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Brazil captain Thiago Silva said he hopes Neymar does not lose his joy of football after the Selecao star revealed the 2022 World Cup may be his last.

Neymar has dominated headlines since hinting next year's Qatar showpiece could be his final hoorah with Brazil, having admitted he does not know if he has the "strength of mind to deal with football" much longer.

The 29-year-old has carried the weight of a nation amid criticism since bursting on the scene with Santos in 2009 before making his Brazil debut the following year.

Only Brazil great Pele (77) has scored more goals for the national team than Neymar (69), who has won the Confederations Cup (2013) with the South American powerhouse to go with an Olympic Games gold medal in 2016.

Silva leapt to the defence of Brazil team-mate Neymar in an emotional message of support.

Neymar misplaced 15 passes in Sunday's 0-0 draw at Colombia – his highest tally in a game this qualifying campaign.

"Here at the national team, I have gone through some moments that are very similar [with what Neymar is going through], especially after 2014 World Cup [7-1 semi-final loss to Germany following Neymar's tournament-ending injury]," Silva told reporters, having also played alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain.

"I was called a crybaby, weak, very weak, mentally. These are things that hurt you and you know that you are not what you have been called.

England could only draw 1-1 at home to Hungary on Tuesday as another encounter between the sides was marred by crowd trouble. The Three Lions won the reverse fixture 4-0 last month in this World Cup qualifying campaign but had to endure racist abuse that saw Hungary ordered to play a future match behind closed doors. At Wembley, the Metropolitan Police told of a "racially aggravated public order offence" by an individual in the away end "following comments made towards a steward". Attempts to arrest the individual led to scuffles between the police and visiting supporters.

On the pitch, meanwhile, England had to come from behind to claim a point that nudges them a little nearer to qualification, with John Stones' strike eight minutes before the break cancelling out a Roland Sallai penalty. Gareth Southgate's men were in control without truly threatening for the 22 minutes before the spot-kick was awarded against Luke Shaw for a high boot on Loic Nego just inside the area. After a delay, during which home players protested the left-back's innocence, Sallai sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way.

However, a succession of fouls around the Hungary box built pressure on their goal, and Phil Foden's right-wing free-kick earned a touch on its way through to the far post and Stones, who had a simple finish.

Raheem Sterling's header on the stroke of half-time was parried by Peter Gulacsi, but the England forward prodded a tame rebound wide, before Stones nodded a Foden corner off target following the restart.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Portugal cruised past Luxembourg 5-0 in Tuesday's World Cup qualifying clash. Ronaldo took just eight minutes to open the scoring at the Estadio Algarve as he finished from the penalty spot before doubling his tally soon after in the same fashion. Bruno Fernandes netted a third inside a decisive opening 20 minutes before the Manchester United playmaker assisted Joao Palhinha for the fourth in the second half.

Ronaldo then secured his hat-trick with three minutes remaining to cap the hosts' dominant performance and ensure they remain a point behind Group A leaders Serbia – who have played a game more – ahead of the next international break. Sebastien Thill and Anthony Moris were the guilty parties for the early penalties with fouls on Bernardo Silva and Ronaldo, the latter clinically converting both.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors as Fernandes made it 3-0 despite Moris getting a hand to his right-footed drive following Silva's throughball after 17 minutes. Ronaldo almost claimed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time but was denied by Moris, who also saved Silva's acrobatic volley. Danel Sinani brought a rare save from Rui Patricio, with both Palhinha and Fernandes missing the target at the other end after being found by Nuno Mendes' searching deliveries.

Ronaldo's overhead-kick deserved to complete his treble, but Moris tipped over before Palhinha headed home from Fernandes' resulting corner. Luxembourg almost grabbed a consolation goal through Gerson Rodrigues, but his left-footed strike was turned away by Patricio and Ronaldo completed the scoring as he headed in from Ruben Neves' deep cross.

Leo Messi ceased to be a Barcelona player after LaLiga did not give Barcelona the go-ahead to process his new contract. It exceeded the club's financial limits. Joan Laporta, the president, even thought the Argentine might have offered to play for free, a fanciful idea that Eduard Romeu, the economic vice-president, views favourably.

"I am just as deluded as the president, yes. It's very legitimate what Messi has done, it's not a criticism. But, seeing all the inconveniences they put in our way and with the effort the club was making, I thought he could play for free. Why shouldn't LaLiga accept it? It's very legitimate that a player could make this act of affection for a club, for some colours," he said in an interview with 'TV3'.

He was also asked about another important monetary aspect, the sponsor that will occupy the centre of the Barcelona shirt next season. Rakuten's contract ends in June. "We don't look at the current value, but at the pre-pandemic. Whoever wants to wear the name on the shirt has to pay for it," he said.

On the great expense that the board is facing to be able to take on the 'Espai Barça', promoted during Josep Maria Bartomeu's time, he explained: "It is a project that will only be paid for with extraordinary income. It will not generate extra costs for the club, but will bring in new resources thanks to the exploitation of the space.

It is Luis Enrigue's time for Spain. After losing in the Euro 2020 semi-finals, the former Barcelona boss and the Spanish side have the chance to lift one of the few trophies the Spanish side has not won before, the Nations League.

The only team standing in their way now is the current World Cup-winning team, France, which has players of the likes of Pogba, Mbappe, Griezmann or Benzema. A team full of stars and designed to win, despite their bad Euro's performance this summer. The French side had to battle back in their semi-final clash against Belgium. France looked dead at half-time, but a remarkable second-half performance topped with Theo Hernandez's 90th-minute winner saw Deschamps' side reach the Nations League final.

Spain had an outstanding performance against the European championship team, Italy, at San Siro and Luis Enrique is not expected to make any changes on the starting XI. The only doubt in the Spanish squad is Ferran Torres, who is recovering from a foot injury, but the Spanish manager will wait for him until the very last minute as he wants to start his most prolific striker at San Siro.

Unai Simon will start in goal, Laporte and Pau Torres will be the center-back pair. On the sides, Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, both Champions League winners with Chelsea last season.

Busquets, Koke and Gavi, who made his debut against Italy aged 17, will start at the Spanish midfield. Oyarzabal, Sarabia and Ferran Torres, if he recovers on time, will be the three men up front. Yeremy Pino, who played an outstanding second-half against Italy, is Luis Enrique's number one option to start if Ferran Torres remains injured for the game.

On the 'visiting' team, Deschamps can't play Rabiot as he tested positive for COVID-19. Hugo Lloris will start in goal, Lucas Hernandez, Varane and Kounde will form the threemen back line.

Theo Hernandez and Pavard will start as the wing-backs. Pogaba and Tchouaméni, Rabiot's likely replacement, will start on the midfield. Griezmann will play as a number '10' behind Real Madrid's dream duo, Mbappe and Benzema.

Spain: Unai Simon; Azpilicueta, Laporte, Pau Torres, Marcos Alonso; Gavi, Busquets, Koke; Sarabia, Ferran* and Oyarzabal.

France: Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Lucas Hernandez; Pavard, Pogba, Tchouaméni,Theo; Griezmann; Mbappe and Benzema.

Leo Messi has been through one of the most difficult moments of his sporting career. It seemed impossible for Messi to play for a club which was not Barcelona, but the La Liga side's financial situation made it happen.

After forming part of the 30 man shortlist for the Ballon D'or, Messi, who is currently with Argentina, made some comments to 'France Football' on his departure from the Catalan capital.

"After enjoying several days rests given by the coach this summer, I return to Barcelona with the idea of signing the contract and starting to train immediately," Messi recalled. He was always clear and that is what he always said.

The Argentinian and his family thought that "it was all done" and that what was missing was "the signature", but that was not the case: "When I arrived they told me that they did not have the resources to renew me and that I couldn't stay. That I had to look for another club.

"They altered my plans and it was painful to leave Barcelona after so many years. The idea was to retire there. It was extremely difficult to accept. It was thinking that we were going to have to leave Barcelona and that the family were going to have to change their routine completely. The kids were going to have to change school and come with us. I had no other option but to leave," Messi continued.

Messi feels comfortable after his move to Ligue 1 despite being hit with a knee problem. "PSG gave me the opportunity to join their project. I received other offers, but we reached an agreement very quickly," Messi concluded.

Lionel Messi's Argentina were frustrated in a goalless draw away to Paraguay in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.

Argentina had their chances against Paraguay in Asuncion, but the Copa America champions could not find the breakthrough on Thursday.

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina, though, remain unbeaten in second position after nine matchdays on the road to Qatar 2022 and undefeated across 23 games across all competitions.

Messi was entering the contest on the back of his record-breaking exploits during the last international break after surpassing Brazil great Pele (77) as the all-time leading scorer for a South American nation with his hat-trick against Bolivia.

The Paris Saint-Germain superstar looked lively away to Paraguay, creating a great opportunity for Argentina to break the deadlock in the 11th minute.

Messi, who had received 437 passes in CONMEBOL qualifying – the most by any player in the campaign – weaved his way past defenders and slid a ball through to Lautaro Martinez, whose goal-bound effort was somehow cleared off the line by a scrambling Omar Alderete ahead of Angel Di Maria.

Argentina were largely in control in the opening half, though Paraguay had some moments in the attacking third.

Another chance went begging for Argentina within five minutes of the second half getting underway, Rodrigo de Paul's ball across the six-yard box somehow evading his team-mates.

Paraguay almost took a surprise lead four minutes later after Miguel Almiron's turn of pace created an opening, but Emiliano Martinez was up to the task to deny the Newcastle United star.

Di Maria picked out Joaquin Correa at the back post on the hour mark, however, some desperate defending blocked the Argentina forward's goal-bound header.

A stunning goal from Theo Hernandez sent France into the Nations League final after they battled back to beat Belgium 3-2.

The Milan full-back struck in the 90th minute after Karim Benzema and a Kylian Mbappe penalty had cancelled out goals from Yannick Carrasco and Romelu Lukaku.

Lukaku thought he had won an enthralling contest for Belgium with 88 minutes gone, but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check, and France made their luck count.

In an even opening to the game, Hugo Lloris made a stunning save to keep out Kevin De Bruyne's scuffed effort from close range before Mbappe went close at the other end.

With each side lining up in a 3-4-3 that cancelled out the other, the game began to drift before Carrasco collected De Bruyne's pass, drove into the box past Benjamin Pavard, cut back onto his right foot and drilled a shot in at the near post with Lloris wrong-footed.

It was 2-0 before the interval, Lukaku spinning away from the flat-footed Lucas Hernandez before side-footing high beyond Lloris, again at his near post.

France kept Belgium pinned back early in the second half but Antoine Griezmann got the ball stuck under his feet after a brilliant run and cut-back from Mbappe.

The LaLiga president has started a crusade against the so called state clubs. "They're as dangerous as the Super League," Tebas said recently, directly attacking PSG.

This time, Tebas spoke to 'L'Equipe' and the French media outlet took advantage to ask him about his criticism of PSG. "If I criticise them it's because they don't generate enough moeny to have the squad they have. I can prove the FFP deception with figures which back it up," he said unequivocally.

"How can you explain to us that PSG have a squad of almost 600 million euros? If they win Ligue 1, they don't get more than 45 million. It's impossible," Tebas continued.

And he said he had invited Al-Khelaifi to show him those figures which he talks about. "I invited the PSG and the Ligue 1 president, Vicent Labrune, to show them the numbers and where the irregularities are. They didn't respond to me, they just simply criticised me," he said.

Tebas denied that his criticism of PSG is because Messi and Neymar, two former LaLiga players, are now in Ligue 1: "If they're at PSG, I'm not bothered. This hurts a lot, not only me, but also European football. It's not just me saying it. PSG avoided a ban because of an error with the process, not because they stuck to FFP rules," the LaLiga head continued.

When asked about the departure of stars from LaLiga, he did not seem concerned. "Messi, Neymar and Cristiano have left, but we've still had an increase in our international rights. It's good to have them, but our strategy doesn't depend on them. We knew that Messi would leave, either because of his age or for other reasons. Who knows who will play in LaLiga in a few years?" he expressed.

In addition, in his view, the best striker is still in Spain: "For me, Benzema is the best number 9 in Europe. Really, there's no reason to be pessimistic.

Lastly, he spoke about Barcelona's delicate financial situation. "All the board members who arrive at Barca talk about the c**p which preceded them. We've got their figures and the club is not almost dead, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get a loan of 500 million euros. I'm more worried about the institutional crisis than the financial one."

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S. America WC Qual.
Argentina
Lionel Messi
Messi clear to lead Argentina against Paraguay in World Cup qualifier
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
3 hours ago
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Messi clear to lead Argentina against Paraguay in World Cup qualifier
Messi clear to lead Argentina against Paraguay in World Cup qualifier
Lionel Messi will feature for Argentina in Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said superstar captain Lionel Messi is clear to face Paraguay in La Albiceleste's CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier.

Messi missed two matches due to a knee injury before returning for Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League win over Manchester City and last week's shock Ligue 1 loss at Rennes.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is away on international duty with Argentina, who will visit Paraguay on Thursday, and Messi has been given the all-clear to play.

"Messi trained with us yesterday [Tuesday] without any problems and this morning too, so he's fine to play," Scaloni told reporters on Wednesday.

"Which is the most important thing and he's like the rest of the group, wanting to get together and do the best for the national team. Regarding his injury, it is evident that he has played two games before coming here and this is fine."

During the last international break, Messi surpassed Brazil great Pele as the all-time leading goalscorer for a South American nation.

Messi scored a hat-trick for Copa America champions Argentina in their 3-0 qualifying win over Bolivia last month, the 34-year-old taking his tally to 79 international goals.

Argentina – second behind Brazil in the standings – remain unbeaten on the road to Qatar 2022 with five wins from their eight fixtures, while they extended their undefeated streak to 22 matches across all competitions.

"The challenge that we have, or that I have in this case as a coach, is that the team competes in all the games and, that the things that I know that are done well, do it again or strengthen them and that they can be improved and tried in training even if they are few, and try to put a lot of emphasis on that," Scaloni said.

"We believe that in a collective level the national team has a fairly regular performance and I think that at an individual level it is evident that we have players who decide matches, but in a collective level I think that we have improved a lot in that and that one of the things in which the team does is give the feeling that that is always why, because we work as a team and because whoever enters or leaves knows very well what they have to do and I think that is the most important thing.

"Then there are things to improve on like all teams and even more so that we have very few days together. But our feeling is that as a team we are doing well."

Italy head coach Roberto Mancini criticised fans in Milan for choosing to jeer goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2-1 Nations League semi-final loss to Spain, saying the national team comes above all else.

Donnarumma left Serie A outfit Milan for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the off-season, prompting some fans to jeer him every time he touched the ball upon his return to San Siro for the first time since the move.

The 21-year-old star was hardly impacted by the frequent jeers on Wednesday and whistled although he fumbled a routine take from Marcos Alonso's shot on to the post in the first half.

"For sure [Donnarumma] wasn't happy about the whistles during the first half but what could we do?," Mancini said during his post-game news conference.

"We are all adults and we have to accept also this situation and in the end I think Gigio despite that played a good game. It certainly won't have pleased him, just as it did not please us. Gigio did well."

Mancini added: "Donnarumma played for Italy and it was not a club game. This situation could have been put aside for one night and [they could have] whistled [at him] in a possible PSG vs Milan [match]. Italy are Italy and come above all else."

The defeat ended the European champions' record 37-game unbeaten run, as well as their bid to add the Nations League title to their Euro 2020 crown.

Italy's world-record 37-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the 2021 Nations League final with a 2-1 win at San Siro.

Roberto Mancini's side overcame Spain in the last four of Euro 2020 in July, but they were blown away by 'La Roja' side who will play the winners of Thursday's other semi-final between France and Belgium in the decider on Sunday.

Ferran Torres was their star man, the Manchester City forward delivering two superb finishes either side of Leonardo Bonucci's dismissal for the Azzurri before half-time.

Lorenzo Pellegrini set up a dramatic finale with a breakaway goal in the 83rd minute, yet Luis Enrique's side held firm in the closing stages to progress to the final.

30th June 2022.
The Mbappe saga is threatening to drag on. This Wednesday, the mother of the French striker said that there are talks for his son to renew at PSG for another season.

At the moment, 'Le Parisien' has only revealed an extract of Fayza Lamari's comments in an interview to the prestigious French media outlet. But the comments are exciting enough to provoke reactions from both PSG and Real Madrid fans.

Mbappe's mother has increased optimism over a possible new contract at the French club for Mbappe: Currently, we are discussing the option of extending the contract by a year. Things are going well."

"I even spoke to Leonardo on Monday night. Bue will we get a result? One thing is for sure: he will give it everything until the end to win the Champions League," she added.

Fayza Lamari warned that Mbappe is not a conformist and that he always looks for the best: "Kylian needs to feel satisfied. If he's not happy, he's capable of saying to you: I'm stopping my career." And really he says that offer to us. With Kylian, things can change from one day to another."

Louis van Gaal is worried about Georginio Wijnaldum's lack of playing time with Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the Netherlands' next batch of World Cup qualifiers.

The 30-year-old joined the Ligue 1 giants on a free transfer in June after failing to agree a new contract with Liverpool, where he had spent the previous five seasons.

Having been a regular under Mauricio Pochettino at the start of the season, Wijnaldum has since lost his place in the side to Idrissa Gueye.

He has started just half of PSG's 12 matches since arriving and has featured a further five times from the substitutes' bench.

Wijnaldum's tally of 502 minutes is only the 12th most among PSG players in all competitions this term, with Gueye and Ander Herrera featuring more frequently in midfield.

But while having concerns over Wijnaldum's situation at the Parc des Princes, Van Gaal intends to stay loyal to his vice-captain.

"Of course I'm worried," he said at a news conference on Monday ahead of his side's qualifiers against Latvia and Gibraltar over the next week.

"I already talked to him about that when he arrived here. But the alarm bells are not sounding just yet. I have lots of trust in certain players.

"You will remember I took him to the World Cup in 2014 when he was carrying an injury. I started with [Jonathan] De Guzman but Wijnaldum soon took over and did well."

Wijnaldum is suspended for Friday's trip to Latvia as the Netherlands go in search of a third successive victory in Group G.

Van Gaal's side are above Norway on goal difference ahead of the games with Latvia and then Gibraltar three days later.

"This break is a bit calmer. Last time it was almost impossible with three matches," Van Gaal said. "We played those three games with a new group, new manager and new staff.

"I had to convince everyone of my plan, all within one and a half days. We then had one and a half days between each game."

Spain finished on the losing side back in July's European Championship semi-final as the Azzurri prevailed on penalties and went on to win the tournament, beginning an unforgettable summer of sport for Italy.

Roberto Mancini's Italy are on a world-record run of 37 matches without defeat and have a squad predictably stuffed full of players who took part in their run to glory in the Euro final over England at Wembley.

"We'll be facing a great Italy team: they deservedly beat England in the final of the Euro and they've kept their long unbeaten run going," said Spain coach Luis Enrique after announcing his squad on Thursday.

"But like our psychologist says, defeat comes to every team. And that means that they're closer to losing, that time is getting nearer."

Mancini admitted that "Spain were the team we struggled against most during Euro 2020".

"They are a good team with good players. It will be a good match," he told uefa.com.

The only different face from the Euro crowd was supposed to be in-form Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who on Sunday scored his sixth goal of the season in all competitions.

However injuries in the run-up to and during the weekend's Serie A fixtures mean Juventus striker Moise Kean, AC Milan defender Davide Calabria and Inter Milan youngster Federico Dimarco have all been drafted in at the last minute.

The trio have respectively come on board in place of Italy's usual starting centre-forward Ciro Immobile and Atalanta's Rafael Toloi and Matteo Pessina........http:///36IpM50

"I said at the end of July that I wanted to leave," Mbappe said in an interview with RMC radio.

"My position has been clear. I said I wanted to leave and I told them (PSG management) quite early on."

The French World Cup winner has not extended his contract at PSG, fuelling speculation he will seek a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

The Spanish giants bid 180 million euros ($209 million) for Mbappe in August but PSG, who had just signed Lionel Messi from Barcelona, turned down the offer.

At the time, PSG's sporting director Leonardo said Mbappe could "leave or stay on our conditions".

Mbappe said he eventually told PSG "if you don't want me to leave, I will stay".

"People said I had refused six or seven offers to extend and that I never talk to Leonardo, which is absolutely not true," he added.

Mbappe, who joined PSG from Monaco for a deal worth a total of 180 million euros in 2017, said he had offered to leave the club in July to allow PSG to find "a quality replacement".

"I wanted everyone to be in a win-win situation," he said.

"Paris is a club that has given me a lot, where I've always been happy for the four years I have spent here and I am still happy."
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Liverpool are looking into the claim, the BBC and Sky Sports said, after the Premier League rivals shared the points following a breathless second half that saw City twice come from behind.

"They (my staff) told me but I didn't see it," City boss Pep Guardiola said of the alleged incident, according to the BBC.

"I'm pretty sure Liverpool FC will take measures against this person. I know they are greater than this behaviour."......https://9jabet.bet/2021/10/04/man-city-allege-staff-spat-at-in-liverpool-draw-reports/.....
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'La Gazzetta dello Sport' reports that there has already been a meeting between Mino Raiola, Haaland's agent, and two PSG representatives to discuss a possible transfer to Parc des Princes.

According to the Italian press, Raiola asked for a 50 million per season salary for the Borussia Dortmund star.

These meetings are taking place as Kylian Mbappe refuses to sign a new contract with PSG as he is strongly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu as a free agent. Without the French star on the attack, PSG won't think it twice and will go after Erling Haaland to keep building an all-star squad.

It is now in Kylian's hands, as the Italian newspaper claims that PSG will only attempt the signing of the Norweigian if Mbappe ends up leaving.

The information also claims that in Paris, Haaland is seen as the perfect replacement for Mbappe and that Raiola's great relationship with Leonardo could facilitate the signing for the Parisians.

Borussia Dortmund is not interested in selling Haaland
With all these rumors circulating, Dortmund's CEO, Hans Joachim-Watzke, made clear the club's position.

"It is absurd that we need to sell Haaland because we have financial problems, we are a corporation. The decision of selling a player is taken by the board. We don't have any financial problems", he said.

"Haaland is the key. I'm not confident but I'm not pessimistic either. He chooses, but we set the conditions, which are really simple. He needs to feel like he has reached his peak at the club, then maybe he will need to develop somewhere else. I have a great relationship with Mino Raiola, we both know what to do to make things work".........https://9jabet.bet/2021/10/01/psg-will-go-after-haaland-if-mbappe-signs-for-real-madrid/

The Netherlands international was seen storming to the bench and throwing his chewing gum in anger during the win over Villarreal in midweek.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played down Donny van de Beek's angry reaction to not being brought on as a substitute during Manchester United's Champions League victory over Villarreal in midweek, while also reasserting that he wants "no sulkers" in his squad.

Video footage has emerged of Van de Beek storming back to the bench after not being brought on during the 2-1 win, throwing his training bib to the ground and then chucking his chewing gum away in anger.

It comes amid ongoing questions about Van de Beek's place at United as he struggles for regular game time, and while Solskjaer said there is no immediate issue with the former Ajax midfielder, he needed all his players to show professionalism and support for him and their team-mates.

Ronald Koeman is on the brink of being sacked by Barcelona. Joan Laporta is done with the Dutchman and is already looking for a replacement.

One of the names in the shortlist is Andrea Pirlo. The former Juventus coach is one of the president's favorites to replace Ronald Koeman.

According to 'TMW' journalist, Giacomo Lacobellis, Barcelona has already made its first move. The Catalonia giants is already in talks with the Italian coach.

Pirlo, without a job after being sacked by Juventus, is open to accept the job as Koeman's replacement. In fact, he already let Barcelona know he is available for the job.

Andrea Pirlo would still have to terminate his Juventus contract, as he is still on the payroll, but there shouldn't be any problems.

In any case, according to Giacomo Lacobelis, Andrea Pirlo is just another name on the shortlist, nothing decided yet. The board's favorite would be Xavi, Al Sadd's coach.

The Japan international has made a huge impact since joining the Gunners from Bologna in the summer, quickly becoming a fan favourite in north London

Three games, three wins, one goal conceded.


When he arrived at Arsenal from Bologna on transfer deadline day, Takehiro Tomiyasu could not have dreamt of a better start to life in north London.

The Japan defender has made a huge impression during his first few weeks at the club, and made a mockery of those who labelled him as nothing more than a last-minute panic buy.

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When he joined, Arsenal were sat bottom of the table having conceded nine goals in their opening three Premier League games.

Now, just under a month later, they are 10th and have picked up maximum points from games against Norwich, Burnley and Tottenham, keeping two clean sheets in the process.

It has been a remarkable turnaround from Mikel Arteta’s side, and the Spaniard’s new right-back has been at the heart of it.

Tomiyasu has been imperious during his first three appearances for the Gunners, with Arsenal fans voting the 22-year-old as Man of the Match following Sunday’s north London derby victory against Spurs.

Not one player has managed to dribble past Tomiyasu yet during his first three appearances in the Premier League, while he has also won 14 of his 16 aerial duels, made 10 clearances, three tackles, two interceptions and has an overall duel success rate of 76 per cent.

So it is perhaps no surprise that he is in the running for Arsenal’s Player of the Month award for September.

The immediate impact the defender has made in north London will have surprised many people in England, but it has not come as a shock to Andre Pinto, the sporting director at Sint-Truiden, the Belgian club that first brought Tomiyasu to Europe in 2018.

“What is amazing about Tomi is that he doesn’t accept anything that isn’t success,” Pinto tells Goal during an exclusive interview. “He’s not lucky, nothing for Tomi comes because he’s lucky. He’s just a hard working player.

Tomiyasu is a player who has had his career mapped out from an early age.

When he was first coming through as a teenager back in his homeland with Avispa Fukuoka, he already knew the path that he wanted to follow: his ambition was always to make it to the Premier League.

It was a dream which grew following a game against England Under-19s in Manchester in 2016, when a side including Ainsley Maitland-Niles crushed Japan 5-1.

"That game was one big reason for me why I wanted to play in the Premier League," Tomiyasu told Arsenal.com. "We couldn't do hardly anything in that game.

"At that moment I thought that I have to one day get to the level where I could play in England.”

Tomiyasu was 17 at the time. Now, just five years later, he is exactly where he wants to be. And, just like his start to life at Arsenal, his journey to England has been swift.

Dele Alli's penalty and a goal from Giovani Lo Celso put Spurs in control after just eight minutes in north London, but a brilliant volley from Ziga Kous cut the deficit shortly after half-time.

Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo introduced Kane, Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura for the final 30 minutes, a triple change that helped the struggling Premier League club wrap up a much-needed victory.

Lucas played through for Kane to stab home on 68 minutes, and the England forward struck again after sweeping in from Son's cross.

Kane, yet to score in the league this season, completed his treble in the closing minutes after a slick pass from Lo Celso.

Three straight league defeats have cranked up the pressure on Nuno, who was named Premier League manager of the month for August after leading Spurs to wins in their first three matches.

Another tricky test awaits in the shape of Aston Villa at home this weekend, but this was a morale-boosting result and sent Tottenham top of Group G on four points.

Sylvain Ripoll, head coach of the France U21 national team, has called up Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his squad list to face Ukraine and Serbia.

The French player will take part in the two qualifying matches for the U21 European Championship finals in Georgia and Romania between 9th June and 2nd July 2023.

On 8th October, the team managed by Ripoll will face Ukraine at the Francis-Le-Blé stadium in Brest (France) and on the 12th of the same month they will face Serbia at the Stadion FK Partizan in Belgrade. At the moment, France are second in Group H with four points, two behind Ukraine.

Ripoll's squad includes goalkeepers Bajic (Saint-Étienne), Dietsch (Seraing) and Meslier (Leeds); defenders Bade (Rennes), Badiashile (Monaco), Bard (Nice), Gusto (Lyon), Kalulu (Milan), Saliba (Marseille) and Truffert (Rennes); the midfielders Beka Beka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Camavinga (Real Madrid), Caqueret (Lyon), Chotard (Montpellier), Diop (Monaco), Le Fée (Lorient), Thuram (Nice); and the forwards Adli (Leverkusen), Antiste (Spezia), Cherki (Lyon), Gouiri (Nice) and Kalimuendo (Lens).

Andrea Pirlo could become the next Barcelona coach. Joan Laporta is looking for a replacement for Ronald Koeman who seems to be one the way out. The Italian is one of the most viable options.

Barcelona have a list of candidates to replace Ronald Koeman. While the Dutchman seems to be on the verge of being sacked, Joan Laporta seems to be keen on the idea of getting Andrea Pirlo.
Andrea Pirlo could become the next Barcelona coach. Joan Laporta is looking for a replacement for Ronald Koeman who seems to be one the way out. The Italian is one of the most viable options.

Pirlo became an option just over a week ago. Now, with Barca's defeat to Benfica, he seems closer than ever to occupying the bench at the Camp Nou, 'Catalunya Radio' reports.

The cited media outlet explained that Laporta wants to make Pirlo the new Rijkaard, the man who vastly improved Barca in 2003 and his reign was part of one of the club's golden eras.

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However, Pirlo does not have much experience. The Italian was at Juventus for one season and he could not win either the Champions League or Serie A.

In the meantime, Laporta has got another two coaches on the radar if he cannot get get Pirlo. They are Xavi Hernandez and Roberto Martinez, although neither is certain to come.

'Catalunya Radio' explained that the relationship between Laporta and Xavi is not the best at the moment while there are doubts over the Belgium boss' style of play.

What does seem clear is that Ronald Koeman could be in his final few days as Barcelona coach. Only time will tell as to whether he will be in the stands serving a stadium ban at Atletico or whether there will be a new coach for Saturday

The Portugal international scored a 95th-minute winner to give his side a much-needed win in the Champions League, but it papered over the cracks. The Manchester United fans who celebrated with a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored a 95th-minute winner against Villarreal will not care that this performance was not deserving of three points. They will not care that it papered over the cracks of what was ultimately another disappointing European performance.

The euphoric celebrations went on long after the final whistle had blown at Old Trafford, where United had beaten Unai Emery’s side 2-1 in the Champions League. They stayed to see Ronaldo and serenaded manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he stood for his post-match media interviews.

But when the adrenaline of yet another last-minute winner has worn off, this game will serve as another warning for Solskjaer that unless his team improve, they are not going anywhere in this competition.

In fact, he admitted it himself; they got lucky.

After losing to Young Boys in the opening group game, another defeat would have been humiliating and a draw not good enough. They will be hoping this win will get them back on the right track - a catalyst to better things - after a disappointing last couple of weeks in which they had lost three out of the last four.

If it had not been for the brilliance of David de Gea, who pulled off three world-class saves in the opening 45 minutes, Villarreal would have been out of sight at half-time. They were a constant thorn in United’s right side with Diogo Dalot, in for the suspended Aaron Wan-Bissaka, unable to deal with the threat of Arnaut Danjuma.

Solskjaer spent numerous periods in the first half barking instructions at his backline over their positioning. It appeared that they did not know what they should be doing or where they should be going. Their shape when the team was attacking, and Dalot pushed further forward, was all over the place.

That is the most concerning trait about this United team at the moment. There does not seem to be a plan, or if there is one the players are not executing it well enough in games.

Emery had his team well drilled. They attacked as a unit with slick, quick movement, which is how they eventually broke the deadlock early in the second half. It was a well-worked goal that was finished by Paco Alcacer, who could have had a hat-trick on another night.

Each time the Spanish side countered, United were left vulnerable, with a mismatched defence exploited without a coherent structure.

Compare that to when United ventured forward and they were met with a yellow wall; a team who knew exactly what their roles were and how to execute the plan. The lack of speed in United’s attacks gave the opposition ample time to get back and defend deep, making it even harder for Solskjaer’s men to get through.

CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS IT LATE FOR MAN UTD!

Listen to that Old Trafford roar �

Big players deliver in big moments.

snatched a 2-1 victory over Villarreal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
End
Group F. MD 2
Man. Utd
Man. Utd 2-1 Villarreal
Villarreal
29 Sep 2021
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had barely threatened until he fired past Geronimo Rulli at the back post to ease the mounting pressure on United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with virtually the last kick of the game.

United were staring down the barrel of another embarrassing group stage exit from the Champions League after deservedly falling behind early in the second half to Paco Alcacer's smart finish.

Alex Telles' stunning strike quickly levelled, but a sixth draw from open play in as many meetings between the sides was on the cards until Ronaldo's late intervention.

Despite the result, there was little in the performance to quell the growing questions as to whether Solskjaer is the man to get the best out of a squad of supremely talented individuals that are yet to click as a collective.

Bruno Fernandes' stoppage-time penalty that ended up in the Stretford End condemned United to a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, but Solskjaer showed his backing for the Portuguese midfielder by handing him the captain's armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.

Luke Shaw was also missing due to injury, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka was suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 defeat to Young Boys on matchday one.

A makeshift United defence looked as such in the first half as Villarreal wasted a host of chances to inflict more misery on the Red Devils after beating them in May to win the Europa League.

Arnaut Danjuma toyed with stand-in United right-back Diogo Dalot, but the Dutch winger firstly fired straight at David de Gea and was then denied by a brilliant finger-tip stop by the Spanish goalkeeper.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had barely threatened until he fired past Geronimo Rulli at the back post to ease the mounting pressure on United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with virtually the last kick of the game.

United were staring down the barrel of another embarrassing group stage exit from the Champions League after deservedly falling behind early in the second half to Paco Alcacer's smart finish.

Alex Telles' stunning strike quickly levelled, but a sixth draw from open play in as many meetings between the sides was on the cards until Ronaldo's late intervention.

Despite the result, there was little in the performance to quell the growing questions as to whether Solskjaer is the man to get the best out of a squad of supremely talented individuals that are yet to click as a collective.

Bruno Fernandes' stoppage-time penalty that ended up in the Stretford End condemned United to a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, but Solskjaer showed his backing for the Portuguese midfielder by handing him the captain's armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.

Luke Shaw was also missing due to injury, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka was suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 defeat to Young Boys on matchday one.

A makeshift United defence looked as such in the first half as Villarreal wasted a host of chances to inflict more misery on the Red Devils after beating them in May to win the Europa League.

Arnaut Danjuma toyed with stand-in United right-back Diogo Dalot, but the Dutch winger firstly fired straight at David de Gea and was then denied by a brilliant finger-tip stop by the Spanish goalkeeper......https://9jabet.bet/2021/09/29/ronaldo-rescues-manchester-united-from-further-failure-against-villarreal/

Real Madrid had sufficient squad spending capacity to have signed French striker Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, as it brought in its own funds from its positive results in previous seasons to extend it, LaLiga revealed.

"Real Madrid were ready to sign Mbappe. There would have been no problem," LaLiga's corporate general manager Jose Guerra confirmed during the briefing on spending limits on the sporting squad for the 2021-22 season.

'Los Blancos', who have the highest squad cost limit allowed by the economic control regulations for this season at €739.2m, had an initial spending capacity of €428.3m on players and coaching calculated by LaLiga, to which they added €18.3m from transfers - only 25 per cent of the total income from these operations is counted per season - and €292.6m from positive results from other seasons, the clubs' association said on Wednesday.

The white team, which failed to reach an agreement with PSG to sign the French player, could again use that spending capacity to incorporate him in the next transfer markets, confirmed Guerra.
"That is not something that is spent, it will remain if it is not used this season, it will remain in the club's equity in the club's own funds, they can use it in future seasons to bring in those players," he clarified.

The executive of the employers' association described the Madrid side's economic management during the COVID-19 pandemic as "excellent", as in the sum of their economic results for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the white entity managed to compute one million euros in profits.

"They have managed to balance over the two seasons their expenses with respect to their income so as not to make a loss. And there is no hidden secret, the secret is the transfer of players, the sales of players, the salary reductions, it has been an exemplary economic management with a clear focus on fixing a situation in the short term to have that strength in the medium and long term," he said.

According to Guerra, the effect of these sales and transfers of players is compounded by the fact that Real Madrid positively exceeds the economic ratios that LaLiga takes into account in order to increase the spending capacity of clubs' squads.

"That's surprising to see, but in previous seasons they hadn't made use of it. This season if any of the operations they were considering came up they had that available," added the executive of the Spanish professional football clubs' association.

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Man. City
Lionel Messi
"Hopefully tomorrow Messi can play, for the benefit of the game"
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
5 hours ago
5.3k
Guardiola wants Messi to be available for the Champions League game. EFE
Guardiola wants Messi to be available for the Champions League game. EFE
Pep Guardiola analyzed the PSG v Manchester City clash in a press conference. He will be reunited with Leo Messi, who played under him at Barcelona. Pep claimed that Messi's transfer shocked him at first but that football is like that.
Group A. MD 2
PSG
PSG
20:00

Man. City
Man. City
28 Sep 2021
The Champions League is back this week. Europe's best teams will face each other on matchday 2 of the group stage.

Messi and Guardiola will see each other once again, this time as rivals, one is Manchester City's manager and the other one PSG's newest signing.

"Messi's transfer to PSG was a little bit surprising, but it happened and it's already accepted. A few years ago you could not have imagined it. In football you never know what's going to happen in a short time" said Guardiola about Messi's departure from Barça. Despite been one of PSG's deadliest attackers, Guardiola wants him to play. "I think these type of players, speak for themselves on the pitch. We have been fortunate enough to see him play for 15-6 years. What he has achieved in his career is more than exceptional, hopefully tomorrow he can play for the benefit of the game".

When asked about the possibility of Pochettino starting Messi alongside Neymar and Mbappe, Guardiola admits he has no idea of how to stop them. "I don't know how...they are exceptional. Talent is difficult to keep under control. We will try to defend well when they don't have the ball". he said.

Pep also compared this PSG team to Barça's a couple of years ago. "Luis Enrique's Barça had incredible players upfront and this PSG has players of the same caliber, but football requires time, and people sometimes are not patient enough. PSG is always a competitive team, they always have competitive players", he claimed.

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Real Madrid
Toni Kroos
Kroos' return is the main novelty in Ancelotti's squad list against Sheriff
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
1 hour ago
3.2k
The return of Kroos is the main novelty in Ancelotti's squad list against Sheriff. AFP
The return of Kroos is the main novelty in Ancelotti's squad list against Sheriff. AFP
Real Madrid have announced their 23-man squad for the Champions League match against Sheriff Tiraspol. The return of Toni Kroos, now recovered from his pubalgia, is the big news for the 13-time European champions.
Group D. MD 2
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
20:00

Sheriff
Sheriff
28 Sep 2021
After their tie against Villarreal in La Liga, Real Madrid have their sights set on the Champions League. After beating Inter 0-1 in the first matchday of the group stage, Real Madrid will take on Sheriff Tiraspol at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ahead of the return of the top competition to the Bernabeu, the big new addition to Carlo Ancelotti's squad list is Toni Kroos, who returns after overcoming his physical problems,

The German midfielder had been suffering from pubalgia for months, but now seems fit enough to join the Italian coach's team, who has recovered one of his mainstays in the engine room.

Along with the presence of Kroos, the highlight of the 23-man squad for the 13-time European champions is the inclusion of Luis Lopez, Miguel Gutierrez and Antonio Blanco as reserve team players.The full list is as follows: Courtois, Lunin, Luis Lopez, Militao, Alaba, Nacho, Vallejo, Miguel, Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Valverde, Lucas Vazquez, Isco, Camavinga, Blanco, Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Jovic, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Mariano.

There is only good news for Barcelona in the last couple of hours. Koeman's men defeated Levante and finished with their "results crisis" in LaLiga.

Barcelona's poor LaLiga results and Bayern's 3-0 defeat makes Benfica's game a lot more important for the Catalonian giants.

Barcelona will face Benfica, but the good news is that two starters are back training with the team.

Pedri and Jordi Alba are back in training with the rest of the group and are likely to be on the list for the Lisbon game. The 18-year-old midfielder got injured against Bayern Munich on the 14th September and have missed a difficult week for Barça.

The veteran left-back got injured on the same game, in his case, he wasn't able to finish the game and was subbed off in the 73rd minute.

They are both back when Barcelona needs them the most. Dest had to replace Alba in a position that is not his following Alejandro Balde's injury.

The Spanish midfielder started his career at Zaragoza. He then signed for Athletic Bilbao, after a couple of years Manchester United bought him before his move to PSG.

Pedro Herrera, father of the PSG player revealed to 'L'Equipe' that his son was in talks with Barcelona over a move.

"At one moment of his career, Ander was in talks with Barça but for various reasons his signing was not completed", revealed Ander's father. Despite a failed move, Herrera doesn't regret anything: "This didn't stop him to play for one of the top three teams in Spain, because for him, the biggest club in Spain is Real Zaragoza, where he started".

He loves Zaragoza that much that he is trying to become a shareholder of the club. During the interview the journalists asked Herrera's father if he thought that his son could one day be Zaragoza's president. "I don't know, but he will be influential that is for sure."

" He has always been in contact with Zaragoza's major. As well as taking part in educational, hospitality and humanitarian projects since the pandemic. " explained Pedro Herrera.

We will never know how things would have played out for him in Barcelona. The truth is that he was rumored to be Barça's plan be signing when they failed to land Wijnaldum.