PARIS — Neymar went off on a stretcher after twisting his right ankle late in league leader Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 victory against Marseille on Sunday. The Brazil striker was taken off with 10 minutes remaining, after going in for a challenge on Marseille defender Bouna Sarr. PSG coach Unai Emery is hopeful that Neymar will […]
The post PSG striker Neymar off on stretcher after twisting ankle appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
JURGEN KLOPP has targeted England midfielder Lewis Cook in a £20million deal to replace Emre Can.
The Liverpool boss is looking at his option as Can’s contract is expiring and he is set to join Juventus for free.
Liverpool are interested in signing midfielder Lewis Cook from BournemouthGetty Images - Getty
Lewis Cook was captain on England’s U20 World Cup winning side and got a senior call-up in NovemberTimes Newspapers Ltd
And Bournemouth youngster Cook has been watched by Kop scouts during a season where he earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad in November.
Cook, 21, has been a regular for Eddie Howe’s team in their climb away from relegation trouble into mid-table.
Liverpool have tracked his progress since leaving Leeds two seasons ago and continuing his progress on the South Coast.
They have been impressed with him lifting the Under-20 World Cup with England last year in South Korea, the country’s first triumph at a global tournament since 1966.
COOK-ING UP A STORM Lewis Cook is the first England skipper to lift a World Cup trophy since 1966… here is all you need to know about the U20s skipper
Emre Can netted Liverpool’s first against West Ham on Saturday but could be leaving for free in the summerGetty
Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Lewis Cook and has been tracking the midfielder during his spell with BournemouthPA:Press Association
All eyes were on whether England’s talent would get games in the Prem but Cook has established himself at the Vitality Stadium after breaking into the team earlier in the campaign.
And now Klopp will look at a summer swoop to fill the massive gap left by Can in central midfield.
Lewis Cook has been a regular in Bournemouth’s side in their battle against relegationReuters
The Germany international, 24, had not missed a game in two months before sitting out the Champions League win over Porto through suspension.
But with no breakthrough in talks over a new deal at Anfield, Klopp has needed to look at alternatives for next season.
It may have taken two penalty shootouts en route the Carabao Cup final but Pep Guardiola is on the brink of his first trophy in English football.
Alison Bender and Don Hutchison look ahead to Sunday's Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City to bounce back from their Monday FA Cup loss to Wigan and win the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal on Sunday.
To paraphrase a popular co-commentary cliche: if anything, Manchester City are actually playing too well.
With the Premier League title wrapped up weeks -- if not months -- ago, the genuine brilliance of Pep Guardiola's side has almost been overlooked: there's no tension, no intrigue, no will-they-or-won't-they debates going into the run-in. They win so frequently it's almost become dull, and yet the manner of their football is anything but. Manchester City will win the Premier League this season,...IT’S United v Chelsea on Sunday and that means it’s Mourinho v Conte.
It says something about the form of both Manchester United and Chelsea this season that the most interesting thing about the fixture is their ongoing spat.
Mourinho and Conte trade insults, illustration by LovattoLovatto
Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte in better timesNews Group Newspapers Ltd
It’s been a season where United’s brand of anti-football is gaining rave reviews from precisely nobody.
While Chelsea’s title defence has collapsed meekly against the likes of Bournemouth and Watford.
But it’s the war of words between the Portuguese and the Italian that everyone will have their eye on at Old Trafford on Sunday.
In the meantime, here’s our handy five-point guide to English football’s most riveting rivalry.
1. The war of words begins
Jose Mourinho didn’t like how Antonio Conte celebrated a 4-0 win over UnitedNews Group Newspapers Ltd
It’s October 2016 and new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte celebrates a thumping 4-0 win for Chelsea over United.
He runs up and down the Stamford Bridge touchline in manic fashion, diving into the crowd and generally acting like a berk.
Mourinho isn’t impressed.
As the pair shake hands at the final whistle, he pulls Conte into him.
“You don’t celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it’s humiliating for us.”
Yeah, because you’d never catch Mourinho knee-sliding down the touchline, would you?
2. Jose gets personal
Antonio Conte had a subtle dig at Mourinho for finishing 10th after winning the titleAFP or licensors
In the summer of 2017, Antonio Conte began to prepare his team for the defence of their Premier League title.
It was clear he was determined to make a better fist of it then Jose had done in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
“Two years ago Chelsea finished 10th,” he explained.
“That cannot happen again. We know the difficulty and, for sure, we want to avoid the Mourinho season with Chelsea.”
Jose Mourinho sneered at Antonio Conte’s luscious head of hairGetty Images - Getty
Meanwhile, Mourinho was sharpening his claws and, predictably, took a pot shot at the Italian’s surprisingly luscious head of hair.
MOUR TO COME Jose Mourinho warns Antonio Conte to stop playing the ‘victim’ as feud continues“I could answer in many different ways,” he said, “but I’m not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte.”
3. Cry, cry and cry againIn October 2017, United defeated Benfica in the Champions League and Mourinho used the press conference to have another pop at Conte.
He might not have referred to him by name, but his intentions were clear.
Jose Mourinho has made it a pastime to aim subtle digs at Antonio ConteBT Sport
“I don’t cry; I think the way to do it is ignore the players who are injured and focus on the players that are available.
“If I want to moan and cry like the others, I can cry for the next five minutes. But I don’t.”
Yeah, not much. Over to you Antonio…
“I think he has to think about his team and start looking at himself, not others.
Antonio Conte always takes the bait when Jose Mourinho takes aim at himEPA
“I think that, a lot of times, Mourinho (likes to concentrate on) what is happening at Chelsea.
“A lot of times, also last season. (He has) to think about his team.”
4. Send in the clownLater that month, Mourinho bristled when his apparent lack of enthusiasm was questioned by the media.
“Because I don’t behave as a clown on the touchline, it means that I lost my passion?” he responded.
Jose Mourinho claimed that he doesn’t behave like a clown on the touchlinePA:Empics Sport
“I prefer to behave the way I am doing it, much more mature, better for my team and myself.
“I don’t think you have to behave like a crazy guy on the touchline to have that passion.”
Needless to say, Mourinho’s comments were seen as another dig at Conte, who took the bait.
“I think he has to see himself in the past – maybe he was speaking about himself in the past.
ConteAFP or licensors
“Maybe, sometimes, I think that someone forgets what’s said in the past, which is his behaviour,” suggested the Blues coach.
“Sometimes I think there is, I don’t know the name, but ‘demenza senile…’ when you forget what you do in the past.”
Oct 2016
Mourinho (reported by Italian TV)
“You don’t celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it’s humiliating for us.”
Nov 2016
Conte
“I find it incredible that someone like him (Victor Moses) has been overlooked.”
Feb 2017
Mourinho
“Chelsea are a very good defensive team”
July 2017
Mourinho
“I’m not going to lose my hair to speak about Antonio Conte”
(Conte has reportedly had three hair transplants)
Oct 2017
Conte
“Mourinho likes to concentrate on what is happening at Chelsea, also last season. He has to think about his team.”
Jan 2018
Mourinho
“I don’t behave as a clown on the touchline”
Jan 2018
Conte
“Sometimes I think there is, I don’t know the name, but demenza senile, when you forget what you do in the past.”
Jan 2018
Mourinho
“What never happened to me, and never will happen, is to be suspended for match-fixing.”
(Conte was banned but later acquitted of failing to report alleged match-fixing)
Jan 2018
Conte
“I consider him a little man.”
Jan 2018
Conte
“You are a fake, you are a fake.”
Later, Conte maintained he had meant to say amnesia, not dementia.
5. Mourinho ups the anteAfter United’s FA Cup win over Derby County, Mourinho took the pair’s feud one step further.
Jose Mourinho took his feud with Antonio Conte one step further referring to Antonio Conte’s match-fixing chargesAFP or licensors
He referred to Conte’s suspension for match-fixing in 2012, charges for which he was later acquitted.
“What never happened to me – and will never happen – is to be suspended for match-fixing,” he shrugged.
“That never happened to me and will never happen.”
The following day, Conte responded.
“I think when there are these types of comments, comments where you try to offend the person and don’t know the truth, then you are a little man,” he said.
Jose Mourinho was called a ‘little man’ by Antonio ConteGetty - Contributor
“In the past he was a little man in many circumstance, he’s a little man in the present and, for sure, he will be a little man in the future.”
For the record, Jose is, indeed, 4cm shorter than Conte.
Exclusive illustration by Lovatto
Lazio's Stefan de Vrij will be one of the most sought-after defenders on the market this summer.
With Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter Milan all linked with a move for Lazio's Stefan de Vrij, who will leave Lazio as a free agent in the summer, here are five things to know about the €35 million-rated defender.
1. He rose at a very young age
Born on Feb. 5, 1992, in Ouderkerk aan den IJssel, Netherlands, De Vrij started out at amateur club VV Spirit, where he plied his trade as a midfielder for five years. After participating in Feyenoord's talent recruitment day in 2002...
Ganso has had fleeting moments but has found European football tough overall since arriving at Sevilla in 2016.
When Sevilla take the field against Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday, Paulo Henrique Ganso will not be in their ranks.
The Brazilian playmaker has been left out of Sevilla's Champions League squad, effectively declared surplus to requirements. Meanwhile, his old Santos teammate Neymar is one of the stars of the competition, and is the most expensive player in the world after his move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain.
The pair exploded together with Santos, especially...
LONDON — As unlikely as it sounds, Lionel Messi is still waiting to score his first goal against Chelsea after drawing a blank in eight previous Champions League matches. The five-time World Player of the Year is likely to get another chance to break his duck this week and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte believes the […]
The post Messi aims to score against Chelsea at 9th attempt appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Tottenham midfielder is the worst offender in a growing tendency
Antonio Valencia of Manchester United brings down Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur in the penalty area during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on January 31, 2018 in London.
(Photo: Marc Atkins/Offside/Getty Images)Tottenham midfielder is the worst offender in a growing tendencyARSENE WENGER wants Nabil Fekir in a £45million deal, according to reports.
The Gunners chief has been keeping tabs on the Lyon forward, who has been compared to France legend Youri Djorkaeff.
Nabil Fekir has stepped up since Alexandre Lacazette moved to ArsenalROBERT PRATTA
And the Daily Mail claims Wenger wants a deal done before Fekir, 24, joins his international team-mates at the World Cup.
Djorkaeff inspired his nation on home soil in 1998 and won the European Championships two years later
And Fekir will be hoping to do the same in Russia after scoring in Lyon’s 3-1 Europa League win over Villarreal on Thursday.
Since Alexandre Lacazette joined the Gunners, the playmaker has been his club’s star man.
Lyon forward Nabil Fekir celebrates after scoring against VillarrealAFP or licensors
Arsene Wenger is a big fan of the stylish forward who has been in lethal form this seasonAFP or licensors
He has upped his strike rate with 16 league goals in just 22 games.
And Fekir has also chipped in with six assists as well as key strikes in Europe – including a penalty against Everton.
FEK OFF? Nabil Fekir is earmarked as France’s next superstar… meet the Lyon playmaker Arsenal want to replace Mesut OzilLyon are desperate to keep him at the club but the Gunners’ Lacazette swoop proved the Ligue 1 outfit are open to business at the right price.
Fekir has also been linked with Liverpool and Barcelona among others but Real Madrid appears to be his dream destination.
France legend Youri Djorkaeff headed to England towards the end of his careerPA:Press Association
Asked about working with Zinedine Zidane, the ambitious ace gushed: “If tomorrow he calls me, I would never refuse him.
“That’s in the back of my mind too. It’s good that I’m at Lyon today. It’s a very big club.
“But I want to aim for the top. Barca, Real, Bayern, PSG. Why not?
“You have to be ambitious and I am so we’ll see what happens.”
Former Ajax coach Peter Bosz has urged Justin Kluivert to stay where he is.
Linked with Manchester United, the winger has talked up interest from Real Madrid this week.
Read more on Tribal Football
LONDON — Erik Lamela scored his first goal in 17 injury-troubled months to help Tottenham reach the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier side Newport on Wednesday.
The south Wales club held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw at home 10 days ago but it was outclassed in the replay at Wembley Stadium.
Lamela’s close-range finish in the 34th minute came after an own goal from Dan Butler.
Tottenham, which hasn’t won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, will next face third-tier northern English side Rochdale in the FA Cup.
West Brom's manager was right to air his concerns about the new system
Referee Craig Pawson consults the VAR system before awarding Liverpool a penalty during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on January 27, 2018.
(Photo: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)West Brom's manager was right to air his concerns about the new systemCHELSEA fans will notice one glaring omission from their opponents’ line-up at Watford tomorrow.
Nathaniel Chalobah left the Blues for the Hornets in a £6million switch last summer.
Nathaniel Chalobah is desperate to get in the England squadRex Features
But he has not played since September after fracturing a kneecap.
The injury was made all the more painful by the fact Chalobah had just received his first senior England call, after winning a record 97 caps for the Three Lions’ development teams.
But the 23-year-old still hopes to be at this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Chalobah, who steadfastly refuses to give an idea on when he could return to action, said: “The rehab is going well and I am hoping I will get back playing in enough time to impress the England manager and get a place in the squad.
Nathaniel Chalobah is yet to make his international debutNews Group Newspapers Ltd
Watford ace Chalobah was hitting form before his injuryRex Features
“It will not be easy, but I still have hopes of being on the plane.”
Chelsea fan Chalobah had been at the Blues since he was ten.
GUNNER START Chelsea new boy Olivier Giroud set for shock debut against Watford as Alvaro Morata struggles with back injuryHe said: “It was a difficult situation for me. I support the club, I was a ball boy at the games and I’ve been a big Chelsea fan. Last year was a dream come true. After so many loans I was finally back in the squad.
“But I wanted to play more games and I didn’t feel the manager was going to include me in the team. For me, the most important thing was playing. An opportunity came from Watford and I decided to take it.”
Nathaniel Chalobah has plenty of experience at youth levelGetty - Contributor
Midfield ace Chalobah will have to impress new boss Javi GraciaRex Features
Chalobah won the Uefa Euro Under-17 Championship in 2010 and is an ambassador for this year’s tournament, which England host for the first time in May.
Before that, he needs to impress another new Watford boss after Marco Silva — the man who signed him — was replaced by Javi Gracia.
(function(){ var voice = document.createElement('script');voice.type = 'text/javascript'; voice.src = 'https://inconversation.net/widgets.js';var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(voice, s); })();Chalobah added: “You are employed by the club and they are the most important thing. Bigger than all of us.
“It is just a case of proving myself again to the new manager.”
See the stars of tomorrow in the Uefa European Under-17 Championship, May 4-20, 2018. Visit www.TheFA.com/U17Euro for tickets and further information.
LOS ANGELES — Costa Rican international Marco Urena accounted for the first two goals in Los Angeles FC pre-season history Friday as the expansion franchise club tied MLS champion Toronto FC 2-2.
The game pitted Toronto captain Michael Bradley against his father, AFC head coach Bob Bradley.
"All in all, not bad," Bob Bradley said of his team’s performance.
"There’s a lot of work to do still," he added.
Tsubasa Endoh and Sebastian Giovinco scored for Toronto, which led 1-0 and 2-1. Urena pulled LAFC even for the second time in the 84th minute.
The game, which saw both teams field younger lineups in the first half before turning to senior players in the second, was played at UCLA.
"It was a good day. We got a lot of guys minutes," said Toronto coach Greg Vanney.
Toronto returns home Saturday before leaving heading south again Tuesday to continue training camp in Mexico.
The 2018 Philippines Football League season kicks off March 3 with six clubs disputing two trophies and the chance to represent the country in continental competitions next year.
The post Optimism surrounds six-team PFL with new season kicking off next month appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
ONDON — Watched by the Premier League’s biggest-ever crowd, Tottenham scored one of the competition’s fastest goals. Manchester United hadn’t even had a chance to touch the ball when Christian Eriksen put the ball in the net after 10.5 seconds at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. “It feels a bit weird to score from your first […]
The post 10.5-second goal sets Spurs on way to win over Man United appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
