Pellegrini had verbal agreement with Manchester City

source: skysports.com

Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that he have reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City to become their manager next season.

The announcement didn't came as a surprise as the Chilean was linked with the Citizens even before Roberto Mancini was sacked earlier this month.

Pellegrini told television channel Canal Sur: "I have a verbal agreement with them and I hope it will become official, but I have not signed a contract yet."

"I like challenges and I am very excited by Manchester City's project, I want to win titles and play attractive football. Playing better football will definitely increase your chances of winning."

OFFICIAL: Mourinho is Chelsea's new boss

source: telegraph.co.uk

Jose Mourinho sealed a €47 million four-year contract with the Blues during a two day trip to London this week according to The Sun.

A Chelsea senior source confirmed: "It’s official Jose is a Chelsea man again! Everyone is delighted he’s coming back — the club, the players and the fans."

“We are already looking forward to next season — we are sure it’s going to be very exciting.”, he added.

The news is expected to be unveiled publicly by Chelsea next week, and Mou first game will probably be a friendly match against the Singha All Stars XI in Thailand.

Ironically The Special One is set to meet his old rival Pep Guardiola in the European Super Cup final when Bayern meet Chelsea on August 30.

Crowded summer transfer window

source: www.independent.co.uk

Every year rumors start rushing that this player is joining that club and this manager will resign and coach another club but honestly this year is different, in terms of the amount of rumors that are linked almost to every player, the seriousness of the approaches by some clubs and the increase of big spending teams.

Some transfers/rumors which seemed earlier to stay as speculations for long time are finally done deals, like Neymar joining Barcelona, Sir Alex Ferguson quitting Manchester United job, Mourinho leaving Real Madrid, and I am sure this is just the beginning as this year might be the year where football forces in Europe takes new shape, off course football giants like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich will stay ahead, but other clubs will be just behind according to the amount of money they are spending (we already witnessed this last year when Manchester City won the EPL for the first time in 44 years), so what are the transfer rumors that are being mentioned the most?

• Radamel Falcao and Victor Valdes joining newly promoted French side Monaco.
• Jose Mourinho to rejoin Chelsea after leaving Real Madrid.
• Real Madrid appointing PSG Manager Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager after Mourinho was confirmed to leave at the end of this season.
• Juventus to become Gonzalo Higuaín next destination as the Italian giants are seeking new striker to take them to the next level specially in the Champions League.
• Wayne Rooney to leave Manchester United after second transfer request, and to join PSG, Monaco, Real Madrid, Chelsea.
• Robert Lewandowski to leave Dortmund to newly european champions Bayern Munich.
• Ronaldo to make a sensational come back to Manchester United.
• Edinson Cavani to join Manchester City.
• Gareth Bale to join Spanish Giant Real Madrid along with Luis Suarez.
• Another manager rumored to join Real Madrid is Bayern's Boss Jupp Heynckes.
• Manchester United to bid for Cesc Fabregas.
• Manchester City to appoint Malaga's Manager Manuel Pellegrini.
• Real Madrid to go for Malaga's attacking midfielder Isco.
• Barcelona to strengthen their defense with Mats Hummels.

The transfer window just opened and there is plenty of time ahead to prove which rumors are true and which aren't, what's sure is that this year transfers will be very interesting and that we have a  promising football season ahead of us.

Monaco starts shopping

Source: Reuters/Miguel Vidal

AS Monaco had confirmed that they have completed a massive deal with FC Porto to sign stars Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez for 70 million euros, Rodriguez taking the big share of the deal with 45 million euros to become the most expensive player in French football history.

Despite being just promoted to Ligue 1, the French team who are backed by Russian billionare Dmitry Rybolovlev since 2011 are looking to spend more money as they are linked with some big profiles including Atletico Madrid striker Falcao, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney and Victor Valdes.

Monaco will compete with another big spending team, Ligue 1 champions PSG, to clinch their first domestic title since 2000 and try to be present in the season after for the champions league.

A statement on the club's website confirmed the deal: "Monaco FC is glad to reach an agreement with FC Porto and players Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez for their transfers to ASMFC, for the season 2013-2014".

“Joao Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho, 26 years old, international Portuguese midfielder, has signed a 5-year-contract and James David Rodriguez Rubio, International Colombian forward, has signed a 5-year-contract." they added.

Official: Neymar to join FC Barcelona for the next five seasons

Source: www.fcbarcelona.com

Neymar swill sign a five years contract with FC Barcelona, he announced the news on his official Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Barca and Santos already agreed the terms of the contract which are still not public, although reports suggested that the deal costed Barcelona around €54 million.

Robben wins Champions League for Bayern to end final curse

image source: www1.skysports.com

Arjen Robben ended Bayern Munich final curse when he scored in the minute 89 to win the Uefa Champions League 2-1 against Drotmund, after failing in two previous occasions in 2010 and 2012.

Dortmund were the dominant side in the first half as they came close to score more than once, but some fine saves from Manual Neuer denied them to go into the halftime ahead of their opponents, Robben himself missed two easy chances as he seem to disappoint once again in the big games.

Second half was different for Bayern and Robben as he provided an excellent cross to Mario Mandzukic to put the Bavarians ahead on the hour mark, but Dortmund levelled eight minutes later when Ilkay Guendogan scored from the penalty spot after an awkward foul by Dante on Marco Reus.

Bayern missed many chances in the last 20 minutes, before Robben put his team ahead once again in the minute 89 beating Hummels in the box and slotting the ball smartly on Weidenfeller's left side to win the cup for his team for the fifth time in 10 occasions.

This win for the Bavarians means they are joint-3rd most successful club in competition's history with Liverpool (5 wins) behind Real Madrid (9 wins) & AC Milan (7 wins), also one ahead of Barcelona and Ajax. It also means that Jupp Heynckes is the fourth coach to win the UCL trophy with two clubs.

The win also means that Josep Guardiola's mission next year is harder than ever now, who will be coaching a team that had win their domestic league, the champions league and are already in the final of the DFB-Pokal (the German cup).

Inter appoints Mazzarri as new coach

image source: cnn.com

Walter Mazzarri has signed a two years contract with Inter Milan hours after the club sacked Andrea Stramaccioni due to a disappointing season where the  Nerazzurri finished in the ninth place.

Mazzarri who joined Napoli in 2009 and since then they became a force in Seria A, Italian Cup winners last year and they were on the brink of the quarter final of the Champions League in 2011/2012 season, where they won on Chelsea 3-1 at home but lost 4-1 (after extra time) at Stamford Bridge.

In a statement on their website Inter said: "FC Internazionale would like to announce that the club has appointed Walter Mazzarri as the new head coach."

"FC Internazionale would like to thank Andrea Stramaccioni for the great commitment and professionalism he showed in a particularly difficult year. Walter Mazzarri has signed a two-year deal.", they added.

However, Mazzarri will only compete at Serie A and Italian cup next season, as the club failed to qualify to any European competition.

Uefa Champions League Final Preview: Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund

image source: uefa.com

When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund step on Wembley stadium tomorrow night, the world of football will be witnessing what will probably be the most exciting game of the season between two German sides looking to win Europe elite prize, the Uefa Champions League.

Borussia Dortmund will be aiming for their second European glory, after they beat Juventus 3-1 to claim the trophy in 1997, while four-time champions Bayern Munich, will try to end the final curse that hold them back in 2010 against Mourinho's Inter Milan in 2010 and last year against Chelsea.

Injuries

Dortmund will miss their prolific play-maker Mario Gotze, who was confirmed out of Saturday's clash due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the return leg of the semi-finals against Real Madrid, but the good news is that centre-back Mats Hummels who was a doubt for the final due to his ankle injury is progressing well and will probably start for Dortmund.

As for the Bavarians, defender Holger Badstuber who will be sidelined for months and midfielder Toni Kroos who picked up a muscle injury in the quarter-finalof the UCL first leg against Juventus are both set to miss the final.

Probable Lineups and Tactical analysis

With the absence of Mario Gotze, klopp will most likely play with 4-3-2-1 instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 with Reus going deep into the center to support Lewandowski alongside with Kevin Grosskruetz from the left and Jakub "Kuba" Błaszczykowski from the right, while Bender and Gundogan helping Reus when the team is set to defend.
In the defense, with Hummels fit to play no major change seems to happen, as the German centre defender is expected to partner with Subotic, while Schmelzer is set to defend the left side and Piszczek on the right.

Bayern Munich will most likely continue to play with the same 4-2-3-1 formation which helped them demolish Juventus (4-0) and Barcelona (7-0) on their way to the finals.
Manuel Neuer as a goalkeeper, Dante and Van Buyten in the centre-back, while German brilliant captain Philipp Lahm on the right side and Alaba on the other side, Javi Martinez will be just in front of the four defenders while Schweinsteiger slightly ahead of him building the attacks.
Robben will continue going wide on the right side with the absence of Toni Kroos while in-form Franck Ribery occupying the left side.
Thomas Muller will continue his role as the main provider for Mandzukic who is expected to start ahead of Mario Gómez.

Strength Points

Dortmund will allow Bayern to have the ball and play their game, as they will rely on the counter attacks which they are brilliant in, specially with key-player Gotze out of the clash, going full speed with Gundogan and Bender trying to provide the ball to Marco Reus as much as possible, who himself will support Lewandowski in the box, also Grosskruetz and Kuba will have a major mission in Dortmund's counter attacks from the wings along with their defensive mission by trying to keep Lahm and Alaba in their half of the field and not providing Muller and Mandzukic with many balls.

Bayern, on the other side, will possess the ball as usual (second team after Barcelona with possession percentage) and will dominate the midfield most of the game with its powerful midfielders Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger, Ribery and Robben, and will rely deeply on their wings with Lahm and Robben on the right side and Alaba and Ribery on the other side.

All of the above are probable formations, tactics and overviews which are still not confirmed, one thing we are sure about is that this Saturday night we will witness one of the most exciting games of the season from the players and from the coaches.

Atletico give green light for Falcao exit

source: eurosport.yahoo.com

Atletico Madrid General Manager Miguel Angel Gil Marin had announced that the club won't stand in Falcao's way if he decided to leave the club this summer due to an agreement between both parties.

In a press conference in Singapore, Marin told reporters: "Before the start of the season, we spoke with Falcao, we promised him that if he helps the club reaching Champions League next season, Atletico will help him in any decision he takes."

"We know what makes a good striker – we have sold and replaced Fernando Torres, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero. And now it is Falcao. I don't know exactly who will be here next season, but you can be sure that Atletico will have a strong team." he added.

Atletico's talisman had been linked with many big clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and big spending french teams Monaco & PSG.

Real Madrid confirm Jose Mourinho exit next month

source: telegraph.co.uk

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez had announced in a press conference on Monday at the Bernabéu stadium at 20:00 (Spanish time) the exit of the Portuguese manager after the meeting of the board of directors.

Perez confirmed that Mou wasn't sacked as it was a mutual agreement between both to end business after three years.

"We've decided to bring our relationship to an end," said Perez. "Nobody has been sacked, it's a mutual agreement."

"The club and manager agree the timing is right to bring out relationship to an end,
On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Jose Mourinho for all his hard work." he added.

Real's President also stressed out that no pre-contract had been done with any other manager:
"We have no pre-contract signed with any managerial candidate - it's something we'll look at in the coming days". Perez said in his press conference.

Mourinho who joined Real Madrid in summer of 2010, was mainly hired to bring the 10th European Cup to the Spanish capital but failed in three successive occasions to reach the final, and this year was "his worst career year ever" as he described it, where Real couldn't win any major trophy.

Chelsea and Arsenal took Champions League spots ahead of Spurs

Chelsea won their last match in the Premiere League to secure third place in the table and an automatic place in the Champions League group stage next season, while Arsenal beat Newcastle at St James' Park to finish in fourth place in the table, one point ahead of Spurs who also won their last match against Sunderland.

The blues went to the match with 72 points, two ahead of Arsenal and three ahead of Spurs, so a draw was enough to give them the fourth place at least (even if Tottenham won due to the 16 goal difference between the two teams) which will mean they enter the UCL at the final qualifying stage next season, and a win will give them the third place and an automatic place in the Champions League group stage next season.

Rafa Benitez men didn't want to go into complications in the last round as they secured a 2-1 victory over Everton with goals from Mata and Torres in the minutes 7 and 76 for Chelsea and goal from Naismith in the minute 14 for Everton.

Arsenal who also needed a win to secure at least the fourth place without waiting for Bale and his friends to lose or draw, took the three points from Newcastle at St James' Park when Koscielny hit a volley in the minute 52 from six yards to win the match for the Gunners.

Bale late winner wasn't enough to take Tottenham to Europe big tournament next year, as they finished fifth behind Arsenal to go to Europa League next season, which will make it harder for them to keep their Welsh winger in the summer with tempting offers coming for him from football giants all over Europe.

Atletico Madrid stun Real to win Copa del Rey

Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat Real Madrid 2-1 after 120 minutes, which witnessed a ban for Mourinho from the bench and a red card for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid looked on course for their 19th cup when Ronlado drew first blood after 14 minutes from a corner kick, however Diego Costa leveled for his team from 20 yards, 10 minutes from half time, after an amazing dribble and pass from Falcao.

Real then came very close to lead the scoreboard again after they hit the woodwork in three occasions from Mesut Ozil, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

The evening then turned into a chaotic event after Mourinho was sent off in the 77th minute for remonstrating with the referee and he went down the tunnel directly.

Atletico Madrid took the lead in the extra time after Miranda converted a cross to put his side 11 minutes away from Copa del Rey glory and ending 14 years curse against their neighbors, Real chances of coming back faded away when their top scorer Ronaldo saw a Red for lashing out at Gabi six minutes from the final whistle.

Atletico held their nerves in the final minutes to stun Los Blancos and lift their 10th cup after a dramatic evening.  

Gerard Deulofeu: Barcelona's Next La Masia Star

Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Puyol and many other players are La Masia graduates, which is the football youth academy of FC Barcelona located near the Camp Nou. It is considered one of the best academies in Europe (53 professionals playing in Europe leagues trained there).

Gerard Deulofeu, who joined La Masia in 2003, aged just nine (born in March 13 1994), could be the next star of Barcelona. He currently plays for Barca B with 27 goals from 62 appearnces, he is a striker/right winger who plays with his right foot and is considered a very fast player.

In April 29 2011, Deulofeu was called-up to the senior squad for the first time to play a match in La Liga against Real Sociedad, but he never left the bench where Barca lost 2-1 back then. His first match was in August 3 same year in a 1–4 friendly loss against C.D. Guadalajara.

He recently signed a new contract with the team until June 30 of 2017, you can enjoy some of his skills since he was a kid in the video below:

David Beckham retires from football

David Beckham who turned 38 this month had announced his retirement from football, after a long career highlighted with a golden period at Manchester United.

This will be his last season which will end on May 26 with an away game for PSG (his current team) against Lorient.

About his retirement, he said: "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level."

With the French League title this year with PSG, he had won the domestic title in four different countries and two different continents (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and PSG).

How can Barca reclaim Europe dominance next season

Barcelona were by far the strongest team in Europe from 2005 till 2011, they were almost invincible at some stages and the numbers speak for themselves, I mean if three Champions League trophies, four Liga, two Copa del Rey, five Spanish super cup, two European super cup and two Fifa club world cup aren't enough to prove my point, then what is!

What happened in the last couple of years? although they won the Copa del Rey last year and the domestic competition this year, they lacked the competitive spirit at some key matches where they were thrashed in the Champions League against Bayern and also lost 1-3 to Real Madrid in the cup semis at the Camp Nou.

The problem isn't with the tiki-taka, it is still one of the best plans to adopt in recent football, it just needs some polish to restore its magic, and in football polish means new blood, new players that are hungry for  titles and at the same time are world class players that can bring these titles.

With the departure of Victor Valdes is on the brink, Barca must find a replacement that is up to big games, and some of the names that are being rumored to join the club are: Valencia keeper Vicente Guaita, Internazionale's Samir Handanović, Liverpool's Reina and Borussia Mönchengladbach's ter Stegen, where I think Guaita is the best replacement for Valdes due to his very fast reflexes, and the fact that he is the youngest among the three (26 years old).

Next is the defense line, Barca's weakest lines, here we should stress on the fact that in Transfer window 1+1 doesn't equal 2, which means that if you buy two class B defenders won't make the same effect as buying one class A defender that can lead the defensive line along with Gerard Pique whom I am sure by playing next to a player like Mats Hummels or Thiago Silva will be back to his best.

In the midfield (the defensive part), Sergio Busquets is one of the best in the world, he knows how his team play, he's been there for a long time and he is still young, but in some games Barca will need two defensive  midfielders to own the midfield. So either the coach dedicate Song and Mascherano to this role permanently or he should bring another player like Malaga's Ignacio Camacho, Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan or Benfica's Nemanja Matic.

As for the center midfield, Xavi is an amazing midfielder, he has the best passing accuracy in the world and maybe in history, but he is not getting any younger and with Cesc not able to fill his shoes completely, the team should start searching for some talents that can lead the field, this role specifically should be played by someone who has the vision and some deadly shots from outside the box. The likes of Marco Verratti (PSG), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern), Ever Banega (Valencia) and Marco Reus (Dortmund) can fit this position perfectly.

Inside the box, Barcelona needs someone who takes the ball and look nowhere but on the opponent's net, they have many players that can visualize the whole field and they definitely do not want to add to the list, that's why I think a player like Edinson Cavani (Napoli), Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund) and Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) will be more effective that Neymar for the Blaugrana.

The season is almost over and the summer transfer window will open soon, I think this year will be a very exciting year in terms of transfers for Barcelona and the other big names, and many surprises will happen, all what we can do now is sit and watch.

Ivanovic stunning header gives Chelsea Europa glory

Goal from Fernando Torres and a last-gasp header from Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea the Europa League title after winning against a solid Benfica at Amsterdam Arena (Torres min 60, Ivanovic 90+2 for Chelsea and Cardozo 68 pk).

Chelsea became the first club in Europe to hold both the Champions League and the Europa League titles at the same time, when they ended Benfica dream to win a European cup for the first time since 41 years when they won the 1961-1962 cup 5-3 against Real Madrid.

The match seemed to be heading into extra time, but Ivanovic had another opinion when he sent a stunning header into the goal from Juan Mata's corner two minutes into added time.

Rafa Benitez, who joined Chelsea in November 2012  as an interim manager after the Blues sacked Di Matteo did a very good job with the team by winning the Europa League tonight and almost securing a Champions League spot next season, but anyway he will be departing the club by the end of this season for an emotional return to Jose Mourinho.

Messi sidelined for two to three weeks

Tests results done today had showed that the Argentine captain and Barcelona top scorer Lionel Messi has a strained hamstring in his right leg and will probably miss the remaining three games in La Liga this season.

The injury, which he sustained against PSG in the Champions League quarters first leg kept him out of action for most of last month games, but due to some necessary involvements he made, he couldn't recover fully.

Now with all competitions that the blaugrana are competing in are over, Messi will have the proper time to recover and he should be ready to compete his national team on June 7 and 11 against Columbia and Ecuador  respectively.

Mourinho already revealed the starting XI for Copa del Rey final

Although it is still a couple of days away, but Los Blancos coach Mourniho already outlined the starting XI that will feature the final showdown in the spanish cup against Atletico Madrid.

Diego López, Essien, Albiol, Ramos, Coentrao, Xabi Alonso, Khedira, Modric, Özil, Ronaldo and Benzema are the players that will start the game, and the Portuguese also mentioned that the first sub to shake things up will be Di Maria.

With the formation already revealed, it seems that Mourinho and Pepe still didn't fix the problems that occurred between them lately since even with Varane out due to injury, the coach started with Essien instead of Pepe.

Manchester City sack Mancini

Manchester City confirmed that they have sacked Roberto Mancini after failing to defend the English Premiere League title, and suffering a huge upset in the FA cup final last week from Wigan.

The Italian manager joined the citizens in 2009 in the project that was hoping to become England and Europe big shot, but he only managed to win one FA cup and one big title which was the EPL last year.

However this year ended without winning any trophy and even being knocked out from the Champions League in the group stages for the second year in succession.

Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini could be the man to take over after Mancini had been sacked and he should be announced in the coming days.  

The club full statement on their website was:

"It is with regret that Manchester City Football Club announces that Roberto Mancini has been relieved of his duties as Manchester City Manager."

"This has been a difficult decision for the owner, Chairman and Board to make and it is the outcome of a planned end of season review process that  has been brought forward in light of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto and his extensive contributions to the Football Club."

They also added: "Despite everyone’s best efforts, the Club has failed to achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception of qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. This, combined with an identified need to develop a holistic approach to all aspects of football at the Club, has meant that the decision has been taken to find a new manager for the 2013/14 season and beyond."

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak tried to be as diplomatic as possible by saying: "Roberto’s record speaks for itself and he has the respect and gratitude of Sheikh Mansour, myself and the Board for all of his hard work and commitment over the last three and a half years. He has clearly also secured the love and respect of our fans. He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and success, breaking the Club’s 35-year trophy drought and securing the title in 2012. I would like to personally and publicly thank him for his dedication to the progress that he has overseen and for his support and continued friendship."

Assistant Manager Brian Kidd will be in charge for the rest of the season.

Barcelona crowned champions after Madrid draw with Espanyol

Barcelona clinched their fourth Liga title in five seasons without having to play tomorrow when Real Madrid were drawn 1-1 in Catalonia to Espanyol.

Madrid were far from their form tonight, as they were lucky not to suffer a sixth loss in the season to a well organized Espanyol, Stuani scored the first goal for Espanol on 23 minutes before Higuain equalized on 58 minutes.

Los Blancos will have to watch Barcelona celebrating their 22nd title tomorrow in Madrid as they prepare to clash with Atletico Madrid at Vicente Calderon .

Mourinho, who knew that the Liga was over weeks ago, will be worried more about his French defender Rapael Varane who was replaced on the 19th minute after twisting his knee which might cause him the Copa del Ray final next Friday, the Portuguese who is also worried about Ozil, will be hoping for a fast recovery for both players before next week final against Atletico Madrid.  

Lampard becomes Chelsea all time scorer with 2-1 win over Aston Villa

Frank Lampard scored twice as Chelsea come from 1-0 down to beat Aston Villa 1-2 at Villa Park.
With his brace, Lampard become Chelsea's all time top scorer in all competitions with 203 goals.

Lampard was 2nd all time scorer before this match with 201 goals, 1 goal behind Bobby Tambling (from 1959–1970), he scored the equalizer on minutes and two minutes from time he gave the Blues a decisive three points for their Champions League place next season.
However Lampard is still third all time scorer for Chelsea in the English Premiere League with 141 goals behind Kerry Dixon (147 goals) and Bobby Tambling (164 goals)

Chelsea now have 72 points from 37 matches, five points ahead of Arsenal who will play the newly crowned FA cup champions Wigan on Tuesday May 14. 

Rooney rejected claims that he removed the name Manchester United from Twitter account

Wayne Rooney issued a statement to silence the rumors that he had removed the name Manchester United from his twitter account and added @NikeUK to his account.

At his website the 27 years old english player said: "There's a load of rubbish being written about me changing twitter bio saying I have deleted Manchester United from it. I have never deleted Manchester United from the bio whatever the papers are saying because it was never on there."

He also added: "All that happened was that I was asked by Nike to add @nikeuk to it – the same as many other sportspeople they sponsor. Funny, no one's written about that though!"
"That change was made THREE weeks ago and yet people are talking about it as if it's something that was put up yesterday."

Does that means he is staying at Manchester United next season? or it is just as simple as being forced to reply on some "rubbish" claims?

Official: Moyes appointed as Man United Manager on six year contract - Full Statement

Manchester United full statement of appointing David Moyes was:

• Manchester United Board unanimously approves the recommendation of Sir Alex Ferguson
• Moyes to take the helm on 1 July
• Committed to long-term in 6 year deal

NYSE:MANU, Manchester UK. David Moyes will take over as the Manager of Manchester United from the 2013/14 season.

David, 50, has been the Everton manager since 2002, joining after a successful spell as manager of Preston North End.

Announcing his successor, Sir Alex Ferguson said: 

<"When we discussed the candidates that we felt had the right attributes we unanimously agreed on David Moyes.  David is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic. I've admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of Assistant Manager here. He was a young man then at the start of his career and has since gone on to do a magnificent job at Everton. There is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this Club.”

Sir Bobby Charlton said:

“I have always said that we wanted the next manager to be a genuine Manchester United man. In David Moyes, we have someone who understands the things that make this such a special club. We have secured a man who is committed to the long-term and will build teams for the future as well as now. Stability breeds success.

“David has tremendous strength of character and recognises the importance of bringing young players through and developing them alongside world class talent.  At United, I think David will be able to express himself.  I’m delighted he has accepted and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Ed Woodward, said:

“In David Moyes, we have secured the services of an outstanding manager who has all the skills to build on the phenomenal legacy in place today. I have no doubt that he will bring an energy and commitment to deliver winning football that is part of the fabric of this Club.  In this respect, he is cut from the same cloth as the Old Trafford greats who go before him.

“I have been very impressed by David’s personal and managerial traits, which reflect the Manchester United values. I have no doubt that he will embrace, and soon become an integral part of, United’s unique culture and heritage.”

Joel Glazer said:

“I am very pleased David has agreed to lead Manchester United into the future. His hard working style and steely determination are characteristics we value at the Club.  He has impressed as a coach for many years now and we strongly believe he will be able to take up from where Alex is leaving off by continuing this Club’s tradition of flair football played by exciting, world class players.”

Avie Glazer said:

“The search for a new manager has been very short.  Alex was very clear with his recommendation and we are delighted that David has agreed to accept the job.   He comes to us with excellent credentials and a strong track record.  I know he is keen to get started and Ed will be sitting down with him as soon as the season is over to discuss plans for the summer and beyond."

David Gill said:

“I’m delighted that David has agreed to join Manchester United.  He has done a terrific job at Everton and has all the qualities that we are looking for in a manager to succeed Alex.”

David Moyes said:

“It’s a great honour to be asked to be the next Manager of Manchester United.  I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the job.  I have great respect for everything he has done and for the Football Club.

“I know how hard it will be to follow the best manager ever, but the opportunity to manage Manchester United isn’t something that comes around very often and I’m really looking forward to taking up the post next season.

“I have had a terrific job at Everton, with a tremendous chairman and Board of Directors and a great set of players.  Between now and the end of the season, I will do everything in my power to make sure we finish as high as possible in the table.

“Everton’s fantastic fans have played a big part in making my years at Goodison so enjoyable and I thank them wholeheartedly for the support they have given me and the players.  Everton will be close to me for the rest of my life.”

David will be introduced to the world as the Manager of Manchester United in due course.

Main Article on Manchester United Website:http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2013/May/manchester-united-appoints-new-manager-david-moyes.aspx?pageNo=1

Why David Moyes is the right man to replace Ferguson

The moment Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement, the media went crazy about everything related to the subject from the timing to the reasons and most importantly about who will replace the legendary Manager.

The one everybody is suggesting that will be the best successor for Ferguson is David Moyes (Everton Current Manager), which I also think will fit perfectly and here is why:


He's been around for sometime

Moyes has been managing Everton for 11 years now, and although he didn't won any silverware yet, no one can deny his influence on the team and how he made them the likes of Champions League and Europa League contenders.
He can perfectly deal with the big names in the English Premiere League and what best proves this is the wins over Manchecter United, Manchester City and Tottenham this season. He made Everton a very hard team to beat inside and outside the Goodison Park.


Manchester seek continuity, he have it

Manchester United have always been the team that rarely change managers, only 21 managers in 121 years...this is ridiculous, so they will not seek a "quick fix" manager (like Mourinho, who barely stays in the same team for four years), instead they need someone to be around for a long time, since the Red Devils always count on the manager knowing everything about everyone in the team, and who is better than Moyes in this who just finished his 11th season with Everton.


Same Technique, different names

Manchester United and Everton used to play with the same technique and formation, they both played most of their previous seasons with the 4-4-2 approach and what makes the coincidence more ironic, is that by the time Marouane Fellaini joined Everton and Moyes started somehow changing this plan, Ferguson later was also doing the same by pulling Rooney to the midfield along side with Carrick and Kagawa trying to depend on the midfielders more then before.

So, with all the above reasons and the fact that he can discover the talents like Rooney, Fellaini and many others, the management at Manchester United will be very happy with him, since they always prefer someone who creates stars and not buy them.

Ferguson retires as Manchester United Manager

Sir Alex Ferguson retires as Manchester United Manager after 27 years.

A statement on the clubs website read: "The most successful manager in English football history will bow out after the West Bromwich Albion game on 19 May and join the football club board."




Fergie trophies with Manchester United:

• Premier League (13): 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13.
• FA Cup (5): 1989-90, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04.
• League Cup (4): 1991-92, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10.
• Charity/Community Shield (10): 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.
• Champions League (2): 1998-99, 2007-08.
• European Cup-Winners' Cup (1):1990-91.
• European Super Cup (1): 1991.
• Intercontinental Cup (1):1999.
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008.

Announcing his decision to retire, Sir Alex Ferguson said:

“The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.

“It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.

“Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.

“Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both Director and Ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future.

“I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career,

source: http://www.manutd.com

Brilliant Messi gave Barcelona important win over Real Betis

Leo Messi proved once again to be pivotal for the Catalans as he scored a brace to help Barca edge tricky betis 4-2 at the Camp Nou.

Messi started the game on the bench before coming in for David Villa in the minute 56 while the scoreboard was 2 for each team, 4 minutes later he scored his 45th Liga goal with an amazing free-kick from 25 yards to give his team the lead for the first time in the match.

Leo then added another with one of the best teamwork goals of the season after passes between Messi, Alexis and an amazing back-heel from Iniesta.

Barca now are 11 points ahead of their rivals and last season Liga champions Real Madrid with 4 matches left to play, so Barcelona could be crowned next Sunday in Madrid if they manage to win at Vicente Calderón over Atlético Madrid, they also might be crowned without even having to play any game if Real Madrid lost or draw to Malaga this Wednesday (May 8).

Theo Walcott scores fastest goal of the Premiere League season

image source: gunners.fr

Theo Walcott scored the fastest goal in the English premiere league this season so far after the Arsenal winger scored the winner for his team after just 20 seconds.

Ironically, Walcott broke the record set this season by former Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie, who netted for Manchester United at Old Trafford to West Ham in November after 33 seconds.

Ledley King, Former Tottenham Hotspur defender, holds the record for the fastest goal in the Premier League history (since 1992), having netted after only 10 seconds in a game at Bradford City in December 2000.

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich: Highlights and Analysis

From the moment Barca coach Tito Vilanova posted his starting eleven without the young Argentinian and with Busquests, Alba and Abidal already confirmed out of Bayern clash, it was evident that there will be neither a memorable night nor a stunning comeback at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona didn't even had the chance to start with what was expected; continuous threats, pressuring Bayern from the first minute while trying to score a very early goal and finishing their attacks as fast as possible.

Instead it was Bayern who looked serious and tried to kill any remaining hope that was left in the Catalans' players, they were going from the defense to the midfield and all the way to Barca's box in seconds before giving the defenders any chance to organize their lines. Honestly if there weren't two brilliant tackles from Pique on Robben in the opening 20 minutes, the first half could have never ended goalless.

With the second half under way, Robben ended the match in the first three minutes with some amazing skill inside the box, and from that moment it was one team attacking and the other trying to avoid conceding goals as much as possible (it wasn't a good plan after all since it ended 0-3 and 7-0 in aggregate).

During those 90 minutes, it never felt that there were 11 players playing another 11, it seemed as if Bayern were playing with 22 players if not more, but why it was that case:

image source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Each player from the Bavarian team had two or even three missions in the match, take for example Alaba and Ribery, while attacking Alaba was helping Ribery with almost full throttle and sometimes he was ahead of him, however while defending, most of the times we saw Ribery covering on David Villa and Dani Alves, so that if they got passed him Alaba and van Buyten will be immediately pressing to take the ball, which was a scenario we saw many times.

Another amazing performance was from Schweinsteiger, which was involved in nearly every attack for Bayern and at the same time he and Martines didn't give any chance for Cesc and Xavi to shoot or create any chances.

On the right side Robben and Lahm was doing the same as their right side but on Iniesta, Pedro and Adriano, which couldn't create any threat deep into Bayern's box.

Is it a coincidence that Bayern haven't conceded any goal in their last four champions league matches against teams like Barca and Juve and scoring an astonishing eleven goals? No, it is not, it is the result of huge discipline. a lot of training , quality of players(physically and mentally) and most of all the motivation to win the trophy this time no matter what.

So why not every team would like to go with this style of playing, well it is the same why no one tried to apply the tiki-taka of Barcelona or the way Man United used to go with by depending heavily on the wings, to apply a team style of playing you need to have the talents that can do it correctly.

Bayern style needs two levels of professionalism: technical and physical, and in the mean time I can't see any team being able to adopt it, maybe Real Madrid can do it on the technical level alone but they can't keep the same pace physically for 90 minutes.

Bayern destroyed Barcelona to reach Wembley final

Bayern Munich stormed into the final after crushing Barcelona 7-0 in both legs (4-0 first leg), the result means it will be an all German final with Dortmund having edged Real yesterday.

The final will be at Wembley stadium on May 25, Bayern will be hoping to win it this time after losing twice in the final in the last three seasons, while Dortmund will try to take the trophy for a second time after winning it in 1997 against Juventus 3-1.

Why Barca still got a shot tonight?

Whatever the circumstances are in tonight's game and no matter how impossible Barca'a mission seems to be, it will be a very exciting game since two football giants will be playing at one of the best football stadiums.

image source: fcbarcelona.es

There are many strategies Tito Vilanova can go with like shooting from outside the box as much as possible, creating chances by low passing ratio and trying to depend heavily on the midfielders more than the wings since the Bavarian defenders are excellent with air balls.

There is one crucial fact that Barca can really take advantage of, which is Bayern playing the game with six key players (Philipp Lahm, Dante, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Luiz Gustavo and Mario Gomez) all are just one yellow card away from being suspended in the final. So Vilanova's men should be really tough and aggressive they should also try as much as possible to use their dribbling skills deep into the box of the German's defense which surely will try to avoid contact.

So with this on Jupp Heynckes' mind, how will he act and will he bench some of these players or even all of them to avoid any suspension in the final, but won't this make his team even more vulnerable than Milan which were wiped out by the blaugranas 4-0 in this year UCL round of 16?

Real Won but Dortmund went through to Wembley

image source: eurosport.yahoo.com

Real Madrid were on the verge of making a historical comeback at Santiago Bernabéu last night but Benzima and Ramos goals were too little too late.

Los Blancos needed three goals while keeping a clean sheet in order to progress to the Champions League final and in the first 15 minutes chances from Higuain, Ronaldo and Ozil could have done much of the job for them. From there till late into the second half they were unstable, ineffective and barely caused any problems for the German’s Defense, actually Dortmund were very close to score in the second half with some serious chances from Lewadowski and Gundogan.

Mourinho then tried to increase the pressure with Bezima and Kaka coming in for Contrao and Higuain which I think were too late since for more than 60 minutes the Spanish team forward was obviously not in their best days, also what Mou could have done is keep Higuain and go with Benzima as a sub for Ozil which was far from his form.

The French forward proved to be the difference in the last 10 minutes when he scored once and assisted another for Ramos and also created many chances inside the box. Unfortunately the two goals were late and with the five minutes of injury time Real couldn’t create any more threats.

After Howard Webb blew his final whistle, Dortmund secured their second Champions League final after the one in 1997 where they won by beating Juventes 3-1.  It was well deserved for Dortmund and despite losing 2-0 for the first time in this UCL campaign, they really played nearly a flawless match in Madrid.

Tonight Dortmund will be watching the game to see which team they will be facing in the final with Bayern already having a huge advantage over Barcelona by winning 4-0 at Allianz Arena last week.