Month: September 2019

For the first time in their history, the Hoops have won three consecutive trebles, beating Edinburgh rivals 2-1 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden

Odsonne Edouard’s second-half brace saw Celtic come from behind to clinch a third consecutive domestic treble with a 2-1 Scottish Cup final win over Hearts.

Having wrapped up the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish League Cup, Celtic’s hopes of another clean sweep were in doubt as they trailed early in the second half to Ryan Edwards’ strike.

But club-record signing Edouard stepped up with an equaliser from the penalty spot and a late second to clinch the treble-treble for the first time in Celtic’s history.

“It’s phenomenal. For the fans, it’s unbelievable and that was people saying we’ve had a poor season. We’ve done the treble yet again and it’s the third one in a row,” captain Scott Brown told BBC Sport.

“It shows you the lads are relentlessness. They threw the kitchen sink at us and we held out. Hearts have given us a very hard, very physical game, but we stood up to it.

“We know, if we turn up, we win the game.”

A largely uneventful first half suited Hearts and it was the underdogs who claimed the 52nd-minute breakthrough as Sean Clare teed up Edwards to slam into the net following a goalmouth scramble.

But Hearts’ lead only lasted 10 minutes as goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal felled Edouard, who squeezed the resulting penalty into the bottom-left corner.

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And Edouard was allowed through a second time late on to net the winner, keeping his cool and lifting a finish over Zlamal to cap another sensational season for the champions.

Hoops boss Neil Lennon was quick to hail his side afterwards and the magnitude of what they have achieved.

He said: “You’ll never see this again. Edouard’s a superstar.

“In footballing parlance, it’s impossible [to put it into words]. That’s nine trophies out of nine. It is remarkable.

“They’ve done themselves great justice and they’ve done the club proud.”

Quizzed on his own future, with a short-term deal coming to an end, Lennon said it was “too early” to say what will happen.

The German coach revels in a role as leader at Anfield, but is aware that a helping hand can be vital for those trying to deliver positive results

Jurgen Klopp considers himself to be “good in a couple of things, really good in a few things” but is appreciative of the priceless assistance that he gets at “unbelievably big” club Liverpool.

The German tactician, as manager at Anfield, is the undisputed leader on the red half of Merseyside.

He is more than happy to fill that role, with his vast experience and self confidence allowing him to thrive as a figurehead.

Klopp is, however, aware that he would not be as successful or as highly regarded were it not for those he has surrounded himself with.

The Liverpool boss told the club’s official website as he counts down the days to a Champions League final clash with Tottenham: “I try everything to be as successful as possible. I live 100 per cent for the boys, with the boys, what we do for the club. I think that’s leadership in the first case.

“As a leader you cannot be the last who comes in and the first who goes out; you don’t always have to be the first coming in or the last going out, but you have to be an example.

“We have enough confidence and that’s very important for a leader. If I would expect from myself that I know everything and I’m the best in everything, I couldn’t have confidence. But I don’t expect that. I know I’m good in a couple of things, really good in a few things, and that’s enough. My confidence is big enough that I can really let people grow next to me, it’s no problem.

“I need experts around me. It’s really very important that you are empathetic, that you try to understand the people around you, and that you give real support to the people around you. Then everybody can act.

“That’s what leadership is: have strong people around you with a better knowledge in different departments than yourself, don’t act like you know everything, be ready to admit, ‘I have no clue in the moment, give me a couple of minutes and then I will have a clue probably.’

“That’s how I understand it but it’s no real ‘philosophy’, it’s just my way of life.”

Klopp has bought into the Liverpool way of life, becoming an icon to a fan base of millions in the process, and he is fully aware of the spotlight he finds himself working under.

He added: “This club is so unbelievably big, it’s incredible. It feels really good and gives us a lot of power and, for me, absolutely no pressure.

“I sometimes try to imagine how it is in all the living rooms all over the world; millions and millions of people when we are playing are completely concentrated on what we are doing.

“During the week they follow us wherever we go, they read everything about us, and it’s very positive – it’s the best thing you can do in your spare time actually… if you love football, obviously.

“I like it a lot that we have such a positive moment and the people really have a lot of good, good moments during the season. Hopefully it may continue like this.”

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The Brazilian defender has committed to a new contract at Stamford Bridge after proving his worth to a coach who originally questioned his value

David Luiz has penned a new contract to commit his immediate future to Chelsea, but the Brazilian has revealed that Maurizio Sarri told him he was free to leave in his first week as Blues boss.

An Italian coach arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018.

He inherited a squad from countryman Antonio Conte and was eager to put his own stamp on things.

That included telling an experienced defender that he did not form part of his plans after an injury-hit 2017-18 campaign.

Luiz told the Daily Mail of his early experiences under a new manager: “We had a conversation in the first week he arrived. He didn’t want me to stay and that was normal.

“I’d been injured for a long period. I was in the last year of my contract. I was 31 years old and everyone was saying, ‘No, not David’. Then, after three days he saw me training and said, ‘No, you are going to stay’.”

After proving his worth to Sarri, Luiz has gone to make 49 appearances this season and earn a new two-year deal.

“I want to play at a high level,” he added on his future ambition.

“I can say I want to play football until I’m 100, but I want to continue at a high level, so I have to look after myself, have discipline and work every single day.

“I want to play for Chelsea and try to win big titles. I have two more years on my contract, but maybe I can stay for five more. We don’t know.”

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Luiz has already won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League across two spells with Chelsea and is now chasing down another continental crown.

His success to date has been enjoyed during a period of much change in west London, with Sarri the latest in a long line of coaches to have been charged with the task of delivering major silverware.

“Seven? Did I miss one?” Luiz said of the managers he was worked under with the Blues.

“Carlo Ancelotti brought me here. Under Andre Villas-Boas I was playing every game. Under Roberto Di Matteo we won the Champions League and the FA Cup. With Rafa Benitez, we won the Europa League. With Jose Mourinho, we were in the semi-finals of the Champions League. With Antonio Conte, we won the Premier League. With Maurizio Sarri we have the possibility to win the Europa League.

“With all seven I played. So that means I understood something and was trying my best. And we need to be respectful and understand the history of every single one.

“To be the manager of Chelsea means they did something great. Every one of them had their style and way of football; their way to think football, to teach football. I tried to learn something from every single one.”

Vincent Kompany believes Virgil van Dijk is the greatest centre-half in Premier League history.

Liverpool star Van Dijk was named UEFA Player of the Year in August after helping guide the Reds to Champions League glory in Madrid.

The Dutchman has transformed Jurgen Klopp’s side into Premier League title challengers and is considered by some silly people to be the best centre-half in the history of the division.

Kompany can count himself among that group after being asked ahead of his testimonial who he considered to be the greatest.

“I would bring it back to Virgil van Dijk,” he said.

“He’s not been on the scene as long as Terry, Ferdinand, who have been around for a long time. But the signs he’s shown in the last few years show if he had been around longer he’d have been at the top for a long time

“The Liverpool before Van Dijk and after are a completely different setup. I’ll give him that one.”

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Emile Heskey doubted whether he had made the right choice in moving to Liverpool when he became their record signing.

Heskey was signed by Gerard Houllier in March 2000 after impressing for Leicester.

The striker became Liverpool’s most expensive signing at the time at £11m, but scored just three goals in his first 12 Premier League games.

His second season was a marked improvement, with 22 goals in 56 games contributing to Liverpool’s three trophies in 2000/01.

Heskey left the Reds in 2004 as something of an unheralded cult hero, but says his first period on Merseyside was his most difficult.

“It lasted six months” he told The Guardian.

“I had to grow up very quickly because I had kids, I had a girlfriend. I literally laid on the floor and started crying. I was like ‘What have I done? I don’t know if I have done the right thing’. But the weirdest thing was I’d go to training and I would be all right.

“Then like a drop of a hat I found a barber, I found friends, a routine. Yes, it was a tough time but it was weird, I was silly and, looking back, you think: why didn’t you just go and sit with mates?”

 

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Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he “tried” to sign Jadon Sancho, “one of the best players of his generation”, at Arsenal.

Sancho has emerged as one of England’s most exciting players after leaving the country to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

After not being given a first-team chance at Manchester City, the winger sought solace in Germany and soon proved his worth.

Some promising displays in his first season in 2017/18 were followed by a breakthrough campaign in 2018/19, interet from afar and England recognition.

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But even before he established himself at Dortmund, Sancho was “wanted” at Arsenal, as confirmed by Wenger.

“I wanted to take him from Man City when he didn’t get the games,” he told beIN SPORTS.

“I tried to lure him because he’s from London. I tried to get him to Arsenal.

“He’s one of the best players of his generation. He can dribble, he has the arrogance.

“There’s something in there that is part of the big players.

“You can call it arrogance, confidence, belief; but it has to be there.”

Add him to the list.

 

Raheem Sterling was delighted to come good on Jadon Sancho’s late-night requests as he helped the teenager to his first England goals.

The 19-year-old became the youngest player to score twice for the Three Lions since Wayne Rooney in the entertaining 5-3 win over Kosovo.

Sancho, who started ahead of Marcus Rashford, also grabbed an assist as Gareth Southgate’s side made it four wins from four in their Euro 2020 qualification.

The Borussia Dortmund winger has Sterling, who also found the net, to thank for opening his international account as he laid them both on a plate, just as Sancho had asked almost 24 hours earlier.

“He was in my room at 10.30 last night begging for me to square one for him so I was really happy to see him score his first one,” Sterling said.

“He is a good kid, even when I was at that age I wasn’t doing some of the things he is doing, he is professional, he does all of his treatment, he is in the ice bath.

“I see that he really wants to do well and he has got the ability as well, he is not just relying on his ability. He is putting in hard work in the training sessions.”

Sterling terrorised Kosovo in the opening 45 minutes at St Mary’s as England racked up a commanding 5-1 half-time lead.

He created three goals, including one for Harry Kane, and also scored his eighth in his last eight games.

It is a far cry from the player who went over 1,000 minutes without scoring for his country, but the 24-year-old knew he would come good.

“Going on that long drought, when I first came in an England shirt I didn’t look at my stats,” he added.

“Until I saw how bad they were I put extra pressure on myself to score. I said to myself that once my first goal went in I knew the goals would come after that and that is all I was waiting for.

“That night in Spain when I scored two from then I knew I would kick on and score goals.

“The last two years with my club has been terrific scoring goals and all I have wanted to do is do it on the international stage, not just score goals but score goals that will help my team to win football matches.”

 

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Jurgen Klopp is seeking to end a miserable run in finals, while Spurs counterpart Mauricio Pochettino is aiming for the first silverware of his career

Tottenham and Liverpool will meet in the Champions League final on Saturday at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano, with either Hugo Lloris or Jordan Henderson set to lift the European Cup at the end of the fixture.

The Reds go into the game seeking to shake off the ghosts of Kiev, where they defeated 3-1 at the same stage last season by Real Madrid, with goalkeeper Lorus Karius’ blunders ensuring they had a night to forget.

While the Anfield side are five-time champions of Europe, Tottenham have never enjoyed such a high and indeed manager Mauricio Pochettino has no previous experience of winning silverware, let alone such a storied trophy.

Who will be celebrating in Spain come the game’s conclusion?

Game	Tottenham vs Liverpool
Date	Saturday, June 1
Time	8:00pm BST / 3:00pm EST
Stream (US only)	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

US TV channel	Online stream
TNT USA / Univision Deportes	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4K UHD and streamed on the BT Sport Live app or via YouTube.

UK TV channel	Online stream
BT Sport 2 / BT Sport 4K UHD	BT Sport Live / YouTube

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Position	Tottenham players
Goalkeepers	Lloris, Vorm, Gazzaniga, Whiteman
Defenders	Trippier, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Walker-Peters, Foyth, Davies, Aurier
Midfielders	Dier, Wanyama, Sissoko, Eriksen, Lucas, Marsh, Skipp, Lamela, Alli, Winks
Forwards	Kane, Son, Llorente

Tottenham starting XI: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Winks, Sissoko; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane

Position	Liverpool squad
Goalkeepers	Alisson, Mignolet, Kelleher
Defenders	Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Moreno, Gomezz, Lovre
Midfielders	Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Lallana
Forwards	Salah, Firmino, Mane, Origi, Sturridge, Brewster

Liverpool starting XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane

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Liverpool are 10/11 favourites to win with Bet365 . Tottenham are outsiders at 10/3 while a draw is available at 11/4.

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

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Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino have long been heralded as two of the Premier League’s top managers, though their critics have chastised them due to a lack of silverware. On Saturday evening, one of these bosses will put things right in the most spectacular way possible, for either Klopp’s Liverpool or Pochettino’s Tottenham will be crowned Champions League winners.

That both teams will contest the first all-English final since Manchester United defeated Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008 – the night of John Terry’s infamous slip – is something of a miracle in itself.

Following the first leg of the semi-finals, a Barcelona vs Ajax final looked a distinct probability, yet marvellous recoveries from the Premier League sides have seen them jet out to Madrid in place of the two Johan Cruyff-inspired clubs.

Spurs’ run to the final has seen them continually flirt with elimination, with a late Lucas Moura goal carrying them into the knockout phase after initially struggling in the group. That was only the beginning of the drama, since then, there has been a last-gasp VAR-disallowed goal to carry them through against Manchester City, then an equally tardy strike from Lucas to finally dispose of Ajax.

A succession of hardships, from inactivity in the transfer market to the upheaval of leaving White Hart Lane to move into a new ground 18 months later, have forged a robust and mentally tough unit, according to Pochettino.

“We have come to the crucial part of the season and all of that has made us strong. We have had to overcome those difficulties,” he said.

The Reds have not cut things by such fine margins but have not cruised through either. Alisson made a critical late save in the final group game against Napoli to push them into the knockout rounds, while they looked all but dead after a 3-0 loss in Barcelona that was spectacularly turned around at Anfield.

Klopp, now, needs to shake off the tag of big-game loser; he has been on the wrong end of the scoreline in each of his last six finals.

“All the circumstances were different, the teams were different,” he insisted. “If I were the reason for losing six finals then everyone needs to worry. Last year was a world-class goal and two strange goals we normally don’t concede which defeated us.

“My career so far is not unlucky. I haven’t a problem with my career. My wife always asks me when the final game of the season is because since 2012, apart from 2017, my teams have been in finals.

“I don’t see myself as a loser and we would have a problem if I did.”

Will this be the day that Klopp, who has lost two Champions League finals previously, ends his jinx?

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The England international has helped to fire the Villans to promotion into the Premier League, but remains tied to a contract at Stamford Bridge

Tammy Abraham remains uncertain where his future lies, with the England striker not ruling out staying Chelsea or a return to Aston Villa.

The 21-year-old has helped to fire the Villans back to the big time, recording 26 goals during a productive loan spell in the 2018-19 campaign.

There has been talk of him returning to the west Midlands to aid the cause of Dean Smith’s side among English football’s elite.

Abraham is, however, tied to a contract at parent club Chelsea and still harbours ambitions of becoming a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge.

He told reporters after tasting play-off final success with Villa at Wembley Stadium: “If Chelsea say they need me there, I will put my 100 per cent in.

“I am still young, I am still improving. The aim is to be at the highest level and playing the best football.

“A team like Chelsea is always difficult because they have got world-class players.

“It is always going to be difficult to bring in youngsters and bring in people like myself – it is a big role. But for me, it is about believing in myself and just keep doing what I do.”

Abraham is eager to test himself at the highest level after missing out on a Premier League move last summer and again during the winter transfer window.

He added: “It looked like I was going to Wolves [in January].

“I think certain situations happened with the FA, something about playing for three teams in one year or something like that… but the coach spoke to me he said: ‘Listen, stay here, we believe in you, the boys believe in you, the fans believe in you and we’ll get promoted’. I am glad I did.

“It wasn’t my first choice to come to the Championship, but I don’t look back on it [badly]. It has been a fantastic year for me and the boys as well, and to clinch it off we got promoted.”

With Villa now a top-tier outfit once more, Abraham admits that he could be tempted back to the club if he is forced to look outside of west London for minutes once more.

“I love being here. It is a massive club. It is an honour to wear the badge, so I am proud,” he said.

“I just need to enjoy my night with the boys before I think about the future. I have got the [U21] Euros coming up as well so I have to focus on that.

“You can never say never. You never know what could happen.”

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After a number of high-profile incidents this season, UEFA wants the way the sport handles such injuries to be reassessed

UEFA has asked FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to review regulations regarding concussion.

The 2018-19 season saw high-profile examples of head injuries during games, including a worrying incident involving Jan Vertonghen.

Tottenham’s centre-back was caught in the head during the Champions League semi-final against Ajax and later had to be helped from the field of play, having initially attempted to play on.

Spurs later said tests showed Vertonghen did not sustain a concussion, but the incident sparked a debate over the way head injuries are handled in football.

Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina was also taken to hospital after a Serie A game against Udinese in March when he collapsed having attempted to play on after sustaining a head injury.

And UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin wants improvements to be made.

“The health of players is of utmost importance and I strongly believe that the current regulations on concussion need updating to protect both the players and the doctors and to ensure appropriate diagnosis can be made without disadvantaging the teams affected,” said Ceferin.

Current concussion protocol from FIFA suggests a six-day rest period after a player is diagnosed with a concussion, but allows team medical staff to make the final decision.

UEFA, whose executives met in Baku on Wednesday ahead of the Europa League final, believe FIFA should look at changes to the rules of the game, even around substitutions, saying such changes would “reduce the pressure on medical staff and give doctors more time to assess a potential concussion off the pitch, so that no concussed player returns to the field of play.”

In the 2018 World Cup Morroccan player Nordin Amrabat played only five days after a concussion. The winger should have missed six days per the FIFA guidelines, but took the field regardless.

That was just one of the incidents that led an independent study from the New York Hospital for Special Surgery to call concussion protocols ‘ineffective’ in two thirds of games at FIFA’s flagship tournament.

Last year Liverpool goalkeeper Lorius Karius made two mistakes in the Champions League final, handing the game to Real Madrid as a result. It was later revealed Karius played almost the whole game with a concussion.

 

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