelis

Feb 27, 2015 12:00 PM

Luis Suárez has dismissed suggestions that he tried to bite Manchester City’s Martín Demichelis during Barcelona’s win at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night

Suárez accused the English media of “making trouble.”

Television footage appeared to show Suárez lunge his face toward Demichelis, but did not show evidence of biting.

“He [Demichelis] put his hand on my throat,” Suárez said.

Suárez referenced scoring two goals against England in the 2014 World Cup.

“I do not understand why they [the English media] want to do this. They want to make trouble for me. They must be hurt after what I did to them in the World Cup but they forget that I played in England and they should show me some respect.”

 

Suárez was banned for four months by Fifa after sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Suárez now believes he was treated unfairly.

“The way I was treated when I had to leave the World Cup was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced as a player,” he said.

“I’ll never understand it... they treated me worse than a hooligan.”

The Guardian

Tags: Barcelona, Manchester City, UEFA Champions League

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De Bruyne: Chelsea, Mourinho Were Not Good For Me

Feb 26, 2015 10:53 AM

Kevin De Bruyne has told Sport Bild that José Mourinho never offered any explanation for his lack of playing time at Chelsea and said: "Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid €45 million for me instead of €8 million."

De Bruyne left Chelsea for Wolfsburg in January 2014 and has gone on to establish himself as a leading star in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists this season.

 

De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Genk in 2012 but, despite impressing during a loan spell with Werder Bremen in the 2012-13, he was given little opportunity to impress.

Mourinho had suggested during De Bruyne's time at the club that he was unimpressed with his application in training.

"I trained well," De Bruyne told Sport Bild. "Jose Mourinho never explained why I was rarely allowed to play. Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid €45 million for me instead of €8 million to Genk back in 2012. I would have had a different standing, and got more chances."

He added: "In the end, I have to say that, at that time, Chelsea were not good for me. The club is a different world. I was only 22 years old. But I am not mad at anyone."


Stephan Uersfeld/ESPN

Tags: Chelsea, VfL Wolfsburg, Misc Rumor

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Giroud Motivated By Claims Arsenal Need 'World Class-Striker'

Feb 25, 2015 11:14 AM

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has told L'Equipe he does not suffer from "an inferiority complex" in comparison to other Premier League strikers such as Sergio Agüero and Diego Costa.

Giroud's goals have come from just 10 starts, meaning his goals-per-minute ratio is better than Chelsea's Costa and does not lag far beyond Manchester City's Agüero.

"I don't have an inferiority complex. I don't have their name, but -- in terms of stats -- I am just behind Costa and Aguero," said Giroud.

"When people are talking about a player to come and take your place, you take it personally because it's your position. I hear people say, 'They have Giroud and Welbeck but they need a world-class striker.' Meaning, us, we're not world-class forwards.

"It spurs you on. Recently, there was a buzz around [Porto striker] Jackson Martinez. The coach has said good things about him, the player has said he would like to come. I learned that before the Middlesbrough game [a 2-0 win]. It gave me added motivation. I was very happy to score those two goals."

Giroud acknowledges the arrivals of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sánchez have helped him.

"I'm less isolated. Before, I was the center-forward and it was up to me to score. Now, the attention is no longer focused on a single player," he added.

"There's more pace, more penetration. We're less predictable and there is more diversity. Danny likes to cut inside. Alexis can make the difference with the ball at his feet. He brings zest and a personality that we didn't have. He's a Duracell battery. He never stops. His hunger is infectious."


Ian Holyman/ESPN

Tags: Arsenal, IQ, Misc Rumor

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Neymar Confronts City Fan Following Barça Win

Feb 25, 2015 4:51 PM

Neymar appeared to confront a Manchester City fan at the full-time whistle of the Champions League match at the Etihad Stadium.

Neymar was substituted in the 80th minute and was being heckled by a section of City's support from the visiting dugout.

 

"I was just playing with him. He began to curse me and I ended up giving him a wave. I can not say what he told me, no. My mother did not bring me up that way. What his mother did not give him, my mother gave me."

PA Sport

Tags: Barcelona, Manchester City

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Barça International Sporting Director Scouting Pogba, Reus

Feb 24, 2015 7:48 PM

Ariedo Braida, Barcelona's new international sporting director, was in attendance to scout Juventus' match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Barça reportedly has interest in Paul Pogba and Marco Reus.

Barça are studying the possibility of registering footballers in the summer and playing them when the sanction ends in January 2016.

The process is also further complicated by elections at Camp Nou this summer.

Ben Hayward/Goal.com

Tags: Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Misc Rumor, Transfer Rumor

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Pellegrini Defends Tactics, Selections In Loss To Barça
Manuel Pellegrini defended his decision to select two strikers and only two central midfielders in the first leg of Manchester City's Champions League tie against Barcelona.

Richard Jolly/ESPN

Nemanja Matic Ban Reduced From Three To Two Matches
Nemanja Matic will miss Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Tottenham.

The Guardian

Szymanski: Fate Of MLS Is As Minor League Soccer
Stefan Szymanski was interviewed by Hudson River Blue about the economics of Major League Soccer.

Sam Dunn/Hudson River Blue

Spanish Clubs Began Dominating England In 2009 UCL
English teams had a dominant run against Spanish teams in the knockout stage of the Champions League from 2004 until 2009, but it has swung dramatically the other way ever since.

Oliver Kay/The Times

Raheem Sterling, Liverpool Close To Finalizing New Contract
Raheem Sterling's new deal will likely be worth approximately £100,000 per week.

ESPN

Shirt Sponsorship Increases By 36 Percent In EPL, 30 In La Liga
Manchester United and Barcelona have lucrative deals with Chevrolet and Qatar Airways respectively.

ESPN

Messi Has Never Requested Barcelona Buy Sergio Agüero
Regular speculation has suggested Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero could end up playing together at club level, at Barça or even at City.

Dermot Corrigan/ESPN

Ancelotti Predicts La Liga Champion Won't Be Decided Until Final Day
Real Madrid finished third in La Liga last season.

Reuters

Abidal: Lionel Messi To PSG Remains Possible
Eric Abidal and Lionel Messi were teammates for six seasons at Barcelona.

Ian Holyman/ESPN

FIFA Under Pressure To Shorten 2022 World Cup
The belief is that the World Cup can be played with shorter rest between matches.

Press Association

Radamel Falcao Could Return To Monaco
Radamel Falcao is on a season-long loan from Monaco and United has a reported €55 million option to make the move permanent.

Ian Holyman/ESPN

Busquets: Luis Suárez Embodies Shift In Barça's Tactics
Barcelona can no longer play one-touch as freely as they did in the past due to how teams defend them.

Sid Lowe/The Guardian

Thorgan Hazard Signs With Gladbach On Permanent Deal
José Mourinho and Chelsea have a buy-back option on Thorgan Hazard.

ESPN

Agent: City Won't Sell Yaya Toure For $350M
Agent Dimitri Seluk has said Yaya Toure would like to retire at City.

Kyle Lynch/Pro Soccer Talk

Robin Van Persie Awaits Results On Injured Ankle
Robin van Persie will find out the results of a scan on Monday on his damaged right ankle.

Joe Lovejoy/The Guardian

Mourinho: Only Referees Can Prevent Chelsea From Winning EPL
Nemanja Matic was sent off in Chelsea's tie against Burnley.

Paul Doyle/The Guardian

Calderon: José Mourinho Couldn't Handle Pressure At Real Madrid
José Mourinho finished second in La Liga in his first season and then won the title in the next season.

BBC

Dani Alves 'Sad' Barcelona Hasn't Shown Interested In New Deal
Dani Alves is represented by his ex-wife Deborah Santana.

Dermot Corrigan/ESPN

Arsenal Confident Of Keeping Santi Cazorla From Atlético
Santi Cazorla was also linked to a move to Atleti last summer.

ESPN

Liverpool Close To Extension With Jordan Ibe
Jordan Ibe has featured in all four of the Reds' Premier League matches since he was recalled early from a season-long loan at Championship side Derby.

Mike Whalley/ESPN