FOOTBALL NEWS

Ronaldo, Messi & the winners of the world’s top individual awards from past 12 months Ronan Murphy   With the Goal 50 set to be unveiled next week, we take a look back at all the major award winners since Cristiano Ronaldo lifted last year's prize It has been 12 months since Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the Goal 50 prize for 2016, with the Portugal and Real Madrid superstar following that triumph with many more personal honours. However, the 32-year-old has not had it all his way in the past year, with many other major names picking up individual awards. Ronaldo's long-term rival for greatest player in the world - and former Goal 50 winner Lionel Messi - topped the goalscoring charts in La Liga, which also saw him take the European Golden Shoe award. Although Ronaldo could not match Messi's 37 La Liga goals, he was the Champions League's top scorer with 12 goals as Madrid lifted the trophy. Many of the award winners gained ...

Morata confident of coping with pressure from fans, coaches, and Chelsea record transfer fee     A little over 24 hours before his first ever Premier League match — one he’s not actually guaranteed to start — Chelsea record signing Álvaro Morata sat down for an exclusive interview with Marca , quotes from which have started making their across to England and framed (or re-framed) into silly headlines (“they’re already killing me”). But that sorts of narrative is just one of the pressures on the shoulders of Chelsea’s newest no.9, tasked with the challenge of not only replacing Diego Costa’s goals and impact, but also breaking the curse that has hung over that particular shirt number for much of the Roman Abramovich era. There is also the pressure of his transfer fee, a Chelsea club record, the pressure from the fans and media, and most of all, pressure from the coach who believed in him in the first place and now will rely on him to avoid a sophomore ...

‘Mesut Ozil will take centre stage for Arsenal this season’, says former midfielder Stewart Robson   Mesut Ozil will ‘take centre stage’ as Arsenal’s main man this season, former Gunners midfielder Stewart Robson told talkSPORT. After months of speculation over his future, recent reports have claimed German playmaker Ozil is finally ready to commit to the north London club and sign a contract extension. With Alexis Sanchez likely to leave either this or next summer, securing Ozil's signature would be a huge boost for Arsenal  and their future plans. And Robson believes the 28-year-old can put his recent inconsistent displays behind him and be the Gunners’ stand-out star this term. Previewing Friday night’s Premier League opener against Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium, Robson told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast : “The way Arsenal are going to play with this 3-4-3 system, Ozil and Sanchez would be absolutely ideal for it. “Playing i...

Leicester City warn Chelsea off midfielder   With the new Premier League season set to begin this weekend — tonight in fact, for Leicester City as they travel to Arsenal — teams that already had little reason to let go of players have become even less willing to do so. This certainly does not bode well for Chelsea, who are looking address holes in the squad’s depth by completing a few deals for Premier League-proven players before the end of the month. One of these players is Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater, who partnered N'Golo Kanté during Leicester’s Premier League-title winning campaign back in the 2015-16 term. After getting Kanté last summer, Chelsea have now been increasingly linked with the other half of that duo, especially after sanctioning Nemanja Matic's departure to Manchester United last weekend. However the Foxes are less than inclined to agree to any of Chelsea’s overtures as they do not want to become known as 'selling club...

Liverpool receive good news regarding Coutinho’s transfer saga   According to reports , Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho will not force through a move to Barcelona. The Brazil international is a priority target for the Catalan giants, who view him as a replacement for Neymar and wishes to move. The Reds are hoping to keep Coutinho as he is a key part of their team and have already rejected two bids from Barcelona. Coutinho scored 13 goals and provided several assists for Liverpool last season, playing a key role for the club as they gained Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League. Though the player wishes to leave and join the Spanish giants, he will only do so if a mutual agreement can be reached by the two clubs.  Barcelona also have Ousmane Dembele as a target. While Barcelona may try again with another bid, it will be very difficult to persuade the Reds to sell at this stage – especially if Coutinho does no...

Neymar set for PSG debut as Barcelona receive transfer fee   The world's most expensive player is expected to make his first appearance in his new club's colours this weekend The bank problem holding up Neymar's Paris Saint-Germain registration has cleared and the Brazil international should be free to make his debut on Sunday against Guingamp, Goal understands. The 25-year-old made a world-record €222 million move from Barcelona to PSG last week but was unable to play because final details of his registration had not been completed . Those issues are set to be ironed out over the next 24 hours, allowing him to play at Stade du Roudourou. Neymar evens to win the Ballon d'Or this decade Neymar had been waiting on his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), but Barca refused to clear it until they had received the funds from the French outfit into their bank account. The Camp Nou side have now received the money and as such have given...

Africans with a point to prove this season   Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City): The last 12 months have been tough for Kelechi Iheanacho. Earmarked for greatness and expected to take his game to the next level in the previous season under Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, the forward’s game instead regressed as a consequence of his lack of playing time and an apparent lack of trust by his manager. Following his move to Leicester City, the wonderkid has a chance to get his career back on track under Craig Shakespeare and show that the Citizens’ loss will be the Foxes’ gain. Will Iheanacho be a success at the King Power?

The Spain striker's imminent move to Stamford Bridge is of no concern for the Manchester United manager Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is unfazed by Alvaro Morata's imminent move to Chelsea as he challenged Romelu Lukaku. Real Madrid and Chelsea have agreed a fee for Morata , who was also a target for United during the close-season. Both Premier League clubs were also believed to be chasing Lukaku, with United signing the striker for a reported £75million from Everton . Bet on Chelsea's tour in Asia Speaking on Wednesday, Mourinho said he had little interest in his former club's movements as he challenged Lukaku to prove his worth at the top level, including the Champions League. "I'm not interested in what Chelsea Football Club does, really," he told a news conference. "We needed a striker. With Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] in his best condition we needed one to give cover, to give options, him and Marcus [Rashford...

Guardiola praises Hull's Silva Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has declared his admiration for Hull City counterpart Marco Silva before the sides clash in the Premier League on Saturday. City's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in midweek left them in fourth place, 14 points behind the league leaders with eight games to play, while Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a 4-2 win over Middlesbrough. "I know this manager when he was in Greece (with Olympiakos) and playing Champions League football and I was in Bayern Munich," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. "He is doing an outstanding job because it was absolutely at t...

Hazard key to Chelsea success - Courtois Thibaut Courtois believes keeping Eden Hazard is key to Chelsea hopes of building on this season's dominance of the Premier League title race. Hazard confirmed his importance to Antonio Conte's side with both goals in the 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday that moved Chelsea one step closer to the title ahead of Saturday's trip to Bournemouth. The Belgium forward has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois, Hazard's international teammate, is anxious to see the 26-year-old remain at Stamford Bridge and fire the west London club ...

‘Stoke will see Berahino's best next season’   Manager Mark Hughes said he does not expect Saido Berahino to produce his best football for Stoke City until next season as the striker is still finding his feet at the Premier League club. Berahino, who joined Stoke from West Bromwich Albion in January, has not scored a league goal in over a year, and had seen his career stall at his former club due to off-field incidents. The 23-year-old is yet to score in eight appearances for Stoke. "(Berahino) hasn't played a lot of football this year and he's still getting up to speed. These games are invaluable and I feel we will see a marked di...

Bournemouth ready for Chelsea test Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe believes his side have grown in confidence after battling back to draw with Liverpool at Anfield in midweek, and can take points off Chelsea when the league leaders visit the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Bournemouth had a torrid start to the year, going nine games without a win in all competitions, but have rallied impressively up to 13th in the table and within touching distance of survival after a run of five games without defeat. The 2-2 draw at Anfield has lifted the mood at the Vitality Stadium, with Howe now confident his team can hold their own against the best in the league. "The mood right now is good. We've done well recently and we want to carry that on," Howe told a news conference on Friday. "We've been hard to break down in the las...

Kane nearing return - Pochettino Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane is set to make a swift return from an ankle injury as manager Mauricio Pochettino expects the prolific striker to be available for selection before the end of the season. Kane, the Premier League club's leading marksman with 24 goals, sustained the injury during Tottenham's FA Cup win over Millwall this month. The north London side refused to put a time scale on the 23-year-old's return but media reports had suggested he was set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. "He will be fit before the end of the season and we believe he can be available i...

Guardiola needs Hull of a boost Manchester City's season has hit a bump at a bad time, and a victory at home to Hull City on Saturday will help bolster their bid to play Champions League football. City’s 2-1 defeat at leaders Chelsea on Wednesday means they have now gone more than a month without a Premier League victory. Successive league draws against Stoke, Liverpool and Arsenal, followed by the result at Stamford Bridge, have seen City manager Pep Guardiola’s team slip to fourth place in the standings. They were also eliminated from the Champions League by Monaco during that period, meaning that the City manager’s o...

Balotelli brace keeps Nice in title hunt Mario Balotelli scored a first-half double as Nice came from behind to win 2-1 at Lille on Friday and keep their unlikely bid for the French title alive. Ibrahim Amadou's early deflected strike had Lille in front at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but Balotelli quickly equalised with a sublime finish and then tapped in what proved to be the winner on the stroke of the interval. The goals took Balotelli's total in Ligue 1 this season to 13 in 19 appearances but, remarkably, they were the first of that tally he has scored away from home. Nice, who have already established a best-ever points ...

Barca's Rafinha to miss rest of the season Barcelona midfielder Rafinha's season was brought to a premature end after undergoing knee surgery on Friday, the club confirmed.  The Brazilian will be sidelined for four months ruling him out of Barca's push for a treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey.  "Rafinha has had an arthroscopy in the right knee to solve an injury in the internal meniscus," Barca said in a statement.  "The estimated time out is four months."  Rafinha had to be replaced after just 17 minutes of Barca's 4-1 win at Granada on Sunday.  The 24-year-old had become a key player in Barca boss Luis Enrique's s...

Alexis wants to stay at Arsenal - Wenger     Alexis Sanchez wants to stay at Arsenal despite speculation that he is disillusioned by the club's failure to challenge for the Premier League title, manager Arsene Wenger said on Friday. Reports in British media say contract talks have been put on hold, but Wenger insists Sanchez, who has a year and a half left on his deal, will be at the club next season. "Basically, he (Sanchez) wants to stay at the club and it's down to finding an agreement with his agent," Wenger told reporters on Friday. "The players first have to see if they are happy at the club, then they have to find an agreement." Arsenal, fifth in the Premier League, are in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification and the 28-year-old Sanchez has been linked with a number of other clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris St Germain. Wenger himself is out of c...

I'm no monster - Mourinho Jose Mourinho has insisted he is not the "monster" he was portrayed to be when he joined Manchester United. Mourinho became the first United manager to win a trophy in his first season at Old Trafford when he collected the League Cup with last week's thrilling 3-2 win against Southampton at Wembley. And he will be aiming for more silverware when he takes United's challenge in the Europa League to Russian side Rostov. Mourinho arrived at Old Trafford having been sacked from Chelsea last season after a toxic fallout that involved the dismissal of a club doctor and alleged disagreements inside the dressing room. But the United manager was adamant nobody ...

UCL places in focus for Chelsea's weary pursuers Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal's long serving boss Arsene Wenger have both seen promising title challenges turn to dust making Saturday's match between their clubs potentially crucial to hopes of securing a Champions League spot. An Arsenal win at Anfield would see them move four points clear of Liverpool, and with a game in hand, would consolidate their hold on what is at the moment the fourth and last Champions League place. Second-placed Tottenham – who trail leaders Chelsea by 10 points and have a three point advantage over their north London rivals – have a...

Gesture costs Ancelotti €5 000 Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti will not be punished for showing Hertha Berlin fans his middle finger but must make a donation to charity, the German Federation (DFB) said on Tuesday. The Italian coach had made the explicit gesture after being spat at by Hertha fans during Bayern's 1-1 draw in Berlin on Saturday. The DFB said it had closed the case against Ancelotti "on condition the Bayern Munich coach makes a 5 000-euros ($5 270) donation to the Sepp-Herberger Foundation", the federation said in a statement on its website. The foundation – named after the coach of the West Germany team that won the 1...

Five things we learned from La Liga Gareth Bale made his return from a three-month injury layoff in style as Real Madrid maintained their one-point lead over Barcelona in the La Liga title race. Barca, meanwhile, had to rely on a last gasp Lionel Messi penalty to see off Leganes, while Kevin Gameiro netted one of the fastest hat-tricks in La Liga history for Atletico Madrid. Here, AFP Sports looks at five things we learned from week 23 in La Liga. Barca fail to convince Barcelona got back to winning ways by the skin of their teeth against lowly Leganes. However, another poor performance following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands...

Iniesta backs coach after fans vent frustration Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta and the club's president have rallied behind coach Luis Enrique after fans vented their frustration at a tough week with boos during their 2-1 home win in La Liga on Sunday. Just days after a 4-0 drubbing by Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in France in the Champions League last 16, Barcelona needed Lionel Messi to convert a 90th minute penalty to beat struggling Leganes. Iniesta acknowledged the defending Spanish league champions were rattled after the defeat to PSG but backed the coach and team to restore the side's winning mentality. "We have not lost confidence in ourselves or in the manager," Iniesta to...

Court rejects Neymar, Barca appeal A Spanish court on Monday dismissed appeals from Neymar and Barcelona over alleged fraud and corruption in the Brazilian star's transfer from Santos in 2013. The decision brings the possibility of the player and club facing trial a step closer. Neymar's arrival from Brazil's Santos has been a huge success for the Spanish champions on the pitch but a judicial nightmare off it. The 25-year-old Brazilian striker is being investigated in Brazil and Spain over his headline move to La Liga. Barcelona originally published the transfer figure as €57.1 million, with €40 million of that given to the player's family...

'Barca don't know how to treat players' Brazilian right back Dani Alves has slammed Barcelona directors for their treatment of him during his final seasons with the Spanish club. The former Barcelona star signed for Serie A champions Juventus on a free transfer last summer after eight years with the Catalan giants. "Those who run Barcelona today have no idea how to treat their players," Alves told Spanish daily ABC on Monday. "I like to feel wanted, and if they don't want me, I leave. Leaving Barca on a free was a classy punch. During my final three seasons I always heard that Alves was leaving, but the directors never said a...

Lallana signs new Liverpool deal Midfielder Adam Lallana has signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club said on their website (www.liverpoolfc.com) on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Lallana, who joined Liverpool from Southampton for £25 million in June 2014, has made 23 appearances so far this season, scoring seven goals and contributing seven assists. "I'm very proud and feel quite humbled by the show of faith from the club and the manager in particular," Lallana told the website. "Signing for a club like Liverpool is obviously a big thing but to re-sign shows you've obviously contr...

Valencia early show stuns Real Madrid Two goals in the opening eight minutes from Simone Zaza and Fabian Orellana blew the La Liga title race wide open as Valencia beat leaders Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday. The defeat leaves Madrid just a single point clear of Barcelona and three points ahead of Sevilla and now enjoy just one game in hand over their title rivals. "We lost this match in the opening ten minutes, ten bad minutes where we let two goals in," Eeal coach Zinedine zidane told Spanish TV. "I'm not worried, I'm angry more than anything, because we only have ourselves to blame." Italian striker Zaza had broken do...