Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2015/2016) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 1st of October 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other.
European Football’s 2014/2015 Top Five, Teams, Goal scorers, Assist Merchants and Bad Boys…,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 1st of June 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 30th of April 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other
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* Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar with 9 nine goals has got more Champions League goals than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who are both tied at 8 goals.
* Real Madrid have Scored more goals than any team in the Top five European European team so far the Spanish giants have scored a total of 102 goals so far.
* Víctor Sánchez of Espanyol’s 15 yellow cards at this stage of the season is the highest in the Top 5 European Football League.
* Cesc Fabregas tops the European Top 5 Leagues on the assist chart with a total of 19 assist so far this season.
* Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi’s Tally Of 39 and 38 goals respectively is more than the number goals that the following 9 teams in the Spanish league have scored. Real Sociedad 37goals, Elche 31goals, Getafe 28goals Levante 32goals, Eibar 29goals, Almeria 29goals, Deportivo La Coruna 29goals, Granada 22goals, Cordoba 21,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 4th of March 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…
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
You can also send your original sports stories and press releases to fanzone.fans@gmail.com for publication here and on our website
News from Germany:
– Bayern Munich have not been in contact with Wolfsburg star Kevin de Bruyne, according to the midfielder’s official representative. “There is absolutely no contact with Bayern. We are not talking to other clubs. The situation at Wolfsburg is perfect for Kevin.” de Bruyne agent said
– According to reports in Germany,Schalke are the front-runners to sign out-of-favour Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic in January.
– Bayer Leverkusen have extended winger Karim Bellarabi’s contract with the club until June 2017.
-Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has rejected claims that Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are individuals who don’t work hard enough for the team. “There’s one thing I want to say about Arjen, and it also applies to Franck Ribery; both are often accused of not working hard enough for the team. That’s utter nonsense when you see how team-oriented both of them are. They’re both world-class players who’ve retained their individuality and inventiveness but are fully integrated members of the team. And they’re both exemplary, in training and the way they look after their bodies. I can only advise every young player to watch them as they go about their daily work and learn from them.” Sammer said
Chelsea’s Kevin de Bruyne, credit photo.wikia.com
News from France:
– According to reports in France, Bordeaux lead the chase to sign Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo on loan for the remainder of the 2014/15 season.
– Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi has failed to report for training ahead of the French champions friendly against Inter Milan tomorrow.
– Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew will return to training with French giants Marseille on Monday afternoon after their seven-day break.
News from Italy;
– According to reports,Genoa are looking to close the deal for Galatasaray’s Goran Pandev within the next 24 hours.
– Newly-appointed Gianfranco Zola says he’ll bring his ‘Premier League experience’ to Cagliari so he can have the team ‘show their value’. “This place and this club are special to me, it gives me great sorrow to see the team in trouble,but at the same time I am happy about being here because I want to lend a hand and continue the work that Zeman began. He was a Coach with expertise and great preparation. I hope that my work can show the value of this team. The premises to do something important are there, but it will require everyone’s cooperation. The team is excellent at attacking, it must now improve in defending. Every player must build himself his own pedestal, I’m only going to give playing time to those who deserve it. I hope my experience in the Premier League will help to improve things here at Cagliari. I’ve been chosen to continue the project that was started here, my football philosophy is attacking.” Zola said
– Mauro Icardi has invited Mario Balotelli to join Inter Milan. “If he comes here, we’d be delighted to welcome him,he’s a fantastic forward.”
– Alessio Cerci thanks Atletico Madrid’s fans and says he cannot wait to complete formalities on his move to Milan. The former Torino forward is set to end a miserable six months in Spain to return to Italy, as part of an 18-month loan swap that sees Fernando Torres move in the opposite direction.
Ahead of the deal’s completion, the 27-year-old has taken to Twitter to express both gratitude and optimism. “Thank you very much to all the fans of @Atleti for the love and for all the moments spent together! A greeting and a strong hug,” wrote Cerci in Spanish, before switching to Italian. “I cannot wait to be in Milan for the medical visit and to sign…fingers crossed and forza @acmilan!”
– According to reports in Italy,initial bid from Parma and Premier League club Burnley for AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini have been rejected
– Fernando Torres says that he left Milan because he was not ‘a key player’ for them, but now ‘there is no better place’ than Atletico Madrid.
“The transfer to Milan was a new challenge for me. They showed me that they needed me, that they wanted to use me as a key player. But after a few months the situation changed. The Coach decided to make use of different players and I didn’t find what I was looking for when I left England. If you’re looking for something and you don’t find it, you’ve got to keep looking. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Milan, who allowed me to leave. I thought I was important for Milan, but things went differently. Now, there is no better place than Atletico.” Torres said
News from Spain:
– The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) will tomorrow announce the final decision on Barcelona’s two-window transfer ban, and the verdict will determine whether the Catalan club can sign any new players before January 2016.
– Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has welcomed the return of Fernando Torres to his boyhood club. And Koke believes the return of the club legend can help them in their bid to retain the Spanish title.
‘It is very exciting for us to have Torres back. This is still a player that can be one of the best strikers in the world when he is playing regularly. This is not a player we are signing at 35 or 36 – at 30 he is still at his peak – and Europe knows that when he is playing at his best that he is unstoppable. We want to defend our La Liga title. Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing well, but it is our dream to retain it – and we have to believe that is possible. It is signing players like Fernando that have won the World Cup and Champions League – that will go a long way to helping us achieve that goal.’ Koke said
– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed claims Arsenal have agreed a deal for Sami Khedira as “rumours” and said the Germany international will remain at the club until at least June 30.
– Isco has admitted Real Madrid face a difficult start to the New Year ahead of clashes with Valencia and Atletico Madrid in January. “It will be a very difficult start to 2015 for us. We are still confident ahead of January and hopefully we can produce the same form and go beyond 22 wins.” He said
– Fabio Capello believes Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeoneis the man who can finally turn Fernando Torres’ form around.
“Torres has got it all, but has lost his way a bit and is struggling to score goals. He has lost the confidence he had at Liverpool and during his first stint at Atletico. Simeone is going to make Torres come good. It is not only to do with systems: it is a confidence thing. Torres has become a bit subdued but is going to rediscover what he has lost thanks to Cholo, who is going to reinvigorate him.”Capello said
Barclays Premier League
News from England:
– Fernando Torres says he will always view his time with Chelsea as a success as it allowed him to secure the silverware that had eluded him during his time with Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. 30-year-old has no regrets over the switch.
“Chelsea gave me what I was looking for when I left Liverpool: trophies,i will always see [my time there] as a success because they gave me what I always wanted. It gave me all the trophies I have with clubs and I was lucky enough to also win trophies with Spain. Now I hope to win them with Atletico.” He said
– Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that his Manchester Cityside can catch league leaders Chelsea, despite throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Burnley. “Of course it’s a chance to have two points more but we finished the first round with 43 points – a good amount,just because you play at home you shouldn’t be sure you are going to get the points. I think we have all the second round [to play] and we will be the best team.” He said
– Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes referee Anthony Taylor had “a bad day at the office” in Sunday’s draw at Southampton but said it was time to draw a line under the matter. “The referee didn’t have the best game of his life and I don’t think he will sleep that well tonight. He had an awful game.We’re all human and a bad day at the office can happen to anyone. That’s it. Let’s not talk more about it — we have to talk about football.” Fabregas said
– Alexis Sanchez has rejected talk that he has been Arsenal’s star so far this season, insisting he is “just another player”. “Being ‘the star’ is all relative, I don’t agree,we have a squad with lots of great players, world-class ones, World Cup winners with Germany and others who play for England or France. In this group I’m just another player. I’ve been lucky to start well but you don’t give the book a title until you’ve finished writing it.” Sanchez said
– Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino plans to hold discussions over potential new signings when the transfer window opens on New year’s day. “We are happy with our squad, I think when the first of January arrives we will start to talk with the club,” He said
– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains fully confident of a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. “We have done it for 17 years, so we are entitled to the belief that we can do it. t’s all to do because, when you look at the league, everyone is fighting very hard for it. “Southampton, Tottenham, Manchester United, so many teams who can fight for these positions. I have always had that belief [that a top-four finish is possible] but it’s far from done. We just want to win the next game and be consistent in our performances. We were just caught by Liverpool [2-2] in the last minute and [on Sunday] we won away from home. If you look at our recent results, we look to be more stable. We have a big game in front of us now against Southampton with nobody coming back. The players who played [on Sunday] have given their all and now we need to recover and prepare for the Southampton game.” Wenger said
BPL Matchday 19 results;
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Manchester United
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland
Hull City 0-1 Leicester City
Manchester City 2-2 Burnley
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 Crystal Palace
Stoke City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 3-2 Everton
Liverpool 4-1 Swansea
News from other partS of the world:
– Kolo Toure has been included in the Cote d’Ivoire squad for the final time after Herve Renard announced his 23-man list for the Africa Cup of Nations.
– Mexican club Cruz Azul have completed the signing of Roque Santa Cruz from Spanish La Liga side Malaga for an undisclosed fee
– Ghana’s Black Stars will commence their first training session under the watchful eyes of their new Head Coach Avram Grant at the Accra Sports stadium in preparation for the 2015 AFCON some of the players scheduled to commence training in Accra are Asamoah Gyan,Andre and Jordan Ayew,Agyeman Badu, the entire squad will meet up in Spain for closed camping before proceeding to Equatorial Guinea for AFCON 2015.
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with Their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 25th of December 2014 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other……..
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 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
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.
– 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.
– 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.
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
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.
Its The Newfanzone World Soccer Report by Our Man Paul Ayorinde.
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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.
– 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.
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