Blog – Page 387 – Football Flame

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Monaco defender emerges as top Man Utd target

Benoit Badiashile of Monaco during the Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Nimes on August 25, 2019 in Monaco, Monaco. Manchester United have entered negotiations with Monaco for teenage defender Benoit Badiashile, according to TF1 via The Mirror on Sunday.  Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to strengthen his backline in the off season in order to provide competition for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at centre-back.  The 19-year-old made just 16 league starts before the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season was curtailed back in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  However, United have been impressed with Badiashile's performances in France's top tier and are believed to be leading the race to land the youngster.  United, though, would face competition for Ba...
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NEWS

Wayne Rooney names his only concern for Man City vs Real Madrid

Head Coach Josep Guardiola of Manchester City and Head Coach Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid gesture prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at Bernabeu on February 26, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney says Manchester City 'may never have a better chance to win the Champions League' and said his only concern for the Blues against Real Madrid is over their defence. Pep Guardiola's men are 2-1 up against Madrid going into the last-16 second leg game at the Etihad on Friday night. "City may never have a better chance to win the Champions League," Rooney says in his Sunday Times column. “Sergio Ramos is suspended which is a huge loss to the Real defence and I think City will score. Whether t...
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AC Milan and Napoli ‘interested in signing Norwich defender Ben Godfrey’

Ben Godfrey of Norwich City scores an own goal, Burnley's second goal during the Premier League match between Norwich City and Burnley FC at Carrow Road on July 18, 2020 in Norwich, England. AC Milan and Napoli are reportedly in talks with Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey. The 22-year-old centre-back made 30 Premier League appearances this season but couldn't prevent his side being relegated to the Championship. He may have failed to keep his side up but Calciomercato. it claim he still did enough to catch the eye of a number of Italy's top clubs. Godfrey's agent is said to have met with Milan representatives at a hotel in Milan earlier this week. Napoli have also registered an interest and will look to make a move should they fail to land first choice Gabriel of Lille. Th...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Giggs urges Man Utd to sign Sancho, Grealish

Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Union Berlin at Signal Iduna Park on February 1, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany. Manchester United should try to sign both Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish this summer, according to Ryan Giggs. United are growing increasingly confident a deal can be done with Borussia Dortmund for Sancho - with discussions centred around the transfer fee and structure of payments - while it is understood personal terms would not be an issue. Dortmund are holding out for €120m (£109m) for the 20-year-old England international winger, who registered 17 goals and 17 assists across 32 Bundesliga games last season. Grealish, meanwhile, is undecided about his future...
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LALIGA

Marlon warns Barca to be careful against Napoli

Marlon Santos of FC Barcelona during the International Champions Cup 2018 match between AC Milan and FC Barcelona at Levi's Stadium on August 4, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. Former Barcelona defender Marlon Santos has warned the Catalans they will need to be careful against Napoli in their Champions League last-16 second leg. The two teams return to the competition with the tie level at 1-1 after the first leg in Italy, but Barca do have the slight edge due to home advantage and the away goal. Santos, who left the Camp Nou for Sassuolo in 2018, has faced Napoli twice this season with the Neroverdi and knows all about their attacking quality. “They are a great team but Barca are favourites. Barca must be careful though because Napoli have a lot of dangerous players, especially...
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BUNDESLIGA

Lampard addresses Pulisic injury blow ahead of Bayern Munich clash

Chelsea's English head coach Frank Lampard reacts during the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 1, 2020. - Arsenal won the match 2-1. Chelsea expect to know more about the extent of Christian Pulisic’s hamstring injury in the coming days. Pulisic limped off in the second half on Saturday’s FA Cup Final defeat by Arsenal. The American will have scans over the next few days and Frank Lampard faces a nervous time as Chelsea wait to learn the severity of the injury. Chelsea also lost Cesar Azpilicueta to a hamstring injury as they lost 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday evening. “I don't know the full extent of the injuries,” said Lampard. “But I know the hamstrings with Azpi and Christian - they have to be scanned and a...
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SERIE A

Ibrahimovic scores for Milan, Immobile equals Serie A scoring record

Mario Rui of SSC Napoli vies with Ciro Immobile of SS Lazio during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio San Paolo on August 01, 2020 in Naples, Italy. Lazio forward Ciro Immobile equalled the Serie A scoring record for a single season when he was on target in his side's 3-1 loss at Napoli in their final game of the season. In a game which finished with an angry exchange between members of the two team benches, the 30-year-old took his tally to 36 goals, equalling the record set by Gonzalo Higuain for Napoli in the 2015-16 season. He also finished the season five goals clear of the next leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus. Fabian Ruiz gave Napoli a ninth-minute lead with a shot from outside the penalty area which took a deflection and looped into t...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe leaves club by mutual consent

Eddie Howe the manager of Bournemouth looks on during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and AFC Bournemouth at Turf Moor on February 22, 2020 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has left the club by mutual consent. The Cherries, who were relegated from the Premier League this season, announced the news on social media on Saturday. “Eddie Howe has left #afcb by mutual consent,” a tweet read. “It’s been an unbelievable journey, thank you so much for the memories Eddie.” Howe represented Bournemouth as a player between 1994 and 2002, making 200 appearances. He then returned to the club in 2004 before retiring in 2007 – having stepped out another 53 times. The 42-year-old was appointed caretaker manager in December 2008, with the club sitting on -1...
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NEWS

Aubameyang at the double as Arsenal turn tables on Chelsea to win FA Cup

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) holds the winner's trophy as the team celebrates victory after the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 1, 2020. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was Arsenal’s two-goal hero as his club claimed a record 14th FA Cup by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley. The Gabonese forward, who scored a penalty in the first half and the 67th-minute winner capped a win for the Gunners as their manager, Mikel Arteta, became the second man to win the Cup with Arsenal as player and manager, repeating George Graham’s feat.  Frank Lampard, his team wracked by injuries and a second-half red card for Matteo Kovacic, failed to achieve a similar double with Chelsea. Christian Pulisic had p...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plan to rotate Man Utd stars in Europa League

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Aon Training Complex on March 11, 2020 in Manchester, England. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is considering resting key players during the Europa League knockout stage. Manchester United are highly likely to be headed to Germany next weekend for the final rounds of the competition, which will be played as a mini tournament involving eight teams over 11 days. The Red Devils manager can certainly afford to name an inventive line-up for the second leg of their last-16 tie against Austrian side LASK at Old Trafford, as they are already 5-0 up on aggregate. But Solskjaer is also keen to preserve the fitness of some of his senior players ahead of the start of the new Premier League season on 12 S...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

What is next for Newcastle United following takeover collapse?

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley, Newcastle United's managing director during the FA Cup Fourth Round Replay match between Oxford United and Newcastle United at Kassam Stadium on February 4, 2020 in Oxford, England. It was announced on Thursday that the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of Newcastle United had collapsed. BBC Sport report that the consortium ran out of patience with the process, due to the time being taken for the Premier League to conduct the Owners and Directors Test. A plethora of issues have mired this takeover and it has been a painstaking process for all involved. The issues have involved piracy, human rights concerns and a geopolitical spin war.  For supporters, it has been incredibly difficult to separate the truth from the fiction. Ultima...
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NEWS

PSG beat Lyonnais to win French League Cup

Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe (2ndR) and Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar (2ndL) jokes with their trophies past teammates as they celebrate their victory at the end of the French League Cup final football match between Paris Saint-Germain vs Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on July 31, 2020. Paris St Germain beat Olympique Lyonnais 6-5 on penalties to lift the French League Cup on Friday with the match ending in a 0-0 stalemate after regular and extra time. Second-half substitute Pablo Sarabia scored PSG's final penalty in the shootout after goalkeeper Keylor Navas had saved Bertrand Traore's spot kick to give the Ligue 1 champions and French Cup winners their ninth League Cup trophy. It was the last roar for the competition...
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Napoli signs Nigeria striker Osimhen

Victor Osimhen of Lille during the Ligue 1 match between Lille OSC (LOSC) and Stade Rennais (Rennes) at Stade Pierre Mauroy on February 4, 2020 in Villeneuve d'Ascq near Lille, France. Napoli announced the signing of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen from Lille on Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 21-year-old Osimhen made 38 appearances across all competitions for Lille last season, scoring 18 times. Born in Lagos, Osimhen left for Europe in 2017, joining Wolfsburg. He made only 12 appearances in the Bundesliga over two seasons before heading to Belgian side Charleroi on loan in 2018. Osimhen starred in Belgium, notching 20 goals in 36 appearances. A permanent move to France followed. Internationally, Osimhen has been capped nine times by the Super Eagles. N...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Kante and Willian fit for the Cup final but midfielder misses out

Willy Gaballero, NGolo Kante, Pedro, Jorginho, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Alonso, Antonio Rudiger, Olivier Giroud and Willian of Chelsea celebrate winning the mini tournament during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on June 9, 2020 in Cobham, England. N’Golo Kante and Willian will be available for selection for the Heads Up FA Cup final in a boost to Chelsea’s hopes of ending the campaign with silverware, though Ruben Loftus-Cheek misses out with injury. The news was delivered by Frank Lampard at his video press conference to preview tomorrow’s Cup final at Wembley, which sees the Blues take on Arsenal for the final domestic trophy of the season. Kante has not featured since the start of the month when he came off early in our home victory against Watford with a hamstring...
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NEWS

Arteta: Arsenal FA Cup win would help convince Aubameyang to stay

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on July 18, 2020 in London, England. Mikel Arteta believes Saturday’s FA Cup final will not be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s last game for Arsenal and lifting the trophy could help convince him to sign a new contract. Aubameyang will captain Arsenal at Wembley Stadium against Chelsea, but he is yet to pen fresh terms on a new deal. The forward’s current contract is due to expire in under a year’s time and he is attracting interest from Barcelona and Inter Milan. But Arteta, who himself won the FA Cup as captain of Arsenal back in 2014, believes defeating Chelsea and lifting the trophy could help convince Aubam...
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UCL

Napoli president concerned about Barca trip

Napoli's President Aurelio De Laurentiis (L) and Juventus FC President Andrea Agnelli react after Napoli won the TIM Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) final football match Napoli vs Juventus on June 17, 2020 at the Olympic stadium in Rome, played behind closed doors as the country gradually eases the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has doubts about playing their Champions League return leg at the Nou Camp. Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted he is concerned about Napoli having to travel to Spain for their Champions League clash against Barcelona amid a spike in coronavirus cases in the country. UEFA confirmed this month that the remaining Champions League and Europa League round of 16 sec...
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BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich confirm Thiago wants to leave

Thiago of Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the DFB Cup quarterfinal match between FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern Muenchen at Veltins Arena on March 3, 2020 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that midfielder Thiago wants to leave the club and a deal could be struck this summer. The 29-year-old Spanish international has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and other European sides as he enters the final year of his contract. He has told the German champions that he does not wish to extend his current deal. Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was unable to persuade the former Barcelona player to stay in Germany. Rummenigge told Germany's Sky Sport: "Actually, the conversations Hasan had with him were alway...
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SERIE A

Andrea Pirlo Returns to Juventus as U-23 Coach

Andrea Pirlo is seen at the Etro fashion show on January 12, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Juventus's former maestro is going back to Turin. Andrea Pirlo, the Italian midfield great who played for Juventus from 2011-2015, is returning to the club as its under-23 coach, according to a team statement. The job will be Pirlo's first in management, and it comes three years after he retired following a stint in MLS with New York City FC.  The 2006 World Cup winner, six-time Serie A winner and two-time Champions League winner will take the helm of Juve's U-23s, a team that is just two years old and has already had two managers in its brief existence. It won the Coppa Italia Serie C this past season and competes in the third tier of Italian football. It most-recently had a 10th-place fin...
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Sheffield United keeper joins Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on eve of new season

Jake Eastwood of Sheffield United kicks the ball upfield during the pre season friendly match between Sheffield United and Stoke City at Bramall Lane on July 25, 2017 in Sheffield, England. Sheffield United goalkeeper Jake Eastwood has joined Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on loan. The deal will see the 23-year-old further his experience at Rugby Park until January, when he will return to Bramall Lane. He has made just three senior appearances for United, starting two EFL Cup games in 2017 as well as coming on as substitute in the Championship match at Wolves in February, 2018, when Simon Moore was sent off 17 minutes from time. He spent the first part of last season on loan at League Two side Scunthorpe, where he made 16 appearances and kept seven clean sheets. And he m...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Breaking: Aston Villa appoint new sporting director

Johan Lange, technical director of FC Copenhagen looks on during the FC Copenhagen training session at KB's baner on June 20, 2017 in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Aston Villa have appointed a replacement for Jesus Garcia Pitarch, the sporting director who left earlier this week. Pitarch - known as Suso - departed the club after almost two years at Villa Park. Former Wolverhampton Wanderers first-team coach Johan Lange has joined in his place, leaving Danish side FC Copehnagen after six years with the club. Lange reports directly to the board. Suso left the club after criticism came in for the recruitment last summer, with £130 million spent on 12 new players following promotion to the Premier League. With a similar number of players departing the club, a turnaround was necessary...
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