Gerard Pique has committed his future to Barcelona by saying he wants to see out the remainder of his career with the club. The Spanish centre-back came through Barca’s famed youth academy before being loaned out to Manchester United and Real Zaragoza in his early years, although he returned to his boyhood club after spending four years in England. Labelled with much criticism last season, Pique has since returned to form, with many pundits now casting him as the most in-form defender in European football. Scoring in Wednesday night’s Copa del Rey win over Villarreal, Pique revealed that he has…
Author: Staff Writer
Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed his unhappiness with Premier League referees, saying they should protect him more on the field. The 26-year-old Brazilian born Spanish international has impressed in his first season with Chelsea but criticism has also followed after a number of incidents involving his discipline on the field. A recent stamping incident on Liverpool’s Emre Can landed the former Atletico Madrid forward with a three-match ban but Costa has taken time out to defend himself. Speaking to Sport magazine, Costa said: “My challenges are strong but noble at the same time. Check my records, you’ll find I’ve…
Andre Ayew is set to sign a new contract with Marseille but will still be allowed to leave the club this summer for a price of £6m, according to La Provence. The Ghana international was expected see his current contract expire in June, allowing him to discuss terms with a new club. But, it has emerged that he will sign a new deal with the Ligue 1 club which will include a buying option of £6m. Spurs have held a long term interest in the Marseille attacker, whilst North London rivals Arsenal had also been keen through the years. However,…
Jurgen Klinsmann has been installed as a potential replacement for Paul Lambert, who was sacked as Aston Villa boss on Wednesday evening. Villa are understood to have made contact with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood since sacking Lambert on Wednesday, but owner Randy Lerner is also keen to discuss terms with US national coach, Klinsmann. Luring the former Tottenham Hotspur striker from his role with USA will be hard, but Lerner is determined to progress talks and tempt the 50-year-old to make the move. Sherwood has been in the running for a number of jobs in recent weeks but…
Real Madrid star Luka Modric has revealed he is on ready to make his return from a ruptured thigh muscle within the next three weeks. The Croatian midfielder has been sorely missed in Carlo Ancelotti’s side this year, having seen his side struggle to maintain the form they produced in the first half of the season. Modric, who injured himself in his country’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy was told he would be ruled out for longer than three months, but the 29-year-old’s condition has improved quicker than first thought. Modric told Sportske novosti: “My rehabilitation is going according to…
Chris Smalling admits Manchester United’s performance against Burnley was ‘unacceptable’ and claims the team are letting themselves down. United have struggled under the guidance of Louis van Gaal this season but laboured to a 3-1 win over Sean Dyche’s side on Wednesday evening. Smalling was on hand to score an unlikely brace for United, though he has conceded that his team’s performance was below par. “It wasn’t a 3-1 scoreline game,” he told reporters. “Especially in that first half, we all let ourselves down. We could have played much better. “That the first half was probably the worst we’ve had…
Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has declared he is “not an actor” on or off the field and has discussed his backing from the club’s supporters and local people. Madrid’s big money signings over recent years have strongly been accused of playing up to the cameras and caring too much about their appearance and charisma, rather than their affect on the field. David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the most accused with the latter having caused a bitter row in recent weeks after showcasing a birthday bash on the same day that Madrid lost to rivals Atletico 4-0. However,…
Bayern Munich are 50 years ahead of Borussia Dortmund, claims CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke. The two German sides have dominated the Bundesliga in recent years but Dortmund have struggled to keep up with their rivals this season, failing to remove themselves off the bottom of the league. Both are still involved in the Champions League as Dortmund face Juventus for a place in the quarter finals, but despite their mainstay in European football – Watzke believes that they will always be behind Bayern. “Bayern’s Munich’s achievements cannot be matched by us in the next 20 years – they are 50 years…
Samir Nasri has claimed that Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has asked the midfielder to make a return to th France national side. Nasri has recently accused France boss Didier Deschamps of ‘depriving’ him of the chance to play for his country, missing the World Cup last summer. Nasri has a superb season last term for City and has continued that form into this season, featuring from the start on a regular basis for Pellegrini’s side. The 27-year-old has further spoken of his exemption from the national side and said he will not forgive Deschamps for the way in which…
Manchester City have been told to up their bid for Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi to £40m, according to A Bola. The 25-year-old has been in superb form this season, coming off the back of what was deemed to be a breakthrough year with Spanish side Granada. Named the 2014 BBC African Footballer of the Year, Brahimi’s rise both at club level and for Algeria has seen a number of top European clubs show interest with Man City leading the list of clubs. Since joining Porto from Granada last year, Brahimi has gone on to have a big impact at Estadio…