Lionel Messi is one of four injured Albiceleste stars for the World Cup final rematch between Argentina and world champion Germany in Dusseldorf on Wednesday.The Barcelona striker is suffering from muscle fatigue in his right hamstring after Barca’s narrow 1-0 win at Villarreal on Sunday. Other unavailableplayers for coach Gerardo Martino’s first international in charge […]
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'Depressed' Suarez Presented to the Media
Luis Suarez was presented to the media on Tuesday following his Barcelona debut as a substitute in a friendly against Mexican club Leon, in which the Catalan giant thumped the Liga MX side,6-0. During his unveiling, the Uruguay international revealed that he “didn’t want to do anything” and “was very depressed,” following the biting incident […]
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'Happy' Suarez Begins Barca Training
Luis Suarez began training with new club Barcelona on Friday after the European Court of Arbitration for Sport amended the four-month ban from “all football activity” imposed on himby world governing body FIFA for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellieni at the World Cup. The CAS decreed that Suarez is now able to train and take […]
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Martino Appointed Argentina Coach
Former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino on Tuesday was appointed the new manager of World Cup finalist Argentina, replacing Alejandro Sabella, who stepped down following theAlbiceleste’s 1-0 loss to Germany in the final. Martino, 51, left Barca at the end of last season after his team failed to win a major trophy for the first time […]
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EPL Chief: Suarez 'an Accident Waiting to Happen'
English Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore, speaking at the official launch of the 2014-15 Premier League season, described Luis Suarez as accident waiting to happen and said thatLiverpool was right to sell the striker, especially after the Uruguayan bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during the World Cup this summer. “I can’t say […]
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Guardiola Has 'Eight or Nine' Fully Fit Players
Speaking ahead of Bayern Munich’s German Super Cup clash with fierce rival Borussia Dortmund, Pep Guardiola says that only “eight or nine” ofBayern’s first-team players are fully fit due to so many returning late from the World Cup, including captain Philip Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, ThomasMueller and Arjen Robben. “Last summer, my players were fitter for […]
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Klopp: No Friendship Between Bayern, BVB Players
Juergen Klopp thinks you won’t see any friendship displayed on the field when members of Germany’s World Cup-winning team turn out for both BorussiaDortmund and Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup on Wednesday. The Dortmund coach, whose team triumphed in the same competition against Bayern last year, believes that both teams wantto win the […]
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Record-Holder Klose Retires from Germany
German World Cup winner Miroslav Klose on Monday announced his retirement from international competition at the age of 36. Klose, who broke Brazilian legend Ronaldo’s World Cuprecord this summer by scoring his 15th and 16h goals in the competition, said that bowing out after winning the trophy is the right thing to do. The Polish-born […]
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FIFPro: Suarez Ban 'Unfair'
FIFPro, the world union for professional players, on Friday called for Luis Suarez’s ban for biting to be reduced after the Barcelona and Uruguay striker’s appeal was heard bythe European Union’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). According to Reuters, FIFPro said the ban was excessive and that Suarez had been “trialed and vilified in […]
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Giuseppe Rossi: Azzurri World Cup Snub was 'Frustrating'
In an interview with ESPN, Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi admits it was “frustrating” to be left out of Italy’s World Cup squad by former Azzurri coach CesarePrandelli. The 27-year-old New Jersey native claims that despite enduring another injury-plagued season last year, he was fully fit to go to Brazil. “Not going to the World Cup […]