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History beckons for Sevilla

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Sevilla can become the first side ever to win four Europa League or Uefa Cup titles when they face Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the final of the Europa League.

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Sevilla can become the first side ever to win four Europa League or Uefa Cup titles when the holders face a Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk side playing in their first major European final on Wednesday.

Moreover, victory would also secure direct qualification to next season's Champions League having missed out by just a point to Valencia in the battle for fourth place in La Liga.

“The growth that the team has experienced is thanks to what we feel for the Europa League,” Sevilla boss Unai Emery told Uefa.com.

“It means something. The team want the fans to feel the vibrations that this competition gives us. We've achieved something that makes us bigger, it gives us prestige, it gives us a place in history and recognition in Europe for our hard work.

“We can't deny that we have the chance to write history. Of course we are grateful to have that chance, to be able to pursue this.

“We are aiming to achieve something with this team, with Sevilla. It shouldn't feel like pressure or stop us from executing our game plan against Dnipro. It will serve more as motivation, like a dream we can achieve.”

In contrast to the late goals and two penalty shootouts that led them to glory in last season's Europa League, Emery's men have been rampant this campaign losing just once in 14 games and scoring 26 goals in the process.

Dnipro's unlikely road to Warsaw has been far more hard-fought as the Ukrainians have won just seven of their 16 matches in reaching the final.

However, having already upset the likes of Olympiakos, Ajax and Napoli, coach Myron Markevich is prepared for his side's stiffest task yet in the Polish capital.

“We've studied Sevilla's matches in the national championship and Europa League thoroughly,” Markevich said.

“They're very strong opponents. I consider Sevilla to be among Europe's 10 strongest clubs.

“I expect a very hard encounter in Warsaw, but we want to show our best in the final.”

Dnipro maintained their hopes of Champions League qualification through the Ukranian league with a 3-2 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend despite Markevich resting a number of key players ahead of the final.

Yet, they could be without striker Yevhen Seleznyov, who scored both goals in the 2-1 aggregate semi-final win over Napoli, as he is a doubt with a knee injury.

Other than long-term injury absentees Nico Pareja and Sebastian Cristoforo, Sevilla have a clean bill of health with Timothee Kolodziejczak and Vitolo expected to be fit despite missing Saturday's 3-2 win at Malaga due to injury.

And the Spaniards could have the local fans on their side too with Polish international Grzegorz Krychowiak set to start in midfield. – AFP

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Kane denies United link

Tottenham striker Harry Kane dismissed speculation of a move to Manchester United following his breakout season.

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Tottenham striker Harry Kane dismissed speculation of a move to Manchester United following his breakout season, as Spurs readied for a friendly in Kuala Lumpur against a Malaysian select squad.

Kane has been Spurs' standout performer this season, scoring 21 league goals to help the club to a fifth-place finish in the English Premier League, and made it clear he would like to stay.

“Spurs are a big club and I have a bright future here. I hope to continue scoring goals and doing well with the club,” Kane told reporters.

The striker, who has drawn comparisons to club legend Jurgen Klinsmann because of his high work rate, intelligent play and clinical finishing, gave credit for Tottenham's improved fortunes to manager Mauricio Pochettino.

“He is a good manager who is always willing to assist and I can't speak highly enough of him,” he said.

“Right now I'm really excited to play the Malaysian team and we are expecting a tough game. But like every match, we will play to win and hope the turnout from the fans will be great.”

Pochettino, meanwhile, said he was setting the club's sights even higher.

“We are an ambitious club and expectations are high. The vision of Tottenham Hotspur is to always challenge for a top-four spot, and we will need to fight for that next season,” said the Argentinian.

“We have a lot of talented players and will try to bring more through the academy.”

Spurs play the Malaysian side Wednesday, three days before facing off against Sydney FC in another friendly match in Sydney.

It is Tottenham's first visit to Malaysia since 1979.

Besides Kane, Tottenham has brought stalwarts including Hugo Lloris, Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela.– AFP

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Ancelotti - another Real scapegoat

Real Madrid fans could be forgiven for wondering whether a new president is needed after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked.

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Madrid - Real Madrid fans could be forgiven for wondering whether a new president is needed rather than yet another new coach after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked on Monday.

Ancelotti ended 12 years of bitter failure when he led Real to a record-extending 10th European crown in his first term in charge in 2013-14, as well as a King's Cup triumph.

Despite that historic achievement, the affable 55-year-old has become construction magnate Florentino Perez's latest scapegoat after he ended his second season in Spain without major silverware.

With the Italian's dismissal, a year before his three-year contract expires, Perez has now been through nine coaches during two six-year stints at the helm of the world's richest club by income, including such decorated managers as Vicente del Bosque and Jose Mourinho.

Although Ancelotti delivered the long-awaited 'Decima', or 10th continental title, Perez decided he was not the right man for the job after all, despite saying in March “we have the best coach and the best players that Real Madrid could have”.

Many Real supporters may be asking why Ancelotti, a proven winner and hugely admired by his players, was not given at least one more year to get the team back on track.

“The demands are huge and we believe it is the right moment to give fresh impetus that will allow us to win more titles and reach our optimum competitive level in a new phase,” Perez told a news conference at the Bernabeu on Monday.

Real would announce a successor next week, Perez said, with Napoli's Spanish coach Rafa Benitez the front runner, according to local media.

Perez is known for his policy of cherry picking the world's most marketable players, dubbed 'galacticos', and while he may have transformed Real into a money-making machine, results on the pitch have not always been impressive.

Under his regime, Real have won two Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles and two King's Cups, adequate at best considering close to one billion euros ($1.1 billion) has been splashed on players.

Perez has broken the transfer fee world record five times since 2000, most recently in 2013 when Real paid 100 million euros to lure Wales winger Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur.

To make matters worse for Real fans, bitter rivals Barcelona, who wrapped up a fifth La Liga title in seven years this month, are on course for a treble of Spanish league and Cup and Champions League titles.

They became the first la Liga club to achieve the feat under Pep Guardiola in 2008-09, while Real have never managed it.

Despite Perez's apparent inability to stick by a coach for more than a few seasons, his position is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon.

Real are one of four Spanish top-flight clubs owned by their members, or socios, along with Barca, Athletic Bilbao and Pamplona-based Osasuna and in September 2013, Perez won their backing for statute changes that make it harder for outsiders to seize control.

Presidential candidates have to have been club members for at least 20 years, up from 10 years previously, and along with their proposed board must provide a bank guarantee worth 15 percent of the club's budget - around 90 million euros.

How long Real's members are prepared to put up with the status quo remains to be seen but if nobody is willing or able to oppose Perez he is unlikely to be forced out. – Reuters

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Drogba mulls US option

Didier Drogba will not play for another English team when he leaves Chelsea and may follow Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard by ending his career in the United States.

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London - Didier Drogba will not play for another English team when he leaves Chelsea and may follow Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard by ending his career in the United States.

The 37-year-old former Ivory Coast forward played his final game for Chelsea when the Premier League champions beat Sunderland 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

“There are some really fantastic teams in the Premier League but my love for this club...I can't share it with another English team,” he told the Daily Telegraph on Monday.

“Since I put the news I am leaving Chelsea on social media, I was in the dressing-room and I was receiving some calls from teams which is really unusual.

“It showed that maybe I can still bring something to a team. Of course I'm interested in the USA,” added Drogba. “Now I'm going to have a few days and weeks to think about what is good for me next but all I want is to play.”

His former Chelsea team mate Lampard, who was on loan with Manchester City this season, is about to start a new career with New York City FC.

Gerrard, who used to patrol England's midfield alongside Lampard, played his last game for Liverpool on Sunday before joining the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Drogba re-signed for Chelsea last year after leaving in 2012 following a highly successful eight-year spell with the London club.

The Ivorian has won four Premier League titles with Chelsea, three League Cups, four FA Cups and the Champions League.

Drogba was voted the club's greatest-ever player by supporters in 2012. – Reuters

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Norwich back in the Premier League

Norwich City's return to the Premier League at the first attempt via the playoffs owes much to their young Scottish manager Alex Neil who was a virtually unknown.

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London – Norwich City's return to the Premier League at the first attempt via the playoffs owes much to their young Scottish manager Alex Neil who was virtually unknown south of the border when he was appointed in January.

Although the Canaries failed to win automatic promotion under Neil - finishing third in the Championship - their new boss quickly fashioned an expansive side with a cutting edge who outplayed Middlesbrough to win 2-0 at Wembley.

The 33-year-old Neil, a hard-as-nails midfielder who played in the lower leagues at Barnsley and Mansfield Town, became player-manager of Scottish club Hamilton Academical in 2013.

He took them into the top flight via the playoffs where they enjoyed a fine start to the season, alerting Norwich to his talents, although many Canaries fans at first had their doubts.

But Neil has repaid the club's faith with a place in the big time and appreciates their bravery in appointing him.

“I hate letting people down and the fact that Norwich showed so much belief in me in giving me the job so young - a lot was made of that,” he told reporters after their triumph.

“To be fair to them (the board) they showed some courage to do that so I was just really pleased for everybody else that we managed to achieve that (promotion).”

Neil is under no illusions about the size of the task facing him in trying to keep Norwich among the elite but is confident that they can stay up with a few additions to the playing staff.

“We'll need to add a few quality signings but I'll stick with the hard-core group of the squad and make sure they get their opportunity going up,” he said.

First-half goals from striker Cameron Jerome and talented midfielder Nathan Redmond sealed the win against Middlesbrough that brings a 120 million pounds ($185.63 million) bonanza.

Norwich's delighted co-owner, celebrity cook Delia Smith, who hugged each of the players in the Royal Box, knows how valuable Neil is to the team and praised the Scot.

“The fans deserve it and I'm so pleased for them. We're all nervous but the manager just exudes calm. He wasn't at all panicked and that spills over. I can't praise him enough. He inspires me, let alone the players. And I'm 74!” – Reuters

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Real Madrid sack Ancelloti

Real Madrid have sacked coach Carlo Ancelotti after failing to win major silverware this season.

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Madrid - Real Madrid have sacked coach Carlo Ancelotti after the world's richest club by income failed to win major silverware this season and, according to local media, Napoli's Rafa Benitez is the favourite to succeed him.

“The board of directors have decided this evening to relieve Carlo Ancelotti of his duties,” president Florentino Perez told a news conference on Monday.

“It was a very difficult decision ... but we have not come to Real Madrid to take easy decisions but to take decisions that we believe are the best for an institution that is a reference point around the world,” added the construction magnate.

“The demands are huge and we believe it is the right moment to give fresh impetus that will allow us to win more titles and reach our optimum competitive level in a new phase.”

The club will announce a successor next week, Perez said, and local media say former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Benitez, who once had a stint as a Real youth team coach, is the frontrunner to replace Ancelotti.

Others to have been linked with the job are German Juergen Klopp, who has quit Borussia Dortmund, and former Real player Michel who has had spells running the B team at the Bernabeu and clubs including Getafe and Sevilla.

Italian Ancelotti, who had a three-year contract that was due to run until the end of next season, led the club to a record-extending 10th European crown and a King's Cup triumph in his first term in charge in 2013-14.

However, this term they were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Juventus while Barcelona won their fifth La Liga title in seven years. Real also lost to Atletico Madrid in the King's Cup last 16 in January.

Real won the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup but Ancelotti's failure to win any of the three trophies that make up the traditional treble was deemed unacceptable.

Perez's decision came despite strong public backing for Ancelotti from players including top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, midfielder Luka Modric and forward James Rodriguez.

Ancelotti told the Italian daily Il Giornale on Monday he was suffering from cervical stenosis and would be travelling to Vancouver for an operation.

The condition, a narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck area or upper part of the spine, has caused tingling in his hands and was part of the reason he planned to take a year off if Real sacked him, he told the paper.

After Real announced his sacking, Ancelotti said on his Twitter feed: “I leave with the memory of two fantastic years... thank you to the club, the fans and my players.”

Reuters

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Blatter misled us - Platini

Fifa president Sepp Blatter misled the world of football by reneging on a commitment to step down in 2015.

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Paris - Fifa president Sepp Blatter misled the world of football by reneging on a commitment to step down in 2015, Uefa president Michel Platini said on Monday.

Platini backed him in the 2011 election on that basis but is angry that Blatter, 79, is seeking re-election on Friday for a further term.

“I am mostly disappointed for the European federations, whom I had asked to support Sepp in 2011, on the basis of a promise he had made,” the former French international told the sports newspaper L'Equipe.

“It was more than a promise actually, it was a true commitment. He had asked us ... to support him for what would be his last term. And now he's back on again as if nothing had happened.

“Maybe I'm too naive, sensitive or idealistic but I have the unpleasant feeling that my commitment was based on a lie and that I indirectly have lied to the federations.”

Platini reiterated that he would be supporting Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, the only other candidate in Friday's election. – Reuters

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Crunch time for Rodgers

When crunch time comes, Fenway Sports Group will only need the answer to one question: can they trust him?

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When crunch time comes, Fenway Sports Group will only need the answer to one question: can they trust him?

As this abomination of a season came to a dreadful end in The Potteries, with invective and fury raining down from enraged supporters, Brendan Rodgers wore the look of a man who knew his future employment prospects were dangling by a thread.

Rodgers will hold a summit with Mike Gordon, FSG’s second largest investor, soon but the ground he now walks on is anything but safe. Liverpool were not just beaten by Stoke City, they were utterly humiliated and the buck stops with the man who stood helplessly in the technical area.

Some defeats can be explained, but this? Stoke tore them asunder, capitalising on the tactical chaos that scrambled Liverpool’s senses; they bullied them, outmuscled them and gleefully inflicted their heaviest defeat since 1963.

So this is where it becomes interesting for FSG. They have invested more than £200million since Rodgers arrived at Anfield three years ago and looking at this shambles you would say similar investment needs to be made to get them where they want to be.

Is he the man to oversee the rebuild? Should there even need to be a rebuild? Only Gordon can answer those questions. But as he sat solemnly dealing with enquiries about how he can lift the club, the look on Rodgers’ face was telling. He is no longer in control of his own destiny.

‘All supporters connected with Liverpool will be embarrassed by that and deserve an apology,’ said Rodgers. ‘The first half was awful. Absolutely awful. I have always said if the owners want me to go I go, it is as simple as that. But I still feel I have a lot to offer here.’

That last point is now debatable. Why did this team start with no natural right back? How did Liverpool sign three strikers last summer yet began this contest without one on the pitch? What formation were they playing? Why couldn’t he stop the humiliation unfolding? It seems almost unfair to give Stoke’s excellence second billing in this narrative. Mark Hughes has done a superb job and these three points helped them to their best ever tally in the Barclays Premier League.

‘I don’t think this reflects badly on Liverpool,’ said Hughes. ‘Most teams would have struggled with our intensity. I sensed all week they wanted to finish on a high.’

There was no chance of that for Liverpool. Since losing to Manchester United on March 22, results and performances have nose-dived with this being a spectacular crash-landing. As the bulk of the goals rained in during 25 chaotic first half minutes, Rodgers looked like he had seen a ghost. Perhaps the only surprise was that it took Stoke 22 minutes to score. It was a scruffy opener, Mame Diouf tapping in after Simon Mignolet fumbled Charlie Adam’s drive. It smashed open the floodgates and soon Liverpool were drowning.

Diouf doubled the advantage with a drive from the edge of the 18-yard area. All over you could see heads dropping, with the exception of one familiar warrior.

Steven Gerrard, looking for a final hurrah before heading to LA, sported that furrowed brow, looking around him in a state of angered bewilderment. After all he has done for the club, he didn’t deserve this ending.

On the half-hour, two became three. Jonathan Walters scored after Emre Can had got himself hopelessly confused and headed a loose ball to the forward. From six yards out, Walters was never going to miss.

Leaping out of his seat, punching the air in delight, Hughes implored his side to go for the kill and they did that quite magnificently with two wonderful goals before the interval, the first coming from Adam, the latter from the outstanding Steven Nzonzi.

Gerrard reduced the deficit with his 186th career goal after the break but the ignominy was not over for Liverpool as Peter Crouch put the gloss on a fabulous afternoon for Stoke and put the spotlight firmly on Rodgers.

‘There is a number of key elements of the performance that didn’t surprise me if I am honest,’ said Rodgers.

‘There are areas which will we address in the summer that will help us become more competitive. We as a club will work very hard to make that happen.’

But will he be the man to execute the plans? Or will he pay the price for a season of dreadful underachievement?

In Boston, they will be formulating their answers. – Daily Mail

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Platini won’t vote for Blatter

Uefa president Michel Platini has thrown his weight behind Jordan's Prince Ali bin al Hussein in his bid to unseat Sepp Blatter as Fifa president.

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Uefa president Michel Platini has thrown his weight behind Jordan's Prince Ali bin al Hussein in his bid to unseat Sepp Blatter as the head of football's world governing body Fifa.

In an interview on Monday with L'Equipe newspaper, the French midfield legend turned football administrator said that Blatter had lied to him four years ago when saying that his current fourth mandate would be his last.

“He asked us face to face to support him for what would be his last mandate,” said Platini, a former ally of Blatter who has increasingly turned against the Swiss chief.

“I have the disagreeable feeling of having proferred my support on the basis of a lie.

“You have to be capable of handing over the levers of power at the right time and not be guilty of holding on to it at any cost.

“He (Blatter) is not staying on because he has a job to complete or because he still has some big projects to carry out for Fifa. No, he simply is scared of what the future holds for him having consecrated his life to Fifa to the point that he identifies himself totally with it.”

Platini said that he believed that it was the right time for new blood to be brought in and that Prince Ali was the best man for the job.

The Jordanian is the sole remaining candidate left in the contest for the Fifa presidency, which will be decided in Zurich on Friday following last week's withdrawals of Portugal great Luis Figo and Dutch administrator Michael van Praag.

He has garnered support from several quarters, but Blatter is still seen as a strong favourite to win a fifth term despite growing reservations about his way of running one of the most powerful bodies in world sport.

The latest broadside against him came from Argentine legend Diego Maradona who told the Daily Telegraph that a fifth term for Blatter would be “an adsurdity”.

“Under Sepp Blatter, Fifa has become a disgrace and a painful embarrassment to those of us who care about football deeply,” the 1986 World Cup winner said.

The election takes place at the Fifa Congress in Zurich on Friday, with the winner needing a majority from Fifa's 209 member federations.

Blatter has received strong public backing from nearly every regional confederation except Uefa in Europe.

But the football strongman's fourth term has been overshadowed by controversy, not least over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, drawing cries of protest from various people. – AFP

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Liverpool fans vent fury on Rodgers

Liverpool sustained their biggest Premier League defeat against Stoke, and their worst since a 7-2 loss to Tottenham in April 1963.

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If Steven Gerrard had been searching for adjectives to describe the emotions of his final game for Liverpool then abysmal, lacklustre and shambolic were perhaps not the ones he had in mind beforehand.

Unfortunately for the Liverpool captain, that is precisely how the majority of visiting supporters - minus the expletives - summed up this utter humiliation for Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium.

Not even a goal from the veteran midfielder in his 710th and final appearance for his boyhood club could provide a crumb of comfort after a truly awful display which left Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, acknowledging that his job was on the line.

“I accept there will be questions,” Rodgers said. “I've always said if the owners want me to go, I go. I still feel I have a lot to offer. There is an awful lot of work to do and our job is to fix that. My pride makes me want to be in this job. I love the job and I love the club.”

Liverpool sustained their biggest Premier League defeat here, and their worst since a 7-2 loss to Tottenham in April 1963, as Stoke ruthlessly exposed the inadequacies of Rodgers and his players.

This was the kind of inept afternoon that will inevitably raise serious questions from supporters about whether Rodgers has lost the support of his players and is the right man to lead the Reds forward.

The wrath Rodgers incurred from angry Liverpool fans as he walked towards the tunnel at half-time with his side 5-0 down left the Northern Irishman in remorseful mood afterwards.

“To start with it's an apology to the supporters,” Rodgers added. “We are embarrassed and the supporters deserve an apology. I take responsibility.

“The supporters have every right to be angry. They have been brilliant for us so we can have no complaints. The fans were angry at half-time and rightly so because that was awful.”

Liverpool suffered defensive lapses at the back with mistakes galore, while in midfield and up front, spearheaded by a Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana as a pair of 'false' nines, their play lacked clear direction, invention and focus.

Of course, that should take nothing away from Stoke who, despite having little to play for, were motivated and aggressive. The result was that they demolished the lacklustre visitors in a clinical manner.

The Stoke striker Mame Biram Diouf opened the scoring when he capitalised on Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet's fumble to smash home from close range, and added a spectacular second from long range.

A needless header back across goal by Emre Can allowed Jonathan Walters to bundle in a third before a Charlie Adam got the fourth and Steven N'Zonzi arrowed in the fifth from distance.

While there was turmoil on the pitch Rodgers hid contract rebel Raheem Sterling on the bench - perhaps worried he did not need to spice tensions up further after a tumultuous week for the England forward. Who could blame him for leaving after that? “I felt there were others players better mentally positioned to be in the game, it was as simple as that,” Rodgers added.

With 20 minutes left Gerrard latched on to Rickie Lambert's flick-on and netted his 186th goal for the club with an angled finish which drew a standing ovation from all four sides of the ground. It was a bittersweet strike he will remember for all the wrong reasons.

However, Stoke had the final word and heaped more misery on Liverpool when Diouf, still with bags of energy, crossed from the right flank late on for substitute Peter Crouch to head home.

“I'm sure Steven wasn't anticipating that would be the manner of his last game,” said the Stoke manager, Mark Hughes, after his side had finished with 54 points - their best Premier League haul.

“We couldn't have asked for a better finish to a great season. The level of performance in the first 45 minutes was exceptional.”

Gerrard was the last Liverpool player to trudge off the pitch at full-time, almost too embarrassed even to acknowledge those supporters that who stayed behind to wave goodbye.

Whether Rodgers also has to say his farewells this summer remains to be seen.

Stoke LiverpoolSubs: Stoke City Odemwingie (Walters, 67), Wilson (Muniesa, 71), Crouch (Arnautovic, 81); Liverpool K Touré (Can, 45), Ibe (Moreno, 45), Lambert (Allen, 69).

Booked: Stoke Shawcross, Pieters, Whelan, Adam; Liverpool Skrtel, Lucas.

Man of the match Adam. Match rating 7/10.

Possession: Stoke 45% Liverpool 55%.

Attempts on target: Stoke 9 Liverpool 4.

Referee A Taylor (Cheshire). – The Independent

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Gerrard, Lampard bow out with goals

Steven Gerrard scored his186th Liverpool goal after 710 appearances as they lost 6-1 to Stoke in his last game.

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London - It was not meant to be this way.

Steven Gerrard disconsolately trudged off an English Premier League pitch for the final time after his beloved Liverpool were battered 6-1 at Stoke City, their worst top-flight defeat since 1963.

At least the 34-year-old, who leaves for Los Angeles Galaxy having been the heartbeat of Anfield for 15 years, managed a goal on the final day of the season.

It was a typical Gerrard goal, a low composed finish from an iconic player even rival fans have been applauding during the closing weeks of the campaign.

The strike was his 186th Liverpool goal after 710 appearances, the most famous of which came when he inspired his boyhood club to Champions League glory in 2005 after AC Milan had been 3-0 up at halftime.

“I am sure Steven wasn't anticipating the manner of that being his last performance, but credit to him he was trying to drive his team on and it was great he got that reception from our supporters when he scored,” Stoke boss Mark Hughes told the BBC.

“It is only right and proper we recognise the impact he has had in English football and at his club as well. Everyone applauded that goal. He has been a credit to his country and his club.”

The former England captain has made it clear he would like to return to Liverpool in some capacity once his two years at Galaxy are up but there could be a managerial vacancy before then.

Liverpool, so close to the title last term before selling goal-machine Luis Suarez in the close season, limped in sixth for a Europa League berth and fans are beginning to question boss Brendan Rodgers.

“To start with, it's an apology. I think everybody, all the supporters connected with Liverpool, will - like us all - be embarrassed by that and they deserve an apology,” said Rodgers, who left Raheem Sterling on the bench amid reports he wants to leave.

Another man on the move is Manchester City's Frank Lampard, also on the way to the MLS with New York City FC after 609 Premier League games.

He, too, signed off from England with yet another goal but that was in a 2-0 win over Southampton as the former Chelsea stalwart was made captain for the day.

“I think I've had a lot of opportunities to talk about Chelsea, but I have turned up here at age of 36, I didn't know what to expect, from the dressing room and the fans and living in this city, and all I can say is thank you so, so much to everybody,” he told the crowd.

Sergio Aguero ended up Premier League top scorer with 26 goals for second-placed City and boss Manuel Pellegrini said he expected to stay as manager despite the lack of a trophy this term for last season's champions. – Reuters

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United send Falcao packing

Manchester United will not be signing Colombia forward Radamel Falcao on a permanent basis, the Premier League club said.

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London - Manchester United will not be signing Colombia forward Radamel Falcao on a permanent basis, the Premier League club said after the final game of the season.

The 29-year-old will return to parent club Monaco, at least initially, after four goals in 29 appearances was not deemed good enough for United to consider splashing out the reported 55 million euros ($60.5 million) fee to buy him.

“Falcao is a top professional and a good human being. On behalf of myself and everyone at the club I would like to wish him well for the future,” manager Louis van Gaal told ManUtd.com after the 0-0 Premier League draw at Hull City left United fourth in the table and in the Champions League playoff spot.

Falcao was once one of the hottest properties in world football but a curious move to Monaco and a serious knee injury have curtailed his career.

United have already recruited forward Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven and with Van Gaal settling on one up front during the team's best run in the third quarter of the campaign, another frontman may not be needed.

Borussia Dortmund defender and Germany World Cup winner Mats Hummels has been repeatedly linked with United in media reports. – Reuters

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Ashley not walking away from Newcastle

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has said the club is not for sale and he will not be leaving until some silverware has been won.

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London - Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has said the club is not for sale and he will not be leaving until some silverware has been won.

In a rare interview before the club's 2-0 home win over West Ham, which secured their Premier League status in the final match of the season on Sunday, Ashley said he could not have foreseen the relegation dogfight the Magpies found themselves in.

“I can't have imagined it (the club's predicament) from Christmas. I probably didn't anticipate the club to be anywhere near this situation. After the last couple of weeks I'm a little bit shocked where we are today,” he told Sky Sports.

The win against the Hammers, with goals from Moussa Sissoko and Jonás Gutiérrez, made Premier League survival certain for Newcastle, with Hull City drawing 0-0 against Manchester United.

Newcastle boss John Carver has been under severe pressure from fans for a run of defeats which saw the club slide down the league table to 17th place, just two points better off than Hull going into the final game.

However, asked who was to blame, Ashley said “responsibility stops at my door”, but added “I'm not going anywhere until we win something. That includes getting a Champions League place. I won't be selling it (the club) until I do. Not at any price.”

He also said he would play no direct part in deciding who would be in charge of the team next term.

“Managing director Lee Charnley and the football board will make a decision about any new manager” he said. “I will not be picking the next manager.”

Carver, who described the victory over West Ham as “a proper rollercoaster” said it was “fantastic” that Ashley had said he wanted to win trophies.

“Fair play to Mike you know, because we all want this club to be united and we all want to win things,” Carver said.

“It's a big, big summer for the football club, this summer. We have to invest, we know that and Mike knows that.”

Asked about his own future Carver - who took over when Alan Pardew left at the turn of the year - said “from day one I wanted this job and I still want this job. This week was tough, I tried not to show it, but it was like a build up to a cup final, we have won the cup final.”

Newcastle, despite a large and vociferous fan-base, have won few major trophies in the modern era, taking the FA Cup in 1955 and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. – Reuters

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Hull relegated, Magpies survive

Hull were relegated and Newcastle survived in a dramatic final day of the Premier League season on Sunday.

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London – Hull City were relegated and Newcastle United survived the drop on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season on Sunday.

Newcastle’s 2-0 win over West Ham United at a raucous St James’ Park where Moussa Sissoko scored after 54 minutes and Jonas Gutierrez added a second late on meant they finished with 39 points while Hull ended on 35 after drawing 0-0 at home with Manchester United.

United finished with 10 men after Marouane Fellaini was sent off late in the game for stamping on Hull’s Paul McShane.

Hull had two goals disallowed in a two-minute spell during the first half, and their failure to beat United for the first time in eight Premier League matches means they go down along with already-relegated Burnley and Queens Park Rangers. – Reuters

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‘Mountain goat’ Blatter keeps going

Sepp Blatter, who is set to be re-elected as Fifa boss on Friday, likened himself to a mountain goat on Sunday.

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Berne – Sepp Blatter, who is expected to be re-elected as Fifa president for a fifth term on Friday, likened himself to a Swiss mountain goat on Sunday, famed for their stubborn endurance.

Blatter will face a challenge for the presidency from Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein at the Fifa Congress on Friday after contenders Michael van Praag of the Netherlands and Luis Figo of Portugal pulled out of the contest on Thursday.

They collectively represented those who think Blatter should quit after so many years in the job, but Blatter told the NZZ newspaper in an interview: “I am a mountain goat that keeps going and going and going, I cannot be stopped, I just keep going.”

Blatter, who will be 80 next year, said in the interview that he “is a simple, devout man” and that the first thing he always does when he returns to his home town of Visp where he was born is to visit the family grave.

He said two weeks ago, he “connected” with his deceased mother, who bid him to join her.

He said, “I’m doing well, it is not time yet.”

Blatter was first elected Fifa president in 1998 and is expected to be re-elected by an overwhelming majority of Fifa’s 209 member associations when the secret ballot takes place at Zurich’s Hallenstadion. – Reuters

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