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Gary Neville has voiced his frustration with Valencia's 2-0 defeat against Lyon on Wednesday as they crashed out of the Champions League in the former Manchester United defender's first game in charge.
The La Liga side came close to opening the scoring early on via Shkodran Mustafi, but the Germany international hit the post and had a goal disallowed before they eventually fell behind when Maxwel Cornet curled a strike in the top corner, with Alexandre Lacazette putting the match to bed after the interval.
"I think we had lead in our legs, as if we had played another game today," Neville said at a news conference.
"We were the better side in the first half, but in the second we conceded a lot of counter-attacks and conceded the second goal. Lyon have good attacking players but we should have done much better.
"They were better than us and there’s no excuse. We can’t be happy with how we played and we can’t blame anyone.
"We have a fight in front of us, an objective. We have some games left before the Christmas break and I hope we can get some injured players back. Today we simply weren’t good enough."
Valencia finished third in Group H following Wednesday's results with six points from as many games, thus qualifying for the Europa League.
Germany head coach Joachim Low says Bastian Schweinsteiger remains a world-class talent despite criticism from Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.
The former Bayern Munich midfielder was taken off in the second half of United's 3-2 Champions League defeat to Wolfsburg after struggling to make an impact, having been exposed for pace by Julian Draxler's fine run in the build-up to the home side's second goal.
Van Gaal also criticised the 31-year-old following the 0-0 draw with West Ham, claiming: "We have not seen the best of Schweinsteiger - the player I saw at Bayern Munich".
Low, however, says Schweinsteiger must be allowed time to adapt fully to life in England and insists his place as national team captain is not under threat.
"We know what we have in Bastian. He is still a world-class player and undisputed as our captain," he told Bild-Zeitung.
"Even an experienced player like him needs time to get used to a new league. I'm sure Bastian Schweinsteiger will still have a lot of fun at Manchester United."
Bayern chief executive officer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hit back at Van Gaal earlier this week and called for patience with Schweinsteiger's form.
"Bastian needs a bit of time. You can't judge him already," he said. "I am a bit disappointed with Louis, he should leave Bastian alone."
Gary Neville "could not care less" about a possible reunion with Manchester United after Valencia crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Taking charge of his first Valencia match as head coach, Neville oversaw a disappointing 2-0 loss at home to already-eliminated Lyon.
The result saw Valencia finish third in Group H behind Zenit and Gent, throwing up a potential Europa League matchup against United but former defender Neville is unfazed by a possible reunion.
"We will take the competition seriously," said the former England full-back, who spent his entire career at Old Trafford, winning 20 trophies, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.
"As for [drawing Manchester United] I'm just thinking about Sunday's game [versus Eibar] and making sure the players are best-prepared for Sunday.
"I couldn't care less about whether we play Manchester United or someone else in the Europa League, that's in the future."
Valencia - eighth in La Liga - will now turn their attention to Sunday's fixture at Eibar, with the club looking to snap a three-match winless streak.
Mourinho suggests Chelsea can win Champions League
10 December 2015
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is hoping his side's struggles domestically will enable them to fly under the radar all the way to Champions League success.
The Blues have suffered a dismal start to the Premier League season and lie in 14th place, just two points above the relegation zone, but on Wednesday they qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Mourinho's former club Porto.
The Portuguese has experienced success in Europe's elite club competition before with Porto and Inter and believes Chelsea's woes may lead them to be underestimated by future opponents.
He told reporters: "To win the Champions League, I think it's obvious that a team that is struggling so much like we are, is not a candidate to win it.
"In the Champions League, you have the best teams in Europe but when we won [it] with Porto in 2004 we were not candidates, when we won with Inter [Milan] in 2010 we were not candidates.
"When we were candidates, we lost two semi-finals with Real Madrid and Chelsea so let's see - you never know."
While a successful defence of their Premier League crown looks unlikely - Chelsea are 17 points behind surprise leaders Leicester City, who they meet on Monday - Mourinho believes a fourth-placed finish and a Champions League spot for next season is not impossible.
He added: "The Premier League boss told me a few months ago it would be good for the Premier League if Chelsea aren't champions but he didn't say it's not good that we don't finish fourth.
"While mathematically it's still possible, let's fight for every game and every point and see if it's possible to finish fourth."
Thiago Silva: I'll do everything to win Champions League for Ibrahimovic
By Omnisport
Jan 1, 2016 18:48:40
The Paris Saint-Germain striker has been linked with a departure in the summer and his team-mate is keen to ensure that he becomes a European champion before his contract expires
Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva has vowed to do his utmost to deliver the Champions League trophy before Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaves the club.
Laurent Blanc's side have established domestic supremacy since Qatar Sports Investment became majority shareholders in 2011 and claimed the club's first treble of Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue last season.
PSG have yet to conquer Europe, however, having been knocked out by eventual winners Barcelona in 2014-15, meaning that Sweden star Ibrahimovic remains without a winners' medal to add to a remarkable career collection.
With the 34-year-old tipped to leave the Parc des Princes at the end of his contract in June, Silva is determined that this will be the year for PSG to end their wait for continental glory.
The Brazilian told Omnisport: "Zlatan has a particular personality. At each training session, he wants to win. That's something positive. And the other thing [that strikes me] when I look at him is that it's all about his personality.
"Any time he wants to say something to you, he would say it face to face. That's positive. Quite often, players don't speak face to face, they speak behind your back. So I think what Zlatan does is very positive. He has a strong personality but people in front of their TV think that he is arrogant. He is not arrogant. He is still very good and for PSG, he is a very, very important player.
The Czech Republic star is yet to be beaten by the Barcelona man in eight games, with the pair set to meet again in the Champions League in February
Lionel Messi is yet to find a way past Petr Cech in eight games and the Arsenal man has admitted he is keen to extend his fine record against the Barcelona star.
The pair met on numerous times during the goalkeeper's time with Chelsea, with the Czech Republic man coming out on top in their individual battle on each occasion.
They will face one another again when Arsenal and Barcelona clash in the last-16 of the Champions League in February and Cech is well aware of his impressive statistics against the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"It's great, not many people can say they've played eight games or how many minutes against Messi and he hasn't found a way to get past me.
"But if he scores and we progress to the next round then it's not really important. What's important is for us to make sure that we give ourselves a chance to progress to the next round."
Cech, 33, recently recorded his 170th Premier League clean sheet during his side's victory over Bournemouth - the highest tally of any keeper in the division's history.
Champions League the 'benchmark' to judge Bayern, says Thiago
By Peter Hanson
Jan 3, 2016 19:08:07
The Bavarians' season will be evaluated based on their ability to win Europe's premier club competition, according to the Spaniard
Thiago Alcantara says winning the Champions League is the "benchmark" to judge Bayern Munich's success this season.
Die Roten have dominated domestically during Pep Guardiola's time in charge,winning two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal in the Spaniard's first two campaigns.
However, Bayern have fallen at the semi-finals of the Champions League for two seasons running.
And Thiago is now desperate to win Europe's premier competition in Guardiola's final season at the Allianz Arena after expressing satisfaction with the way they have performed this season.
"This is just the first stage of the season and all the teams have been playing at high level," he told reporters.
"All the European big clubs have been at a high level, also Bayern. We have played some great football, we are top of the league.
"But at the end of the day, all the big clubs want a good performance in Champions League. This will be a benchmark for the rest of the season."
The 2012-13 treble winners qualified for the knockout stages without breaking sweat, while they are currently eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
The Manchester City midfielder has won the Premier League, the League Cup and the FA Cup during his time in England and still holds out hope of winning Europe's biggest prize
Manchester City midfielder David Silva has set his sights on winning the Champions League before he calls time on his career.
Silva celebrated his 30th birthday on January 8 and has taken some time to reflect on what has been a successful spell in English football with City, the club he joined in 2010 as a new era in Manchester hit full swing.
The Spaniard has no plans to hang up his boots any time soon, though, and says that he still has aspirations to claim European glory before he brings the curtain down on his playing career.
"I think I've said on a few occasions that the thing that's still missing, that I haven't got my hands on, is the Champions League," he told reporters. "That's something I'd still love to be able to do.
"The main thing is to still have that hunger. I still have that same desire and same hunger to keep winning trophies and more than anything to keep improving.
"I still consider it a work in progress, with constantly striving to get better and hopefully achieving more with the team."
Silva, who has previously admitted that he would like to retire at Las Palmas, his hometown club, says he could never have imagined what he would go on to achieve in the game.
"I don't think that little boy would have expected to go so far," he added. "You never know where you're going to end up in life and even to play at a professional level would maybe have been a surprise at that age.
"Now, to have had the chance to play at a great level and win plenty of trophies, I don't think that little boy would have ever imagined such a successful career."
The playmaker, dubbed 'Merlin' by Manchester City fans thanks to his creative talents, has been forced to watch the action from the sidelines for much of the season but after another ankle knock kept him out of Saturday's FA Cup victory at Norwich City he is ready to make a contribution once again.
"It's been tough," he said of his injury troubles this term. "It's been a pretty frustrating period especially when I had a decent start to the season.
"I've just been held back by this ankle injury but hopefully I can get some form back, get fit and be ready to do my bit to help the team."
Lewandowski: Bayern must learn from last season's mistakes
Jan 14, 2016 11:59:40
The Poland international insists his side know where they went wrong in the second half of last season and can mount a serious challenge for the treble
Robert Lewandowski is confident Bayern Munich will make a strong challenge for the treble, insisting they know what went wrong in the second half of last season.
At the winter break last term, Pep Guardiola's men were still in the running for all three major trophies, but ended up only retaining the Bundesliga title.
Bayern suffered semi-final defeats to Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal respectively, but Lewandowski is hopeful that will not happen again.
"We know what we did wrong last year and I hope we do a better job of it this year," he told the Bundesliga's official website.
"It doesn't matter if we have a five-point or eight-point lead in the Bundesliga because that is two, three games - everything can change.
"In the second half of the season, we cannot allow ourselves to make so many mistakes if we want to win the title.
"We have to give it everything right until the end, regardless of how many points clear we are. Right now the gap is eight points, but we are not champions yet.
"It is important that we give our all in the Champions League as well as the DFB-Pokal, regardless of who we are playing."
Lewandowski praised the challenge being posed from former club Dortmund under Thomas Tuchel this season and suggested a tight title battle with them could actually help Bayern in their other competitions.
"I am still in touch with people at BVB," added the 27-year-old. "They are playing really well this season, in the Europa League as well.
"Last season was verging on the catastrophic and I don't really know why. They are a quality side with a lot of good players.
"They are playing a bit differently compared to last season. They have not just shown how many goals they can score and have got a lot of potential - in defence as well as attack.
Capello: Zidane can lead Madrid to Champions League glory
By Matthew Galea
Jan 17, 2016 08:20:47
The 69-year-old, who was most recently the head coach of Russia, believes his former player can achieve big things with the Spanish giants
Real Madrid can win the Champions League under Zinedine Zidane, according to Fabio Capello.
Zidane earned almost mythical status at the Santiago Bernabeu in five seasons as a player at Madrid and has spent the last three years working at the club as a coach.
The Frenchman was promoted to first-team coach last month following the departure of Rafael Benitez and Capello, who managed Zidane at Madrid, feels he can achieve big things with the club.
"He did very well with the Castilla, but he has the charisma to lead the Madrid to the top of the table and above all to win the Champions League," Capello told Sky Italia.
"When the tenth [Champions League title] arrived, Zidane worked with [Carlo] Ancelotti, who was a great teacher for him.
GOAL READ MORE | Zidane dismayed by 'absurd' transfer ban
"Carlo is one of the best in the world and [Zidane] learned a lot, like how to manage well known players like Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Karim] Benzema and make them always feel the focus of the project."
Capello says he felt Zidane's stature as a player - something his predecessor Benitez lacked - would hold him in good stead among the dressing room despite his lack of experience as a coach.
"With Benitez, the team had no confidence," Capello said.
"He introduced things abruptly and it was not accepted by the staff, especially because he was not a great player."
Zidane won his first game in charge of Madrid, beating Deportivo La Coruna 5-0 and will look to build on that against Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Euro 2016 & Champions League to utilise goal-line technology
Jan 22, 2016 18:38:24
The new assistance for match officials will be introduced in Europe's top club competition next season after being rolled out on a continental basis for the first time this summer
Uefa has approved the use of goal-line technology (GLT) at the European Championship in France later this year as well as in next season's Champions League.
The decision, announced following the governing body's executive committee meeting in Nyon, means the system will work alongside additional assistant referees who will "continue to monitor all activity in and around the penalty area".
Uefa's chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina explained: "It's not a decision taken quickly. We went through a long consultation after president Michel Platini told us, one-and-a-half years ago, to investigate whether additional assistant referees and goal-line technology together would have been worth it.
"We implemented the additional assistant referees quite a long time ago and the reason why was to improve the control of the match official on each single incident.
"Monitoring the goal-line was not the main task of the additional referees, they were to control what was going on, particularly inside and around the penalty area.
"Certainly goal-line incidents were part of their job, but they were not often involved and, talking to our referees, the feedback we got was for them to be focused on goal-line incidents they had to be ready well before the ball arrives.
"This meant they would lose control of what happened when the ball was kicked and the possible goal-line incident. This reduced the possibility for the additional referee to really support the referees in controlling what was going on inside the penalty area.
"So we were convinced that implementing the GLT would have been a further step in better control of the match.
"We are happy with the outcome of the additional referee's job although we know from outside their contribution is not always appreciated or understood.
"Unfortunately they are like ducks, very relaxed above the water and paddling like hell underneath. Even if they don't show any gestures, as they are not allowed to, they are making decisions and communicating them to the referee."
Wenger warns Chelsea and Tottenham over Wembley ´nightmare´
22 January 2016 07:24
Arsene Wenger has warned Chelsea and Tottenham over the "nightmare" Arsenal experienced playing Champions League football at Wembley Stadium.
Arsenal played at Wembley in the Champions League for two seasons between 1998 and 2000 after being forced to cut their ticket allocation at Highbury by 6,000.
Wenger's side failed to make it out of the group stages both times, dropping points against Lens, Dynamo Kiev, Fiorentina and Barcelona.
Chelsea have applied to play at Wembley from 2017 onwards while they upgrade Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham are also looking for a temporary home while they build a new ground.
But Wenger warned the club's that there may be dire consequences.
"It was a nightmare [for us]," he said. "In hindsight it was the wrong decision.
"We decided to go to Wembley, but we didn’t feel at home. The pitch was bigger, the ground was different and for the English players it was something completely unusual.
"We were used at Highbury, to a tight pitch and unfortunately we were playing against Dynamo Kiev, who were running everywhere on a very big pitch. It was a disadvantage for sure.
"There's less a disadvantage now because the stadium is a bit different but the pitch is exactly the same."
Asked whether Arsenal would share the Emirates with their London rivals, Wenger said: "Not really, because we suffered a lot to build this stadium and had to be very tight financially to pay it back.
"I don't know, but I don't feel it is in our plans. We don't need it and we have not been approached for it as well. It's a board decision, not mine."
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has admitted his side are underdogs against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.
Serie A champions Juve have recovered from a patchy start to the season to reel off 12 successive wins in domestic competition.
However, goalkeeper Buffon is wary of Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
"We don't have the best of chances, that’s for sure," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "We must be angry, clinical and have a bit of luck to overturn the predicted result."
On their domestic hopes, Buffon believes Inter and Napoli are their greatest rivals for the Scudetto, while Roma could be cast adrift if Juve beat them on Sunday.
Buffon added: "The team at the top of the standings seems to change every week.
"Inter don't have to worry about European competitions, something that will have a big say on the championship.
"Napoli are a cohesive side, one of the best attacking teams in Europe and Maurizio Sarri has brought security to their defence. Napoli can win the title.
"The further away Roma are, the better it is for us. If we win [on Sunday] they will be 10 points back. It would be key because we are talking about a dangerous side."
'Guardiola does not guarantee Man City the Champions League'
Feb 2, 2016 18:20:55
The Spaniard has been warned that winning the European Cup is not easy and it may take some time to bring the trophy to the Etihad
Manchester City have not guaranteed Champions League success by appointing Pep Guardiola, according to former player Sylvinho.
Sylvinho, now Inter's assistant boss, won Europe's elite club competition under Guardiola at Barcelona in 2009 before going on to finish his career at City.
Sylvinho hailed the quality of the Bayern Munich head coach, who will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium from the 2016-17 season after agreeing a three-year deal.
But while he believes City have ensured they will be playing great football, the ex-Arsenal defender still thinks Guardiola has a tough ask to win the Champions League.
"The Champions League is not easy at all," Sylvinho told Omnisport.
"Manchester City are working in the correct way, they have got some players, a new coach. They give managers time – Pellegrini got three years, Mancini started his work many years ago.
"It is very important to leave two or three seasons for each coach and now Guardiola has got time to work on the Champions League.
"I am absolutely sure Manchester City will play great football, but to win the Champions League in three years is not easy, it is difficult to say that. But they will try to play great football all over the world.
"Of course it is part of the plan for Man City to bring in Guardiola to build a new team to go to the final of the Champions League and to try to be champions, but it is not easy and he knows it."
Sylvinho also thinks English football will introduce new challenges for Guardiola as he continues his trophy-laden coaching career.
The Brazilian added: "I remember the Premier League. It is unbelievable, really intense, one of the best countries to show how he works.
"It is a good challenge for Pep, the Premier League is not easy at all. In winter there are difficult pitches, the stadiums are difficult with unbelievable atmospheres - one of the hardest leagues in the world.
"I had a great opportunity to work with him in Barcelona. Of course he is one of the best coaches in the world, no doubt about that, but we have got two, three, four more coaches that are at a high level. What I can say about him is his teams play unbelievable football."
UEFA reduces Dynamo Kiev sanctions ahead of Manchester City clash
2 February 2016
Dynamo Kiev's Champions League last-16 clash with Manchester City later this month will no longer be held behind closed doors after UEFA lifted its ban.
The first leg of their tie on February 24 had been set to be played with no fans present after the Ukrainian champions were were fined €100,000 and ordered to play two UEFA home matches behind closed doors – with a third suspended – after charges of racist behaviour, crowd disturbances and of having blocked stairways at the Olympic Stadium against Chelsea on October 20.
However, UEFA has reduced the sanctions after Dynamo launched an appeal.
A UEFA statement read: "The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body's decision of 24 November 2015 is amended as follows:
"1. To order the Dynamo Kyiv to play one UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors.
"As the club has already played one match behind closed doors during the UEFA Champions League 2015/2016 match FC Dynamo Kyiv vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv played on 9 December 2015, the club has already served this sanction.
January signings Alexandre Pato and Matt Miazga have been included in Chelsea's revised Champions League squad - but there is no place for Radamel Falcao.
Colombian Falcao has one goal in nine appearances for Chelsea since arriving on a season-long loan deal from Monaco.
His place in the squad for the knockout stages goes to fellow forward Pato, who moved to Stamford Bridge on loan from Corinthians until the end of the season last week.
Chelsea have the option to sign the Brazilian forward on a permanent basis at the end of the current campaign.
Like Pato, Miazga signed for the reigning Premier League champions during the mid-season transfer window.
The defender joined the Premier League champions from New York Red Bulls on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
Guus Hiddink's side take on Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League. The first leg takes place in the French capital on February 16, with the return fixture in London on March 9.
Although he will not feature again in Europe this season, Falcao remains in Chelsea's Premier League squad.
Luciano Spalletti will not allow next week's Champions League clash with Real Madrid to distract Roma against Carpi on Friday.
Roma are looking to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2007-08, and welcome Madrid to the Italian capital on Wednesday for the opening leg of their last-16 clash.
Spalletti's side are in fine form as a return to European football looms large after three successive wins in Serie A, and the head coach is keen for his players to maintain their focus and improve that record.
"Our thoughts are on this game here," Spalletti told a media conference. "We have some players back, and we'll make our choices. Tomorrow is the priority, I'll make my choices based on the game tomorrow.
"If you think beyond the next game it'll all go wrong. Juve have won 14 games in a row, Napoli 10. If we want to compete we need to put together a streak of our own.
"If we think about any game other than tomorrow, then we haven't understood anything. Tomorrow is crucial. We want to keep up with the great teams.
"All of us, the players and the management are striving for success. Either we get results or we all fail together."
Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti will miss the trip to Carpi due to injury, however Edin Dzeko is fit to start.
He added: "De Rossi is not better, he's still out. The staff who manage him are convinced that they have a solution, I hope to have him after Carpi.
"Totti has been training very well with everyone after the game, but yesterday he had a little problem with his calf.
"Today he felt the same twinge as yesterday, he won't be involved in the game. [Antonio] Rudiger is available, he's fine."
