Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola highlighted the importance of possession following his team’s 2-0 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg win against Arsenal at theEmirates on Wednesday. The German treble winner heads back to Munich as the heavy favorite to progress to the quarterfinals thanks to a pair of crucial away goals from Toni […]
Section 2 Around the Net
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Barca Charged with Tax Fraud Over Neymar Transfer
Barcelona has been charged by a Spanish court with committing tax fraud in signing Brazil international Neymar from Santos last year. On Thursday, Barca confirmed the charge, andthen issued the following statement: The club’s actions have, at all times, regarding that operation [to sign Neymar] and in line with the available information, been fully compliant […]
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Report: EPL Clubs More Likely to Finish UCL Knockout Games with 10 Men
Premier League clubs are more than three times as likely to finish a UEFA Champions League knockout game with 10 men than a Premier League game, ESPN is reporting. Moreover, English teams have hada man sent off in almost a quarter of its games in the Champions League Round of 16, Quarterfinals, semifinals or final […]
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Scolari: 'We're Going to Win the World Cup'
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has taken a dig at world No. 1 Spain a little more than four months ahead of the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo by claiming that his team is thefavorite. “I’m increasingly sure that we’re going to win the World Cup,” Big Phil said at an event on Tuesday. […]
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FIFA: Curitiba Stadium Given Mid-May Deadline
Brazil’s World Cup stadium woes continue, but FIFA insists that all stadiums, including the problematic Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, will be completed in time for the event, which opens infour months’ time. According to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, the Curitiba stadium has been given a new deadline of mid-May and at least 1,500 […]
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Report: Rooney to Sign New United Deal Through 2019
Wayne Rooney is expected to sign a new five-and-a-half year contract with Manchester United in the next 48 to 72 hours, the Press Association reports. With theEngland striker’s current deal set to expire at the end of next season, United is eager to secure his services until 2019, when he would be 33.
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Prandelii: Balotelli Can Be One of the Greats
Cesare Prandelli has warned AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli that he has to sort himself out mentally in order to realize his full potential. In an interview withFIFA.com, the Italy coach spoke about working with Balotelli, as well as former World Cup winners Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon.“Mario Balotelli has the potential to be one of the […]
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Laudrup Speaks Out About Swansea Departure
Michael Laudrup is continuing with legal action against Swansea City after he was fired less than a year after leading the Welsh club to its first-ever major trophy, the 2013League Cup. Laudrup claims he was fired for an alleged “breach of contract,” although the Dane says he has no idea what that means, exactly. He […]
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PSG Coasts to First-Leg Win Vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain steamrolled Bayer Leverkusen in a 4-0 away win at the BayArena in the first game of the teams’ two-game UEFA ChampionsLeague Round of 16 series. Ibra’s two goals, the second of which was a stunning first-time left-footed strike from distance, catapulted him to the top of the UCL […]
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Martino: Barca Will Not Relax in Second-Leg vs. City
Following a comfortable 2-0 win against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg at the Etihad on Tuesday, Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino promised thathis players would not lose concentration during the return at the Camp Nou on March 12. Star striker Lionel Messi gave the visitor the lead from the penalty […]