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Depay

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Vidic ready to manage in England


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By Chris Myson
Mar 17, 2016 12:53:05

The former Manchester United defender is keen to move into management and would like to start his career in England

Nemanja Vidic wants to manage in England and says he is one of many former players who dream of taking charge at Manchester United.

The 34-year-old retired as a player in January after an injury-interrupted spell with Inter, who he joined from the Premier League side in 2014 after eight and a half years at Old Trafford.

Vidic reveals he has planned for a career in management for some time and is setting his sights on landing a job in England.

"I started doing my badges four years ago," he told BBC Sport.

"At the time I was playing for Manchester United and working with probably the best manager ever in Sir Alex Ferguson.

"He asked a lot from his players, but he believed in them. If he said something, I could see it in his eyes that he believed it. Even when I might not believe, he did. It was his greatest strength.

"It [management] is something I think I can do well. I would like to try to be a manager in English football."

Asked if that meant the United job, Vidic responded: "It is a dream. If you ask any United player if they want to be manager one day, they will say 'yes', but I am a long way from that."

The former Serbia international claims he received playing enquiries from MLS clubs in the United States and an approach from England after leaving Inter, but does not doubt his decision to quit.

"It was the right time," added Vidic. "I didn't think I could give 100 per cent.

"It was better not to push, play longer and make myself even more hurt. England was the best years of my career and [I did not want to return] not performing in the same way I did for United."



 

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Hart and Sterling out for up to four weeks

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Mar 20, 2016 19:19:28

The key Manchester City duo are set to miss up to one month of action after suffering injuries in the derby defeat to United

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are set to miss up to four weeks of action after suffering injuries in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Sterling limped off with a groin injury during the first half of the 1-0 loss, before a calf problem saw Hart taken from the field on a stretcher after the break.

The injuries will almost certainly rule the pair out of England's friendlies against Germany and Netherlands, while their involvement in City's Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain also appears to be in doubt.

"Both of them have muscle injuries - Raheem in his groin, Joe in his calf," Pellegrini commented after the match.

"I don't think muscle injuries can heal in one week. They normally need three or four weeks."

Marcus Rashford netted United's winner in the 16th minute, as United closed the gap on fourth-placed City - who hit the post through Sergio Aguero - to one point.

"We continue in fourth position," added Pellegrini. "We have to play for another 24 points. We must be focused on the next game.

"I am not unhappy with the performance of the team. We had 26 attempts on their goal and we dominated the game but missed chances to score.

"It is not the best way to finish the season but I am happy with the players' attitude. They are all focused and they want to finish as near to the top as possible.

"We have another 24 points to play for and every game is different. United did not play better than us.

"It was a mistake in the lead up to the first goal. I don't remember a lot of chances United had - they had just one after the goal."



 

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Klopp frustrated with Liverpool defeat


20 March 2016

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Jurgen Klopp cut a frustrated figure after Liverpool's 3-2 defeat at the hands of Southampton on Sunday and he feels they should have killed the game off before the break.

Goals from Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge saw Liverpool go two goals up, but they squandered a number of opportunities to add a third.

Fraser Forster denied Sturridge and Joe Allen before two goals from Sadio Mane and one from Graziano Pelle after the interval eventually saw Southampton secure the full three points.

"We played some brilliant football in the first half, but we had to kill the game off," Klopp told reporters. "We should have scored two or three more goals in the first half, that was possible. We caused them a lot of problems.

"We have to accept that the game changed after the break. Things like that can happen. They controlled the game in the second half. There were a lot of fights for second balls and we were not compact enough. They scored goals and we didn't, that is how football is."

Klopp took off Dejan Lovren at half-time in favour of Martin Skrtel and subsequently revealed that he he feared a red card for the Croatia international.

"I had to change Dejan because he was already on a yellow card," he added. "And there had been that penalty situation [with Shane Long]. It looked a little bit like the referee was keeping an eye on him.

"So I decided to anticipate that."

Klopp was seen talking to Christian Benteke after the final whistle, with the Belgium international having missed a fine chance to make it 3-1.

"I was not angry with Benteke for missing that chance," Klopp stressed. "I talked with him after the game, because I have to talk with the players, that is my job."


 

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Coutinho not unsellable, insists Klopp


20 March 2016

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he would not keep Philippe Coutinho or anyone else at the club against their will.

The former Borussia Dortmund coach does not expect the Brazil international, who scored a sensational goal against Manchester United on Thursday as Liverpool reached the Europa League quarter-finals, to file a transfer request any time soon.

But he is adamant that he would rather sell one of his stars than deal with an unhappy player for an entire season.

"Everything is okay at the moment but nobody in the world - maybe only Lionel Messi - is unsellable," Klopp told reporters.

"There is always a situation. I come from a club where the best players are always picked by other teams and in the end you have to accept a few things. You always need to have a Plan B or a Plan C.

"If a player comes to me and says he doesn't feel comfortable and wants to leave because of our style of play or because he can make more money elsewhere, then you always have to start thinking. That's all I can say on this.

"Coutinho, [Roberto] Firmino, so many players are very special. You could go through the whole squad. But if a player wants to go to another club then I'd always be open to it because I don't want to have a player in my squad who doesn't want to be in the squad.

"These are problems you don't need during a season. A player is never good enough for you to have to cope with problems like that for an entire year."



 

Lallana

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Loftus-Cheek hopes to have caught Hiddink´s eye


20 March 2016

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Ruben Loftus-Cheek is hopeful that he caught the eye of manager Guus Hiddink in his substitute appearance for Chelsea against West Ham on Saturday.

The midfielder, 20, came on for the final six minutes and won the controversial penalty from Michail Antonio, which allowed Cesc Fabregas to score an 89th-minute equaliser from the spot.

That gave Chelsea a 2-2 draw after an earlier strike from Fabregas in between goals from Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll for West Ham.

Chelsea are still unbeaten in the Premier League under Hiddink and Loftus-Cheek – who has only started once in the top-flight this season – hopes to have impressed him as he bids to become a bigger part of the first-team picture.

"He [Hiddink] said to go and try and impact the game, do your best and get forward," Loftus-Cheek told the club's official website.

"I tried that and hopefully I have satisfied the manager. We obviously wanted the win but we got the draw and did well to fight, stick at it and dig in.

"We knew it was going to be competitive coming into the game, it was a derby with tackles flying in - really tough and physical. I think we matched that and were unlucky not to get the win."

Loftus-Cheek's brief appearance from the substitutes' bench saw him take up Oscar's attacking midfield position, having previously been deployed in a more defensive role.

The England Under-21 international enjoyed the chance to influence the game going forward and is in no rush to nail down a specific role.

Loftus-Cheek added: "Coming on to a game where we are losing, playing further up the pitch is ideal so I can try to impact the game and create a goal or score a goal.

"I don't mind where I play at the moment. In time I will find my best suited position, so I'm not worried about that."



 

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Premier League strugglers boast more titles than top three


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By Tom Beck
Mar 20, 2016 18:50:00

It's hotting up at both ends of the table as the season finale draws nearer but there's still time for some statistical observations between the top and bottom clubs

A curious statistic has emerged following this weekend's Premier League action, with Norwich's 1-0 win over West Brom moving them out of the relegation zone at the expense of Sunderland.

The Premier League's current bottom three teams have more English top-division titles between them then the division's top three clubs.

Leicester City, Tottenham and Arsenal have a combined total of 15, while basement club Aston Villa and fellow strugglers Newcastle and Sunderland have amounted 17 titles.

North Londoners Arsenal account for 13 of the top three's first-tier championships, with Tottenham contributing two league successes in 1950-51 and 1960-61.

For the relegation battlers, Villa have won the league seven times - their last back in 1980-81 - while Sunderland have six and Newcastle four.



 

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Manchester United to face Guardiola's City during pre-season tour


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By Chris Davie
Mar 23, 2016 07:15:00

We could see Pep Guardiola face Jose Mourinho as early as July as United have confirmed they will face their rivals in Beijing on July 25

Manchester United will face Manchester City during their pre-season tour of China on July 25.

The match could potentially pit Pep Guardiola, who takes over from Manuel Pellegrini next summer, against Jose Mourinho, the man tipped to replace Louis van Gaal at the end of the season.

United will be part of the International Champions Cup and will take on Dortmund at the Shanghai Stadium on July 22.

Three days later, United will face City at the Beijing National Stadium.



 

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Premier League retains four Champions League places

22 March 2016

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The Premier League has retained four places in the Champions League for another year after Juventus, Roma and Lazio all crashed out of Europe last week.

England's top flight was in danger of losing a spot after being just three points ahead of Serie A in last season's rankings, which determined the allocations for the 2016-17 campaign.

However, Manchester City's progression to the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Dynamo Kiev – coupled with Liverpool making the Europa League – means the Premier League has 12.750 points this season compared to Italy's 11.500.

Italy's hopes of jumping to third in UEFA's coefficient rankings were dashed when last season's Champions League finalists Juventus were knocked out at the last-16 stage by Bayern Munich.

Roma also exited the competition after losing their two-legged tie against Real Madrid, while Lazio's hopes in the Europa League were ended by Sparta Prague.

Russia's hopes of leapfrogging France or Portugal into the top six, therefore giving them two automatic Champions League places, came unstuck after Zenit failed to progress past Benfica in Europe's top competition.



 

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Manchester City fans to protest ticket prices at West Brom home game


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By Sam Lee
Mar 23, 2016 17:49:00

The 1894 Group have decided against an organised walk-out - for now - but have urged fans to bring banners to the game against the Baggies to make their point to the club's owners

Manchester City fans will protest against rising ticket prices at the upcoming Premier League game against West Brom at the Etihad Stadium, although a mass walk-out is not on the agenda.

The 1894 Group, an influential supporters club that works closely with City, have called on fans to pull together in a bid to curb the gradual increase in the cost of tickets.

City announced on Friday that they would be charging up to £60 for an adult ticket to the Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Paris Saint-Germain on April 12.

That sparked a backlash from supporters, many of whom have now cancelled the cup-scheme option of their season ticket which would have guaranteed them entry to the match.

The club stood by their pricing strategy in a statement on Monday, after which the 1894 Group announced in their own press release that they were taking stock of the situation before declaring their intentions.

That was then followed up by a damning open letter penned by influential City website City Watch, warning that supporters would “turn their backs” on the club if they did not back down.

As a result, the 1894 Group have now announced their plans via a second statement in a bid to keep fans united.

A co-ordinated walk-out, which proved effective when Liverpool fans flooded out of Anfield to protest proposals to charge £77 for entry to some areas of the ground, is not yet planned.

Having consulted with influential figures behind the Anfield exodus, the 1894 Group decided their own supporters have not yet reached the kind of tipping point which forced their counterparts on Merseyside to take drastic action.

The group are also wary of splitting the fan base at a delicate time in the debate, and have instead called on anybody attending the April 9 clash, which will be televised, to bring along banners decrying the club’s current stance on tickets.

City are one of a number of top-flight clubs yet to declare their season-ticket prices for the 2016-17 season.

There has been a clamour among supporters across the country for clubs to freeze or even lower prices in the wake of the £5.14 billion TV deal which will come into effect this summer.

West Ham announced no change in the price of attendance for their first season at the Olympic Stadium, while Everton lowered the cost of adult and junior tickets by at least 5 per cent.

At £299, City boast the cheapest season ticket in the Premier League, although their most expensive, at £1,750, trails only Arsenal and Tottenham's costliest seats and is £800 dearer than the highest bracket rivals Manchester United offer.



 

Jurgen

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West Ham complete permanent Lanzini signing


24 March 2016

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Manuel Lanzini has sealed a permanent move to West Ham, signing a four-year deal.

Co-chairman David Sullivan revealed earlier this week that a deal for the attacking midfielder - understood to be worth in the region of £9.4 million - had been agreed with parent club Al-Jazira to make his loan move permanent.

West Ham have now announced that the 23-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the option of a further two years.

"I am absolutely delighted to have signed and to be able to stay at this club," he told the Premier League side's official website.

"I really feel at home here, and when you feel at home somewhere, you definitely don't want to leave.

"I am very happy and now what I want to do is to keep giving the best of myself.

"We've already done very well, and it's already been a very good season, and when you're so close to achieving your objectives, of course you want to keep dreaming.

"I always had big dreams as a child, but you never know what the future is going to hold. Thanks to God, I'm here, I'm enjoying the city, I'm enjoying the people and I really see my future here."

Lanzini has made 22 appearances in all competitions for West Ham this season, playing a key part in their surprise chase for a Champions League places and run to the FA Cup quarter-finals.



 

Jurgen

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Manchester United to face Guardiola´s City in China


23 March 2016

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Manchester United will face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in China during the 2016-17 pre-season.

The Premier League rivals played at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, when United came out on top with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Marcus Rashford's goal.

And the two sides will again do battle on July 25 in Beijing as part of the Chinese version of the International Champions Cup – the first Manchester derby to take place outside of the United Kingdom.

The fixture could potentially see a renewal of the rivalry between ex-Barcelona boss Guardiola and former Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, who is heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford to replace Louis van Gaal at the end of the campaign.

United announced they will play Borussia Dortmund prior to the City game in Shanghai on July 22 and City will also take on Thomas Tuchel's men during the tour on July 28 in Shenzhen.

The competition will also take place in Australia and the United States, where Leicester City were announced as participants along with the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.



 

Moyes

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Arsenal shareholder Usmanov insists Wenger must not be sacked


25 March 2016

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Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov believes it is essential the Premier League club retain long-serving manager Arsene Wenger.

The 66-year-old will celebrate 20 years in charge at Arsenal this September but has come under increasing pressure from a section of the club's fan base over recent weeks.

Arsenal last won the Premier League title in 2003-04 and watching this season's bid going awry to hand surprise leaders Leicester City the initiative has been hard to take for some of the Emirates Stadium faithful.

But Usmanov, who recently took sole charge of his 30 per cent stake in the club – second only to majority shareholder Stan Kroenke – feels an immediate future without Wenger is not something worth considering.

In an interview with Russian state-owned television channel Russia-24, he said: "Arsenal’s results are stable. They are always among the leaders of the English Premier League. This is a good and large sports business project, and I am pleased with it.

"The only thing is that today such situation occurred, like in any sport, there are ups and downs. The club must retain its major symbol and main asset - manager Arsene Wenger.

"Failures have been haunting Arsenal for many years now, they cannot become the EPL champions. This has led to some discontent with Wenger's position as a manager.

"I believe that Arsene Wenger is a great coach, and Arsenal has to give him the opportunity to plan the succession process and leave his legacy when he deems it necessary.

"It is very important for the football club to maintain the principles that were established by those people who created its victories. Arsenal needs Arsene Wenger."

Last August, Usmanov sympathised with Wenger's plight during a nine-year trophyless run that took in the club's move to Emirates Stadium from Highbury.

"Arsene had a very, very difficult position when club shareholders didn't want to put their money into constructing the new stadium," he told CNN.

"Because of this, he went maybe the best of his career without a trophy."





 

Lallana

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Pelle backs Conte for Premier League role


26 March 2016

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Italy striker Graziano Pelle has backed national team boss Antonio Conte to be a success if he moves to the Premier League.

Conte has been heavily linked with the managerial post at Chelsea and confirmed earlier this month that he would leave his job with Italy at the end of Euro 2016.

Pelle was handed his international debut by Conte and the Southampton man believes the former Juventus coach will prove himself to be a success if Chelsea come calling.

"The coach has the qualities to do well in any tournament. If he does choose to come to the Premier League then he'll be very welcome,” he told Rai Sport.

"It's a tough league, but I am convinced Conte will do well.

"I advise him to be himself, as he is a winner and changing culture or league won't modify his attitude. He just needs to change his language! So I advise him to study English.

"The English press is really hard when it comes to gossip, but on that score I don't think the coach has anything to worry about.

"When it comes to talking about football, I think Italian media might be tougher, but it's only to be expected in the sport."

Pelle believes Claudio Ranieri's remarkable success with Leicester City, where his countryman is closing in on Premier League title glory, demonstrates the impressive depths of coaching talent that mean Italy should be spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting Conte's successor.

He added: "Claudio Ranieri is currently top of the Premier League with Leicester City, confirming Italy has so many excellent coaches.

"I am therefore not worried and am confident Italy's next coach will do very well, whoever he is."


 

Jurgen

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Manchester City defender Demichelis charged with betting offences

30 March 2016

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Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis has been charged for "misconduct relating to betting" by the Football Association (FA) over alleged breaches that took place in January.

The FA has charged the Argentina international over 12 alleged violations of "rule E8 concerning football matches", all of which date between January 22 and January 28 this year.

Demichelis has until April 5 to answer the charge.

The 35-year-old has played in 29 games in all competitions for City this season and was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes during Argentina's win over Bolivia on Tuesday.

The ruling bans players from betting "either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on any result, progress or conduct of a match or competition in which they participate or have participated in during a season, or in which they have any influence".

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Andros Townsend was suspended for four months - three of those suspended - and fined £18,000 for breaching betting regulations in 2013. That was the same year Cameron Jerome was penalised £50,000, while Dan Gosling received a £30,000 fine in 2014.



 

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Newcastle keeper Elliot ruled out for 'several months'

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By Jamie Smith
Mar 30, 2016 17:44:46

The goalkeeper damaged his anterior cruciate ligament against Slovakia on Tuesday and will miss his side's battle against relegation and Euro 2016 with Ireland

Premier League strugglers Newcastle United have confirmed Rob Elliot will miss "a number of months" due to a knee injury, ruling the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper out of Euro 2016.

Elliot was injured during Ireland's 2-2 international friendly draw against Slovakia on Tuesday and Newcastle, who are 19th, revealed he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament.

"Rob has returned to Newcastle and has been assessed by the club's doctor," a Newcastle statement read.

"He will now commence a programme of treatment and rehabilitation. Regrettably, the severity of this injury will rule Rob out for a number of months.

"Everyone connected with Newcastle United wishes Rob the very best for his recovery."

It marks a further blow to Newcastle's battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with first-choice goalkeeper Tim Krul also absent with a serious knee injury.

Karl Darlow is set to play between the sticks when Newcastle visit 17th-placed Norwich City on Saturday in a crucial encounter at the bottom of the table.

Ireland qualified for the European Championship in France by beating Bosnia-Herzegovina in a play-off, and they will face Sweden, Belgium and Italy in the group stages.



 

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Swansea would welcome back 'fantastic' Rodgers - Taylor

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By Sacha Pisani
Mar 30, 2016 07:38:27

With Francesco Guidolin in charge until the end of the season, their former boss - who spent two years in charge before joining Liverpool in 2012 - could return

Former Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers would be welcomed back to the Liberty Stadium with open arms, according to full-back Neil Taylor.

Rodgers has been linked with a return to Swansea after he was sacked by Liverpool in October last year.

The 43-year-old spent two years in the Welsh city, guiding Swansea to promotion to the Premier League in 2011, before moving to Anfield the following year.

Francesco Guidolin is in charge of Swansea until the end of the season and Wales international Taylor talked up Rodgers' potential return.

"He did great things for this football club, so there is no reason why we wouldn't want him back," he told reporters.

"We know he is a fantastic manager but we have to do a job.

"We can think about that at the end of the season."

Under Guidolin, Swansea have moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.



 

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Southampton not in the fight for a top-four finish, insists Koeman


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Apr 1, 2016 23:53:47

Saints face league leaders Leicester City on Sunday in a crucial match for both teams at the top end of the Premier League table

Ronald Koeman has questioned Mauricio Pochettino's statement that seven clubs can still win the Premier League, as he believes only Leicester City and Tottenham remain in the race for the title.

Tottenham manager Pochettino said on Thursday that Koeman’s Southampton were one of the teams still in contention to finish on top of the standings.

The Dutchman, however, does not see anyone other than the current top two being crowned champions at the end of the campaign.

Koeman even thinks a top-four finish is out of reach for his side, but he has called on his players to keep pushing for a Europa League spot ahead of a crucial trip to leaders Leicester on Sunday.

"I do not agree with Mauricio. It is nice to hear that Southampton is one of the seven teams that are still fighting, but I do not see it like that," Koeman said.

"In my opinion, it is between Tottenham and Leicester.

"Everything is possible, it is all about us and if we keep the level and the spirit, we know we are fighting for European football, fifth and sixth position on the table, not the first four teams.

"If we want to play in Europe then we need more points than six[th] and it starts this Sunday.

"Everybody is playing for something and that is nice for the Premier League. There is pressure everywhere."



 

Moyes

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Martinez: Everton do not fear Lukaku exit


1 April 2016 11:32

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Everton do not fear losing Romelu Lukaku and can compete financially with any club in world football, according to manager Roberto Martinez.

Lukaku fuelled talk of a move away from Goodison Park last week when he expressed a desire to play Champions League football next season, following comments from the Belgium striker's father linking him with Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

However, Martinez insists record signing Lukaku, who has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season, can achieve his ambitions on Merseyside.

"It [Lukaku's comments] is not unsettling at all because that should be the aspiration of everyone, wanting to be as good as you can and trying to aspire to reach the best competitions," Martinez said.

"At Everton we've got that aspiration. We want to be in the Champions League, I've said it openly for a long time.

"We want to be competing to win titles. We've just been in the semi-finals of the League Cup and marginally we got knocked out against the eventual winners [Manchester City].

"Now we are in another semi-final of the FA Cup. We want to be in those sorts of situations. We want to create a real good positive momentum and the players need to be part of that.

"But clearly we're relying on the performances of the players. We need ambitious players and we need players who can carry the expectations of our football club."

Recent investment from former Arsenal shareholder Farhad Moshiri places Everton on a stronger financial footing and Martinez says the club do not need to sell.

"We shouldn't be afraid about losing players because we are in a position where financially we can compete against anyone in world football at this present time," he added. "Things have changed radically in that respect.

"It's not about talking about an issue, it's the example of the last six windows that we've had. All we're doing is, from window to window, becoming stronger and making a more talented squad, putting together a group of players that can take us to where we want to get. And that's what we're going to carry on doing.

"But at the moment it's the wrong time and pointless to talk about individual situations."




 

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Costa hit with further one-game ban


1 April 2016 14:05

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Diego Costa has been hit with a further one-game suspension and a fine after the Chelsea striker admitted a charge of improper conduct.

Costa was sent off for a second bookable offence late in Chelsea's 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Everton last month, with the Football Association (FA) charging him with improper conduct in relation to his behaviour after referee Michael Oliver showed him the red card.

The Spain international, who clashed with Everton midfielder Gareth Barry to earn his second caution, reacted angrily to Oliver and failed to leave the pitch immediately.

Costa had already been cleared of a charge relating to a gesture he allegedly aimed towards Everton fans at half-time, but the FA announced on Friday that he will serve an additional one-game ban on top of the two matches he was already due to serve for his dismissal at Goodison Park.

An FA statement read: "Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing on Thursday (31 March 2016), Chelsea's Diego Costa has been given a one-match suspension, fined £20,000 and warned as to his future conduct.

"The forward admitted a charge of improper conduct in relation to his behaviour after he was shown a second yellow card in The FA Cup Sixth Round tie on 12 March 2016 at Goodison Park.

"This suspension will follow immediately on the conclusion of the player's current ban."

Costa received an initial two-game ban for his dismissal due to the fact it was his second offence of the season. The former Atletico Madrid man was handed a three-match suspension retrospectively following his clashes with Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista in September.

He missed Chelsea's 2-2 draw with West Ham before the international break, and will now be unavailable to Guus Hiddink for upcoming trips to Premier League strugglers Aston Villa and Swansea City.



 
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