Blog – Page 445 – Football Flame

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City boss Pep Guardiola thanks Liverpool after retaining Premier League title

Pep Guardiola thanked Liverpool for pushing Manchester City to new heights this season and, having claimed the toughest top-flight title of his career, warned that his team will return even stronger when they chase a third successive title.City’s 4-1 victory at Brighton ensured they became the first team in a decade to retain the Premier League, holding off a resurgent Liverpool in the process. The champions will attempt to secure an unprecedented domestic treble on Saturday against Watford in the FA Cup final but, having seen their league dominance challenged by Jürgen Klopp’s side, plans are afoot to strengthen once more.Guardiola, who has now claimed consecutive championships in La Liga, Bundesliga and the Premier League, had seen his side win the division by 19 points last season,...
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LALIGA

Atletico Madrid finish second with draw against Sevilla

Atletico Madrid ensured they finished runners-up in La Liga and above Real Madrid for a second year in a row after drawing 1-1 with Sevilla on Sunday in captain Diego Godin’s final home game for the club.The result further harmed Sevilla’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League though, as they stayed sixth in the standings and trail fourth-placed Valencia by two points heading into the final game of the campaign.Spain midfielder Koke put Atletico ahead on the half-hour mark with a heavily deflected shot from outside the area after starting his run towards goal from his side’s own half of the pitch.Sevilla levelled midway through the second half with an impressive strike from Pablo Sarabia, who calmly side-footed a looping cross on the volley into the bottom corner, just about keepi...
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BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich: Kovac’s future may depend on winning out the season, says Rummenigge

Bayern Munich’s head coach Niko Kovac seems to be on thin ice as the season draws to a close. After Bayern Munich’s frustrating 0-0 draw against RB Leipzig,  the only goal of the game disallowed for offsides on a controversial VAR review — both chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic danced around the question of whether Kovac would still be their coach next season.In a post-game interview with Sky, Rummenigge reiterated yet again that Kovac must deliver successes. He told Sky,I don’t have any problem with Niko Kovac at all. I'm always hearing the word “job guarantee, job guarantee.” At Bayern Munich, players, management, and coaches must deliver successfully deliver; that's true for everyone.On the contrary, we have good relationship. I only think...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Fulham confirm Scott Parker as permanent manager

Fulham have confirmed Scott Parker as their permanent manager ahead of their return to the Championship.The former England midfielder took over from Claudio Ranieri as caretaker manager in February and led the club to a hat-trick of wins and clean sheets after their relegation was confirmed.“I’m delighted to be appointed Head Coach of Fulham Football Club and I thank the Chairman for entrusting me with this responsibility, as well as the support and encouragement that both he and Tony Khan have provided me," Parker said.
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea: David Luiz set to sign new deal before Europa League Final

Chelsea defender David Luiz says he will sign a new deal with the club in the coming days, ending any chance he could leave for free this summer.Luiz, 32, is out of contract at the end of June and has been in protracted talks over extending his deal.The Brazil centre-back now expects to finalise a deal before the Europa League final against Arsenal on 29 May."My relation with the fans has been great since the first day," he said."I try to do my best and make them happy."Luiz made his 48th Chelsea appearance of the season in Thursday's penalty-shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-finals.Asked afterwards whether he expected to extend his stay, he said:"Yes I think so. Soon everybody is going to know."I love this club. My great moments in football were here, especia...
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LALIGA

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez undergoes surgery for knee injury

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez underwent surgery on a knee injury on Thursday and could be a doubt for their Copa del Rey final against Valencia later this month.Suarez played the full 90 minutes of Barca's shock 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday, which ended their hopes of reaching the Champions League final.But the club announced on Thursday that Suarez needed an operation, with the cup final just over a fortnight away on May 25."Luis Suarez has an internal meniscal injury to the right knee and will be subjected today to an arthroscopy," read a club statement.Suarez is unlikely to face Getafe at home in La Liga on Sunday before Barcelona play away to Eibar the following weekend in their last league game of the season.Ernesto Valverde's side have already been crowned champions and could s...
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UCL

Tottenham stuns Ajax to reach Champions League final

Tottenham replicated Liverpool’s Champions League miracle as Lucas Moura’s dramatic second-half hat-trick set up a stunning 3-2 win over Ajax which sets up an all-English final.Spurs were dead and buried at half-time in the second leg at the Johan Cryuff ArenA as they trailed the Amsterdam 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate after goals from Matthijs De Ligt and Hakim Ziyech.However, a miraculous comeback, spearheaded by Moura, was completed deep into added time when the Brazilian slotted home a loose ball to spark amazing scenes in Amsterdam.It continues the remarkable progress for Spurs under boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has led the club further in Europe than any other.Jurgen Klopp’s men may have thought their name was on the trophy after the manner of their comeback against Barcelon...
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NEWS

Adidas extends Partnership With Real Madrid until 2028

Adidas will extend its sponsorship of Spanish soccer side Real Madrid until 2028, the German sportswear firm said on Wednesday, as it battles fierce competition in Europe from Nike and a resurgent Puma.Adidas has seen its leadership in soccer eroded in recent years by the advance of its bigger U.S. competitor Nike, which sponsors Real Madrid's arch rivals Barcelona and is reportedly in talks with Liverpool, second in the English Premier League."This agreement will help us to achieve our mission to be the best sports company in the world. It also underpins Adidas' leadership in the football category," Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted said in a statement.Adidas did not give any financial details of the deal with Real, which is currently ranked third in Spain's La Liga and made an early ex...
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SERIE A

Chelsea loanee Bakayoko clashes with manager Gattuso during win over Bologna

Tiemoue Bakayoko clashed with AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso on the bench during Monday’s 2-1 win over Bologna.Bakayoko, who is on loan at the San Siro from Chelsea, started the game among the Milan substitutes but was asked to warm-up by Gattuso after Lucas Biglia suffered a first-half injury.A conversation took place between manager and player, before Bakayoko appeared to tell Gattuso to ‘f*** off’. Gattuso brought on Jose Mauri instead and Bakayoko remained on the bench for the remainder of the game.“I told Bakayoko to warm up, he took his time and I chose Mauri,” Gattuso said after the match.“I have 27 players, we wear a glorious shirt and I must be objective and honest in everything I do. I waited seven or eight minutes, he still had not put on his shin pads so I made that choi...
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UCL

Liverpool reach Champions League final after miracle victory over Barcelona

Two goals apiece from Divock Origi and half-time substitute Georginio Wijnaldum saw a Liverpool side written off without two of their best players, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, thump the Spanish champions 4-0, in feat that must surely rival even the turnaround in Istanbul as one of the finest in the club’s history.With Firmino and Salah out injured, Jurgen Klopp gave starts to Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri in attack, while Virgil Van Dijk was fit despite a late injury scare on Monday.Having rested his entire first XI for the 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo at the weekend, Ernesto Valverde returned to same line-up that had started in the Nou Camp a week ago, meaning both Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez featured on their old stomping ground.In the days since that duo departed, Liverpool’s fab three ...
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BUNDESLIGA

Bayern munich extends lead over Dortmund In Bundesliga

Bayern Munich won and moved to the verge of a record-extending seventh straight Bundesliga title on Saturday, while rival Borussia Dortmund blew a two-goal lead and drew at Werder Bremen 2-2.Robert Lewandowski, Leon Goretzka, and Franck Ribery scored for Bayern to beat last-placed Hannover 3-1 at home and move four points clear of Dortmund with two rounds to play.Hannover would have lost by more had goalkeeper Michael Esser not produced a fine performance to keep Bayern at bay, but the side has only mathematical hopes of avoiding relegation after its 22nd defeat from 32 games.Lewandowski and Goretzka gave Bayern a deserved 2-0 lead but Hannover was given a lifeline early in the second half when Jerome Boateng was penalized through VAR for handball despite being able to do little about it."...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham, Ake strikes late to sink nine-man Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino insists nine-man Tottenham won’t let a “cruel” 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth ruin their bid to finish in the Premier League’s top four and reach the Champions League final.South Korea forward Son Heung-min was sent off for a needless push in the closing moments of the first half and Argentine defender Juan Foyth saw red for a studs-up lunge soon after the interval, barely two minutes after entering the field as a half-time substitute.Pochettino’s side looked like they would hold on for a point as the match entered stoppage-time, but Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake ended third-placed Tottenham’s stubborn resistence to delay their attempt to guarantee a place in the top four.A win at Dean Court would have achieved that aim, but fourth-placed Chelsea will now go above Spurs if...
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TRANSFERS

Arsenal eyeing move for Getafe defender Djene Dakonam

According to a recent report by Marca, Arsenal have identified Getafe centre-back Djene Dakonam as their number one defensive target for the upcoming summer transfer window. The same source has revealed that the Gunners are trying to find a solution to their defensive problems from this campaign and so, the La Liga talent fits the bill perfectly.The 27-year-old decided to make a switch to Getafe from the Belgian club, Sint-Truiden in the summer of 2017. The Togo international has enjoyed an impressive campaign at Coliseum Alfonso Perez this term after putting in a series of commanding performances at the back during this season.His stellar defensive contributions have helped the Spanish outfit climb to the 4th spot of the La Liga standings heading into the final stretch of this c...
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UCL

Tottenham 0-1 Ajax Champions league: Donny van de Beek scores only goal

Ajax took a step towards their first Champions League final in over two decades on Tuesday with a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hostpur in the first leg of the semi-final.Donny van de Beek's 15th minute strike was enough for the Dutch league leaders, who also struck the post via David Neres with 12 minutes remaining.The sides will meet for the decisive second leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on May 8. Mauricio Pochettino took his share of the blame for "sloppy" Tottenham's 1-0 Champions League semi-final first leg defeat against Ajax after admitting he used the wrong tactics.Pochettino's side made a dismal start as Donny van de Beek put Ajax ahead after just 15 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.Ajax dominated the first half until Pochettino completely changed his ga...
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UCL

Champions League: Barcelona vs Liverpool

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will wait until the day of the game to assess whether Roberto Firmino is fit to play in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg in Barcelona.The Brazilian forward, 27, missed the Premier League win over Huddersfield on Friday with a muscle tear.Midfielder Fabinho is available again after sustaining a head injury at Cardiff on 21 AprilBoth were included in the 23-man squad for the Nou Camp match.Klopp says Firmino's recovery "looks good so far" and he has until lunchtime on Wednesday to prove his fitness."We all knew from the beginning it would be a race," said the Anfield boss, whose team are vying with Manchester City for the Premier League title."We don't have to make a decision today because there's no game today, we can wait."I have to make that de...
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TRANSFERS

Inter Milan reportedly set to sign Manchester City defender

Inter are in talks with Manchester City to sign Brazilian defender Danilo, claims The Daily Mail.City paid 26.5m to sign Danilo from Real Madrid two years ago after missing out on Dani Alves’ signature to Paris Saint-Germain.Danilo has only ever been a fringe player at City and Pep Guardiola is ready to cut loose with the 27-year-old at the end of the season.Inter have been on the market for a new full-back for the last two years and have been heavily linked with Manchester United’s Matteo Darmian in the past.The Serie A outfit signed Southampton right-back Cedric Soares in January on loan for the remainder of the season but are not expected to prolong his stay at the club.Danilo has only made 10 Premier League appearances this season, having made first campaign at the club.In the 22 leagu...
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BUNDESLIGA

Dortmund captain Reus to miss game against Werder Bremen and Fortuna Dusseldorf

Marco Reus will miss Dortmund next two games against Werder Bremen and Fortuna Dusseldorf after a red card in Saturday 4-2 defeat to Schalke.Borussia Dortmund captain  Reus was sent off following a rash lunge on Suat Serdar, and will serve a two-match ban.Teammate Marius Wolf, who has been filling in as a makeshift right-back of late, received his marching orders five minutes later for a foul on the same opposition player. The 23-year-old has been handed a three-game suspension that rules him out for the rest of the season.Mario Gotze had given Dortmund the lead at the Signal Iduna Park, but goals from Daniel Caligiuri and Salif Sane put Schalke 2-1 ahead at half-time. Following Reus' sending off, Caligiuri scored from the resultant free-kick before Breel Embolo sealed the t...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

I expect Zaha to stay at Crystal Palace says Hodgson

Roy Hodgson is adamant that Wilfried Zaha will not leave Crystal Palace in the summer, despite the winger’s ambitions to play in the Champions League.Zaha is being considered as a potential target for a number of sides, however, the player still has four years remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park.Despite the interest, the price tag and salary a move would take to prise Zaha from Selhurst Park may ultimately derail a move a top club.“I have that old-fashioned idea that when you sign a contract, you go back after the season ends and start playing again,” Hodson said after Palace’s 0-0 draw with Everton. “That’s the way I see it. I hope he finds good form in the last two games.”
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SERIE A

Ronaldo hits 600th club goal in Juve-inter draw

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 600th goal of his club career to earn Italian champions Juventus a 1-1 draw away to Inter Milan in Serie A on Saturday.The Turin club wrapped up an eighth successive league title last weekend but found themselves behind early on to a wonder-strike from Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan.However, the Portuguese responded with a powerful finish in the second half to hit 20 league goals for the season, moving within two strikes of Serie A’s leading scorer, Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria, in the process.Inter remain in third place on 62 points, four ahead of AS Roma below them, while Juventus, who dropped points for just the sixth time in 34 games this season, move up to 88.
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LALIGA

Barcelona beat Levante to seal La Liga title

Barcelona has been crowned Champions of Spain after thrashing Levante 1-0 at Nou Camp.Ernesto Valverde’s side needed a win to claim the title in front of their own fans after Atletico Madrid beat Valladolid 1-0 earlier in the day and they got it thanks to Lionel Messi, who came on as a second-half substitute to score the winner. The victory sees the Catalans stay nine points clear of the Rojiblancos with three rounds of the competition remaining and their superior head-to-head record in the two league meetings between the teams this term means they cannot be caught.It is a second successive La Liga title for Valverde, an eighth in 11 seasons for Barcelona and a 10th for Lionel Messi, which sees the Argentine attacker surpass nine-time winner Andres Iniesta to set yet another record at...
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