Новости за 27.12.2017

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany managed less than 11 minutes of his side's Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Wednesday as injury struck once more. The centre-back looked to be limping almost from kick-off at St James' Park and was replaced by Gabriel Jesus after failing to shake off the problem. Kompany punched the City dugout in frustration as he made his way off the pitch, having only returned from a muscle injury in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth on December 23. The Belgium... Читать дальше...

Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic believes he must leave St James' Park in January for the good of his career. The Serbia international scored nine Premier League goals in his debut season for the Magpies, but has found regular action under Rafa Benitez much tougher to come by. Mitrovic has not started in the Premier League this season and was omitted from the matchday squad entirely for a fourth fixture in a row for Wednesday's clash with Manchester City. A return to one of his two... Читать дальше...

Virgil van Dijk says he is "delighted and honoured" to be joining Liverpool from Southampton for a reported fee of £75million. The Premier League clubs announced on Wednesday an agreement had been reached for the centre-back to move to Anfield when the transfer window opens on January 1. The deal, which Saints confirmed was a world record for a defender, brings to an end months of speculation surrounding Van Dijk's future after he failed to secure a move to Jurgen Klopp's side in August. The 26-year-old... Читать дальше...

Liverpool have jolted the transfer market into life by making the first mega-money foray into the January sales with a reported £75million capture of Virgil van Dijk. A few short months on from failing to land the Dutchman's signature, the Reds have persuaded Van Dijk to join, having parted with a record fee for a defender. Expensive recruits in defence have become something of a hallmark of this Premier League season, with Manchester City streaking clear at the top after a big-money makeover that focused on defence. Читать дальше...

Virgil van Dijk's protracted move from Southampton to Liverpool has been completed, with the reported £75million fee a world record for a defender. The Netherlands international was on the brink of joining the Merseyside club at the start of the season only for the transfer to fall through after the Reds were accused of making an alleged illegal approach. Liverpool issued an apology to Southampton over the incident and the deal has been revived, with Van Dijk signing a contract for an undisclosed length of time that commences from January 1. Читать дальше...

Gabriel Barbosa could return to Brazil in January as he looks to get his career back on track, according to representative Cesar Boaventura. The striker moved to Benfica on loan in August after failing to settle at Inter following a reported €29.5million move from Santos a year earlier. However, the 21-year-old's time in Portugal has been met with little more success, with the Brazil international managing just 13 minutes of league football in 2017-18. With Benfica reportedly ready to cut his loan short... Читать дальше...

David Moyes has called for West Ham to move quickly in the January transfer window to address an "imbalanced squad". West Ham sit 17th in the Premier League, a point above the relegation zone, after winning two out of nine league games since Moyes' appointment as Slaven Bilic's successor. The club failed to complete a deadline-day deal for Sporting CP's Portugal international William Carvalho and the Scot believes midfield is an area West Ham must strengthen. "I've given players opportunities," he told told the West Ham's official website. Читать дальше...

A play-off to settle promotion to Chile's second tier ended in farce after one of the clubs involved refused to take part in a replayed penalty shoot-out. Deportes Vallenar opted not to show up for Wednesday's shoot-out against Deportes Melipilla at La Portada Stadium in La Serena, with the latter granted promotion as a result. Vallenar won 5-4 on penalties last week after the two legs of the Segunda Division play-off failed to produce a winner. During the shoot-out at the end of the second leg... Читать дальше...

Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has been told he must pay his buy-out clause in full if he is to leave the club for Real Madrid. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Liga champions in January as they look to bring in competition for Keylor Navas. Kepa's contract expires at the end of the season and talks over a new deal appear to have broken down, despite months of negotiations. However, club president Josu Urrutia insists the player will not be sold next month unless his release clause... Читать дальше...

Vitaly Mutko has stepped down from his role on the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup as he fights allegations relating to Russia's state-sponsored doping program. Mutko, who is Russia's deputy prime minister, was banned by the IOC this month after the release of the Schmid Report. Commissioned by the IOC, the report confirmed allegations of the widespread manipulation of anti-doping procedures during Mutko's tenure as Russian sports minister, chiefly at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Читать дальше...

Barcelona appear confident of capturing Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho in January, with midfielder Paulinho joking that the squad are already eyeing houses in the city for his Brazil team-mate. Coutinho submitted a transfer request at Anfield in August amid reports of a £100million-plus move to Camp Nou, though the Reds held firm and kept hold of their star playmaker. The 25-year-old has shown Barca what they missed out on, scoring 12 goals in 19 games, including a spectacular opener in Tuesday's 5-0 demolition of Swansea City. Читать дальше...

Arsene Wenger believes Harry Kane's achievements are all the more remarkable given the competitive nature of the Premier League compared to the rest of Europe. Kane finished 2017 with back-to-back hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton, making it 39 Premier League goals to surpass Alan Shearer's previous record of 36 in a calendar year, set in 1995. The Tottenham forward's 52 appearances for club and country this year yielded 56 goals, two more than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (54 in 64)... Читать дальше...

Kylian Mbappe says star Paris Saint-Germain colleague Neymar is not a selfish character, hailing him as the perfect team player. Since swapping Barcelona for PSG in a world-record €222million move, Neymar has scored 17 goals from 20 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 leaders. It has not been all about the Brazilian, though, with Edinson Cavani benefitting from a central role to net 25 times at the midway point of the season, while Mbappe himself has 12 strikes to his name. And the... Читать дальше...

Kylian Mbappe is excited by the challenge of taking on childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo and France "icon" Zinedine Zidane when Paris Saint-Germain meet Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16. PSG were given scant reward for topping a group that contained Bayern Munich as they were paired with the reigning European champions, who finished second in their pool behind Tottenham. Madrid's stuttering form this season perhaps has the runaway Ligue 1 leaders as favourites for the tie, which will... Читать дальше...

Arsene Wenger is confident Jack Wilshere will sign a new deal after the two men sit down to discuss the Arsenal midfielder's future. Wilshere's contract is due to expire in June, which has prompted speculation he could be set to leave Emirates Stadium for nothing as he seeks regular playing time. The 25-year-old spent the previous season on loan at Bournemouth, and had not started a Premier League game for the Gunners since May 2016, prior to forcing his way into the XI for each of the team's last three league outings. Читать дальше...

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been ruled out of AC Milan's Coppa Italia meeting with rivals Inter, the Rossoneri have confirmed. The goalkeeper has suffered a groin injury and has been taken out of Gennaro Gattuso's squad for Wednesday's quarter-final clash at San Siro. "Gigio Donnarumma has been removed from the #DerbyMilano squad list and is undergoing medical examination," Milan confirmed on Twitter. "#MilanPrimavera goalkeeper Matteo Soncin has been added to the list." Gigio Donnarumma has been... Читать дальше...

Arsene Wenger had a message for Jose Mourinho after the Manchester United manager bemoaned his club's lack of spending power - welcome to my world. Mourinho hit the headlines following the 2-2 home draw with Burnley on Tuesday, claiming his club cannot match the financial muscle of local rivals and runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City. The Portuguese, who has spent in the region of £300million since arriving at Old Trafford in May 2016, described that figure as "not enough" while pointing... Читать дальше...

Luis Alberto (Lazio)Luis Alberto has been the surprise star of Serie A this term –only last season, the Spaniard seemed surplus to requirements at Lazio. He made just four league starts and admitted that “between January and February, I experienced the worst moment of my career”. However, thanks to the help of a mental coach and the tactical nous of Simone Inzaghi, he has turned his fortunes around and remindedeveryone why Liverpool once paid £6.8m for him as a young player.Alberto started the 2017/18 campaign positively... Читать дальше...

Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Jose Mourinho has spent close to £300million since replacing Louis van Gaal as Manchester United manager in May 2016. Yet, the Portuguese does not believe the significant investment is enough to compete with neighbours Manchester City. City, meanwhile, have lured the likes of Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Danilo, Ederson and John Stones to the Etihad Stadium in the same period ... Читать дальше...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted he had no idea how many goals Roberto Firmino had scored this season after the Brazilian's brace against Swansea City. Firmino struck twice in his side's 5-0 thrashing of Swansea at Anfield on Boxing Day, taking his tally in the Premier League to nine this season. But Klopp said he had no interest in the numbers, highlighting Firmino's second goal – a tap in from a Mohamed Salah pass – as an example of how he wants his team to play. "I am happy for all of... Читать дальше...

Manchester City are the runaway Premier League leaders amid their record winning streak but captain Vincent Kompany warned against complacency, pointing to the 2011-12 title race. Unbeaten City travel to Newcastle United on Wednesday seeking to extend their lead atop the table to 15 points with an 18th successive Premier League victory. Many believe the title has already been decided before the New Year – rivals Manchester United and defending champions Chelsea battling for second position behind Pep Guardiola's side. Читать дальше...

Former AC Milan boss Fabio Capello says Leonardo Bonucci "can't defend" and was fortunate to play in a system that suited him at Juventus. The Italy international moved to San Siro from the Serie A champions in a shock €42million deal but he has struggled badly for form during a difficult time for the Rossoneri. Capello, who guided Milan to four Scudetti and the 1994 Champions League in a glittering spell in the early 1990s, has offered his own rather scathing assessment of Bonucci's qualities and the reason behind his poor performances. Читать дальше...

Lazio booked their place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina on Tuesday. A first-half strike from Senad Lulic was enough to send last year's runners-up into the last four and keep alive their hopes of a third final appearance in four seasons. Fiorentina controlled the majority of the possession at the Stadio Olimpico but Lazio provided the clinical touch, with Lulic collecting Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's throughball before cutting onto his right foot and slotting... Читать дальше...

Jesse Lingard hailed Manchester United's fighting spirit after they fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Burnley. The England international was dropped from the starting line-up in the wake of the 2-2 draw with Leicester City last week but came off the bench to snatch a point for his side at Old Trafford on Tuesday. United were 2-0 down at half-time thanks to goals from Ashley Barnes and Steven Defour before Lingard rescued a result, backheeling Ashley Young's cross home to halve the deficit... Читать дальше...

Jurgen Klopp has admitted bowing to external pressures to start Trent Alexander-Arnold in Tuesday's 5-0 demolition of Swansea City, following a meeting with the full-back's mother. Alexander-Arnold's mum visited the club last week, when she explained to Klopp that the 19-year-old's extended family would be over from the United States for the Boxing Day fixture. Klopp took the conversation as a hint to start the local prospect and the selection paid off, as Alexander-Arnold netted his first Premier League goal in front of the Kop. Читать дальше...