The NewFanzone World Soccer Report

The NewFanzone World Soccer Report is a compilation of Top European and Global Football News Spanning League Fixtures, Results, News and Titbits.

Our Man Paul Ayorinde has compiled this for you. please remember that you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany;

– Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing Kevin Kampl from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee believed to be in the region of €10 million.

– Germany coach Joachim Low has suggested he could return to coaching a club side in the nearest future. “I would rule nothing out just now,it’s very conceivable of course that at some point I will coach a club team again. Why not? I’ve trained myself to think about my future only every two years. As a coach I know that there will be a decision after every tournament. In 2012, the mood was very different from 2010. It changes. But there is no curse of the title, as I sometimes read.” Low said

– Borussia Dortmund will stand by Jurgen Klopp despite a dismal first half of the Bundesliga season, according to sporting director Michael Zorc.
“Hans-Joachim Watzke, Jurgen Klopp and myself sat together on Sunday and discussed and analysed our situation. We are convinced that we will manage to get out of this current difficult situation together.” He said

– Christoph Kramer has ended speculation on his future by signing a two-year contract extension with Bayer Leverkusen.
The Germany international is currently on a two-year loan at fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach – a deal that is set to expire at the end of the season.

– Augsburg have completed the signing of South Korea striker Ji Dong-won from Borussia Dortmund.

– Mats Hummels has launched a remarkable attack on his own team after branding Borussia Dortmund’s form so far this season as “pathetic”. “We’ve managed pretty well at home in recent weeks, but not at all away. It’s pretty astonishing that we are so pathetic,” he said

German Bundesliga MatchWeek 17 results:

Mainz 05 1-2 Bayern Munich

Augsburg 2-1 Borussia Moenchengladbach

Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Schalke 04 0-0 Hamburger SV

VfB Stuttgart 0-0 Paderborn

Werder Bremen 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Wolfsburg 2-1 FC Cologne

Hertha Berlin 0-5 Hoffenheim

Freiburg 2-2 Hannover 96

News from France;

– Andre-Pierre Gignac welcomed the title of ‘autumn champion’ as a just reward for Marseille’s impressive first half of the Ligue 1 season. Gignac told the club’s website: “Being autumn champion is well deserved. We have a good recipe which we must hold on to until the end of the season.”

– Lyon boss Hubert Fournier has insisted the club will not let reported Liverpool target Alexandre Lacazette leave the club in January. “I’m not the best person to speak about it. If it was only up to me, of course I would like him to stay,but the president has rather reassured me, and above all, I don’t get the impression Alexandre wants to leave during the January transfer window.” He said

– According to reports, Marseille striker Andre Ayew will sign a pre-contract agreement with Everton in January, ahead of a move to England in the summer.

French Ligue 1 MatchWeek 19 results:

Lens 2-0 Nice

Paris Saint Germain 0-0 Montpellier

Caen 1-1 Bastia

Lorient 1-2 Nantes

Metz 0-1 Monaco

Rennes 1-3 Reims

Toulouse 1-1 Guingamp

Marseille 2-1 Lille

Saint Etienne 3-0 Evian Thonon Gaillard

Bordeaux 0-5 Lyon

News from Italy:

– Mattia Perin’s agent feels he’ll stay at Genoa until the end of the season, “unless a club comes with the right offer,” after Liverpool and Juventus interest.
“Any important club on a European level that has important sums to invest cannot help but think of Mattia. They would have a very reliable goalkeeper for the next 20 years and the chance to spread the cost out over time. A bit like what Juventus did with Buffon. Liverpool? Now these voices are emerging consistently. Save for surprises, Perin will remain at Genoa until the end of the season, because I doubt the club and Gasperini want to lose a key figure in the team. Of course, if a club were to come forward with the right offer, then everything could be up for debate. I repeat, in my opinion he will remain at Genoa until the end of the season.”

– Massimo Moratti can see “a very different harmony” at Inter since Roberto Mancini replaced Walter Mazzarri. “I can see improvement in the team and they showed character, while the style of football is back to being enjoyable again,it required adaptation and changes, but the results are visible. You can certainly see that Mancini is working well and that was clear last night against Lazio. It’s not that Mazzarri wasn’t working well, but now you can clearly see a very different harmony between the players and the club. I think everything is going a bit better now.” Moratti said

– Sassuolo striker Simone Zaza thanked Antonio Conte for his Italy debut and has “ambition” for a big club. “I will remember 2014 for the rest of my life, as it’s the year I had my Italy debut. Sassuolo has been and still is the ideal place for me to grow. I feel that I can give much more and continue improving. I don’t see Sassuolo as a provincial club, as it’s my team and a very good one. Conte never lets anything go. He’s meticulous, precise and very determined. Things need to go exactly as he planned, otherwise he’s not satisfied. Everyone says he is non-stop, but I say he is a great Coach and I can only thank him for giving me the chance to play for the Nazionale. I hope to find consistency with Sassuolo and score many goals. Of course it’s normal that within me I have the ambition to play at the top level with a big club, if and when I’ll be ready. Right now I prefer to remain concentrated on the present, which is fantastic.” Zaza said

– Marcello Lippi said he will only get back into management for an international team “in the Euros.”
“I made a decision and I am sticking to it: I will never again be the Coach of a club. When my experience in China as technical director concludes, I will return to Italy. If there’s a national team that I like with a serious plan that would allow me to do something I’ve never done before – such as taking part in the Euros – then I’d accept.” He said

Italian SerieA MatchWeek 16 results:

Sassuolo 1-1 Cesena

Roma 0-0 AC Milan

Hellas Verona 0-1 ChievoVerona

Atalanta 3-3 Palermo

Fiorentina 1-1 Empoli

Sampdoria 2-2 Udinese

Torino 2-1 Genoa

Inter 2-2 Lazio

News from Spain;

– Toni Kroos believes winning the Club World Cup proves that he was right to leave Bayern Munich and join Real Madrid. “I’m so happy to win the Club World Cup for a second time. This trophy is so good for Real Madrid, we are a great family. I chose Real Madrid and now I’m so happy. I was right to sign for Madrid. Before coming here, I didn’t know what to expect, but I made the decision, I was looking for something new and I was lucky that I signed for Real Madrid.” He said

– Getafe says forward Angel Lafita will be sidelined for at least five months after injuring his right leg.

– Juanfran has hit back at Sergio Ramos’ praise of Real Madrid as “God’s team” by suggesting that Atletico Madrid are “the team of the humble,”
“If Real Madrid are God’s team, Atletico are the team of the humble and the hardworking and those with a lot of heart. I don’t know if God is all of that.” Juanfran said

– Florentino Perez says he wants Carlo Ancelotti to be Real Madrid’s Sir Alex Ferguson.

Spanish BBVALiga MatchWeek 16 results:

Celta Vigo 0-1 Almeria

Barcelona 5-0 Cordoba

Levante 1-1 Real Sociedad

Eibar 0-1 Valencia

Rayo Vallecano 1-3 Espanyol

Villarreal 3-0 Deportivo La Coruna

Granada 1-1 Getafe

Elche 1-2 Malaga

Athletic Bilbao 1-4 Atletico Madrid

News from England;

– Moussa Sissoko has told L’Equipe he “loves Arsenal” and suggested he will seek to leave Newcastle United to further his ambitions.

“When I was young, Arsenal were my favourite team. My idol played there: Patrick Vieira. I have always loved that club. I still love that club. There are always a lot of rumours. I don’t pay much attention to them. I have an agent who looks after that. If something is to happen, it’ll happen. If not…I’m ambitious. My aim is to play in the best clubs, play the Champions League, win trophies. But today, I’m a Magpie and I’m very happy. There haven’t been any offers. So I’ll be at Newcastle until the end of the season. After that, we’ll see.”Sissoko said

– Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez ‘proud’ to return after cancer fight. Jonas Gutierrez thanked friends, family and football fans for their support after the Newcastle winger made his comeback in U-21 match today.

– Aston Villa have appealed Gabriel Agbonlahor’s red card in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

– Sami Hyypia has left Brighton & Hove Albion just six months into his contract after the Championship club’s board accepted the manager’s resignation on Monday.

– Mathieu Flamini is confident Arsenal will kick on when they welcome back a host of key players from injury.

“It would be crazy to think [we won’t improve] because we lost so many key players and having them back is very important for the team. We definitely need them because in the championship and the last stages of the Champions League, you cannot do it with 11 players. You need 25, so it is important for us to have them back. The season is going to be long and we are only just arriving at Christmas now. I am very confident in the team, very confident in the quality we have because we have a few top players. The most important thing is to recover well and be ready for the next game. In probably 10 days, we have three or four games so it is going to be a lot. We have to recover well for the next game and if we are ready, it will be fine.” Flamini said

– Cesc Fabregas has said he “would love” to see Lionel Messi to join him at Chelsea.
“I wish! Why not? I’d love that to happen. I’d be all for it. As a Barca man, I believe that Messi deserves to retire there for all that he has given the club. He is a legend that has changed Barca’s history. But, as his team-mate and friend, without doubt I’d love to have Leo by my side. This season Barca are Messi and 10 others. Messi has saved his team on many occasions.”Fabregas said

Barclays Premier League

BPL MatchWeek 17 results;

Manchester City 3-0 Crystal Palace

Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester United

Hull City 0-1 Swansea City

Queens Park Rangers 3-2 West Brom

Southampton 3-0 Everton

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Burnley

West Ham United 2-0 Leicester City

Newcastle United 0-1 Sunderland

Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

Stoke City 0-2 Chelsea

News from other parts of the world;

FIFA

– According to reports, Sepp Blatter ‘has no plans’ to step down as FIFA president

– President of Mexican club Querétaro has given Ronaldinho time until next week to report for pre-season which has already started. The disappearance of Ronaldinho has apparently left the club’s board angry.
Querétaro’s president Joaquín Beltrán told Rádio Imagen: “If Ronaldinho doesn’t arrive next week, we will have to take a decision. No one is above the institution.”

– Brazilian footballer Kaka believes Dunga is the man to improve the fortunes of Brazilian football

– Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has named Tim Cahill of the New York Red Bulls as part of his 23 man team to represent Australia at the Asian Cup which will be hosted by the Australians in January 2015

The NewFanzone World Soccer Report

The NewFanzone World Soccer Report is a compilation of Top European and Global Football News Spanning League Fixtures, Results, News and Titbits.

Our Man Paul Ayorinde has compiled this for you. please remember that you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany;

– Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has lamented that the finer points of Pep Guardiola’s coaching ability are lost on much of Germany’s football fans.
“The fact that not everyone thinks everything we do is great doesn’t affect our thinking,it is not yet understood in Germany how Pep thinks. The system does not change to shoot the team in the foot. This idea is apparently new to German football. Bayern are happy and grateful that we have a coach like Guardiola who proves himself again and again. He is hugely influencing German football with his thinking. As former professionals, [Hamann and Matthaus] should ask themselves why and how does someone like Guardiola makes a footballing choice. In the end I guess they can be happy they have something to discuss…
I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I only wish they were able to understand.” Sammer Said

– Borussia Monchengladbach have revealed they are in regular talks with Chelsea as they seek to make Thorgan Hazard’s loan deal permanent.
“Thorgan’s development has been exemplary,he needed some time at first, and we allowed him that. Now he is getting better all the time. I hope that we sign the player on a permanent deal. We are constantly talking to Chelsea.” Monchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl said

– Bayern Munich confirmed on Wednesday that 18-year-old midfielder, Gianluca Gaudino has signed his first professional contract.

Pep Guardiola

News from France;

– PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has showered praises on recently retired Thierry Henry. “He is a fantastic athlete. He has made real differences on the pitch. He was a genius as a player and even more so as a human being. He will leave a huge mark behind him. For football, I am sorry that he is stopping, there will be a hole now. But, at the same time, he has already become a legend in this sport.”Ibrahimovic said

– French Ligue 1 side,RC Lens say the financial watchdog of French football has partially lifted the transfer ban imposed on the club after they received 2.5 million euros from Azerbaijan investors.

News from Italy;

– Napoli Coach Rafa Benitez doesn’t want to talk about his contract situation – but says he’s declined two offer. “My contract? I don’t want to talk about it. The important thing is to improve. Does it affect the players? The situation is the same as it was before [wins over] Roma and Fiorentina. I want to win in the here and now. I’ve said no to two offers, because I’m the Coach of Napoli, for now I want to work here, then we’ll see. In the past 15 days I’ve turned down two offers, but I won’t tell you who.” He said

– Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal admits he has struggled to recapture his best form this season after a knee injury.
“It’s impossible for me to regret playing in the World Cup, despite my knee,It was a dream for me to play in that tournament, it was a great experience, from the squad, to the atmosphere to the confidence the Coach had in me. It was definitely the highlight of 2014. I had a bad injury at the end of last season, I’ve definitely not been at my best in the past few months, because I’m still trying to get back to 100 per cent. Clearly I’ve struggled, but 2015 will be better, I have great enthusiasm for it.” Vidal said

– Roma Coach Rudi Garcia has hit out on social media after being banned for two games for an altercation with a steward. “Following the unfounded accusations which have been levelled at me and the resulting sanctions, I denounce this intolerable attack on my honour and my reputation. Throughout my career as a footballer, an educator and a Coach I’ve shown exemplary behaviour which I have always maintained. I will not accept this attempt to sully my name by ascribing to me aggressive gestures which I did not commit, which I deplore and which are contrary to the way I was raised. I will fight with every means available to me to defend myself against these lies and injustices.” Garcia posted

– Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri will not face a touchline ban for tomorrow’s Cagliari game, after having his sentence reduced.
The FIGC Appeals Court has partially upheld Allegri’s appeal, reducing his punishment to a €10,000 fine with an official warning for his conduct.

News from Spain;

– Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says there is still time for full-back Martin Montoya to turn the situation around and secure a long-term future at the Camp Nou. “When [Montoya] trains I can see the level and potential that he has,i know him. Any player can turn around any situation. This opportunity has come up for him, and he played very well. For me, it is fantastic to be able to choose.” Luis Enrique said

– Xavi has revealed he one day hopes to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola and make the transition from Barcelona midfielder to club coach. “Hopefully. I want to remain in this house in whatever capacity that is. I have little football left, it is clear. I can feel it in my body, I find it harder to recover, I meter out my effort, I don’t have the spark to play every three days. I can feel it.” Xavi said

– According to reports in Brazil,Real Madrid have had a second offer for midfielder Lucas Silva turned down by Cruzeiro.

– Atlético de Madrid president Enrique Cerezo refused to answer reporters’ questions about the arrests made over the brawl that resulted in the death of Deportivo fan ‘Jimmy’ Romero Taboada, stating that the club has nothing to add on the subject. “We’ve done and said all we’re going to. Ask the people who are dealing with the matter, the police, not us”, Cerezo stated.

News from England;

– Radamel Falcao says he still want to sign a long-term deal with Manchester United, despite being left on the bench for their last four matches. “Obviously I have to analyse the situation, see if I play more and see what decision the board takes. But from my point of view, I really want to stay. I am very happy in this city, in this club and I am enjoying it here.”

He added: “I am very well. I’m almost at 100 percent now. Let’s see wait and see what the decision of the coach is, when he wants to use me more. We talk a lot, the coach and I. He has a philosophy that I respect. I have had an injury, and I have had to wait for the opportunity to play.” Falcao said

– Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is facing a month out after tearing a groin muscle during Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester United.

– Former Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas says none of his transfer targets, such as Oscar and Willian, were purchased. “I ended up leaving by mutual agreement – it wasn’t a sacking – because I gave full support to the football director Franco Baldini who meanwhile had other ambitions, meaning that I ended up with players that did not fit the profile I wanted. The chairman proposed a challenge to increase Tottenham’s competitive level, but immediately Modric left and we didn’t get any of the targets I had identified, such as Joao Moutinho, Willian, Oscar or Leandro Damiao. These were promises that were not kept. I had a group of players I had not chosen. In two years I lost Van der Vaart, Modric, Bale, and all the promises made were unfulfilled. In any event I don’t look at my time at Tottenham as a negative experience. It was an experience I needed to have.” Villas-Boas said

– QPR goalkeeper Rob Green has questioned the timing of Simon Mignolet’s dropping at Liverpool, but backed him to come back stronger. “How do you define indefinitely? It’s indeterminate – maybe he’ll be back sooner than you’d expect,at some point keepers need a time out – it’s strange keeping him for the Champions League and removing him straight afterwards when he didn’t do a lot wrong, but that’s the manager’s decision. Simon will work hard and come back stronger.” He told Sky Sports

– Jose Fonte has apologised to Southampton’s fans after their 1-0 League Cup quarter-final defeat to Sheffield United on Tuesday. “It was not acceptable. I would firstly like to apologise to the fans, they didn’t deserve this. That is not us. Given the last games we have lost, we played and we showed that we are better than the opposition and we had the opportunities to win and deserved more from them games. But after Tuesday night, I am disappointed obviously and I am angry because we had a great opportunity to go and do something special and we just blew it.” he told the club’s official YouTube channel.

Frank Lampard. photo credit thefa.com

News from other parts of the world;

FIFA

– Michael Garcia, the American lawyer who led the investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process, has resigned from the FIFA ethics committee in protest over the handling of his findings. Garcia cited a “lack of leadership” at the top of FIFA in a resignation statement on Wednesday.

– Ally McCoist will remain Rangers manager following a meeting with board members despite handing in his notice.

– Midfielder Ricardo Goulart is confident staying at Cruzeiro will help him earn international recognition. “My plan is to stay with Cruzeiro. Playing for Cruzeiro helped me get called up. After a busy season it’s now time to take a break and prepare for next year. If I’m playing well then I hope Dunga will select me for the Copa América.” He said

NewFanzone World Soccer Report

The NewFanzone World Soccer Report is a compilation of Top European and Global Football News Spanning League Fixtures, Results, News and Titbits.

Our Man Paul Ayorinde has compiled this for you. please remember that you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany:

– Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng has set a new Bundesliga record: going undefeated in his last 50 games (44 wins and six draws.) The German defender last suffered a Bundesliga defeat more than two years ago, when Bayer Leverkusen took all three points from the Allianz
Arena in late-October 2012.

– Marco Reus will be unavailable for Germany’s next two matches after sustaining another ankle injury.

– Germany’s highest sporting award, the Silver Laurel Leaf, has been presented by the country’s federal president Joachim Gauck to the national team for their achievement in winning the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer.

German Bundesliga Matchweek 11 results:

Hertha Berlin 0-2 Hannover

Augsburg 3-0 Paderborn

Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Mainz 05

E. Frankfurt 0-4 Bayern Munich

Freiburg 2-0 Schalke 04

Hoffenheim 3-4 FC Cologne

Werder Bremen 2-0 VfB Stuttgart

Wolfsburg 2-0 Hamburger SV

B. Dortmund 1-0 B. Monchengladbach

News from France:

-Lucas Moura believes that Paris Saint-Germain are a better team with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their ranks and is relieved to have him back in the side.”With Zlatan, we are stronger,his return is very important. He is our reference point, our goalscorer.” He said

– Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has said Zlatan Ibrahimovic should never have been in his matchday squad, let alone able to make a contribution to the French champions’ 2-0 victory over Marseille. “He’s intelligent. He knew very well that he couldn’t play for more than 30 minutes, and only at the end of the game. He trained with us for the last few days because it’s Ibra and we wanted to take a psychological advantage for the game. The only risk I took was to include him in the squad because, after only two days work with the ball, he shouldn’t even be in the squad. I didn’t want to play him, and he understood that very well.” Blanc said

French Ligue 1 Matchweek 13 results:

Rennes 1-0 Lorient

Lens 1-2 Bordeaux

Bastia 2-0 Montpellier

Caen 1-2 Nantes

Evian Thonon Gaillard 1-0 Nice

Toulouse 3-0 Metz

Lyon 3-1 Guingamp

Reims 2-0 Lille

Saint Etienne 1-1 Monaco

Paris Saint Germain 2-0 Marseille

News from Italy:

– Juventus forward Carlos Tevez said he knew exactly what he was doing as he scored his version of Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup goal against England on Sunday afternoon at home to Parma. “I knew that I just had to free myself from my marker,then I just had to win another one-on-one and shift the ball to the right. I knew which way to send it past the goalkeeper because I was coming so fast at him that he had no chance of diving. It was all planned.” Tevez said

– Italy coach Antonio Conte believes Mario Balotelli should not be treated any differently from his peers but has urged the Liverpool striker to prove himself following his recall to the national side.

“Personally, I’m not going to pay attention to talk about the club. People try to exaggerate each situation and I feel sorry for him. Today he is here and he has to answer to me. I will judge him by what he does in the next seven to nine days. I’m worried that people see Balotelli differently to the others. Balotelli is a normal footballer,just like the others.

We don’t need to differentiate Balotelli from the others, he’s just one of the 23 players. Balotelli has significant experience with the national team, he has played at a World Cup and a European Championship, but that’s not enough. He needs to catch my eye and I have to see if he can adapt to our type of football. If he can, he can play in the starting lineup, but he can also be on the bench or in the stands. My duty is to see how I can use them [the players] in this national team. This route has today provided Balotelli with the chance to show what he can be. Should he not prove himself, it’ll
be for a reason.”

– Napoli have issued a statement stating that Lorenzo Insigne’s surgery on his cruciate ligament knee injury has been successful but have not given an estimated return date for the Italian striker.

– Marco Verratti will be allowed to stay with the Italy squad after being given the all-clear by medical staff. “The boy is suffering from insertional tendinitis
to his left groin,the tests that were carried out showed no muscle injury. He will now follow a programme of physical therapy and be constantly monitored over the next few days.”revealed Azzurri head doctor Enrico Castellazzi.

Italian SerieA Matchweek 11 results:

Sassuolo 0-0 Atalanta

Sampdoria 2-2 AC Milan

Cagliari 1-1 Genoa

ChievoVerona 2-1 Cesena

Empoli 2-1 Lazio

Juventus 7-0 Parma

Palermo 1-1 Udinese

Fiorentina 0-1 Napoli

Inter Hellas 2-2 Verona

Roma 3-0 Torino

News from Spain:

-Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno has hailed Carlo Ancelotti as the ideal coach at the Santiago Bernabeu. “Ancelotti is an outstanding coach in every aspect,He’s been at the top for 20 years, has won three European Cups and won in four different countries. There’s nothing else to say. I know that he fits the template. He’s very calm facing situations and that’s very important.” He said

– Xavi believes Barcelona are on the right track after coming from a goal down to beat Almeria 2-1 on Saturday, but admits the club need “nothing less than straight A’s” to succeed this
season.

“There will always be criticism,it may not have been an excellent Barca that we saw on Saturday, but we are humble enough to be self-critical.B-plus is not a good enough grade at Barca. We need nothing less than straight A’s.” He said

– Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has said he was pleased to see Chelsea striker Diego Costa looking “very good”as he scored in his team’s 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield. “He looked very good, played almost the whole match and he was fine. It is true that the injuries to the pelvis are very difficult. All of us who have had them know that healing is a process and we have opted, whether right or wrong, that he not does join us this time.

There is nothing to it [Costa’s absence]. I am sure some over the past few days have seen it as a sign of weakness on our part, but it isn’t. We are football people, and are perfectly aware of Diego’s situation. The other day, I said he would play against Liverpool, and that is what happened. But to have him play two more matches would have been counterproductive to his health, so we opted not to recall him.” He said

– Cristiano Ronaldo claims he is in the best form of his life after a blistering start to the season. “Perhaps this is the best form I’ve ever been in but every year I try to improve on the previous one,” Ronaldo said

Spanish BBVALiga Matchweek 11 results:

Cordoba 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna

Almeria 1-2 Barcelona

Getafe 0-0 Elche

Real Madrid 5-1 Rayo Vallecano

Celta Vigo 0-0 Granada

Malaga 2-1 Eibar

Sevilla 1-1 Levante

Espanyol 1-1 Villarreal

Valencia 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Real Sociedad 2-1 Atletico Madrid

News from England;

– David De Gea believes Manchester United’s injury-hit defence has made him a better goalkeeper this season, but is confident the team will begin to find consistency in the Premier League. “It’s difficult when the players aren’t there but you have to adapt and concentrate on your job. The experience has definitely helped me improve.

My all-round performance has improved, but especially my concentration and being more tactically aware. I’ve really focused on my work in training to make sure I can produce the performances that are needed on the pitch. As a Manchester United player, you never stop learning and improving and you always have to strive to keep doing better.” He said

– Chelsea midfielder Oscar has signed a new contract keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2019.

– Raheem Sterling believes Liverpool’s season will spark into life once Daniel Sturridge has returned from injury. “It will be a massive boost to have Daniel back playing. We have missed him, and the more quality players you have fit and available the better. He gives us that threat in the box and he scores goals. We’re all really looking forward to having him back in the team.” He said

– West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace is adamant that the club have no plans to cash in on Saido Berahino and will offer him a new contract. “I wish to assure our supporters that Saido Berahino will not be going anywhere in January or, I hope,next summer. It is not in our minds at all to trade a footballer the club has worked so diligently to develop. He is contracted to play for West Brom until at least the summer of 2017 and we are happy to sit down with him and discuss extending that commitment on terms which recognise his continuing improvement as a footballer and his growing importance to our own plans.” He said

Barclays Premier League

BPL Matchweek 11 results:

Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea

Burnley 1-0 Hull City

Manchester United 1-0 Crystal Palace

Southampton 2-0 Leicester City

West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa

QPR 2-2 Manchester City

Sunderland 1-1 Everton

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Stoke City

West Brom 0-2 Newcastle

Swansea City 2-1 Arsenal

News from other parts of the World:

– The seeds and pots for the Copa America 2015 draw have been announced. Host Country Chile,Brazil and Argentina are the seeded teams. In Pot 2; Colombia,Mexico and Uruguay. In Pot 3; Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay. In Pot 3; Venezuela, Bolivia, Jamaica. The official draw comes up on November 25th

– The five-man shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 has been announced. Yaya Toure has been nominated for the sixth consecutive year, along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Yacine Brahimi, Vincent
Enyeama and Gervinho.

– Benfica midfielder Anderson Talisca has replaced the injured Lucas Moura for Brazil’s upcoming friendlies with Austria and Turkey.

Newfanzone World Soccer Report (MID-WEEK EDITION)

News from Germany;

– Jurgen Klopp has warned Bayern Munich that their recent attacks on Borussia Dortmund will come back to haunt them. “I believe life is fair and if you misbehave while you are successful, you will get it back one day,when both teams are at the top, it can also be fun to react to those things, but currently that’s just not part of it.” He said

– According to reports in Germany, Schalke have opened contract talks with Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with the 31-year-old’s current deal over at the end of the
2014-15 season.

– Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola believes Borussia Dortmund remain a strong side despite their poor start to the Bundesliga season. “We are expecting strong opponents who can
deliver fast counter-attacks,we will try and play like we did during this season so far. But it’s a special game, and we recently lost 3-0 against BVB [in April]. Our style will be important. We must play well — otherwise we will lose.”
And he went on to praise BVB as “an outstanding team,” adding: “That’s the reason why always have difficulties against them. We need to win tomorrow to maintain our lead. It’s still October, and BVB are still our competitor. But, of course, there are also Gladbach, Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim.” He said

– Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accused Borussia Dortmund of double standards over their furious reaction to his comments on Marco Reus’ contractual situation.
“How is the situation different to his move to Dortmund?Thanks to the buy-out clause, BVB managed to prise Marco away from Monchengladbach.” He said

Bundesliga MatchWeek 10 fixtures;

Hamburger SV V Bayer Leverkusen

Hannover 96 V Eintracht Frankfurt

Mainz 05 V Werder Bremen

VfB Stuttgart V Wolfsburg

Bayern Munich V Borussia Dortmund

B.Monchengladbach V Hoffenheim

FC Cologne V Freiburg

Paderborn V Hertha Berlin

News from France;

– Eric Cantona has hailed Marcelo Bielsa as a football maverick, comparing the Marseille boss to Jose Mourinho. “I don’t support Marseille much, but I like Bielsa,I think he’s got
charisma, he’s a character. He has personality, he knows football. He’s a kind of Mourinho. I love all those guys. I like that they call into question journalists’ opinions. Something always happens at their press conferences, and it doesn’t stop them
winning.” He said

– According to L’Equipe, Marseille striker André-Pierre Gignac threw a punch at Ivorian international Brice Dja Djédjé at a training session on Thursday. They were separated by their teammates, the two men then talked it out in a more peaceful manner.

– Lille’s manager Rene Girard has received a four game touchline ban after being sent off against Lyon for protesting Lacazette’s opening goal in
the match. Girard already had a 1 match suspended ban from a match against Monaco in August, so a further three has now been added, but he will be able to be in the dugout for this
weekend’s game against St-Etienne.

– Marseille central midfielder Benoit Cheyrou has confirmed the termination of his contract with the club. “My contract with Olympique de Marseille has been terminated, I am free from all engagement, I am no longer under contract with Marseille from today onwards. That is why I wanted to communicate my situation today, I couldn’t do it while the procedure was ongoing and incomplete.” He said

– OFFICIAL: Adrien Rabiot signs new five year contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

French Ligue 1 Matchweek 12 fixtures;

Lorient V Paris Saint Germain

Guingamp V Bastia

Lille V Saint Etienne

Metz V Caen

Montpellier V Evian Thonon Gaillard

Nice V Lyon

Nantes V Rennes

Bordeaux V Toulouse

Marseille V Lens

News from Italy;

– Fernando Torres says he left Chelsea for AC Milan in the summer because he did not feel important at Stamford Bridge. “Mourinho has always been good to me. The decision to leave was a personal one because I needed more, I needed to feel important. Mourinho and I have a good relationship and still today we continue to talk to each other.” He said

– Rafael Benitez says that the game against Rudi Garcia’s Roma can set Napoli’s season back on track. “Yes tomorrow’s game is an opportunity to show our ambitions once again. We have seen that every team can drop points so we are aware that if we win we can close the gap.

Tactically, Roma are fast on the counter, they are aggressive in defence and when they have to win the ball back. They pass the ball well so it will also be down to our attitude, because if we can keep the ball, they will try to break on the counter, otherwise it will be the other way round.”He said

– Jeremy Menez says that Milan have the right squad to finish third in Serie A. “It would be a shame not to qualify for the Champions League, given the squad we’ve got,i don’t know whether we can challenge to win the League, but this League has been strange so far – Juventus and Roma are the strongest, but there’s no truth in football so we’ll fight until the end and then we’ll see.” He said

– Roberto Donadoni has brushed off speculation regarding his future at Parma and allayed fears about off-field issues affecting the squad.

“I just think about what I do and give my best. I leave the rest to those who feel the need to think about [my future],with the President I talk two or three times a week and nothing has changed.” He said

-Adriano Galliani reveals Silvio Berlusconi’s marks for Milan and Pippo Inzaghi. “At this moment it is seven to the players and eight to the Coach. His main advice is scoring goals and he told the players something he also told Mario Balotelli about winning and scoring goals. He is really able to convey positivity.” He said

Italian Serie A Matchweek 10 fixtures;

Napoli V Roma

Empoli V Juventus

Parma V Inter

ChievoVerona V Sassuolo

Sampdoria V Fiorentina

Torino V Atalanta

Udinese V Genoa

AC Milan V Palermo

Cesena V Hellas Verona

Lazio V Cagliari

News from Spain;

– Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Gareth Bale remains one of Real Madrid’s most important players. “Nobody should get angry because Bale deserves to play. He is one of the best
players in the world, and one of the most important players in this squad. What has changed [is not Bale’s absence] but the attitude of the team without the ball. Now it is easier to
attack.” He said

– Barcelona centre-back Marc Bartra says he is surprised that Luis Suarez is not on the Ballon d’Or shortlist. “I’m surprised,it’s true. I think he had a spectacular year. He’s a great player, he is one of the best strikers in the world and I think he deserves to be there on the shortlist.” Bartra said

– Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone backed forward Antoine Griezmann to start delivering. “I speak with [Griezmann] a lot,he is very young, and is adapting to a different system. He is a winger, and we think he can be a more complete player. He has agreed to commit himself to this. We are trying to take advantage of his qualities: diagonal runs, turns, pace. It will take time, but we need the youngster to begin to be a man and be an important player.” He said

– Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says he hopes last week’s painful clasico defeat is just a minor setback on the road to success this season. “It has not been hard for me to lift the team’s spirits,these types of defeats hurt, but we all know that during the season we will pass through moments like this. There are always good moments and bad moments.

Defeats are always painful, but you cannot always live on a rollercoaster. There is no sense
in thinking you must speed up because you have lost. The champion knows how to come through moments of difficulty, so we try and keep everything in perspective.” Enrique said

– Zinedine Zidane will continue as Coach of Real Madrid Castilla for now after an injunction against his three-month ban was obtained.

Spanish BBVALiga Matchweek 10 fixtures;

Granada V Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid V Cordoba

Barcelona V Celta Vigo

Real Sociedad V Malaga

Athletic Bilbao V Sevilla

Villarreal V Valencia

Levante V Almeria

Elche V Espanyol

Rayo Vallecano V Eibar

Barclays Premier League

News from England;

– Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Diego Costa is available for Chelsea’s home match against QPR on Saturday after three weeks out, but stressed that the striker needs “special care”.
“The only thing I can say is what everybody knows which is the time he was having problems in Chelsea and the way we managed to keep him playing,but after the national team we lost him for four matches. Crystal Palace, Maribor, Shrewsbury and Man United four matches in three different competitions. Now he’s again available, but he needs obviously to be again under special care. We are going to do that. It’s the only thing we can do nothing else. He’s available. That’s good for us. It’s difficult with only one striker available. When you have two, obviously the situation improves. We don’t have [John Obi] Mikel it’s not good for us. He’s always an option. But the fact we have recovered Ramires is a compensation for that loss. So the situation is a bit better.” He said

– Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao has been ruled out of Sunday’s derby against Manchester City through injury, but Louis van Gaal has confirmed Wayne Rooney is fit and will
start. “Rooney was not injured, the media was writing that,he was never injured. Maybe his shoes were too tight, that is possible, but he was never injured. He shall play, he is my captain. That is all I can say to you because he is my captain and he shall play. Falcao is still injured.” van Gaal said

– Manchester City midfielder David Silva will miss Sunday’s derby against Manchester United and faces up to four weeks out with a knee injury, manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed.

– Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss Saturday’s Premier League game against Burnley at the Emirates Stadium, but manager Arsene Wenger has stressed that his latest injury setback is not serious.

“It is a very, very short-term problem. He got a kick on his knee. I don’t know if Tuesday will be too early for him or not. At the moment he doesn’t practice, but certainly Swansea [next weekend] yes.” He said

– Manchester United are in talks with AC Milan regarding the possibility of a mid-season friendly match. Milan director Umberto Gandini said: “This is something we have been talking about for a few weeks and we
have a committed interest to do something together. It’s just a question to find the right date and
then to find the right place.”

– Arsene Wenger believes it is too early to say whether Chelsea can match the
Arsenal Invincibles side of the 2003-04 season.

BPL Matchweek 10 fixtures;

Newcastle United V Liverpool

Arsenal V Burnley

Chelsea V Queens Park Rangers

Everton V Swansea City

Hull City V Southampton

Leicester City V West Bromwich Albion

Stoke City V West Ham United

Manchester City V Manchester United

Aston Villa V Tottenham Hotspur

Crystal Palace V Sunderland

Senzo Meyiwa of Orlando Pirates before the Absa Premiership game between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates in Cape Town at Athlone Stadium on 5 December 2012 ©Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

News from other parts of the World;

– Uefa has imposed partial stadium closures and fines on Romania and Hungary after their ill-tempered Euro 2016 qualifier. UEFA announced on Friday that its Control, Ethics
and Disciplinary body has decided that both countries should play their next home matches in partially closed grounds, while also fining the Romanian Football Federation €32,000 and its Hungarian counterpart €30,000.

– A suspect has appeared in court in South Africa over the killing of national football captain Senzo Meyiwa. The man, named as Zanokuhle Mbatha,faces charges of murder and armed robbery and will appear again on 11 November. Police had offered a reward for information on the attack.

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Borussia Dortmund

News from Germany;

Borussia Dortmund

– Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has admitted the club have put contract talks with Marco Reus on hold for the foreseeable future in order to focus on their performances on the pitch. “Nothing has changed about our intentions to continue our collaboration with Marco,but the current situation demands full focus from everybody at the club. Our biggest priority at the moment is to get out of this difficult situation. Everything else comes after that for now.” He said – Robert Lewandowski has warned his Bayern Munich team-mates not to underestimate Borussia Dortmund ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga showdown at the Allianz Arena – despite his old club’s disastrous start to the new season. “This is an important game: Dortmund are always dangerous, they can beat anyone in a one-off game. They have so many players injured and they have the whole season to turn things around. It has all gone wrong at the start but Dortmund are always difficult to play against. They still have great players, so the biggest mistake for us would be to underestimate them.” – Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is confident that Bastian Schweinsteiger will soon be available for selection again after a spell on the sidelines due to injury. “The end of the recovery process is getting nearer. I think he will soon be able to train with the team again,it depends on the physio and the doctor when exactly he can resume squad training. He will be able to make his comeback when he no longer feels pain.” News from France; – The French Football Federation (FFF) has come out in support of Zinedine Zidane, who received a three-month suspension from the Spanish FA. “The FFF would like to reiterate its support for Zidane following the decision by the Spanish Commission to sanction him for not having the necessary coaching diploma”, the FFF said in a statement. “The fact that such an iconic player such as Zidane, who has decided to follow the internationally recognised French coach training system, is not able to carry out his duties as permitted by UEFA, is damaging to European football” , FFF president, Noel Le Graet said in a statement. “The FFF National Technical Directorate has sent the Spanish Federation all the relevant elements attesting to the fact that Zidane is pursuing all training modules with professionalism and diligence”, the statement concluded. – Olympique de Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa has explained his decision not to include young defender Doria in his recent team selections. “The decisions are made in context, and I think for Wednesday’s game, the suitable replacement for Morel is Nkoulou, and an adequate replacement for Nkoulou is Fanni. Of these three options for each position, I think the best pair will be Fanni and Nkoulou,and I have not considered Sparagna or Doria.” Bielsa said News from Italy;

Ashley Cole Asroma.it

– Fiorentina are reportedly close to agreeing terms for a new contract with goalkeeper Neto, apparently in compromising on a new salary. – Christian Maggio’s agent says his client can be key for Napoli, just like Gonzalo Higuain, even if his future beyond the summer is not settled. “Maggio is fit and feels fine at the moment. He’s got strength and I think his performances are always good. Obviously no game is easy at this level but I think that Rafa Benitez is aware of this too. It’s difficult to do well in the League but I think that some key players like Maggio and Higuain have recovered just in time for Napoli.” – Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has revealed that he was very close to a move to Juventus in the summer of 2012. “In that circumstance, I didn’t speak a lot with Brendan Rodgers but I told him that there was a chance for me to join Juventus,” – Vincent Candela has backed Ashley Cole to come good at Roma, and suggests he just needs a period of adaptation to Serie A. “The foreign players can have difficulty in their first year in Serie A. Even Platini struggled to adapt. I hope that Cole can return to how he once was, you have to give the full-back time. Foreigners in their first year must be able to acclimatise. Last year he played few games, but Rudi Garcia has shown him a lot of confidence. You have to have patience with him, otherwise I’ll have to put my boots back on!” Candela said News from Spain;

James Rodriguez

– Vicente del Bosque says he will be “stubborn” over calling up Diego Costa for international duty, even as Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho continues to blame Spain for the striker’s continuing injury issues. “We have not had luck with Diego,he did not arrive at the best moment, nor did the injuries he had help him. But in some things we are very flexible and in others stubborn. And in this we are stubborn. I do not know if we are correct or mistaken. But in these moments if we had not brought Costa into the national team, for sure we would have been criticised for not having done so.” He said – James Rodriguez says he is surprised at the quality of Real Madrid teammate Isco. “All the [Madrid] players have a lot of quality,maybe the one who has surprised me the most is Isco. I like him a lot.” Rodriguez said – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has said it is impossible to keep FIFA president Sepp Blatter quiet, while backing Blancos talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award. “It always surprises me what he [Blatter] does, but what are we going to do,it is impossible to shut up the FIFA president. This is a matter which is always talked about. It is Cristiano’s year, he is scoring goals and winning important trophies, so there is no doubt that he is the Ballon d’Or. So [Blatter’s] words do not make much sense.” Ancelloti said – Argentina icon Jorge Valdano believes that Lionel Messi is not the player he once was,he believes the Barcelona ace has lost his ability to “disrupt” defences. “Looking at the last game [at the Santiago Bernabeu], Messi is a little off-form,his position has changed on the pitch and now his job is more to provide assists. But he has lost his ability to disrupt the defence – something which used to solve many past games for Barca. In the Brazil World Cup we saw that something was up with Messi: he walked around the pitch. He was physically not at his best and maybe that is the reason for playing further back: to not tire himself so much.” News from England;

Mark Clattenburg-Referee For The 2014 UEFA Super Cup

– The Football Association have suspended Mark Clattenburg from refereeing any Premier League games this weekend after he travelled alone to West Bromwich Albion’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last Saturday. According to reports, Clattenburg made his way by himself to The Hawthorns so he could head back to Newcastle quickly after the match in time to attend an Ed Sheeran concert that evening at Metro Radio Arena. FA rules state that referees must travel with their assistants to and from games for security and integrity purposes, leaving the Association with little choice but to punish the official for breaking protocol. – Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has defended under-fire team-mate Mario Balotelli, insisting he is “just a regular young guy” and that a lot of people his age have done “crazier things”. “Mario is really cool and I get along with him – I enjoy working with him,but everyone says similar things about him like he is wild and then he ends up getting stereotyped. He is under the microscope and he is at that level where he is known around the world and he does get scrutinised. I think the average 24-year-old or guys who go to university who are a little younger will have done a lot crazier things than him. Everyone makes mistakes and has flaws – he is just finding his way.” He said – On-loan Barcelona midfielder Alex Song is planning to stay in England for the foreseeable future after an impressive start to his West Ham career. “I think my future will be here [in England],my family, everyone is happy here. I’m very happy to come back to England. I’ve always said if I move from Barcelona, I’ll come to England and my future is here anyway. I just want to enjoy playing at the moment and we’ll see what is happening at the end of the season.” – Former France boss Raymond Domenech has called Jose Mourinho “a translator” and suggests the Chelsea manager has an inflated opinion of himself. “That’s the problem with translators,” Domenech said when referring to Mourinho. “There comes a time when they convince themselves they wrote the text themselves.” – Rio Ferdinard has been handed a 3 match ban and fined £25,000 by the FA for his tweet. Rio is also “ordered to attend an educational programme, arranged by the FA within four months” -James Wilson believes the departures of Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez have given him the opportunity to compete against Manchester United’s striking superstars for a place. “It’s great to be in contention with such names in the world of football as theirs. Obviously with the competition in training and even in the games as well, if I can just get a few minutes here and there, then hopefully I can get my chance further down the line. “It’s an important time for me. Obviously with those two going — Chicha [Hernandez] on loan and Danny getting a move to Arsenal — it’s given me a great opportunity. It’s going to be really important for me to get the minutes on the pitch.” Wilson said News from other parts of the World;

James Rodriguez

– Russia today unveiled The Official Emblem of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the emblem was revealed with the assistance of the International Space Station crew, and complemented by a light projection on the historic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. – Brazil striker Diego Tardelli says he will continue to offer the side another dimension operating as a ‘false nine’. “When I was drafted into the squad I wanted to do something different than what we saw at the World Cup. I’m not a no.9 like Fred or Jo. A reporter reminded me a bit before the match [against Argentina] that I had not scored goals in the shirt of the national team. So I carried a big weight on my shoulders that day. Now the joy is coming back. I had a chance to be the centre of attention for a day. It was remarkable, we always dream of scoring the winning goal, and I got both.”He said – IF Elfsborg have announced that coach Klas Ingesson has passed away at the age of 46. The former Sweden international, who was capped 57 times by his country, had been fighting the effects of an incurable type of bone marrow cancer, multiple myeloma, since 2009. “It is a very sad statement to make that Klas Ingesson this morning [Wednesday] passed away,” read an Elfsborg statement.

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News from Germany;

– Jurgen Klopp has acknowledged that Borussia Dortmund are in a “critical” situation ahead of Tuesday’s DFB-Pokal clash with St. Pauli. “The fear of not winning is certainly there. Sometimes we lack the necessary rest to perform. But we have to work. The preparation has been normal despite the critical situation that we’ve found ourselves in. We know the nature of this competition, that we’re out if we lose. A couple of the players are over-worked, but there are no new injuries.” Klopp Said

– Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka is facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury against Bayern Munich.

– Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola hailed his goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after escaping Borussia Monchengladbach with a 0-0 draw on Sunday. “In the first half we controlled the game very well. In the second half we were a little tired, we lost a bit of our organisation and had to play more on the counter-attack. I am very happy with our play and the point. Without Neuer they should have [scored] one or two goals.”

German Bundesliga Matchday 9 results;

Werder Bremen 0-1 Cologne

Augsburg 2-0 Freiburg

Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Hannover 96

Eintracht Frankfurt 4-5 VfB Stuttgart

Hertha Berlin 3-0 Hamburger SV.

Hoffenheim 1-0 Paderborn

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Schalke 04

Wolfsburg 3-0 Mainz 05

B.Monchengladbach 0-0 B.Munich

News from France;

– Marseille are resigned to losing Andre-Pierre Gignac, Ligue 1’s leading scorer, because they cannot afford to keep him. Marseille president Vincent Labrune told Journal du Dimanche Gignac’s departure was inevitable because the cub could not increase his reported 360,000 euro monthly salary. “It’s going to happen because employer contributions and taxes have gone through the roof in France. We would like to keep him, but it seems to me utopian to think that he will lower his salary to stay with us. His agent is right to say that, with his current displays, he is more likely to get better offers. But he loves the city and the club, so we’re going to talk.” Labrune Said

– Lyon right-back Christophe Jallet has refused to rule out the possibility of joining his former club PSG’s bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille. “Why not one day. When you play several years at PSG, it is always difficult to sign for Marseille. My name has often been mentioned in terms of Marseille, but the club has always had quality players in my position: Rod Fanni or Brice Dja Djédjé. If one day my destiny takes me to Marseille, it will be a pleasure.” He said

French Ligue 1 Matchday 11 results:

Toulouse 0-2 Lens

Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Bordeaux

Bastia 1-3 Monaco

Caen 2-1 Lorient

Evian Thonon Gaillard 0-1 Nantes

Reims 1-0 Montpellier

Rennes 2-0 Lille

Guingamp 2-7 Nice

Saint Etienne 1-0 Metz

Lyon 1-0 Marseille

News from Italy;

– Radamel Falcao wanted to join Juventus before Manchester United sealed a loan move, according to
the club’s managing director Giuseppe Marotta. “We followed Falcao, but there has been no contact since he moved to Manchester United,we were very close to signing him and the striker preferred a move to Italy to wear Bianconeri colours. Then, however, a deal was done to send the forward to Manchester United, who can now buy the player permanently, though that deal is a little blurred.” He said

– Patrice Evra faces a month on the sidelines because of the thigh injury that ruled him out of Juventus’ 2-0 win over Palermo on Sunday.

– The agent and brother of Gonzalo Higuain has assured Napoli fans that the striker’s future lies at the San Paolo. “I’m delighted that Gonzalo scored yesterday but I’ve never been concerned about his goal drought, and neither was my brother,let’s say that he had a few chances to score
yesterday. Luckily, he tried his best and it went well. The rumours about Arsenal and Liverpool? Gonzalo has a contract with Napoli for five seasons so he’s an Azzurro player. But I must say that no representatives from either club have contacted me. Shortly before he arrived in Naples, I was in contact with Arsenal.” He said

– Giuseppe Rossi’s agent says that the Fiorentina striker is making good progress on his knee injury and hopes to see his client back by early February.“The news is positive. The staff who worked on [his knee] have found him to be in excellent condition, with the stability of his knee much improved. The recovery phase should, therefore, meet the initial estimate of five months. Things are going well, and I hope to see him back on the pitch between late January and early February” he said

– Inter Milan president Erick Thohir has said he will “see how the next two games go” as questions continue to surround the future of coach Walter Mazzarri despite a return to winning ways at the weekend. “I have faith in Mazzarri and in his work. Last year, we set the objective of qualifying for Europe and we succeeded. We need to be fair in analysing the issue of our coach. Let’s see how the next two games go — but changing your coach during a season is never a good solution. We want to give him another opportunity. There are lots of rumours about a new coach, but we aim for the best for Inter.”

– Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has apologised for his remark about Inter Milan’s Indonesian owner Erick Thohir, after the resignation of the club’s honorary president Massimo Morratti. “I had told him: kick out that Filipino”,Ferrero had earlier been quoted as saying by the BBC. But he later corrected his statement by saying that he did not mean to disrespect Mr Thohir. “I was trying to praise Massimo Moratti and all he has given to Inter and Italian football for 20 years.”

Italian Serie A Matchday 8 results;

Empoli 0-4 Cagliari

Parma 1-3 Sassuolo

Sampdoria 0-0 Roma

ChievoVerona 1-2 Genoa

Juventus 2-0 Palermo

Udinese 2-0 Atalanta

Cesena 0-1 Inter Milan

Lazio 2-1 Torino

Napoli 6-2 Hellas Verona

AC Milan 1-1 Fiorentina

News from Spain;

– According to reports, Spain international Andres Iniesta will miss Barcelona’s next four matches after straining his right calf.

– Luka Modric admits Real Madrid feared losing Saturday’s La Liga encounter with Barcelona and falling seven points behind in the La Liga title race. “We felt the pressure early on in the game because of the importance of the Clasico. We feared losing the game and letting Barcelona go seven points clear in the title race,but Barcelona also showed in those opening 15 minutes that they will punish you even if you give them very little space. Barcelona are very strong, but they looked powerless because we were great.”

– Real Madrid Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane has received a three-month coaching ban from the Spanish Football Competition Committee for not having the proper qualifications to manage a team in one of the top divisions in Spain.

– Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu was surprised to be played at left-back in the El Clasico.
“I was surprised I played left back, but it is the coach who decides,” said the Frenchman.

Spanish BBVALiga Matchday 9 results;

Celta Vigo 3-0 Levante

Almeria 0-1 Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona

Valencia 3-1 Elche

Cordoba 1-1 Real Sociedad

Eibar 1-1 Granada

Malaga 4-0 Rayo Vallecano

Espanyol 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna

Sevilla 2-1 Villarreal

Getafe 0-1 Atletico Madrid

Sergio Aguero, photo credit. mcfc.co.uk

News from England;

– Sergio Aguero has been cleared to face Manchester United in Sunday’s derby as the Football Association ruled out taking disciplinary action against the Argentina international.

– Chelsea have appointed former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow as their new head of global commercial activities. “The club believes Mr Purslow has the vision and the leadership qualities to help us achieve these plans,” a short statement on the club’s official website.

– Daniel Sturridge’s chances of becoming a top European striker are being threatened by his injury problems, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said. “He won’t become a top European striker until he plays consistently. It doesn’t matter about potential — you have to play. When Daniel comes back into the team, you will see the confidence because of the movement and the dynamic. But he isn’t fit and he hasn’t been for a long time. We just have to work without him and,while we are doing that, stay up and around thetop end of the table.” He said

– Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has denied rumours that the club could soon be taken over by American billionaire Josh Harris. “There are always people who want to buy football clubs, sometimes people approach you and it gets out, sometimes people approach you and it doesn’t,but there is no imminent takeover. We are talking to a number of people on a number of fronts. I’ve always said that if somebody wanted to invest in the club and move it forward quicker than I or we can then we would entertain it. We look at all possibilities that are out there – and there are many – but people have been quite ahead of themselves on this one.” He said

– Former Burton Albion boss Gary Rowett has been appointed manager of Birmingham City.

Barclays Premier League

BPL Matchday 9 results;

West Ham United 2-1 Manchester City

Liverpool 0-0 Hull City

Southampton 1-0 Stoke City

Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal

West Brom 2-2 Crystal Palace

Swansea City 2-0 Leicester City

Burnley 1-3 Everton

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle Utd

Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea

Senzo Meyiwa of Orlando Pirates before the Absa Premiership game between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates in Cape Town at Athlone Stadium on 5 December 2012 ©Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

News from other parts of the world;

– The South African Premier Soccer League has postponed this weekend’s derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs following the death of Pirates goalkeeper and South Africa captain Senzo Meyiwa.

– CSKA Sofia coach Stoycho Mladenov says he has medical evidence to prove he was knocked unconscious by a snowball thrown by Levski Sofia fans after he was accused of “over-acting” during Saturday’s “Eternal derby.”

– According to reports, former managing director of Newcastle United, Derek Llambias, is likely to become the new chief executive of Glasgow Rangers.

Newfanzone World Soccer Report

The Newfanzone World Soccer Report by Our Man Paul Ayorinde is here you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany;

– Germany coach Joachim Low felt his team showed naivety in their 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland. “We are all disappointed,in the last minute we were too naive to have long balls only hyped forward, we didn’t hold the ball and lost the balls. Overall, it was a difficult game, we had to be
patient. In the first half our game was missing width and depth – we have it easy for the Irish to defend. In the second half we made it better and
created more pressure, but unfortunately it did not rewarded us with the second goal.” Low said

– German defender Mats Hummels believes Germany failed to meet the
standards expected of them. “It’s not good enough,it’s not the standard people expect from us and it’s not the standard we set for ourselves.” He said

– Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago is set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a third serious knee ligament tear in training.

Bafetimbi Gomis, photo credit http://www.swanseafc.pl

News from France;

– According to Lyon President Jean Michel Aulas, French striker Bafetimbi Gomis turned down Swansea City last year. “The financial results in front of you were not what we wanted. We wanted to sell €20m worth of players, we had an agreement for €12m with Swansea at the beginning of last
season and Bafé thought that Swansea was a second tier club.” He said

– Brazilian striker Adriano is to visit
Ligue 2 side Le Havre ahead of a possible move their incoming President Christophe Maillol confirmed.

News from Italy;

– Inter President Erick Thohir warned Serie A to be open to “globalisation” and “another Calciopoli would be death.”
“Every component of Italian football, the Government, the clubs, the League have to be more friendly to globalisation. Serie A is not easy, I am lucky, but I think it’s a challenge for everyone in football in Italy to be more transparent and open.I tell a lot of my contacts in Italian football that if we do another Calciopoli, it will be the death of Serie A. We wouldn’t be number two,three or four, we’d be number nine.” He said

– Joe Tacopina is officially the new President of Bologna and promised to build a new stadium worth €60m.

– Fabio Borini’s agent Marco De Marchi thanked Inter director Piero Ausilio for praising the Liverpool striker and confirmed a summer offer. “That admiration makes us happy and proud,of course I was aware of it and the interest in the player, but it’s pleasing that Ausilio is stating that publicly. I knew that Inter and other clubs were interested this summer, but for me Fabio is a top class player and it’s only right he try to find
space at Liverpool.” He said

News from Spain;

– Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann says that the chance to work with Diego Simeone helped him to decide to snub Arsenal this summer. “Why Spain and not elsewhere? This is my championship, my home. I’m happy here and Atletico is a great club. The [champions] were
willing to pay €30 million for me,I had the boss on the phone. He motivated me and said the club really wanted me. I knew that I was coming here to learn.I needed a club like that and a coach like Diego Simeone to progress. I always demands intensity in training. That’s my style and I like it.” He said

– Luis Suarez has declared himself “100 per cent ready” to make his
Barcelona debut against Real Madrid on October 25th.”To start with Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu
would be very special,before these games with Uruguay I was not able
to play, but now I feel really good physically,better than I had expected. I’m 100 per cent ready.” He said

– Former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup believes that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo need one another to keep improving.
“I think they need each other,If one scores a hat-trick, the other tries to
beat that. They are two of the best, not just of this era – in 30 years we’ll be talking about them and the debate will be whether Messi, Cristiano, Maradona or Pele is the greatest of
all time.” He said

– Former Liverpool manager Kenny Daglish says he is honoured to have coached Luiz Suarez.
“More than an honour for him to play under me, it was an honour for me to coach him. So much so that, despite having a golf match scheduled for today, I didn’t think twice when
they invited me to present him with the Golden Shoe. He’s an amazing footballer,” He
said.

Arsene Wenger

News from England;

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed his midfielder Mesut Ozil “felt a crack” in his knee before halftime in the Premier League clash against Chelsea. “He had a little problem just before he went out at half-time. He had a little pain with his knee,he felt a crack. I said to our physio to keep an
eye on him and if there was anything wrong with him, tell me because when you’re 1-0 down, you want to keep your offensive players on the
pitch.” Wenger said

– Manchester United Assistant manager, Ryan Giggs has described Angel Di Maria as a “free spirit” who he loves to watch and who brings fans to their feet in delight.
“You don’t need to do a lot with him,he’s that sort of player, he’s a free spirit. He will take you from box to
box really quickly and he will create and score goals. He gets bums off seats and he excites me. He’s the kind of player you love to watch.” He said

– Jordan Henderson says Steven Gerrard’s influence on and off the pitch not only makes him a great captain for Liverpool, but also one of
the best in the game.
“Stevie’s probably not only the best captain for Liverpool and before with England, but in the game itself,being around him has benefited me a lot. It’s
been huge. Every day I watch him. It’s his desire to improve. He’s been the best and most influential player here for such a long time but he still wants to get better.” He said

– Paul Scholes has defended England manager Roy Hodgson for revealing that Raheem Sterling was too tired to play against Estonia, while questioning whether the Liverpool player was put under any pressure by his club.
“When he was asked on Sunday why Sterling was not in the team for the Estonia game, Hodgson had to give a straight answer. Sterling is one of
his most important players. If he is not playing then naturally he is going to be asked why,I don’t blame Hodgson one bit. He does his best
to look after the players, win games and give honest answers. Being England manager is hard enough without the added obligation to
accommodate every club’s different recovery plans.” Scholes said

– Lukas Podolski has revealed
his status at Arsenal “has to change” and is open to leaving the club in January. “I have assessed my position in the team, and it has to change now,let’s see what happens in the winter. The fact is that I’m not happy with it, that’s clear.” He said

Samson Adamu (CEO Kinetic Sports); Felix Anyasi (Chairman, Enyimba FC) during the announcement of Enyimba Football Club’s participation in The FC Barcelona Club Challenge at Copa Lagos 2014

News from other parts of the World;

– Lionel Messi has targeted success at next year’s Copa America, saying it has been too long since Argentina won an international trophy.
“We have to fight to win all tournaments,unfortunately, it is a long time since Argentina managed to win something. We came close at the World Cup, but that is already behind
us. We have not won the Copa America for a long time, and the objective is to win it.” Messi said

-Serbia and Albania are facing stiff sanctions after UEFA charged the countries with a number of offences following the abandoned Euro 2016
qualifier in Belgrade. Serbia have been charged with the throwing of
missiles and fireworks, crowd disturbance,invasion of the pitch by supporters, insufficient organisation and use of a laser pointer.

Albania have been charged with refusing to play and the display of an illicit banner.

Both countries are likely to be handed heavy fines and other sanctions, including possible points deductions, when UEFA’s disciplinary body hears the case on Oct. 23. Albania faces forfeiting the match and Serbia could play future games behind closed doors, but UEFA is not expected to
expel the countries from the competition.

Copa Lagos 2014

Organizers of Copa Lagos, have announced Enyimba Football Club’s participation in The FC Barcelona Club Challenge at this year’s edition of Copa Lagos.

Copa Lagos, Nigeria’s highly entertaining international beach soccer festival will hold this year at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos, from 12th to 14th December 2014.

Enyimba FC, the Aba-based, two-time African Champions, will compete against other premium Nigerian clubs, including Stationery Stores, in The Club Challenge

AFCON 2015 QUALIFIER RESULTS

Cameroon 2 – 0 Sierra Leone

Togo 1 – 0 Uganda

Angola 4 – 0 Lesotho

Ghana 3 – 1 Guinea

Nigeria 3 – 1 Sudan

Zambia 3 – 0 Niger

Egypt 2 – 0 Botswana

Ivory Coast 3 – 4 D.R. Congo

Cape Verde 1 – 0 Mozambique

Burkina Faso 1 – 1 Gabon

Mali 2 – 3 Ethiopia

South Africa 0 – 0 Congo

Tunisia 1 – 0 Senegal

Algeria 3 – 0 Malawi

Newfanzone World Soccer Report

Its The Newfanzone World Soccer Report by Our Man Paul Ayorinde.

you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany;

– Germany manager Joachim Low is adamant morale has not been damaged by Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to
Poland, insisting the players are eager bounce back with a win against the
Republic of Ireland on Tuesday. “The atmosphere within the team is not bad, it is good,the players have been self-critical, we talked about our missed chances against Poland. If you ask me what the mood is like now, fury is the wrong word, anger is the wrong word. But what you can feel is some kind of determination,that we badly want these three points against
Ireland.” Low said

– Former Arsenal goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann has criticised Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for his part in Poland’s first goal during the 2-0 defeat in Warsaw on Saturday, adding that Neuer still needs to learn. “Neuer was courageous. Sometimes you can irritate the player when you run towards him,but his starting position was not good to make that run out of goal. He does that frequently, and still needs to practice this a bit. His starting position is just too deep.” Lehmann said

– Jurgen Klopp says he accepts there is frustration among Borussia Dortmund supporters but remains convinced the club can still enjoy great success this season. “The discussion certainly has a taken a new tack,and sometimes I catch something of the mood not primarily what the journalists say but rather what the fans say,i can’t just act like this all happens in a vacuum. Personally, I am a very grateful person, but I have never expected thanks. Indeed, the discussion about me personally has a different slant. For the first time, people are not directly kicked off the fan forums when they write, ‘Sack Klopp!’ – and there aren’t 40 comments like, ‘Are you a nutter?’ They discuss it, and that’s totally normal in that situation.” Klopp said

Edison Cavani, photo credit, zetaboards.com

News from France;

– Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has said he will lend the weight of his support to Paris Saint- Germain’s push to get UEFA to amend financial fair play regulations.

“It’s not the problem of Paris Saint-Germain. It’s the problem of the difference between financial fair play and the constraints of each of the clubs,there is a European rule, and other rules in each of the countries, so there has to be a move towards harmonisation.I will be alongside the people from PSG and we are going to try and ensure that they get what they want.” He said

– According to reports, Paris Saint-Germain striker Edison Cavani is ready to listen to offers from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in January

News from Italy;

– AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has revealed Mario Balotelli was signed against his wishes, while he is pleased to have since sold the “rotten apple” to Liverpool. “I remember he was bought against my advice,we have many champions: [Jeremy] Menez, [Keisuke] Honda, [Stephan] El Shaarawy, [Fernando] Torres, [Nigel] de Jong…The base is there. And we no longer have a rotten apple in the dressing room.” Berlusconi said

– Michael Essien and his club AC Milan have both denied reports that the player has contracted the Ebola Virus. AC Milan published a statement on
their website saying that they “categorically deny any presumed pieces of news from abroad about
our players. Such reports, totally unfounded,have also never been confirmed by any members of our club.”

– OFFICIAL: Douglas Maicon has officially extended his contract with Roma until 2016 with an option for a further year.

– The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced plans for Genoa to host an international friendly between Italy and Albania next month. The North-west port city has been besieged by heavy flooding in recent days and the FIGC has responded by announcing proposals for the Nov.
18 friendly to be staged at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, rather than Parma’s Stadio Ennio Tardini as originally planned.

Cristiano Ronaldo

News from Spain;

– Toni Kroos says Real Madrid’s team spirit is “huge,” while he believes Cristiano Ronaldo to be the best player in the world right now. “I’m used to the feeling of playing in a team with
high individual quality. Only the names are different at Real,everyone accepts his teammates here. The team spirit is huge. He polarises just through his quality.

I think that there is no player in the world right now who is better than Cristiano. And especially when I started here, he was the one to approach me. He is a really pleasant lad.” He said

– Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has told Iker Casillas and David de Gea
to get used to changes in the starting line-up. “We had decided to make changes and we have to make sure there is an easy transition. Both can play. They have to get used to the change bit by bit, as much David as Iker,” He said

– Diego Costa has revealed he was worried about his international
drought before scoring his first goal for Spain in their 4-0 victory over Luxembourg on Sunday. “I have to thank the coach for his support, It was starting really bother me. It bothered me that I wasn’t scoring but what really bothered me that the team were losing. But this goal will give me a new start.”

Arsene Wenger

News from England;

– Frank Lampard has been voted Manchester City’s Player of the Month for September. The former England international took more than a third of the 6,095 votes cast,beating off the challenge of James Milner, who finished second,and David Silva, who finished third.

– Ander Herrera believes that Manchester United might have the world’s three best forwards in
Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful of having striker Olivier Giroud back in action sooner than expected, as he recovers from a foot injury that was initially believed to keep him out
of action for the rest of 2014.

“Olivier Giroud is recovering very well,i believe he is ahead of schedule in terms of rehabilitation. The operation went perfectly.” Wenger said

– According to reports in London, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to make a big money move for Mats Hummels in an attempt to beat Manchester United to the signing of the Borussia Dortmund defender.

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has apologised for his clash with Jose
Mourinho – but claims he was provoked. “We gave a little bit too much importance to this matter. I did not enter the Chelsea zone,i shouldn’t have reacted like that. I regret every
sign of violence and i apologize. Did Mourinho taunt me? It felt like that.” He said

News from other parts of the world;

– Portugal coach Fernando Santos has had his eight-game ban temporarily suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

– Brazil coach Dunga says he intends to use all six substitutes when his side meet Japan on Tuesday. “The intention is to use all six substitutions we are allowed,mainly because of the long trip to China, the intense game we had against Argentina in the smog [in Beijing]. We will give an opportunity to new players who are in the squad.” Dunga said

– Former Real Madrid coach, Bernd Schuster is on a five-man shortlist to become Ghana coach, the country’s FA revealed on Monday.

The 54-year-old will be added to the interview process along with Michel Pont and Marco Tardelli, who will meet the Ghanaian FA on October 17, and Avram Grant and Juan Ignacio Martinez, who meet a day later.

Morocco Wants AFCON Postponed, As Euro And Afcon Qualifiers Continue…Its The Newfanzone World Soccer Report

Morocco Wants AFCON Postponed As, Euro And Afcon Qualifiers Continue…Its The Newfanzone World Soccer Report by Our Man Paul Ayorinde.

you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going

News from Germany;

– Borussia Dortmund duo Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan played 45 minutes in a match behind closed doors against Bochum’s Under-23 side, midfielder Gundogan scored in the 2-0 win for Dortmund.

– Franck Ribery is edging closer to making his Bayern Munch return following a lengthy spell on the sidelines. “Franck Ribery is making good progress towards a comeback. The Frenchman has been sidelined recently with a painful swelling around the kneecap but was back outdoors and working with the ball on Tuesday,” read a statement on the club website.

– Poland striker Robert Lewandowski insists his side will not park the bus against Germany in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier in Warsaw. “Maybe they will be too confident after winning the World Cup, maybe they will oversleep a little and we will be able to take advantage. I hope so. We know their qualities, but we will not park a bus in our penalty area.” He said

– Germany boss Joachim Low has told Lukas Podolski that he needs to play a bigger role for Arsenal if he expects to start games for his country. “He has played very few games for Arsenal, “That he takes part in press conferences doesn’t mean that he will start for us. Lukas has shown time and time again that he can bring a lot of momentum into the game quickly.” Low said

Joachim Low. photo credit rapidde.com

News from France;

– France defender Eliaquim Mangala has spoken of his desire to partner Raphael Varane for the national side ahead of their friendly against Portugal in Paris on Saturday. “I know Rapha well. We played together with the France Under-21 team. We know each other well on the pitch, it’s true, now, regarding my position, when you’re part of the squad, you have the chance to play regularly.” He said

– Carlo Ancelotti claims that his tenure as Paris Saint-Germain boss was full of shouting matches, which led to his departure for Real Madrid. “At the end of the second season, I started to convince myself that something was wrong at PSG, we were leading the championship, but I was not convinced that the work we were doing was right. In any case, I had such a complicated relationship with the club’s leaders. They no longer believed in me, they wanted immediate results. They were eager for instant success, but PSG need to work in the medium and long term. The club should not yet think about winning the Champions League. When I was there, every game we lost resulted in shouting matches.”

Petr Cech. photo credit chelseafc.com

News from Italy;

– According to reports in Rome, AS Roma are keen on signing Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech in January.

– Atalanta winger Marcelo Estigarribia will be out for at least six months after been diagnosed with a torn anteriorcruciate ligament in his right knee. The former Juventus, Chievo and Sampdoria player was stretchered off during Paraguay’s international friendly against South Korea.

– Serie A clubs claim Government plans to make them pay for extra policing is tantamount to an illegal tax. “We ask with determination for this law to be cancelled, this introduces an extra tax with very dubious confines targeted only at football clubs. We trust our request will be accepted.” said President of the Lega Serie A Maurizio Beretta.

– Italy forward Simone Zaza has stressed that he does not see Mario Balotelli as a threat to his place in the national team. “I don’t consider him a danger; I think that everyone knows about his qualities and what he can bring to any squad. I think that Mario could be a part of any national team and I don’t think he would cast a shadow on me. I never had the chance to know him personally – I’d cherish such an opportunity, absolutely.” Zaza said

News from Spain;

– Zinedine Zidane faces a ban from coaching after being reported to the Competition Committee for working as Real Madrid Castilla’s head coach without the necessary coaching badges.

– Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has denied that Iker Casillas is in decline, saying his skipper is still a top performer. “He’s a customary scapegoat in a match,i don’t think Casillas has lost his magic. He’s a fantastic player that all Spaniards should boast about.” He said

– Real Madrid will become the first team to retain the Champions League in its current format, according to Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel. “Real Madrid will be the first team to claim two Champions League trophies in a row.” He said

– According to reports, Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish will fly to Spain to present Barcelona striker Luis Suarez with his Golden Shoe award next Wednesday

– Neymar believes Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi is the best in the world and says playing alongside him is an “honour”. “Playing alongside him is a great honour, he is the best in the world. Playing against him is not very nice, but I hope I can do better than him,” Neymar said

News from England;

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the club will “follow our own recommendations” on how best to help Mesut Ozil recover from a knee injury as the disagreement with the German football Federation (DFB) continues.

– According to ESPN FC, U.S. defender DeAndre Yedlin could complete his move to Tottenham Hotspur in January.

– Arsenal legend Robert Pires believes the Gunners can win the Premier League title for the first time since 2003-04 if they sign Sami Khedira. “He [Wenger] needs a big player in the middle – like Viera, strong, tall – because this position is very important for the balance between attack and defence. The quality is there [for Arsenal to challenge], but you need more. Maybe they have an opportunity with Khedira in the January window. He played very well with Germany. My advice is that if he can buy Khedira he can be the Vieira [figure], [providing] more aggression in the middle.” He said

– Liverpool forward Fabio Borini is eager to strike up a partnership with Mario Balotelli, finding it easy to play alongside his “unselfish” compatriot. “I have played with him before and found it really well on the pitch,not just because of the language but we were born with the same idea of football, as Italians, so it’s really easy to understand each other even without talking. In the games, he runs a lot and is really giving himself to the team, being very unselfish.” He said

– Manchester United loanee Tom Cleverley is eager to prove his critics wrong in a more advanced role at Aston Villa this season. “If you looked at the games, the areas I was playing in were a little bit deeper and under different systems. It probably didn’t suit my game perfectly. I’m motivated to prove a few people wrong and hopefully that does increase my performances. All my best games for Manchester United and England have tended to be in a three – that’s a system we play here so it suits me. I want to be more advanced in that three and hit both boxes.” Cleverley said

Euro 2016 Qualifiers results:

Latvia 0-3 Iceland
Netherlands 3-1 Kazakhstan
Turkey 1-2 Czech Republic
Belguim 6-0 Andorra
Cyprus 1-2 Israel
Wales 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria 0-1 Croatia
Italy 2-1 Azerbaijan
Malta 0-3 Norway

Euro 2016 Qualifiers Fixtures:

Republic of Ireland V Gibraltar
Scotland V Georgia
Poland V Germany
Romania V Hungary
Finland V Greece
Northern Ireland V Faroe Island
Armenia V Serbia
Albania V Denmark
Ukraine V Macedonia
Belarus V Slovakia
Luxembourg V Spain
Estonia V England
Lithuania V Slovenia
Austria V Montenegro
Russia V Moldova
Sweden V Liechtenstein

News from other part of the World;

– The Moroccan government has called for the postponement of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations to be postponed due to the Ebola virus disease epidemic currently ravishing some West African Countries.

– European clubs will demand that UEFA closes a loophole that allows some clubs to qualify for the Champions League without submitting accounts to comply with financial fair play (FFP) rules.

– Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder has revealed that he has not been paid by the Turkish club in recent weeks. “It’s true that I wait for money, Galatasaray are working on sorting out their finances. But right now I focus on Oranje. My management is in talks with the club to find a solution.” He said

– Brazil coach Dunga is expecting a tight and competitive Gillette Superclasico de las Americas on Saturday when Brazil meet Argentina at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing. “If I wanted to please everyone, I’d say [it would be an open game].But everyone will defend and attack at speed when in possession, as is typical of the modern game. It will be very tight and different from what you are accustomed to because it will be very competitive.”

Morroco 2015 qualifiers results:

Lesotho 0-0 Angola
Botswana 0-2 Egypt

Morocco 2015 qualifiers fixtures:

Congo V South Africa
Sudan V Nigeria
Malawi V Algeria
Ethiopia V Mali
Gabon V Burkina Faso
Sierra Leone V Cameroon
DR Congo V Cote d’Ivorie
Uganda V Togo
Guinea V Ghana
Mozambique V Cape Verde
Niger V Zambia

AWC Namibia 2014 Fixtures:

Group A;
Namibia V Zambia
Nigeria V Cote D’Ivorie

Group B;
South Africa V Cameroon
Algeria V Ghana

Newfanzone World Soccer Report

News from Germany;

– Alex Ferguson has insisted that he was “happy” with Shinji Kagawa during their time together at Manchester United but nonetheless backed the attacking midfielder’s decision to return to Borussia Dortmund. “I was very happy with Shinji,he had settled in well when I was coach, and I had the impression he felt comfortable. But every coach has his own philosophy. When Moyes bought Juan Mata, Kagawa sensed he wasn’t first-choice anymore and somehow resigned a bit. So, I think BVB and Kagawa did the right thing. Shinji’s back where he feels best. And he has a coach in Jurgen Klopp who gives him the confidence he needs.” Ferguson said

– Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski believes his former team Borussia Dortmund will bounce back from their poor start to the season. “They have very bad luck with injured players at the moment,but they are still a tough competitor for us, I’m sure.” He said

Roberto Di Matteo

– Roberto Di Matteo is unshaken by the weight of expectation on his shoulders after taking over as coach of Bundesliga side Schalke 04. “In over 100 years, nobody has ever been able to keep a lid on the fans here,when you think of Schalke, you think of the passion of their fans, of this big and ambitious club. I know the demands are high here, but I’ve been in the football business for 24 years. I’ve worked in Switzerland, Italy, England and now in Germany and I think I’ve got the experience needed to deal with it. The club wants to qualify for the Champions League automatically, and that is my aim too.” He said

– Germany general manager Oliver Bierhoff has admitted there is “no exact prognosis” for Bastian Schweinsteiger’s return amid a report the midfielder could be out until 2015. “We are hoping that he will recover soon, but there is no exact prognosis,you can sense that he is impatient on the one hand but on the other knows that he is coming out of a difficult year. He needs time to return to full fitness.” Bierhoff said

News from France;

Yohan Cabaye

– Yohan Cabaye has admitted that he is unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain but stated that he is determined to prove his worth to coach Laurent Blanc. “To be honest, I am not happy,this is new ground for me and I’m not complaining, as I’ve never complained because it’s not in my nature. The only thing for me to do is to show what I can do. But there is a coach is in place here and I must respect his decisions. I have the character [to cope] and the goal is to show on the field what I know I can do.” Cabaye said

– Montpellier’s chairman has announced that the club will not be playing their home matches at the Stade de la Mosson at least until the turn of the year after flash flooding caused huge damage to the pitch and club offices.

News from Italy;

– Roma President James Pallotta again warned Kevin Strootman’s rumoured move to Manchester United “is just not happening.”

– Udinese Coach Andrea Stramaccioni said “to make football credible we need to use technology.” “The incident in Udinese-Cesena leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, but we have to turn over a new leaf and work with the right hunger, in order to improve football and make it credible we need to use technology. It’s an important step forward.” He said

– Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon made a pointed reference to Roma. “Winners find a way, losers find an excuse.”

– AC Milan have revealed that winger Jeremy Menez is set for tests on an injury to his right adductor muscle. A statement on Milan’s official website read: “AC Milan would like to communicate that Jeremy Menez is suffering from a problem to his right adductor muscle. The player will undergo further tests over the next few days.”

News from Spain;

Vicente del Bosque, photo credit fifa

– Spanish Goalkeeper David de Gea has admitted that he wants Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United. “Of course I would like Cristiano Ronaldo to come to Manchester United,But I think it’s difficult.” De Gea said

– Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has challenged striker Diego Costa to replicate his Premier League form for Spain. “Diego has in front of him the challenge to show everyone that we have taken the right decision, maybe we are wrong, and it does happen in football, but I have a lot of confidence in him that he is going to do very well.” He said

– Javier Tebas says the LFP will pay tribute to Lionel Messi even if the Barcelona star becomes La Liga’s all-time record goalscorer at the home of great rivals Real Madrid. The Argentina international is just two goals shy of Telmo Zarra’s tally of 251.

– Spain’s leading football administrators have claimed online piracy is putting the very future of the professional game at risk, while calling for harsher legislation and heavier punishments against fans who view illegal streams of matches. “We need new legislation to act against the websites that illegally stream football matches and against companies that provide access to them online,we are more concerned than anyone because the survival of football is at risk.” La Liga President Javier Tebas said

News from England;

– Arsenal playmaker, Mesut Ozil is set to be ruled out for “10 to 12 weeks” with ruptured ligaments in his left knee, the German Football Federation (DFB) has announced.

– According to reports, The Premier League is aiming to resurrect its global expansion plan to play regular-season matches in foreign countries

– Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic is believes that fans have yet to see his true potential in the Premier League.

– Patrick Kluivert is not surprised by Manchester United’s improved form, but admits Louis van Gaal was always going to take time to settle. “[Van Gaal] came a little bit later from the World Cup and going directly to a new club, with new personnel, new players, it needs time, the last two results were positive and if you have positive results it flows back on the team. City and Chelsea and a few more [teams] have a good squad. They’re doing very good at the moment but there’s still a long way to go. But sure [they] can be a contender to be the champions. It will be very difficult but it’s possible” Kluivert said

Mesut Ozil

News from other parts of the World;

– FIFA has a “transparency problem,” according to the governing body’s executive member Theo Zwanziger.

– Young defenders, Brice Nlate Ekongolo and Frank Bagnack have been dropped from Cameroon squad to face Sierra Leone in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches on October 11 and 15 in Yaounde.

Newfanzone World Soccer Report

Pep Guardiola

News from Germany;

– Germany international, Mats Hummels has stressed that he will not leave Borussia Dortmund for just any club with a bigger reputation than the Bundesliga side. “If a club with a bigger reputation than Dortmund were to make a move, but I don’t like the way they play football, I wouldn’t even consider a move,”

– Borussia Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer faces four weeks on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his left hand.

– Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim-Watzke has backed coach Jurgen Klopp amid a crisis that saw them fall to a fourth league defeat of the season to Hamburg on Saturday. “It is obvious that some players have reached their limit. This is understandable, they are not machines. Jurgen Klopp is absolutely the right man for Dortmund.”

– Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has hailed Arjen Robben’s fanstatic form. “Arjen has been in incredible form recently, he already showed what he can do at the World Cup. He was unstoppable and no defender could hold on to him. Not even Spain’s Sergio Ramos. It looks like he has managed to maintain this superb form. He has been amazing.”

German Bundesliga Matchday 7 Results:

Bayern Munich 4-0 Hannover 96
Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Hamburger SV
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Paderborn
Hoffenheim 2-1 Schalke 04
Werder Bremen 1-1 Frieburg
Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 FC Cologne
Wolfsburg 1-0 Augsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Mainz 05
Hertha Berlin 3-2 VfB Stuttgart

News from France;

– Laurent Blanc felt Paris Saint-Germain’s fear of conceding ultimately cost them maximum points against Monaco on Sunday. “My team were so scared of conceding a goal that they ended up conceding a goal, we didn’t do what it took to maintain our lead in the final two or three minutes you need to be more vigilant and more professional in terms of maintaining possession. It’s a scenario that unfortunately keeps repeating itself and I hope this was the last time.” He said

– David Luiz has revealed that Chelsea offered him a new contract to stay at Stamford Bridge but he instead chose to join Paris Saint-Germain. “Chelsea offered me a new contract to stay but it was my choice to come here,i was happy with the plan PSG offered to me and I think it was exactly the right moment to move.” He said

– Guingamp goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa has extended his contract until 2017.

French Ligue 1 Matchday 9 results:

Reims 1-0 Bordeaux
Caen 1-2 Marseille
Bastia 0-2 Lorient
Evian Thonon Gaillard 3-0 Metz
Nice 1-1 Montpellier
Rennes 2-0 RC Lens
Saint Etienne 0-1 Toulouse
Guingamp 0-1 Nantes
Lyon 0-3 Lille
Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Monaco

News from Italy;

– The Lega Serie A confirms several suspensions, including two games for Roma’s Kostas Manolas, and a €5,000 fine for Rudi Garcia. Morata, who was also given his marching orders in that same incident, has been given a one-match ban.

– Former Inter Coach Corrado Orrico says he sees a ‘disconnected’ team at San Siro, whilst he is surprised by Walter Mazzarri’s struggles. “Frankly I am surprised to see Inter in this situation, i have followed the work of Walter Mazzarri, he is a Coach who has always provided substance to his teams. He is not succeeding so far there and it surprises me, yesterday I saw a team that was disconnected, with no thoughts on the style of play, with players who acted by themselves.” Orrico said

– The Lega Serie A has confirmed that the Supercoppa Italiana between Juventus and Napoli will be played in Doha, Qatar on December 22.

– Erick Thohir admits Inter may make moves in the January transfer window, but that Walter Mazzarri will continue to be ‘given a chance’. “Of course we will evaluate what we need to, for the moment I cannot say on the kind of players or positions that we will operate, maybe we need a creative midfielder like Hernanes or Mateo Kovacic, or also a tall striker to exploit the high balls. However, I cannot say anything else because we have to evaluate it. Coach Walter Mazzarri will do his best for inter and we will continue to give him a chance.” He said

– Andrea Pirlo has been recalled to the Italy squad for their Euro 2016 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Malta following an injury to Giacomo Bonaventura.

– Rudi Garcia says Juventus’ controversial 3-2 win over his Roma side has hurt Italian football. “I have a cool head…but this game really does hurt Italian football,” he posted on his official Twitter account.

Italian Serie A Matchday 6 results:

Hellas Verona 1-0 Cagliari
AC Milan 2-0 Chievo Verona
Empoli 3-0 Palermo
Lazio 3-2 Sassuolo
Parma 1-2 Genoa
Sampdoria 1-0 Atalanta
Udinese 1-1 Cesena
Juventus 3-2 Roma
Fiorentina 3-0 Inter Milan
Napoli 2-1 Torino

News from Spain;

– Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he is sure Cristiano Ronaldo will again win this year’s Ballon d’Or award after the reigning world player of the year netted yet another hat trick in Sunday’s 5-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao. “This year, I do not think there is much doubt about that matter,I believe you can put on a bet. There is no doubt this year.” Ancelotti said.

– Sergio Ramos has been withdrawn from the Spain squad for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifying matches with Slovakia and Luxembourg due to a calf injury and has been replaced by Marc Bartra

– Diego Costa has reassured Chelsea he will not play in Spain’s upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg if he is not fully fit. “I’m here ready to play, I’ve had some problems but it’s getting better. I’ve already played three games in a week and the coach [Del Bosque] knows that I carry some problems but I will treat them during the week.” He said

– James Rodriguez has stressed that he wants to follow in the footsteps of Angel Di Maria and make history at Real Madrid. “As for Di María, he is a great player. He made history here and I have a lot of respect for him, have only just joined, but I want to make history with Real Madrid as well.”

Spanish BBVALiga Matchday 7 results:

Valencia 3-1 Atletico Madrid
Rayo Vallecano 0-2 Barcelona
Eibar 3-3 Levante
Almeria 2-2 Elche
Malaga 2-1 Granada
Sevilla 4-1 Deportivo La Coruna
Celta Vigo 1-3 Villarreal
Espanyol 2-0 Real Sociedad
Real Madrid 5-0 Athletic Bilbao

News from England;

– Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been given the all-clear to play for Belgium in their upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers after he suffered a head injury in a clash with Alexis Sanchez in Sunday’s London derby at Stamford Bridge.

– Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has held talks with Raheem Sterling’s representatives over a new contract, manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed. Rodgers insists that the club are “calm” and “relaxed” about Sterling’s long-term future.

– Johan Cruyff has accused Manchester United of making a stupid error by hiring David Moyes as manager. “Manchester paid for their stupidness[stupidity] and now they have got to recover, Moyes is a very good coach because I’ve seen [it for] many, many years in Everton. But he’s not a coach which should fit with Manchester United because the focus for both teams are totally different. That’s why the biggest mistake is to ask Moyes to come to Manchester United because it’s a totally different team, a totally different mentality.”

Barclay’s Premier League Matchday 7 results:

Hull City 2-0 Crystal Palace
Swansea 2-2 Newcastle United
Sunderland 3-1 Stoke City
Leicester City 2-2 Burnley
Liverpool 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester City
Manchester United 2-1 Everton
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
Westham United 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
News from other part of the World;

– According to reports, FIFA’s $27 million film United Passions, whose cast includes Tim Roth, Gerard Depardieu and Sam Neill, has so far taken only between $150,000 and $200,000 in box office revenues

– Cardiff City have named Former Leyton Orient coach Russell Slade as their new first team manager.

Daniel Sturridge Signs New Deal, Juventus Vs Roma, Chelsea Vs Arsenal- Its The Newfanzone World Soccer Report

Here’s the Newfanzone World Soccer Report by Our Man Paul Ayorinde

you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going.

News from Germany;

– Bayer Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi has been called up to the German national team for the first time for this month’s double-header against Poland and Republic of Ireland. “Karim Bellarabi has earned his chance at his club with some excellent performances,” Germany head coach Joachim Löw said

– Jurgen Klopp is hoping that Borussia Dortmund can replicate their Champions League form in the Bundesliga and make amends for last weekend’s derby defeat to Schalke by beating Hamburg on Saturday. “The Bundesliga is the most important competition for us, but I, too, have noticed that we have as many points from two games in the Champions League as six Bundesliga games. We also haven’t conceded in the Champions League. We must show a positive reaction against Hamburg. We want to eradicate the derby defeat.” Klopp said

– Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is confident his team are working their way towards their best form – specifically in an effort to sharpen their attack. “I am very satisfied with my team, the result was important [versus CSKA Moscow]. At a club like Bayern you have to win every game. The way we perform on the pitch is getting better. So I am very satisfied with our training, everything is fine. We are just waiting for the injured players to return” He said.

German Bundesliga Matchday 7 fixtures:

Bayern Munich V Hannover 96
Borussia Dortmund V Hamburger SV
Bayer Leverkusen V Paderborn
Hoffenheim V Schalke 04
Werder Bremen V Frieburg
Eintracht Frankfurt V FC Cologne
Wolfsburg V Augsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach V Mainz 05

News from France;

– Lille coach Rene Girard hailed Vincent Enyeama as a world-class goalkeeper after the Nigerian’s heroics in Thursday’s Europa League draw at Wolfsburg. “Vincent Enyeama did what he had to do; I would say that Enyeama was his usual self. He was there when he had to be. That is the characteristic of goalkeepers of a high level and he is definitely of a very high level.” Girard said

– Dortmund President Reinhard Rauball believes that Paris Saint-Germain should have been excluded from the Champions League this season. “Financial Fair Play is not a simple rule. I am convinced; PSG should eventually be excluded from European competitions. FFP is a test for the UEFA President Michel Platini. He started it, the road shouldn’t stop. The facts speak for him…” He said.

French Ligue 1 Matchday 9 fixtures:

Caen V Marseille
Bastia V Marseille
Evian Thonon Gaillard V Metz
Nice V Montpellier
Rennes V RC Lens
Saint Etienne V Toulouse
Guingamp V Nantes
Lyon V Lille
Paris Saint-Germain V Monaco

News from Italy;

– Leonardo Bonucci says that Juventus are intent on exploiting Roma’s “weak points” in Sunday’s Serie A showdown in Turin. “Roma’s ball possession is their strong point and with Gervinho they manage to break the rhythm of the game, however, for all the great qualities that the Giallorossi have, like any squad, they lack something. They have their weak points and we will have to try to take advantage of those. We have stopped them before.” He said

– Rudi Garcia admits facing Juventus will be a big test, but calls for balance and asserts that his Roma will demonstrate their strength also. “It is a big test, even if it is only on the sixth round of the season; there are still a lot of points up for grabs. It is too early to make a final judgement. We know that this is a top team but I think that we are going to demonstrate that we also are.” He said

– Fiorentina have confirmed that Micah Richards has suffered a thigh strain that will keep him out of action for 10 days. The English defender was forced off towards the first half of last night’s Europa League win at Dinamo Minsk.

– Pippo Inzaghi has named a 23-man Milan squad to face Chievo tomorrow evening and includes Jeremy Menez. The Frenchman was a doubt this week after suffering with an inflamed tendon,but Inzaghi indicated in today’s Press conference that he would likely be fine.

– Francesco Totti has revealed that it is not yet certain that he will sign a contract extension with Roma. “Will I sign for another year? So they say, but until I sign [nothing is certain].” He said

– Fredy Guarin has apologised for giving an Inter fan a “dirty look” during Thursday night’s Europa League win over Qarabag at the Giuseppe Meazza. “I want to say sorry to one of the fans who told me to wake up, I gave him a pretty dirty look, but it was just in the heat of the moment” He said.

Italian Serie A Matchday 6 fixtures:

Hellas Verona V Cagliari
AC Milan V Chievo Verona
Empoli V Palermo
Lazio V Sassuolo
Parma V Genoa
Sampdoria V Atalanta
Udinese V Cesena
Juventus V Roma
Fiorentina V Inter Milan
Napoli V Torino

News from Spain;

– Atletico Madrid captain Gabi says he followed the orders of his club president over a suspect payment raised at the investigation into potential match-fixing in a crucial 2011 La Liga fixture. The midfielder, who was a Real Zaragoza player at the time, received an €85,000 credit into his bank account from Real Zaragoza, but returned the payment to president Agapito Iglesias later the same day. “I did what Agapito asked me,” he told state prosecutors, explaining that he assumed the payment had something to do with regular club business.

– Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi is to go on trial on a charge of tax evasion after a magistrate on Friday dismissed his appeal against being named in the case.

– Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not surprised by Diego Costa’s inclusion in the Spain squad despite worries over the striker’s fitness. “My reaction to the news is no reaction because it’s something I could imagine. It’s not a surprise,If he can play three in a week I think it’s too much, but he’s going to do that.” He said.

Spanish BBVALiga Matchday 7 fixtures

Valencia V Atletico Madrid
Rayo Vallecano V Barcelona
Eibar V Levante
Almeria V Elche
Malaga V Granada
Sevilla V Deportivo La Coruna
Celta Vigo V Villarreal
Espanyol V Real Sociedad
Real Madrid V Athletic Bilbao

Daniel Sturridge signs new Liverpool deal. photo credit LFC.co.uk

News from England;

– Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has signed a new “long-term” contract at the club

– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his former player Cesc Fabregas deserves a respectful welcome from Gunners supporters when he lines up against them for the first time in Chelsea colours at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. “He deserves a respectful welcome [from Arsenal fans]. Everyone respects Cesc here. I want him to get the welcome he deserves,” Wenger said

– Jose Mourinho says he does not feel the need to apologise to Arsene Wenger for the notorious “specialist in failure” comment from last February, saying he would rather forget the incident. “I didn’t get an apology. I don’t apologise. My feeling about it is, to [get] over it… to forget it and to move forward without thinking about what happened, you don’t need to apologise. It was a consequence of something. It wasn’t a deliberate first option to say something. It was a consequence of something.” He said

– Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has suggested that Juan Mata will replace suspended captain Wayne Rooney against Everton on Sunday, but remained silent over who would take the armband. “In [Rooney’s] position Juan Mata has played very well, I have to choose. I will miss Wayne because he is the captain of the team but Mata can also play very well.” He said

– Harry Redknapp does not agree with criticism levelled at defender Rio Ferdinand following a mixed start to his time at QPR.

– Swansea City are hopeful of increasing the capacity at their home ground the Liberty Stadium, As such, chairman Huw Jenkins confirmed at a fans’ forum on Thursday that planning permission had been submitted to increase that to 32,000.

– Manuel Pellegrini is unconcerned by the five-point gap between his Manchester City side and Premier League pace-setters Chelsea. “We are just starting in the league and it is not good to be five points behind Chelsea, but at the moment we have one more point than this time last year, when Arsenal were six points ahead of us. The important thing is to continue playing in the way we did against Hull.” He said

– Arsene Wenger wants Arsenal to avenge their “horrendous” 6-0 defeat to Chelsea when the two sides clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. “Chelsea was a horrendous day last season. We have an opportunity to put that right and I’m confident we can take it,” He said.

Barclays Premier League

English Premier League Matchday 7 fixtures:

Hull City V Crystal Palace
Sunderland V Stoke City
Liverpool V West Bromwich Albion
Swansea City V Newcastle United
Leicester City V Burnley
Aston Villa V Manchester City
Manchester United V Everton
Chelsea V Arsenal
Tottenham V Southampton
West Ham United V Queens Park Rangers

News from other part of the World;

– Sporting Lisbon president Bruno de Carvalho says that his club were under “big pressure” from third-party owners to sell Marcos Rojo to Manchester United this summer. “We did not want Rojo to leave. He was an important player for us,the pressure was so big, they [the third-party owners] started to speak to the clubs and come here to the meetings.” He said

– Kaka has been called up by coach Dunga for Brazil’s next two friendly games against Argentina and Japan.

– UEFA has ordered CSKA Moscow to play their next three European home games behind closed doors and banned the Russian club’s supporters from attending their remaining away group fixtures in the Champions League. The European governing body found the club’s fans guilty on Friday of racist behaviour and crowd disturbance, fining the club €200,000 as well.