Новости за 12.05.2018

Diego Simeone hopes Jan Oblak is happy to commit his future to Atletico Madrid, after the goalkeeper helped his side claim a 1-0 win over Getafe. The Slovenia international produced a brilliant save to keep out Faycal Fajr's 77th-minute penalty and ensure Atletico left Coliseum Alfonso Perez with all three points. Oblak has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool but Simeone is eager for him to stay in the Spanish capital, where he has developed over the last four years into one of the world's best players in his position. Читать дальше...

Jupp Heynckes promised a different Bayern Munich side in the DFB-Pokal final to the one swept aside by Stuttgart on the final day of the Bundesliga season. Bayern's title celebrations got underway after full-time but they concluded playing commitments at the Allianz Arena for the season in inauspicious fashion as Tayfun Korkut's visitors ran out 4-1 winners. Corentin Tolisso cancelled out Daniel Ginczek's early opener for Stuttgart but Anastasios Donis ensured the seventh-placed finishers led at... Читать дальше...

Aston Villa secured the upper hand over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off semi-finals with a 1-0 away win in the first leg on Saturday. Mile Jedinak's fine glancing header from Jack Grealish's corner in the 15th minute put Steve Bruce's men in the box seat for a trip to Wembley. Villa had been considered favourites to advance from the tie after finishing seven points above Middlesbrough in the table and they cleared the first hurdle with a clean sheet intact. Captained by John Terry,... Читать дальше...

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde insists the prospect of an undefeated LaLiga campaign is driving his champions on towards the season finishing line. Expectations were kept in check at Camp Nou when Valverde's arrival as Luis Enrique's successor was followed by Neymar's shock departure to Paris Saint-Germain, a frantic transfer market response and a Supercopa de Espana thumping at the hands of Real Madrid. But Barca's bitter rivals Madrid have been emphatically deposed as champions by Lionel Messi and his colleagues. Читать дальше...

Atletico Madrid all but secured second place in LaLiga with a 1-0 win over Getafe in a combative clash at Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Koke's early strike settled the contest and effectively made certain that Atletico cannot be caught by third-place Real Madrid in the table, with Jan Oblak making a crucial second-half penalty save to preserve the win. Getafe's defeat, combined with Sevilla's draw with Real Betis in the derby, means Jose Bordalas' side now cannot finish in the top seven and earn a Europa League place. Читать дальше...

Manchester United assistant manager Rui Faria will leave the club at the end of this season following 17 years as Jose Mourinho's right-hand man. Faria served as a prominent member of Mourinho's backroom staff during his spells with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and over the past two seasons at Old Trafford. The 42-year-old Portuguese coach was recently linked to the vacancy created by Arsene Wenger's imminent departure from Arsenal, with Mourinho describing his long-time ally and friend as a "good fit" for the Emirates Stadium job. Читать дальше...

Barcelona preparing for life without club great Andres Iniesta will not be as daunting as when Neymar jumped ship to Paris Saint-Germain last August, according to head coach Ernesto Valverde. Former Athletic Bilbao boss Valverde was mere weeks into his Barca tenure when Neymar stunned the footballing world by completing a world-record €222million switch to PSG last August. Barca recovered from that and a Supercopa de Espana humbling at the hands of bitter rivals Real Madrid by marching to a dominant LaLiga title triumph. Читать дальше...

Peter Stoger has confirmed his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund is over. The 52-year-old announced he will part ways with the club following the 3-1 defeat at Hoffenheim on the final day of the Bundesliga season. That left Dortmund to cling onto a Champions League spot as they finished ahead of fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference. Stoger only took over from the sacked Peter Bosz in December having himself been relieved of his duties at Cologne a week earlier.

Hamburg's proud record of never being relegated came to an end on Saturday as they dropped into the second tier, which led to ugly protests from a number of their fans. As the only club to have played in every Bundesliga season since its inception in 1963, supporters of the six-time German champions have proudly displayed a clock at Volksparkstadion which keeps a record of their top-flight status. That will have to be stopped now, however, as their 2-1 home win over Borussia Monchengladbach was... Читать дальше...

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes the cautiousness of coaches is to blame for the Bundesliga's lack of title tension. Gundogan, who is nearing the end of his second season in the Premier League, was part of the Borussia Dortmund team that were crowned German champions in 2011-12 under Jurgen Klopp. Bayern Munich have since reasserted their dominance by winning six straight titles for the first time in the club's history, the latest secured with five games to spare. Thomas Muller... Читать дальше...

With just over a month to go until the World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed Brazil superstar Neymar will resume training with a ball. The forward has been out of action since sustaining a broken metatarsal in late February - an injury that required surgery. Providing there were no complications during the rehabilitation period, Neymar was widely expected to be fit in time for Brazil's Group E opener against Switzerland on June 17. And it appears the 26-year-old is on course to hit that... Читать дальше...

Gennaro Gattuso has challenged Andre Silva to work harder for his chance in the AC Milan first team, as speculation builds over the striker's future. The Portugal international joined from Porto last June for €38million but has struggled in his first season in Italy, scoring just twice in 23 Serie A appearances. Silva has only started three league games in 2018, with Nikola Kalinic and youngster Patrick Cutrone preferred by head coach Gattuso, prompting rumours of a possible club-record bid from Championship winners Wolves. Читать дальше...

Isco has returned to the Real Madrid squad for Saturday's LaLiga clash with Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Spain international has missed the last four matches in all competitions due to a shoulder injury suffered in the Champions League semi-final first-leg win over Bayern Munich. He has been called up by coach Zinedine Zidane for the meeting with Celta, although Dani Carvajal, who hurt his hamstring in that same game at the Allianz Arena, is still out. Cristiano Ronaldo also remains... Читать дальше...

Massimiliano Allegri confirmed Gonzalo Higuain will be back in the starting line-up as Juventus look to secure a seventh straight Scudetto at Roma on Sunday. Higuain was dropped to the bench for Wednesday's Coppa Italia final against AC Milan, with Mario Mandzukic chosen in attack alongside Paulo Dybala. With Juve cruising to a 4-0 rout, Higuain was introduced with seven minutes to play as Dybala made way, but the Argentine duo will be reunited from the start as the Bianconeri return to the Stadio Olimpico this weekend. Читать дальше...

Theo Walcott would love Wayne Rooney to stay at Everton as the former England captain weighs up a switch to DC United in MLS. Rooney returned to his boyhood club ahead of this season after a trophy-laden 13 years at Manchester United but could be set to move on once more. On Friday, DC United head coach Ben Olsen confirmed his club's interest in signing the 32-year-old, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions in 2017-18. Everton boss Sam Allardyce insisted Rooney has not put in a transfer... Читать дальше...

As he prepares to make his first move into senior management, Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard says the position at Rangers was too good a chance to pass up. Gerrard will officially take over at Ibrox from June 1, having signed a four-year deal earlier this month. The former England captain will leave his role at Liverpool's academy after only one season, but explained that when Rangers came calling he could not say no to the opportunity. "It's excitement in terms of the challenge that lies ahead... Читать дальше...

FIFA's plans for a revamped Club World Cup have been met with scorn by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who believes the players' schedules are already busy enough. Gianni Infantino, Ceferin's counterpart at world football's governing body, is reportedly keen on a 24-team event played every four years, involving the biggest clubs in an attempt to maximise revenue opportunities. But Ceferin, who was elected UEFA chief in 2016, feels FIFA's plans will only serve the top sides, with little thought given to the remainder. Читать дальше...

Brazil star Neymar says he must overcome his own fears regarding his return from injury as Russia 2018 moves sharply into focus. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been out of action since suffering a broken metatarsal against Marseille in late February but is seemingly on track to be fit for the Selecao's World Cup campaign. Neymar has unpleasant memories of World Cup injury woe, having missed Brazil's 7-1 semi-final humiliation at the hands of Germany four years ago with a back problem sustained in the last-eight win over Colombia. Читать дальше...

Jamaal Lascelles says Newcastle United must do everything in their power to keep manager Rafael Benitez at the club. The Spaniard took over at St James' Park towards the end of 2015-16 and, although he could not stave off relegation, the Magpies bounced back at the first attempt by claiming the Championship title. This season has seen Newcastle re-establish themselves in the top tier, and a win at home to Chelsea from Sunday's final fixture of the campaign should see them secure a top-half finish. Читать дальше...

Unai Emery said he has enjoyed his time at Paris Saint-Germain as the outgoing head coach prepares to leave the French champions with a smile on his face. Saturday's Ligue 1 clash at home to Rennes will be Emery's final match in charge of the domestic treble winners. Emery arrived in 2016, guiding PSG to Ligue 1 glory and back-to-back trophies in the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions. PSG failed to make an impact in the Champions League, though, suffering consecutive last-16 exits under the Spaniard. Читать дальше...

Kendall Waston came to Vancouver Whitecaps' rescue after his last-gasp equaliser secured a dramatic 2-2 draw against Houston Dynamo. The Whitecaps were staring at their fifth defeat in six MLS matches after Mauro Manotas gave the Dynamo a 2-1 lead in the 90th minute on Friday. But the Whitecaps rallied in Vancouver, where Costa Rica international defender Waston restored parity in the fourth minute of stoppage time at BC Place Stadium. Waston leapt highest to head home the equaliser in a thrilling finish against Houston... Читать дальше...

Arsene Wenger warned London rivals Tottenham they may have to sell prized asset Harry Kane to help pay for their new stadium as the outgoing Arsenal manager joked the Spurs striker could end up at the Emirates Stadium. Tottenham will play Champions League football in their state-of-the-art stadium next season – the White Hart Lane redevelopment to hold 62,000 supporters. It has been a costly investment for Spurs, one which could see Tottenham part with two-time reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner and England international Kane... Читать дальше...

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said it will not be easy for Spurs in the transfer market, despite qualifying for the Champions League. Spurs will feature in the Champions League for a third consecutive season as they look set to finish third in the Premier League – victory over Leicester City on Sunday would secure that position behind champions Manchester City and second-placed Manchester United. Tottenham invested heavily to lure Davinson Sanchez and Serge Aurier in August last year, while... Читать дальше...

DC United head coach Ben Olsen has confirmed the club's interest in signing Wayne Rooney from Everton. England's record goalscorer has been linked with a move to MLS after a largely disappointing campaign since returning to his boyhood club last July. Everton boss Sam Allardyce said on Friday that he thought there had been some discussions between the player and DC, although he insisted Rooney had not asked for a transfer. Olsen has now admitted they want to bring the former Manchester United captain to the United States... Читать дальше...

Marseille were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw at Guingamp that could have ended their hopes of a top-two finish in Ligue 1. The visitors surrendered a 2-0 lead to fall 3-2 behind in the second half, only for Florian Thauvin to rescue a point after goalkeeper Steve Mandanda had been sent off. The result sees Rudi Garcia's side stay fourth, though, and they will be out of the race for a Champions League spot if second-place Lyon win at Strasbourg on Saturday. Dimitri Payet was missing for the match at Stade Municipal de Roudourou... Читать дальше...