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“He has everything it takes to be better than Zidane.”Alessandro Del Piero on Pirlo’s appointment as Juve coach.

Ex Italian footballer, Alessandro Del Piero has backed his former team-mate Andrea Pirlo to be successful in his new manageria role in Juventus. The 45 year-old is confident that the midfield maestro can even do better than his counterpart at Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane. 

Pirlo was announced as the new coach of seria A side, Juventus following the sack of ex manager, Maurizio Sarri after their Champions League last-16 exit to Lyon on Friday.

Piero spoke of his surprise about Pirlo’s appointment to Sky Sport Italia, ‘To be honest, I wouldn’t have bet on him becoming the coach. It’s a surprise for me too, I was already pleased for him taking the Under-23 role and thought that was the right move for him, but he’s skipped ahead, so I can only wish him luck. I think the general perception of former players who become coaches is changing in Italy. Before, there was this need to go through a long process in the lower leagues to learn the trade, but in recent years we’ve seen Filippo and Simone Inzaghi succeed, plus Gennaro Gattuso. They were great players and started straight away with great teams.’

He is also confident that Pirlo can also be reverred like Zidane at the Bernabeu.

‘It’s not a fair comparison, because Zizou had already worked with the Real Madrid youth team and then was Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant manager, but Pirlo has everything it takes to do even better than Zidane, He already knows the club, the players, the directors, so I think they communicated in a very clear way.’

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 Sports

Arteta thanks Guardiola for helping him to become a manager.

The happiest manager in the world right now, Mikel Arteta has expressed his gratitude to Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiolafor helping him to become a manager. The Spaniard won his first trophy in charge of Arsenal after beating Chelsea to 2-1 winners at Wembley to clinch the FA Cup yesterday. The Gunners lifted their 14th FA Cup after two goals from cap.

“I have to thank Pep.” Arteta who worked as Guardiola’s assistant at City for three years before leaving to join Arsenal told BT Sport.

‘Thank you as well I have to thank you Pep in a very big way because I am a manager in a big part to him so I think I have to consider that as well.’

Sometime in June, he spoke about his influence on his life

‘Well, he [Guardiola] was an influence for me since I was 15 years old and we met at Barcelona, both as players. And in my coaching career and my personal life, he has an enormous influence. If I have to talk about the person he is, his values, the way he has treated me and how he deals with the players and the staff around him, its phenomenal. As a coach, I have learned so much from him, we have spent some amazing moments together, some difficult ones as well, but the experience next to him has been incredible.’

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 La Liga, Sports

Real Madrid’s Mariano Diaz tests positive to Covid-19.

Real Madrid’s latest coronavirus testing came back with one positive result in the form of Mariano. The 26 year-old forward will not feature against Man City in next month’s Round of 16 second leg tie. He will be in  self-isolation as the Blancos prepare for a Champions League clash with Manchester City.

 “After the Covid-19 tests carried out individually on our first team yesterday by the Real Madrid medical services, our player Mariano has given a positive result. The player is in perfect health and complying with the sanitary isolation protocol at home.” Real announced via a statement on their official website:

Mariano also provided an update on his condition on Instagram. “Hello everyone. I appreciate your messages of support.  I am perfectly well, thank God my family and my environment are also great. Now I am recovering at home and I hope to return to normal soon and be able to be with my teammates and team. Greetings to all.”

Mariano has had no contact with other players and staff.

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 Sports

Barcelona icon, Xavi tests positive to Covid-19.

Barcelona great and Al Sadd manager, Xavi has tested positive. He revealed the development on his instagram page. He is asymptomatic and now in self-insolation.

He wrote on Instagram: ‘A few days ago, following the QSL (Qatar Stars League) protocol, I tested positive in the last COVID19 test. Fortunately, I’m feeling ok, but I will be isolated until I am given the all clear. When the health services allow it, I will be very eager to return to my daily routine and to work. I’d like to thank all the authorities, especially those working in [the] QSL, [the] QFA (Qatar Football Association) and [at] Al-Sadd for supplying the means of early detection, reducing the spread of infection and that guarantees the normal development of the competition.’

The 40 year-old Xavi will be absent from the club’s Qatar Stars League game against Al Khor on Saturday. The midfield maestro will not be able to oversee the club’s training sessions. He is temporarily replaced by David Prats, Al Sadd’s reserves coach.

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 La Liga, Sports

Former Arsenal manager, Unai Emery appointed Villareal manager.

La Liga side, Villarreal have appointed former Arsenal coach, Unai Emery as their manager, the Spaniard’s first managerial role since his dismissal from Arsenal last November. He replaces Former Villarreal boss Javier Calleja who left the club last week after leading them to a 5th position on the  La Liga. Emery  replaced legend, Arsenal Wenger as manager in May 2018.

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 Sports

No Ballon d’Or in 2020.

The Ballon d’Or awards, one of the most prestigious football awards will not be awarded this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is happening for the first time since 1956. A statement from France Football, organizers of the event reads below.

“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met. We believe that such a singular year cannot -and should not- be treated as an ordinary one.

From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the eleven generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge; without forgetting that the other games were played – or will be played – in unordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League’s Final 8 played in a single game).

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Finally, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be warranted, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation: all the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short. Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.

This decision, which was taken of course with all the Group stakeholders, does not delight us but it seems to be the most responsible one. Protecting the credibility and legitimacy of such an award also means ensuring its flawlessness over time.

The Ballon d’Or will gather again the football big family and enthusiasts in 2021, to relive the happiness that surrounds the ceremonies as we have experienced them in recent years ».

The France Football Dream Team at the end of the year

Instead of the four usual winners (men and women BO, Kopa and Yachine Trophies), France Football will designate 11 players at the end of the year and establish an all-time team chosen by the usual BO jury (180 juries from all over the world).
The idea? Each jury will choose 11 players from a list of names established by FF redaction to build their Dream Team. This team of legend will be unveiled on L’Équipe and France Football various channels.

With this development, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi will remain the football player with the most Ballon d’Ors in history this year.

 

 

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 La Liga, Sports

Current Barca team lacks identity- Dani Alves

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves has offered his thoughts on what is wrong with his former team. The  37-year-old who left Barcelona for Italian giants Juventus in 2016 after almost a decade in Catalonia is of the opinion that the current Blaugrana lacks identity on the pitch.

“What this Barça lacks is the identity it has always had, like Ronaldinho’s Barça, our Barça. The identity of a team that dominates for 90 minutes, 100 minutes, or 150 minutes. Barça are there for people to enjoy. Now what I see, from the outside, is that Barça are just another team. They used to have an understanding throughout the team and made things look easy.” He told Catalunya Radio

Also Read: Liverpool’s replica home shirt becomes the highest selling in their history.

“What this Barça lacks is the identity it has always had, like Ronaldinho’s Barça, our Barça. The identity of a team that dominates for 90 minutes, 100 minutes, or 150 minutes. Barça are there for people to enjoy. Now what I see, from the outside, is that Barça are just another team. They used to have an understanding throughout the team and made things look easy.” He told Catalunya Radio

Speaking on his ex teammate, Lionel Messi’s frustration at the club, the Brazilian chipped in.

“Leo is a natural winner. He doesn’t like losing. When the team loses it’s normal he gets angry, he always wants to win. Just like me. We always want to win.

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“He sees, what I feel, and that’s a lack of support. I’ll always say that Messi is the main course and we were the perfect ingredients for that plate. Now I have the feeling that he’s doing everything, all the time, and we must remember he’s only human.”

Barca were beaten 2-1 at home by Osasuna on Thursday, handing the LaLiga title to their rival, Real Madrid. An emotional Lionel Messi spoke of the need for the club to change to continue the Champions League race.

“We need to change a lot, otherwise we will also lose against Napoli, I already said before that playing like this we won’t be able to fight for the Champions League and you see, we could not even fight for the league. We need to be self-critical.”

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 English Premier League, Sports

Football fans could return to UK stadiums from October.

UK stadiums will be reopened to spectators from October, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced. Recall that the stadiums were shut in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and matches have been played behind closed doors after the return of the Premier League on June 17.

“We will pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadiums with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn, from October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadiums. Again, these changes must be done in a Covid-secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.” He said on Friday.

The government has  outlined operating guidelines for that to happen. They include:

  • Fans must agree to a new code of behaviour that includes not attending if they potentially have symptoms of coronavirus or have been exposed to a person who has tested positive;
  • Social distancing must be observed in seating arrangements;
  • Crowd management plans should be in place, including the controlled entry and exit of fans and one-way systems;
  • Additional hygiene facilities should be installed inside venues, particularly at entrances and exits;
  • Screening procedures should be considered at stadium entrances.

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston spoke of his excitement about the news.“For months, millions of us have felt the void of being unable to go to the match to support our team or attend a top-class sporting event, So I am pleased that we are now able to move forward with a plan to help venues safely reopen their doors to fans.  I recognise that not every sport, team or club has the benefit of huge commercial revenue, and it is often their dedicated fans that are the lifeblood which helps keep them going. By working closely with sports and medical experts, these pilots will help ensure the safe return of fans to stadiums. Although it will remain some time before venues are full to capacity, this is a major step in the right direction for the resumption of live spectator sport across the country.”

 

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 English Premier League, Sports

“It’s a disgraceful decision.” -Klopp, Mourinho knock CAS over Man City decision.

Tottenham and Liverpool managers, José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp have criticized CAS’ decision to overturn Manchester City’s two-year Champions League ban.  Man City was initially punished by UEFA in February when they were banned from competing in the Champions League or Europa League for two years and given a €30m fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

Pep Guardiola’s side on Monday had their appeal against a ban from UEFA competition for breaking Financial Fair Play rules lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This means the defending champions will be able to play in next season’s Champions League but the club will still have to pay a fine, which has been reduced from €30 million (£25m/$33m) to €10m (£9m/$11m).
Reacting to the decision, Klopp said, “I don’t think it was a good day for football yesterday (Monday), to be honest,” Klopp told a virtual news conference on Tuesday. “FFP is a good idea. It is there for protecting teams and the competition so that nobody overspends and have to make sure the money they want to spend is based on the right sources.”
Morurinho described it as a disgraceful decision. He told reporters in a virtual news conference ahead of Wednesday’s clash against 13th-placed Newcastle United. “In any case it’s a disgraceful decision because if Manchester City are not guilty then they should not be punished with the fine, If you’re not guilty, you shouldn’t have a fine. If they are guilty, the decision is also a disgrace and they should be banned from the competition. I don’t know if Manchester City are guilty or not, but either way it’s a disgraceful decision.”
He added that the system needs to be overhauled if it is to continue to serve its purpose which is to aim to stop clubs running big losses through spending on players.
“I think this is going to be the end of Financial Fair Play, because there is no point, I would like to see it used in a proper way. At this moment we are talking about Manchester City, but in the past other clubs were in a similar situation. I think it’s better to open the circus door and let everybody enjoy.”

“Whilst Manchester City and its legal advisors are yet to review the full ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the club welcomes the implications of today’s ruling as a validation of the club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to present. The club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered.” City responded to the verdict.

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 Sports

The five substitutions rule may be extended to next season.

Fair or not?

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are set to announce the temporary extension of the rule allowing teams to make up to five substitutes in one game to cover the 2020/21 season,  the Athletic reports. This decision will surely stir up some controversies as it will only benefit the bigger, richer teams with deeper squads.

In some quarters, it has been described as  “A move that may fuel inequality, improve the quality at the very top level, and may have some unpredictable side effects.”

IFAB introduced the five substitutes rule just for a short term as they looked to provide clubs with a greater chance of protecting their players from injuries and fatigue during a very hectic schedule. he IFAB ‘are expected’ to discuss the current issues surrounding the offside rule in the coming months.

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