Новости за 18.04.2018

Brighton and Hove Albion defender Gaetan Bong has maintained he "did not mishear" Jay Rodriguez despite the West Brom forward being cleared of racial abuse allegations. In a statement published on Brighton's official website, the Cameroon international reaffirmed he stands by the original complaint made following an exchange during the Premier League fixture between the clubs in January. Rodriguez was charged by the Football Association (FA) with using "abusive and/or insulting words which included... Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho has made seven changes - including handing starts to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial - for Manchester United's midweek clash with Bournemouth. With an FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham to follow on Saturday, the Portuguese manager has shuffled his pack for the rearranged Premier League fixture, though Paul Pogba retains his place in the starting XI. Rashford and Martial feature alongside Jesse Lingard in a new-look forward line following Sunday's shock 1-0 defeat to bottom club West Brom at Old Trafford. Читать дальше...

Tom Heaton is ready to battle with Nick Pope for the number one jersey at Europe-chasing Burnley. Heaton dislocated his shoulder in September but has returned to take a place on the bench for Burnley's last two matches, with Sean Dyche's men recording five straight Premier League wins to strengthen their chances of Europa League qualification. Pope has thrived in the absence of club captain Heaton, the 25-year-old earning a maiden England call-up for March friendlies against Netherlands and Italy. Читать дальше...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he was unsure about Alexandre Lacazette when he arrived at the club in January. Aubameyang usurped Lacazette as the club's record signing when he joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in a £56million deal. The strikers have subsequently developed a promising relationship despite Arsenal's Premier League struggles, the Gabon international giving up the chance to score his first Arsenal hat-trick by handing over a penalty to Lacazette in April 1's defeat of Stoke City. Читать дальше...

Jan Vertonghen believes FA Cup glory would be the catalyst for a period of sustained success at Tottenham. Although Mauricio Pochettino has been hailed for the progress Spurs have made in four years under his leadership, silverware continues to elude the club. Vertonghen was one of three Tottenham players included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Wednesday, along with striker Harry Kane and Denmark international Christian Eriksen. And ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich are Europe's best hope of denying Real Madrid a third straight Champions League triumph, according to the Bavarian club's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The teams meet in a mouth-watering semi-final to determine which side will advance to face either Liverpool or Roma in next month's decider in Kiev. If the Bundesliga champions advance, they will be in contention to complete the treble, having crushed Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the DFB-Pokal final. It was a performance that convinced Rummenigge... Читать дальше...

Joey Barton will begin his managerial career at Fleetwood Town after signing a three-year deal to become the League One club's head coach. The former Burnley, Newcastle United and Manchester City midfielder takes charge from June 2, the day after his suspension for breaching betting regulations comes to an end. Barton was handed an 18-month ban from all football activity in April 2017 by the Football Association after placing more than 1,000 bets over a 10-year period, though it was later cut to 13 months on appeal. Читать дальше...

You wonder if, had David Gill known what the following nine years would hold, whether Manchester United’s then-chief executive would have botheredto pursue that lanky 16-year-old who was attracting such attention at Le Harve.The story of Paul Pogba and Manchester United hasn't exactly been smooth. It started with impatience at not being given a first-team chance, led to the player’s departure for Italy in 2012 that many at the club blamed on his agent Mino Raiola, then the world-record fee required to bring him back... Читать дальше...

1. Gary Neville to ValenciaAt first, this was a head-scratcher. But when subjected to the kind of forensic analysis Neville brought to Monday Night Football, you could see the pieces falling into place (and without the need for an oversized touchscreen).Neville’s playing career had ended in 2011, and he’d forged a reputation as one of the game’s sharpest pundits, while simultaneously working alongside Roy Hodgson in the England set-up. He’d never had a job at club level, but was part-owner of Salford... Читать дальше...

10. Kevin De Bruyne for Raheem SterlingMan City 2-1 Arsenal, 2016/17Ah, yes –the Belgian wizard himself. Much of De Bruyne’s most eye-catching work is in the build-up to goals;the pre-assists – like the blind pass for Leroy Sané to square for Raheem Sterling in October’s 3-2 win over West Brom.He does pop up with plenty of assists, however, such as this smashing crossfield ball to set up Sterling against Arsenal last season. Like Xabi Alonso in a similar-ish assist for Liverpool, De Bruyne controls the ball on his chest and hits an instant... Читать дальше...

£448m. That’s the preposterous amount Pep Guardiola has spent since assuming the Manchester City controls in July 2016. Plus, he inherited a squad containing Kevin De Bruyne (£54.5m), Raheem Sterling (£49m), Sergio Aguero (£35m), Nicolas Otamendi (£33m), Fernandinho (£30m) and David Silva (£24m) – all mainstays of his first-choice XI.That outlay has City on the cusp of wrestling the records from Chelsea for most points (95 in 2004/05) and goals (103 in 2009/10) in a Premier League season. Yet such a splurge demands more ... Читать дальше...

Sergio Aguero will struggle to recover from knee surgery in time for the World Cup, according to Argentina Football Association doctor Homero D'Agostino. Manchester City striker Aguero underwent an arthroscopy after aggravating a knee problem during their derby defeat to rivals Manchester United, Pep Guardiola citing a challenge from Ashley Young that went unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson for the injury. The striker was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Wednesday after... Читать дальше...

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte acknowledges Manchester City are set up to dominate in the Premier League, and again suggested he has not been fully supported this season. The Blues' reign as Premier League title-holders was officially ended at the weekend as Manchester City's 3-1 win over Tottenham, coupled with Manchester United's shock 1-0 loss to rock-bottom West Brom, confirmed Pep Guardiola's men as champions. City swashbuckled their way to glory this term, with Guardiola heavily backed in... Читать дальше...

Shanghai SIPG were beaten in their last match of the AFC Champions League group stage, while fellow qualified sides Tianjin Quanjian and Jeonbuk Motors wrapped up with wins. Wednesday's schedule of four matches had little riding on them with the top two spots in both Group E and Group F having been decided. Melbourne Victory inflicted SIPG's first defeat of this season's competition with a second-half header from Jai Ingham earning a 2-1 victory, ensuring the Australian side finish the group stage on a high. Читать дальше...

There are plenty of folk out there who'll tell you that the Premier League is the best in the world– but this motley crew might disagree.Each was cut adrift by some of England’s biggest clubs (and Charlton). Sometimes it was down to timing. Occasionally, club politics played a part. A few of them were just a bit rubbish. In any case, each found a new home and then Champions League success with a different club...10. Jorge Costa (Charlton)The defender nicknamed ‘The Tank’ by Porto fans rolled into... Читать дальше...

This has felt inevitable for some time.The Premier League has announced, in partnership with Cadbury, that this year it will present its first "playmaker" award to the top-flight player who has recorded the most assists across the season.Currently, the gong looks to be headed for the De Bruyne household: Manchester City's Kevin has 15 and leads team-mates Leroy Sané and David Silva, who have 12 and 11 respectively.The new award's launch is being promoted with the help of Thierry Henry, Cadbury's... Читать дальше...

Neymar is alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as one of the world's best players and will be a star at the World Cup, according to former Brazil international Serginho. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is recovering from foot surgery but hopeful of recovering in time for Brazil's opening match at Russia 2018 against Switzerland on June 17. And Serginho, a Copa America winner and Confederations Cup finalist with Brazil in 1999, expects his compatriot to play a leading role in this year's finals. Читать дальше...

Look, nobody makes the PFA Premier League Team of the Year by accident. When people in 10 years’ time gaze upon Wes Morgan’s place in the all-hallowed XI of 2015/16, they may wonder if it’s the same guy who didn't look up to much in his first top-flight season. But of course, picking him made perfect sense at the time – and it was absolutely deserved.And so it is with these 10 players, officially voted as the best in their position that season, only to be remembered by history as apparently being footballers at the time. Читать дальше...

The bells are tolling for Sam Allardyce at Goodison Park.According to the BBC's Phil McNulty, Everton have asked fans to rate Allardyce's performance from zero-to-10as part of a survey intended to gauge how connected supporters feel with the club.Given that the Dudley native has been a rather antagonistic presence in the technical area since arriving, it would be a surprise if he comes out of this particularly well.He's also famously dismissive of outside perceptions of his management style, so the... Читать дальше...

Obviously many fans and footballers, not to mention managers, pundits and journalists, will say the wrong person was named Player of the Year, because only one man can win from a wide field. Many will disagree with the Player of the Year decision.Team of the Year, though, is different. Everyone disagrees with Team of the Year.It’s simple: every side's supporters feel they have at least one strong candidate for inclusion. With 11 winners instead of only one, more teams should be recognised, right? Читать дальше...

Kaka has opened up about the "respectful but complicated" relationship he had with Jose Mourinho during his time at Real Madrid. Former Brazil star Kaka rose to prominence after joining AC Milan in 2003, winning Serie A and the Champions League as well as being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2007. His standing in the game led to Madrid making Kaka one of their 'Galacticos' in 2009, but – despite winning LaLiga and Copa del Rey medals under Mourinho – he failed to replicate the same form... Читать дальше...

We’re genuinely surprised that this group is so select. After all, when poor penniless PSG are having to loan players – albeit with a deal in place to buy Kylian Mbappe for over €180m in the summer – you’d expect the cream of Premier League clubs to get in on the action too.Not so. Of the 26 Premier League champions, a mere handful fielded a loan player during the season (although Manchester United used two in 2006/07 – the only time that’s been done).Blackburn were the first side to play a loanee during a title-winning season in 1994/95 ... Читать дальше...

Like Shrewsbury Town, Dean Henderson has had a good season. The Manchester United loanee has been sufficiently impressive to earn his first England Under-21 cap (against Romania at Molineux), but this moment won't be in his highlight reel.Emprestado pelo Manchester United, Dean Henderson do Shrewsbury fez isso hoje contra o Charlton. pic.twitter.com/AGF61ocP6B— EFL Brasil 48 (@EFLbrasil48) April 17, 2018To be fair to Henderson, he probably lost the ball in the floodlights - and, actually, Charlton's... Читать дальше...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has declared he will be going to the World Cup – although he refused to state whether he will play at the tournament. It has been speculated for some weeks that the LA Galaxy star will come out of international retirement to play at the finals in Russia, where Sweden begin their campaign against South Korea in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18. Ibrahimovic tweeted last week to say his chances of going to the tournament were "sky high", with his three goals in three appearances since... Читать дальше...

Harry Kane insists he is not affected by criticism of his successful goal appeal during Tottenham's win over Stoke City on April 7. The England striker was the subject of a social media backlash after the Premier League's Goal Accreditation Appeals Panel upheld his claim to have Spurs' second goal in the 2-1 win awarded to him instead of Christian Eriksen. Kane scored again in Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion to move to 26 league goals for the season, four behind Liverpool's Mohamed... Читать дальше...