Новости за 11.01.2019

Juan Antonio Pizzi thinks his Saudi Arabia team could be unstoppable in the 2019 Asian Cup if they manage to consistently reproduce the sort of display that saw them hammer North Korea 4-0 in their opener. Although Pizzi's men were boosted by the sending off of Han Kwang-song just before half-time, Saudi Arabia were already 2-0 up and well on their way to three points. As such, Saudi Arabia look well placed to progress to the knockout phase for the first time since 2007, when they finished runners-up. Читать дальше...

Iraq come into Saturday's clash with Yemen as heavy favourites, but coach Srecko Katanec is taking nothing for granted after a scare against Vietnam in their Asian Cup opener. Katanec's men twice came from a goal down to triumph 3-2 against Vietnam, requiring a 90th-minute Ali Adnan winner to collect the three points and join Iran at the top of Group D. And so, with memories of that meeting still fresh in his mind, Katanec is taking little comfort from next opponents Yemen's 5-0 humbling at the hands of Iran. Читать дальше...

Marcelo Bielsa has accepted full responsibility for the Leeds United spying scandal but showed no remorse in a remarkable defence of his actions. The Football Association (FA) is to investigate the incident after Derby County - ahead of Friday's Championship clash between the clubs - claimed a man caught by police acting "suspiciously" near their training ground was a Leeds employee. Law enforcement personnel were called to Derby's training centre on Thursday after concerns about the behaviour of the individual outside the premises. Читать дальше...

The Football Association (FA) will investigate allegations of spying after Derby County claimed a man caught by police acting "suspiciously" near their training ground was a Leeds United employee. The day before the two teams' Championship encounter at Elland Road on Friday, police were called to Derby's training centre after growing concerned with the behaviour of a man outside the premises. Police confirmed a man was found and questioned at the perimeter fence of the complex, before being sent on his way with no arrest made. Читать дальше...

Cesc Fabregas looks to have played in the Premier League for the final time after leaving Chelsea for Ligue 1 strugglers Monaco. A sparkling Premier League career concludes with two winners' medals and 350 appearances over two stints in England. The Spain international joined Arsenal in 2003 and spent eight years with the north London club, becoming captain under Arsene Wenger before departing for boyhood side Barcelona. Fabregas was back in England with Chelsea in 2014 and finally got his hands... Читать дальше...

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp celebrated "the icing on the cake" after he and Virgil van Dijk won the Premier League's monthly awards for a flawless December. The league-leading Reds won seven games from seven for the month as they built a seven-point advantage over champions Manchester City at the end of the calendar year. City subsequently began 2019 by beating Liverpool to trim that lead, but Manager of the Month Klopp was still able to reflect on a superb month as he collected his award on Friday. Читать дальше...

Monaco have agreed a deal with Chelsea to bring Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas to Ligue 1. The 31-year-old had been out of favour at Stamford Bridge this season and, with his contract expiring in June, has departed for the French top flight on a three-and-a-half-year deal. Fabregas joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2014 and had initially been a key player for Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, winning the Premier League title under both. However, Maurizio Sarri's arrival ahead of 2018-19 effectively spelled the end of Fabregas' Chelsea career... Читать дальше...

Saman Ghoddos insists Iran are not allowing themselves to think of lifting the Asian Cup even after their sensational start to the tournament. Carlos Queiroz's men - the highest-ranked of the 24 nations involved in the competition - face Vietnam on Saturday on the back of a 5-0 thrashing of Yemen in their opening Group D fixture. Amiens forward Ghoddos rounded off the scoring in that rout as Iran delivered a performance to underline their credentials in many people's eyes as favourites to add to their three titles. Читать дальше...

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri believes a fear of making decisions is to blame for Italy's failure to stamp out racism in football. An incident at San Siro on December 26 saw Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly subjected to racist abuse from the stands during a clash with Inter. Serie A responded by ordering Inter to play their following two home league games behind closed doors, but Italy is not the only country to be dealing with such problems. Two high-profile incidents in English football towards... Читать дальше...

Neil Warnock compared business in the January transfer window to "climbing a mountain with butter on your hands" as Cardiff City's frustrations persist. The Bluebirds are holding their own in the Premier League this season, despite being widely tipped for relegation back to the Championship, but Warnock is keen for help in the form of new arrivals this month. No deals have yet been forthcoming and, as he addressed the difficulties he has faced in recent days, Warnock is facing up to the fact that... Читать дальше...

Manolo Gabbiadini has returned to his native Italy after the striker's former club Sampdoria agreed a permanent transfer with Premier League side Southampton. Italy international Gabbiadini heads back to the club he played for between 2013 and 2015 for a fee thought to be in the region of €12million, with reports suggesting he has signed a deal until 2023. Saints were said to have paid €17m to Napoli for Gabbiadini in January 2017 and he made a strong start to life in England. He scored six goals in his first four games for the club... Читать дальше...

NEWSOzil, Koscielny and Monreal return as Arsenal's injury problems lessenGiven his £350,000-per-week pay packet, it’s often asked whether Mesut Ozil is worth all the money. But, nearly five years into his polarising Arsenal tenure, perhaps the real question is whether he is worth all the conversation.Has there ever been a more divisive and discussed player than the German? He has split opinion from the day he arrived in north London. Some Arsenal fans welcomed him as a game-changing acquisition... Читать дальше...

Mauricio Pochettino stressed the importance of not pressuring Christian Eriksen into signing a new deal at Tottenham, likening the situation to letting his dog run free in the park. The Denmark international, who joined from Ajax in 2013, has 18 months left on his contract but is yet to come to an agreement over a renewal. That delay has sparked speculation linking the midfielder with a move to LaLiga champions Barcelona, although Pochettino appears unconcerned that negotiations are yet to reach a conclusion. Читать дальше...

Leicester City have cut short Harvey Barnes' successful loan spell with West Brom in the Championship. The England Under-21 midfielder joined West Brom on a season-long deal in July after signing a new four-year contract with the Foxes. But Barnes' impressive form in the second tier has caught the eye of the Premier League outfit, with Leicester opting to recall their player on Friday and dealing a significant blow to West Brom's promotion bid. Barnes provided nine goals and six assists in 26... Читать дальше...

Maurizio Sarri thinks it is "impossible" for Willian to leave Chelsea in January despite reports suggesting he could be part of a swap deal with Barcelona involving the out-of-favour Malcom. Brazil international Willian was the subject of strong speculation in pre-season, with Barcelona reportedly having offers for him rejected. In the end, Barca signed Malcom from Bordeaux to bolster their wide options, but the 21-year-old has hardly featured, playing just five times in LaLiga. Malcom cost Barca... Читать дальше...

West Ham United chairman David Gold is in no doubt whatsoever that Marko Arnautovic will remain at the club until 2022, and has insisted repeatedly and forcefully that “footballers are loyal people who always see out the entirety of their contracts”.The Hammers have received a bid of £35 million from a Chinese side believed to be Shanghai SIPG, but after decidingto reject that offer the subject is definitely now closed, Gold has explained.The West Ham chief then proceeded to repeatedly and somewhat... Читать дальше...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is wary his team's momentum may be stalled by Wolves on Monday night. City go into the game on the back of four successive wins, including a 2-1 defeat of title-rivals Liverpool and resounding cup successes against Rotherham United and Burton Albion, the latter a 9-0 triumph in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday. But Guardiola knows Wolves will present a stiff test at the Etihad Stadium after making an impressive return to the top flight under Nuno Espirito Santo. Читать дальше...

Maurizio Sarri believes Bayern Munich have not acted in a professional manner during their open pursuit of Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi. The 18-year-old attacker has attracted interest from the German champions this month, with Bayern said to have been alerted to the situation by his apparent unwillingness to sign a new contract. Bayern are reported to have tabled three bids for the prospect, who is apparently eager to leave the club in search of greater first-team exposure having appeared just once in the Premier League this term. Читать дальше...

Thomas Tuchel is keen to see a response to Paris Saint-Germain's Coupe de la Ligue defeat this weekend, but they could be without Neymar and Kylian Mbappe against Amiens. PSG suffered a rare setback in midweek as they dramatically lost 2-1 to Guingamp after conceding three second-half penalties. Neymar and Mbappe both played the full 90 minutes, with the latter taking a blow to the head late in the first half, and Tuchel revealed on Friday that the pair are tired and may be rested as Ligue 1 action returns for 2019. Читать дальше...

Australia recovered smartly from their opening loss to Jordan to breathe fresh life into their Asian Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Palestine in Dubai on Friday. The holders suffered a shock 1-0 defeat five days previously but quickfire goals from Jamie Maclaren - his first for his country - and Awer Mabil in the opening period set them on their way at Rashid Stadium before Apostolos Giannou rounded off the scoring late on. The first two goals arrived in the 18th and 20th minutes... Читать дальше...

We’re already well into the second week of 2019 but, like Daniel Levy releasing news of Tottenham's stadium, we thought we'd wait until everyone was already sick of the story before publishing something.So as you've likely already broken your own New Year's resolutions, and certainly tired of columns highlighting every lifestyle blogger’s "three resolutions you can't start your year without", why not adopt ours and consider these three differential players (less than 6.5% selected at time of writing)... Читать дальше...

Jurgen Klopp is not worried that Liverpool have lost momentum in the last week as he insists the squad do not discuss the situation at the top of the Premier League table. The Reds lead the way after 21 matches, but their advantage over Manchester City was cut to four points last week as they lost at the Etihad Stadium. A further defeat to Wolves in the FA Cup has hinted at a wobble in Liverpool's so far outstanding season, yet Klopp is keen to leave those defeats in the past - along with the team's... Читать дальше...

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Cristiano Ronaldo is "serene" despite a warrant for his DNA amid the ongoing investigation into a rape allegation. American Kathryn Mayorga has accused Ronaldo of sexually assaulting her in a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009, something the Portugal captain has strenuously refuted. German publication Der Spiegel first reported the claims, which also included the suggestion Ronaldo paid Ms Mayorga $375,000 in 2010 as part of a privacy agreement, preventing her from going public with the allegations. Читать дальше...

All is well at Manchester United. Or at least all is calm. During his final months, Jose Mourinho drew the curtains on the club, and who really knows what happened in that darkness?Whatever the cause or effect, life was not good at Old Trafford and the team’s form sagged under the weight of all that acrimony.But now the windows have been flung open and cold, refreshing air is rushing through the corridors again. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had the desired effect: Cardiff, Huddersfield and Bournemouth were all beaten handsomely... Читать дальше...

Jurgen Klopp is disappointed that Liverpool are only in two competitions at this stage of the season, but he is hopeful the Premier League leaders can use the extra time on the training pitch to their advantage. The Reds bowed out of the EFL Cup to Chelsea early on and were then beaten by Wolves in the FA Cup on Monday, leaving just the league and the Champions League on the table for the Anfield outfit this term. But Klopp is keen to make the most of a disappointing situation as they look to hold off Manchester City in the title race... Читать дальше...