Blog – Page 444 – Football Flame

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UCL

Liverpool forward Firmino returns to training ahead Champions League final

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has returned to training ahead of the Champions League final.The Brazil international missed Liverpool’s last three matches because of a thigh injury but was able to take part in the first session of the squad’s pre-final camp in Marbella, Spain.Firmino was the first player to arrive on the south coast of Spain so he could carry out some individual sessions with strength and rehabilitation staff.Liverpool says his reintroduction to full training “will be carefully managed under their supervision, with specialized programs planned over the coming days.”The 26-man squad is spending six days in Marbella before returning to England to finalize preparations for the match against Tottenham on June 1 in Madrid.
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TRANSFERS

Dortmund signs Germany defender Nico Schulz

Borussia Dortmund signed Germany defender Nico Schulz from Bundesliga rival Hoffenheim on Tuesday.Dortmund, which finished runner-up in the league, said the 26-year-old Schulz signed a deal through June 2024.“We will benefit greatly from his physicality, his tempo and his extreme dynamism,” Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said. “A player like him with his fighting spirit and his desire to be successful would help any team.”Schulz, who will be familiar to Dortmund coach Lucien Favre from their time together at Borussia Moenchengladbach, scored one goal and set up six more for Hoffenheim last season.Kicker magazine reported that Dortmund was paying 27 million euros ($30 million) for the player, making Schulz Dortmund's second most expensive signing after Andre Schuerrle.Schulz h...
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LALIGA

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos signs new four year deal

Toni Kroos has reached an agreement with Real Madrid over a deal that will see him remain at the Bernabeu till 2023, the club announced on Monday.Real Madrid have made an official statement to announce that they have reached an agreement with Toni Kroos to extend his stay with the club. The German international has signed a new four-year deal with Los Blancos that will see him remain at the Bernabeu till June 30, 2023.Kroos joined Real Madrid from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014, having already achieved considerable success in his career. In fact, the German international had experienced success at both club and international levels, including winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup before the switch to the Bernabeu.At Real Madrid, Kroos has gone on to achieve further success whilst ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea loanee Alvaro Morata makes decision about his future

Alvaro Morata has revealed that he wants to spend the rest of his career at Atletico Madrid and make his move from Chelsea FC permanent.The striker left Chelsea FC to join Atletico Madrid on loan in the January transfer window and the Spanish club have the option to make his move permanent.According to The Evening Standard, with Antoine Griezmann leaving the club, Atletico Madrid will look to exercise their option to buy Morata sooner rather than later.The 26-year-old Spain international has scored six goals and made one assist in 15 La Liga games for the Spanish club so far this season.Before his move in January, Morata had scored five goals in 16 Premier League games under Maurizio Sarri for Chelsea FC.Now, the player himself has made it clear that he wants to stay at Atletico Madrid bey...
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TRANSFERS

Alexis Sanchez eager to seal transfer away from Old Trafford

Alexis Sanchez is ready to return to pre-season early to secure a move away from Manchester United .The Chilean has endured a nightmare spell at Old Trafford since arriving from Arsenal in January 2018.Sanchez managed just one Premier League goal this term and barely featured under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the final months of the season.United are willing to listen to offers for Sanchez, although they face a struggle in persuading a club to take on his staggering wages.Inter Milan are believed to be weighing up a move for the Arsenal man, who is ready to quit United.The Sun reports Sanchez has made his mind on his future and is eager to leave England this summer.He has travelled to Chile to see family and friends but is ready to return to pre-season training early to prove his fitness.
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LALIGA

Barcelona 2- 2 Eibar: Ernesto Valverde want more from Barcelona in cup final

Ernesto Valverde hopes Barcelona's 2-2 draw at Eibar will serve as a wake-up call ahead of the Copa del Rey final.Lionel Messi scored a quick-fire double after Marc Cucurella's opener, but the champions were pegged back in the last game of their LaLiga campaign by Pablo De Blasis' equaliser.Barca head to Seville to face Valencia next Saturday as they look to win a record fifth straight Copa del Rey.And manager Valverde knows his side will have to improve if they are to complete another domestic double."All the matches serve (as tests), but Saturday's match will be different because the teams are different and because this was marked by the fact that Eibar didn't play for anything," Valverde said at his press conference, according to Marca."We tried to gauge the intensity of the game and we...
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LALIGA

Zinedine Zidane accepts responsibility for Real Madrid poor season

Zinedine Zidane has accepted his share of the blame for Real Madrid's disastrous season.Speaking after watching his side slip to a 2-0 home defeat by Real Betis in their final LaLiga fixture, Zidane, who returned to the Bernabeu to replace Santiago Solari in March, pulled no punches in his assessment of the campaign.He told a press conference: "What happened this year has to be accepted. I'm to blame – we've had 11 games and won just 5. That is what it is."When a season starts off badly and then you are not playing for a trophy, I think it is hard to play well if there is nothing to play for. Motivation is a strange thing, it is part of our reality."During the week, it always seems like we are going to have a good match but in the end, it just doesn't happen due to many circumstances."Now ...
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SERIE A

Juve striker Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A MVP

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Serie A MVP award for the 2018-19 season, his first in the Italian top division.Per Football Italia, he won the award calculated via statistics, thanks to his 22 goals and 11 assists in 33 matches across all domestic competitions. The award is an official distinction from the league, with Ernst & Young putting the list together using data from Opta Sports and Netco Sports.Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Inter Milan's Samir Handanovic, Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella and AS Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo were the other winners, the latter being voted Best Young Player and the others picking up the positional awards.
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City beat Watford to win FA Cup

Manchester City have matched the record for the heaviest margin of victory in an FA Cup final by beating Watford 6-0 at Wembley Stadium.Gerard Deulofeu had the chance to give Watford an early lead only to be denied by Ederson.But once David Silva struck on 26 minutes the Premier League champions never looked back.Gabriel Jesus added a second and Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute.As Watford sought a way back into the match City picked them off on the counter-attack time and again, Gabriel Jesus racing clear to score on 68 minutes.Raheem Sterling then struck twice in the last nine minutes to match the 6-0 record win Bury enjoyed over Derby County in 1903.Their sixth victory in this competition means City have become the first team to win the Prem...
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BUNDESLIGA

Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben signed off in style as Bayern Munich clinch seventh straight Bundesliga title

Bayern Munich had a perfect day in the final Bundesliga game of the season, as they wrapped up a seventh straight league title and in the process, allowed two club legends to sign off on their time in the German league in style.Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben both came off the bench to score the last goals of the league campaign for the German champions, who edged Borussia Dortmund to the title by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1. Both are set to leave the club after the season-ending DFB-Pokal final next Sunday, and they couldn’t have dreamed of better finishes to their time in the famous red shirt.
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NEWS

Arthur and Philippe Coutinho in Brazil Squad for Copa America

Barcelona duo Arthur and Philippe Coutinho have both been called up to the Brazil squad by manager Tite for this summer’s Copa America.The two players are part of a 23-man squad for the summer tournament that takes place in Brazil and kicks off on June 14.Brazil will play Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru in Group A and will be expected to come out on top and progress to the knockout stages.Indeed Tite’s side will be favourites to claim glory on home soil and lift the trophy for the ninth time.
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SERIE A

Allegri on Juventus exit: 'Now I can go to the beach a little bit'

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has broken his silence after the Italian club announced his imminent departure. The 51-year-old is set to leave the Bianconeri this summer and will be in charge of his last home game when his side welcomes Atalanta to the Allianz Stadium for the penultimate Serie A encounter on Sunday.Allegri was appointed as the manager of the Turin club five years ago and has won the league title in each of those years. Having signed Cristiano Ronaldo last summer for a club-record fee, the Old Ladies were looking to the Italian coach leading the club to its first Champions League title in 23 years.However, the Juve was met with the dismay of crashing out in the quarter-finals of as a result of a shock 3-2 aggregate defeat to Ajax. With the Italians hav...
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TRANSFERS

Atletico Madrid reportedly target Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso

Atletico Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso at the end of the season.Alonso joined Chelsea from Fiorentina in 2016 and has proved to be a success at Stamford Bridge contributing 18 goals and 14 assists in 120 appearances for the Blues in all competitions.Atletico are expected to be in the market for a new left-back this summer as Filipe Luis prepares to depart.According to AS, Los Rojiblancos head coach Diego Simeone is an admirer of Alonso and is keen for his club to tie up a deal for the 28-year-old in this summer's transfer window.Alonso, who is a three-time Spain international, scored twice and registered six assists in 31 Premier League appearances for Maurizio Sarri side during the 2018-19 campaign.The full-back has a contract at Stamford Bridg...
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TRANSFERS

Real Madrid sign Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt

Real Madrid have signed Serbia striker Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt for 60 million euros ($67 million), television channel Sky Germany said on Thursday.Jovic, 21, scored 10 goals for the German side in their run to the Europa League semi-finals where they were knocked out by Chelsea on penalties and has netted 17 times in the Bundesliga.Spanish newspaper AS said Madrid would officially announce the signing next week after the Bundesliga season ends.Jovic, who has made 13 appearances for Serbia, is expected to be the first of several high-profile players to join Real Madrid as the deposed European champions look to respond to a disappointing campaign on all fronts.
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SERIE A

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini to miss Atalanta clash

Giorgio Chiellini has been ruled out of Juventus’ home clash with Atalanta on Sunday due to a calf injury.The Bianconeri enter the contest having already clinched this season’s Scudetto, while La Dea remain in the thick of the Champions League chase as they enter the match in fourth, three points up on Roma and AC Milan.Atalanta’s chances have received a boost as Sky Sport Italia reports Chiellini did not train with the Juventus first team on Thursday, and as a result he will miss out on the clash.Meanwhile Mario Mandzukic did take part in the session, and it’s believed he could be named to the squad for the match.Leonardo Bonucci also returned to training with his teammates and it’s expected the 32-year-old will feature in the contest as well.
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NEWS

Ajax wins Dutch title, enters Champions League prelim rounds

Ajax clinched its 34th Dutch league title on Wednesday, one week after a last-minute loss to Tottenham in the Champions League semifinals.A 4-1 win at struggling De Graafschap secured Ajax’s first league title since 2014, three points clear of runner-up PSV Eindhoven which beat visiting Heracles 3-1.The title had been all-but sealed in Sunday’s round of games.Even as title winner, Ajax must again enter the Champions League qualifying rounds, needing to eliminate two opponents to reach the lucrative group stage.PSV will start one round earlier, needing to beat three opponents, just as Ajax did last year to get into this season’s Champions League.
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LALIGA

Antoine Griezmann set to leave Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid announced Tuesday night that star striker Antoine Griezmann will leave the club this summer, and Saturday’s fixture at Levante will be his final game as a rojiblanco.Griezmann explained that he has communicated in a meeting with club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin and coach Diego Simeone his decision to end his Atletico career after five seasons, 133 goals and three trophies.“I wanted to tell you that I have made the decision to leave, to experience new things and new challenges,” Griezmann explained. “It’s been very hard to take this path, but I feel it’s what I need.”“These have been five incredible years. Thank you very much for everything, I’ll carry you in my heart.”Griezmann will depart after several summers of incessant rumors, some of which were played up by the 28...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Burnley boss Dyche says Decision on deal rests with Crouch

Clarets boss Sean Dyche has disclosed that he would have no qualms in offering Peter Crouch a new contract at Burnley, but the decision whether to play on ultimately lies with the player.The 38-year-old’s short term deal expired at the end of the season, but Dyche has been pleased with the veteran’s impact on and off the pitch, despite his playing time being restricted to 88 minutes either side of appendix surgery.Crouch himself feels fit enough to play on, but admits he is pondering whether to retire.Dyche said: “I chatted with him the other day and it is not just my decision, it is his as well, with his age and his intention, does he want to carry on?“I have never been bothered by age, it has always been have you got that edge to your game? I think he showed that he is hungry, he has bee...
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SERIE A

Roma confirm Daniele De Rossi will leave at the end of the season

Daniele De Rossi will leave Roma at the end of the season, the club has confirmed.The Italian legend is in his 18th season at the club having made his debut in 2001.He's featured 614 times for Roma, scoring 63 times.His final game for the club will come against Parma on May 26.Roma president Jim Pallotta told the club’s official website, per Goal: “For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma’s team.“From his debut in 2001 to taking on the responsibility of the captain’s armband, he always represented the Roma fans on the pitch with pride as he established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe.“We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 3...
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SERIE A

Juventus set to face Inter at Nanjing

A clash of the titans will unfold at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center on July 24 when Relevant Sports Group (RSG) presents an epic International Champions Cup match featuring two of Italy's top clubs  Juventus and Inter Milan in the storied Derby D'Italia.The century-old competition is renowned internationally for the extraordinary passion it evokes on the pitch and in the stands, and this year's showdown marks the first time Chinese fans will witness it on home soil.Juventus and Inter are two of the most popular international clubs in China. Recent successes, including winning eight consecutive Serie A titles ("the scudetto") and last year's signing of global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, have helped grow Juventus' Chinese fanbase exponentially.In 1978 Inter became the first top European...
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