Month: September 2019

Christian Benteke claims he could still do a job in Liverpool’s front line as he reflects on his Anfield career.

The former Reds striker, who scored just once for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, believes he could still get into Jurgen Klopp’s team, despite the German allowing him to leave soon after arriving at Anfield.

“Yeah, it’s easy to say now because I play for Palace and they play for Liverpool, but when you train every day with the same players and the manager believes in you, it’s easier.” He told SPORTbible.

“People will say I’m making excuses, but everyone knows the club was going through a transition when I was there,” he told

“If you compare the team from when I was there to the current team, I think there are only three, four players still in the first 11, most of them are new.”

Roy Hodgson has backed the misfiring Crystal Palace forward, saying he will make it out of his goalscoring ‘rut’.

 

 

The Belgian also responded to the widespread criticism he has received on social media.

He said: “People check the live scores, see that you haven’t scored and say, ‘oh he’s shit’, without knowing how you played.

“Sometimes I feel like they [critics] are too hard with me, but in another way, it’s because they know I can do better.”

 

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Frank Lampard believes Callum Hudson-Odoi can become the best player in the world and has urged him to listen to some “hard truths” and use Raheem Sterling as a role model.

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Hudson-Odoi recently ended speculation about his Stamford Bridge future by signing a new five-year contract before making a goalscoring return from a ruptured Achilles tendon in the midweek Carabao Cup thrashing of Grimsby.

Despite the promising comeback after five months out, Chelsea boss Lampard feels the England international remains far from the finished article.

The 18-year-old has been encouraged to take on board advice and follow the example set by prolific international team-mate Sterling in order to realise his potential.

 

 

“I know Callum’s talent and he’s got huge talent, hence why the club was so keen to get him signed up and we’re all delighted with that,” said Lampard.

“But there is a lot of work to do.

“Raheem Sterling is an incredible example of a player with great talent whose work ethic added to that talent, and an improvement in a short period of time through absolute dedication to a complete player that we are all wowed by.

“(That) is exactly the great model for Callum because he has those talents. And I want him to be the best, the absolute best, because he has the potential to do that.

“And some of that is some hard truths and I saw some hard truths out of the game the other day in ways that he can improve.

“He needs to listen to them, and he will, and then he can be that player for us, which is great news for everybody.”

Hudson-Odoi is set to be involved in a Premier League squad for the first time under Lampard against Brighton on Saturday.

Before Wednesday’s 7-1 win over the League Two Mariners, the teenager’s previous outing came in the 2-2 draw with Burnley on April 22.

While Lampard will be keen to quickly integrate the player into a new-look Blues team which includes a number of other academy graduates, he is wary of rushing him back following such a serious injury.

“I will be careful with Callum, considering the type of injury he had,” said Lampard.

“That’s not to say he can’t play a major part in tomorrow’s game or a slightly lesser one.

“I will have to see on its merits with a bit of Callum’s personal injury situation in my mind as well.”

Lampard is still seeking a first top-flight home win ahead of the visit of Graham Potter’s Seagulls.

The 41-year-old wants to reward the club’s supporters for their patience and backing during a transitional phase severely hindered by a transfer ban.

“I bump into them all the time. Cabbies, people when I walk the dog, everyone’s been very supportive with what we’re trying to do,” Lampard said of the fans.

“I want to repay that and I know it’s a bit of a process. I want to repay it quickly but a lot of the fans – which is the real pleasing thing – are saying they see this is going to maybe take a bit of time, so that’s nice.

“But clearly we have to work like we want it tomorrow.”

Lampard has also reacted to the ‘irony’ of Leeds winning the fair play award last season, in the wake of the ‘spy gate’ scandal.

 

FIFA insists the voting process for The Best awards was entirely above board after claims it was fixed in favour of Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian won the vote at the ceremony in Milan on Monday night ahead of Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk.

Delegates and players connected to various federations claimed their votes were either not counted or had been changed.

The world governing body said on Thursday that Egypt’s ballots were discounted as they were written “in capital letters and thus seemed not valid (not authentic)”.

A statement from football’s world governing body released on Friday afternoon read: “FIFA has been disappointed to see a number of reports in the media questioning the integrity of the voting process for the awards.

 

“These reports are unfair and misleading. The voting procedure for each of the awards is supervised and monitored by an independent observer, in this case PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland.”

The statement added that member associations had been asked to submit forms both electronically and as hard copies.

“The written documents must also be signed by the responsible persons of the association as well as by the persons authorised to vote,” the statement continued.

“Therefore in order for a vote to be valid it must include the respective signatures and the member association’s stamp.

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“Both FIFA and the independent observer can demonstrate that all the votes submitted in accordance with the rules and within the deadlines were taken into account. Consequently, there is no doubt whatsoever as to the authenticity of the result.

“Should there have been any case of wrongdoing, and even if this did not affect the result of the vote, FIFA will investigate and apply sanctions where necessary.”

The award was the sixth of Messi’s career and followed a 2018-19 season where he scored 51 goals and helped Barca to the Spanish league title.

Jurgen Klopp won the coach of the year award after steering Liverpool to Champions League glory, while United States star Megan Rapinoe won the women’s player of the year award for her key role in their World Cup success over the summer.

 

Norwich head coach Daniel Farke has warned his squad not to let injury setbacks derail their bid to stay competitive in the Premier League.

The Canaries head to Crystal Palace on Saturday without goalkeeper Tim Krul, who has a back issue, while midfielder Alex Tettey is sidelined by a groin injury picked up in last week’s defeat at Burnley.

Defender Max Aarons, though, provided some positive news with an earlier-than-expected return from his ankle problem sustained while on international duty with England Under-21s.

After pulling off a shock 3-2 home win against champions Manchester City, the promoted side were brought back down to earth by a sobering 2-0 loss at Turf Moor.

Norwich are expected to be scrapping for every point in the battle to keep themselves clear of the relegation dogfight, and Farke maintains there can be no excuses – no matter how busy the treatment room.

 

 

“When you have to play without many key players, then it is always difficult to gain points at this level, especially for us who is always the underdog in every game, but we never complained,” the Norwich head coach said.

“I told the lads it is not just to speak about that after the international break I hope at least a few players will come back.

“Of course we will then be more competitive, but it does not mean that we can say ‘Right, after the international break we will start to gain points’ – no, it is even more important to gain some points right now.

“My feeling is if we are able to win points, even in this situation, then these points are worth even more than in a normal situation, for that we are even more greedy to win some points.”

Farke continued at a press conference: “We have spoken pretty honestly about what we could have done better (at Burnley). There were also a few good things, but generally we were disappointed.

“It is not like we are saying ‘OK, with these injuries we are happy for a close loss’.”

Back-up goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann has been managing a groin problem, so veteran Northern Ireland international Michael McGovern is on standby.

Farke said: “If I have to play with Michael McGovern, I am not concerned. He is a great lad and is always ready to take his chance.

“He is so professional, he is always analysing the strikers of the opponent with Ralf and Tim. In training, he always delivers.”

Farke is expecting another stern away test of his side’s top-flight credentials at Selhurst Park.

“Palace are well-structured and disciplined,” the Norwich boss added. “We have to be pragmatic and work methodically.

“However, we don’t want to just protect our own goal, we are good when we control the ball and attack.”

 

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The former Arsenal manager admitted being in a difficult spot when handing the playmaker a new deal but said it might be influencing his performance

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger speculated giving Mesut Ozil a new contract may have left the playmaker in a comfort zone and not at his best.

Ozil signed a new contract just over a year ago with just six months remaining on his previous deal with the Gunners.

Faced with the prospect of losing Ozil for nothing, the club elected to give him a three-and-half year contract through the end of the 2021 season.

While that happened with Wenger at the helm with the belief the German would be one of team’s stars going forward, Ozil’s place in the team has changed under new Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

The 30-year-old Ozil has found himself relegated to the fringes of the XI, with speculation over his future growing ever louder.

And Wenger, who was speaking after receiving a Lifetime Achievement honour at the Laureus World Sports Awards, conceded that the contract Ozil received was made with the hope, like all moves, that the club would receive the best from the player over the term of the deal.

However, the former Gunners boss said that does not always happen as a player can grow comfortable and not perform or practice at their best.

“I feel that the length of the contract has nothing to do normally with the selection of the team,” Wenger was quoted as saying by the Guardian. “But sometimes there are special cases.

“Most of the time now we think when we sign a player for five years we have a good player for five years.

“But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they practice, they play their best. Because they might be in their comfort zone.”

However, Wenger also noted the difficult situation the club was in, saying that they faced the choice of paying a large fee and contract for a replacement or simply re-signing a player already on their team.

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“He has a contract but the problem is that if you want to buy a player like him you have to spend £100 million,” Wenger added. “And to maintain the value of the player, beyond the Özil case, it is more about the way football is structured.

“To buy players of top, top quality you need £100m. So the decision you have to make is whether you re-sign the player, who costs us nothing, or do we have the money to buy a new player?”

The Italy international defender has stated that he turned down interest from the Liga giants in favour of rejoining the reigning Serie A champions

Leonardo Bonucci has revealed that he turned down Real Madrid to rejoin Serie A side Juventus from AC Milan last summer.

Following seven seasons at Juventus from 2010 to 2017, Bonucci made the switch to AC Milan for the 2017-18 season.

Despite making 51 appearances and signing an initial five-year deal at San Siro, Bonucci made the switch back to Turin to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the current 2018-19 campaign.

He has slotted straight back into the club’s starting line-up under Massimiliano Allegri, with the defender playing an essential role in the side’s current undefeated record in the league.

But returning to Juve was not his only option, with the 31-year-old admitting he turned down the chance to join La Liga giants Real Madrid in the summer and the chance to play at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Real Madrid’s interest? Yes, it’s true, Real Madrid were interested in me,” Bonucci told AS. 

“It was an honour and pleasure for me, it means that I have worked well in these years. 

“But the call from Juventus and the desire to return home was fundamental, I decided that the Bianconeri colours fit me better.”

The defender also revealed it was not just for footballing reasons that he opted for a return to his former club after just one season playing for Milan.

Bonucci stated his six-year-old son played a pivotal role in his switch back to Juve, with his family still based in Turin.

“How did my son Lorenzo react? He’s happy because dad came home,” he added. “Last year I was almost always in Milan and he could not see me. It was one of the reasons why I came back.”

The Italy international has made 26 appearances this season and looks on course to win his seventh Serie A title as Juventus currently hold a 13-point lead at the top of the table.

The prospect of the club’s first Champions League trophy since 1996 remains a possibility, with the club hopeful that Ronaldo can fire them to European glory.

Juventus’ next fixture is against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night before a Serie A clash against Bologna on February 24.

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With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez already ruled out, the Reds are sweating on the Croatia international’s fitness ahead of Tuesday’s showdown

Jurgen Klopp says he will have to wait “minute by minute” before making a decision on whether Dejan Lovren can face Bayern Munich in Tuesday’s Champions League tie.

Croatia centre-back Lovren has not played since injuring his hamstring in the FA Cup third-round defeat to Wolves on January 7.

With Joe Gomez injured and Virgil van Dijk suspended for the last-16 first-leg tie at Anfield , having Lovren available would be a major boost for the Reds.

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But Klopp told Liverpool’s official website it is too soon to make a decision.

“I don’t know 100 per cent. It’s Monday and we play on Tuesday so most of that should be clear,” he said.

“Dejan, I actually have to wait minute by minute if there is a chance or not.”

Klopp sounded more hopeful on the availability of former Bayern winger Xherdan Shaqiri, who has been contending with an abdominal problem, and Georginio Wijnaldum following his recovery from illness, with the pair having taken part in training.

“Gini trained and looked really well. Shaq did a lot, so it will be close, we have to see,” he added.

With Lovren’s status still uncertain, Fabinho could be utilised as at centre-back but Klopp says the onus will be on the whole team to put in a shift defensively.

“In the Champions League, against Bayern Munich, it’s not an easy job. It depends on how we defend in general,” he added at a news conference.

“There will be a lot of moments when we have to defend, and we’ve worked on that.

“We respect the qualities of Bayern Munich a lot: speed, technique, experience. We try to make the best of the situation.”

The Serbia international forward is currently the top goalscorer in Bundesliga and is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs

Barcelona are at the front of the queue to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Luka Jovic this summer amid interest from a host of other European clubs.

Goal understands Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are all monitoring the Serbia international’s progress, with the 21-year-old having scored 19 goals in 29 appearances this season.

Frankfurt are hopeful of completing the permanent signing of the Benfica loanee this summer for €6 million (£5.3m/$6.8m) and are set to demand around €60m (£52m/$68m) for his signature.

That asking price is understood to be above what many of the interested clubs are willing to pay, with the hope that Frankfurt will drop their pricetag to an amount closer to €35m (£31m/$39.7m).

Barca are looking to sign a new forward during the summer window as they aim to secure a permanent replacement for Luis Suarez, having brought in Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan from Sassuolo in January.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are also looking to bolster their forward ranks, but uncertainty over Maurizio Sarri’s future as manager at Stamford Bridge and the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain has led Jovic to prefer Catalunya to west London.

Higuain could yet depart this summer, with his original loan deal set to be up after six months, but the Blues can choose to extend that by a further year or sign the Argentina international permanently from Juventus for €36m (£32m/$40.7m).

Should a move to Barca not come to pass, Jovic would also be happy to reunite with former Frankfurt boss Niko Kovac at Bayern, where he would likely act as an understudy for Robert Lewandowski.

Either way, Jovic’s agent Fali Ramadani is braced for activity come the end of the season, while the player himself is thrilled to be linked with a series of the world’s top clubs.

“I’m honoured, of course, for such big clubs to show an interest in me,” he told Sportsbuzzer. “But right now I’m happy to be here in Frankfurt and I feel good here.

“At the moment I’m just concentrating on Eintracht Frankfurt, that’s my top priority.”

With 14 Bundesliga goals to his name this season, Jovic sits atop the German top-flight’s goalscoring charts ahead of the likes of Lewandowski, Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer.

He has formed a formidable relationship with fellow forwards Sebastien Haller and Ante Rebic, with Frankfurt currently sat seventh in the table.

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Asia had been mooted as a potential destination but Jurgen Klopp feels the training facilities in the States are better suited to the club’s needs

Liverpool look set to return to the United States this summer with the Reds close to finalising a three-city pre-season tour.

It had been expected that Jurgen Klopp and his squad would be visiting Asia as part of their preparations for the 2019-20 season. China had been touted as a potential destination, while Liverpool have also visited Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in recent years.

But Goal has learned that the Reds are now increasingly likely to break with recent tradition, which has seen them alternate from year to year between a North American tour and a Far East trip, by returning to the States this time around.

Liverpool played three games in the International Champions Cup there last summer, facing Borussia Dortmund in Charlotte, Manchester City in New Jersey and Manchester United in Michigan. And it is understood that Klopp was keen that this summer’s tour should also take place in America, where facilities and training conditions are felt to be better for the manager’s pre-season preparations.

A game in Boston, home of Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group, will almost certainly be on the agenda, while it is understood that both New York and Chicago are likely destinations, with the tour to take place in late-July. It is expected, too, that Liverpool will again compete in the International Champions Cup, though that is yet to be confirmed at this stage.

Klopp will hope to have the majority of his first-team squad available for the tour, despite both the Copa America and Africa Cup of Nations taking place this summer.

The Copa America, which will be held in Brazil, takes place between June 14 and July 7, with the likes of Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino all hoping to be involved with the hosts.

AFCON, meanwhile, will take place in Egypt from June 21 to July 19, with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita all set to feature for their respective countries.

In recent years Liverpool have tended to play a series of ‘domestic’ friendlies, usually away from home against north-west opposition, before heading off on their long-haul pre-season tour.

Last summer, Klopp took them to Evian, France for a week-long training camp before finishing their preparations with a game against Napoli in Dublin and an Anfield fixture against Torino, while in 2017 they took part in the two-day Audi Cup in Munich, alongside Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Napoli.

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Juventus face an uphill struggle to overcome Atletico Madrid in the second leg but Massimiliano Allegri says it can be done

Massimiliano Allegri insisted his side are “not dead yet” following a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash.

Juve were downed by two late strikes from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin and had earlier been spared by a VAR decision that denied Alvaro Morata a goal against his former club.

With Juve facing an uphill struggle to reach the quarter-finals ahead of the second leg in Turin next month, Allegri claimed his side had been forced to play badly by their hosts.

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“The second half was ugly, as we made the mistake of going after them,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “Atleti are very good at letting a game go by without a shot on goal.

“We had already risked ourselves on a breakaway and lost a ball, but the fact is that in the second half we did not have a shot on goal. Atleti came out much more aggressively on set plays and caught us by surprise.

“Now we have the chance to turn this around. We must have faith, we’ll have some players back and there’s no point crying over spilt milk.

“We knew it was going to be tough, that Atletico Madrid force you to play badly, with a slow tempo. We moved the ball quicker in the first half, but not in the second.

“We got the approach wrong in the second half. It’s that simple.

“These things can happen, there will be great disappointment after this, but we can turn it around. It won’t be easy, we need a great second leg, but it can be done and we must have faith.

“We’re not dead yet, we weren’t dead after losing 3-0 at home to Real Madrid [in the group stage], let alone now we’ve got the second leg at home.

“It’s important to maintain the focus, organisation and keep our heads, because everything can be overturned.”

The second leg is scheduled to be played on March 12, but before then the reigning Italian champions face Bologna this Sunday in Serie A, before a huge clash against title-rivals Napoli.