Новости за 07.01.2018

Luis Suarez says Barcelona have added another "elite" player to their squad in Philippe Coutinho. Coutinho is set to complete his switch to Barca from Liverpool on Monday, the clubs having agreed a deal worth a reported £142million (€160m). The Brazilian's departure from Anfield has echoes of Suarez's move to Barca from the Reds in 2014, Liverpool unable to keep their South American star from Camp Nou's lure. Suarez scored against Levante on Sunday to go seventh on Barca's all-time goalscoring... Читать дальше...

Philippe Coutinho has been presented as a Barcelona player for the first time. The Catalan giants are reported to have agreed a deal worth up to £142million with Liverpool to bring the Brazilian playmaker to Camp Nou, after a series of bids failed in August. Coutinho will be formally unveiled on Monday, with a photo shoot on the Camp Nou pitch to be followed by a press conference. But Barca offered a glimpse of Coutinho in Barcelona colours in a video posted to the club's official Twitter account after Sunday's home win against Levante. Читать дальше...

Cagliari have issued an apology to Blaise Matuidi after the Juventus midfielder alleged he was subjected to racist abuse during Saturday's Serie A game at the Sardegna Arena. Matuidi hit out at "weak people" who "intimidate with hate" in a post on his official Facebook page after the Italian champions recorded a 1-0 victory thanks to Federico Bernardeschi's goal. "I am not a hater and can only be sorry for those who set bad examples," Matuidi wrote. "Football is a way to spread equality, passion... Читать дальше...

Ousmane Dembele recorded a 100 per cent pass completion rate on his return to the Barcelona team after over three months out due to injury. The €105million August arrival from Borussia Dortmund, bought as a replacement for Neymar, made his return from a torn hamstring as a substitute in Thursday's first leg of his side's last-16 Copa del Rey tie at Celta Vigo. Barca head coach Ernesto Valverde indicated after Dembele played 20 minutes of that 1-1 draw that the 20-year-old was not yet fit enough to start a game. Читать дальше...

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger conceded his side were dominated by Championship side Nottingham Forest in their 4-2 FA Cup defeat on Sunday. Forest dealt Wenger his first third-round elimination, with Eric Lichaj scoring twice before penalties from Ben Brereton and Kieran Dowell. Per Mertesacker had levelled matters at 1-1 and Danny Welbeck's 79th-minute effort to make it 3-2 failed to spark a comeback from the defending champions. "I believe that overall we played against a Nottingham team who were very sharp... Читать дальше...

David Moyes said West Ham lacked "quality" and "steel" after they were held to a 0-0 draw by League One outfit Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup. Moyes made just four changes to the team that had drawn 1-1 with Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday, but the Hammers delivered a listless display and were indebted to an excellent display from Joe Hart - making his return to his boyhood club. England international Hart was tested by Shaun Whalley and Mat Sadler, while the Premier League side mustered just four... Читать дальше...

Ernesto Valverde hailed the "important" arrival of Philippe Coutinho as Barcelona prepare to present their new record signing on Monday. A deal reported to be worth up to £142million was announced by Barca on Saturday, with Coutinho agreeing a five-and-a-half-year deal to swap Liverpool for the Camp Nou club.  Coutinho did not appear as Barcelona beat Levante 3-0 on Sunday to move nine points clear at the top of LaLiga, Lionel Messi scoring and providing an assist on his 400th league appearance. Читать дальше...

The FA Cup third round saw another two big shocks as holders Arsenal lost at Nottingham Forest, while League Two side Newport County came from behind to knock out Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds United. Arsenal have won the tournament in three of the last four years, but were dumped out in a thrilling 4-2 defeat at the City Ground against managerless Forest, with two penalties helping the second-tier hosts through. Newport's victory was their first in the competition against a team from England's... Читать дальше...

Mauricio Pochettino says bringing silverware to Tottenham will play a pivotal role in convincing Harry Kane to stay. Kane's double was crucial as Spurs saw off AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. The England international had not been expected to feature at Wembley, but he captained Spurs and scored two goals in the space of 111 seconds after the League One side had earlier hit the crossbar. Philippe Coutinho's £142million move from Liverpool to Barcelona has cast a long shadow... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich will play third-tier Paderborn in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal. Paderborn were among the Bundesliga elite as recently as 2014-15, but suffered consecutive relegations and are now seeking a return to the second division, trailing 3. Liga leaders Magdeburg by just two points. Steffen Baumgart's side have seen off St Pauli, Bochum and Ingolstadt in this season's competition. Bayern's run to the last eight has been far tougher, having seen off RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund... Читать дальше...

Ousmane Dembele will make his first start since September after being named in the Barcelona team to face Levante in LaLiga on Sunday. Head coach Ernesto Valverde indicated after Dembele made a 20-minute cameo in the Copa del Rey against Celta Vigo on Thursday that the club-record signing was not ready to start. But having recovered from a torn hamstring sustained against Getafe in his third appearance after his €105million August arrival from Borussia Dortmund, the winger features in a front three... Читать дальше...

Juventus star Paulo Dybala has been diagnosed with a mild to medium thigh muscle strain, the club have confirmed. The forward was forced off in the second half of his side's 1-0 win at Cagliari on Saturday in clear distress, with head coach Massimiliano Allegri later admitting they were unsure about the severity of the problem. Tests carried out early on Sunday have shown Dybala has damaged a flexor muscle in his right thigh, with Juve unwilling to estimate his recovery time until at least next week. Читать дальше...

Schalke expect midfielder Leon Goretzka to announce whether or not he will sign a new contract before the end of January, Clemens Tonnies has said. The Germany international's deal expires at the end of the season and he has been heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich. Bayern head coach Jupp Heynckes admitted this week he is a fan of the 22-year-old, before sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed the Bundesliga champions were interested in signing him, prompting Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel to issue a strong rebuke. Читать дальше...

Leicester City boss Clause Puel hopes to keep both Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani until at least the end of the season. Winger Mahrez has been linked with a possible move to Liverpool to replace Philippe Coutinho, who has joined Barcelona for a fee that reportedly could reach £142million. Club-record signing Slimani, who is said to have cost close to £28m after agreeing to leave Sporting CP in 2016, has managed only two Premier League starts this season and cut a frustrated figure in Saturday's 0-0 FA Cup draw with Fleetwood Town. Читать дальше...

Philippe Coutinho was a "humble" boy who had "everything" in terms of ability even at the age of 18, according to Rafael Benitez. The Brazil star completed his protracted transfer to Barcelona on Saturday for a fee that could reportedly reach a club-record €160million. Coutinho's blockbuster move to Camp Nou comes almost five years on from his transfer to Liverpool from Inter for a bargain price said to have been just €10m. Benitez coached Coutinho for just a few months during his ill-fated spell... Читать дальше...

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta said the Italian champions have no plans to part with star Paulo Dybala, despite continued transfer speculation. Manchester United have been linked with a move for Dybala, who dropped out of Juve's starting XI last month which sparked doubts over the Argentina international's future in Turin. After Philippe Coutinho's blockbuster sale to LaLiga giants Barcelona, Marotta was asked what he thought Dybala was worth before Juve's 1-0 win over Cagliari on Saturday. Читать дальше...

Cagliari president Tommaso Guilini slated the video assistant referee (VAR) interpretation and hinted there is a bias towards Serie A's bigger clubs following Saturday's 1-0 loss to reigning Serie A champions Juventus. Two significant talking points emerged from Juve's win in Sardinia, with Federico Bernardeschi's goal following a Mehdi Benatia elbow to Leonardo Pavoletti. Moments later, Bernardeschi appeared to block a Simone Padoin cross with his arm, but the referee did not refer to VAR. Referee... Читать дальше...

Most people long for simpler times. Almost fittingly, with Arsenal set to face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Arsene Wenger longs for more difficult ones. The 68-year-old Frenchman took time out to praise Brian Clough, but doubts whether the legendary manager's success with Forest – including silverware on the domestic and continental stage – could be achievable in football today. Clough, who died aged 69 in 2004, guided Forest to back-to-back European Cup titles in 1979 and 1980. "He [Clough]... Читать дальше...

The 'Fab Four' have become the 'Fab Three'. Philippe Coutinho's £142million move to Barcelona leaves Liverpool needing to fill the void left by the departure of their biggest star for the second time in less than four years. Coutinho follows in the footsteps of Luis Suarez, who swapped Anfield for Camp Nou in 2014 after playing the lead role in Liverpool's oh-so-close push for the Premier League title that year. Brendan Rodgers' side famously fell short as Manchester City clinched the title and... Читать дальше...

Greek giants Olympiacos have confirmed they agreed a deal to re-sign Everton attacker Kevin Mirallas. The 30-year-old Belgian joined the Toffees from Olympiacos in 2012 and played 186 games for the club. Yet, he has only made five appearances for Everton in the Premier League this season – three of them as a substitute. Mirallas has not once been in the squad since Sam Allardyce was appointed manager. Mirallas' first stint at Olympiacos saw him score 34 goals in 71 appearances, as the club won... Читать дальше...

Vincenzo Montella's first league match in charge of Sevilla finished disappointingly, losing 5-3 to city rivals Real Betis in a thriller at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Taking over after Eduardo Berizzo was sensationally dismissed – exactly a week after returning from prostate cancer treatment – Montella oversaw Sevilla's midweek Copa Del Rey win against Cadiz. However, Betis immediately applied pressure on Saturday and answered every fightback from the 43-year-old Italian's side. Fabian Ruiz got El Gran Derbi off to an exhilarating start... Читать дальше...

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has struck another blow in his war of words with Jose Mourinho, claiming the Manchester United boss is "suffering a bit of amnesia". The Premier League rivals have been involved in a war of words after Mourinho's comments that he preferred to act more mature on the touchline were perceived as a dig at the Chelsea coach. Mourinho intensified the spat following Manchester United's 2-0 win over Derby County on Friday, referring to Conte's ban over match-fixing allegations for which he was later acquitted. Читать дальше...