Barca coach signs contract extension

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Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has ended uncertainty over his future by agreeing a one-year contract extension with the Spanish and European champions.

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Barcelona - Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has ended uncertainty over his future by agreeing a one-year contract extension with the Spanish and European champions until the end of the 2016-17 season.

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced the agreement at a news conference on Tuesday assessing a season in which the Catalan giants won a treble of Champions League and domestic league and Cup titles in Luis Enrique's first term in charge.

The former Barca and Spain midfielder, who was upset with the sacking of sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta in January, had refused to say whether he would stay on when quizzed about his future after Saturday's 3-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final.

Barca became the first team to win the treble in the same season on two occasions, repeating their feat from 2009.

“After a year like the one we have had, with difficulties but with a great end result, we are more than excited hoping to secure more titles,” Luis Enrique said on Barca's website (www.fcbarcelona.es) after signing his new deal.

Bartomeu, flanked by the three trophies, also formally stepped down to allow him to stand in the forthcoming presidential election, which he called in January with the club in the midst of an institutional crisis.

Barca were due to hold the election in 2016 but Bartomeu decided to bring it forward by a year following the dismissal of Zubizarreta.

The former Barca and Spain goalkeeper, who was responsible for hiring Luis Enrique, paid the price for a FIFA ban on signings for two windows over a breach of rules on the transfer of foreign Under-18 players.

Bartomeu will be hoping some of Barca's success this term rubs off, although he looks likely to face a challenge from former president Joan Laporta, who was in charge when Barca won their maiden treble in 2008-09.

Laporta, a lawyer and politician who fiercely supports Catalan independence, has strongly hinted he will stand but has yet to formally declare his candidacy.

Bartomeu stepped up to the top job from vice president in January 2014 after Laporta's successor Sandro Rosell resigned amid allegations of tax fraud in the deal to sign Brazil forward Neymar.

Barca announced earlier on Tuesday that their Brazil right back Dani Alves had agreed a two-year contract extension with an option for a further year.– Reuters



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Khedira joins Juve from Real

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Juventus moved to strengthen their midfield by signing Germany international and World Cup winner Sami Khedira from Real Madrid on a free transfer.

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Juventus moved to strengthen their midfield by signing Germany international and World Cup winner Sami Khedira from Real Madrid on a free transfer, the Italian champions said.

Khedira, 28, has agreed a four-year contract with the Champions League runners-up and will join the Turin club on July 1, Juve said on their website (www.juventus.com) on Tuesday.

“Khedira, who is normally deployed in front of the defence as a ball-winning midfielder, is able to cover a lot of ground while also possessing excellent passing and shooting ability and great vision of the game,” Juve said.

“Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri is set to add a player of class, quality and international experience to his ranks, ready to enrich one of the strongest midfields in world football.”

After joining Real from VfB Stuttgart in 2010, Khedira had a reasonably successful five-year stint with the La Liga club but fell out of favour after talks on a contract extension failed.

Last month, he accused Real of freezing him out by dropping him from the team even though he was fit to play.

He barely featured since the turn of the year, with Real citing a series of minor injuries as the reason for his absence, but Khedira said the club had decided he was no longer wanted.

“I've always felt that I've had the coach's backing, but the message indirectly came through to me that I was no longer needed, I was frozen out and wouldn't have a chance to continue playing,” he told Marca sports daily.

“It hurts that I'm accused of a lack of professionalism because I've always put the team ahead of myself,” he added. “I've always gone with the truth.”

Khedira's move to Juve could facilitate the exit of their France midfielder Paul Pogba, who is reportedly a target for clubs including Real, European champions Barcelona and several English teams as well as Paris St Germain. – Reuters



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Warner questions America’s jurisdiction

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Former Fifa executive Jack Warner says he’s unlikely to receive a fair trial in the United States.

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Trinidad - Fallen Fifa executive Jack Warner said on Tuesday that US authorities would be unable to give him a fair trial, while an Argentinian businessman indicted in the soccer body's sprawling corruption scandal handed himself over to Italian police.

Warner, a former schoolteacher and Trinidadian justice minister at the heart of the criminal case engulfing football's world body, is the subject of a US request to have him extradited from Trinidad.

The 72-year-old said the United States is not the “appropriate jurisdiction” to handle the matter “fairly” and claimed America is trying to exact revenge because it tried but failed to lobby Fifa to host the 2022 World Cup.

“One must be extremely careful to question whether the United States can be fair in taking action against officials of an international body whom it feels has done it wrong,” Warner wrote in an editorial in the weekly Sunshine newspaper, which he owns.

Currently, US prosecutors accuse 14 people of taking part in a sweeping kickbacks scheme going back 20 years involving a total of $150-million in bribes.

The revelations have thrown the soccer world into turmoil and led to the resignation of long-serving Fifa president Sepp Blatter last week, just four days after his re-election to a fifth consecutive term.

Warner called the United States two-faced, since he and Blatter had once been welcomed to the White House by President Barack Obama.

“Was the president of the United States seeking a strong lobby from a Fifa vice-president or was he 'bribing' a Fifa official with a visit and a meal to the White House? I think not,” Warner said.

“In each case, the answer is no, but it just goes to show how selective this 'bribe' issue can be,” he added.

Among those indicted is Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco. He turned himself in to police in Italyy after initially fleeing authorities.

Burzaco, 50, was held in Bolzano, near Italy's northern border with Switzerland after “turning up spontaneously” at a police station with his two lawyers, police said in a statement.

Burzaco's whereabouts had been a mystery since seven Fifa executives were arrested in the Swiss city of Zurich on May 27, the eve of a Fifa Congress.

According to reports, Burzaco was in the hotel where the executives were cuffed and promptly disappeared in the knowledge he was likely to be on the indicted list.

It is believed he was not in his hotel room at the time because he was having breakfast.

After he turned himself in, Burzaco was briefly detained in a cell and was then allowed to leave the police station but placed under house arrest, Italian news agency AGI reported.

The Argentinian, who also has Italian citizenship, had already rented a house near Bolzano in expectation of being placed under house arrest, reports said.

Burzaco is wanted by US authorities in connection with his role as president of sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias.

The US suspects him of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to win and retain the media rights contracts for football tournaments in Latin America.

The Torneos y Competencias company held the television rights for the Argentinian league between 1992-2009 and in association with Aaron Davidson, president of Traffic Sports USA who was arrested in Zurich, and another company, Full Play, hold the rights for the Copa America tournament which kicks off in Chile next month.

The whereabouts of Full Play owners, Argentinian father and son Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, are unknown.

USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, a World Cup-winning striker for West Germany in 1990, said on Tuesday he expects there to be more revelations in the scandal.

“If there is one thing I know for sure, when the American authorities have evidence, then they see things through and more things will come out,” Klinsmann said in Cologne ahead of a friendly match against Germany.

“The whole world is wishing that Fifa will be cleaned up and those who comply will do things differently in the long term.”

AFP



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MPs won’t question Jordaan on Fifa scandal

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ANC MPs shot down a request that Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant be summoned to account for the Fifa allegations.

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Parliament - ANC MPs in the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport on Tuesday shot down a request from opposition parties that Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant be summoned to account for allegations that South Africa paid a bribe to host the 2010 World Cup.

In a heated meeting of the committee, MPs from the Democratic Alliance (DA), National Freedom Party (NFP) and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) pushed for Molefi, the then SA Football Association (SAFA) president, and Jordaan, the current SAFA president, to be summoned to explain the payment of 10 million US dollars to the Caribbean football association Concacaf.

“They [2010 bid committee] are involved in a dirty public point scoring and they haven’t had the platform to take South Africans into their confidence and Parliament is that platform,” DA MP Solly Malatsi said in apparent reference to Oliphant telling the media he felt betrayed, claiming Jordaan had not disclosed the existence of a 2007 letter to Fifa asking that the US$10 mln be paid to Concacaf.

Mncedisi Filtane from the UDM supported the DA’s call, saying: “We have questions we need answers to. We are the last hope of the country in this matter…”

But ANC MPs said they would not support this move - insisting that sports minister Fikile Mbalula, notwithstanding the fact that he was not part of the 2010 bid committee, should be the one to account to Parliament.

MPs cited the US investigation into the bribery allegations, and the possibility that both Oliphant and Jordaan could be indicted as reason not to call them.

“This thing started in America and we’ve seen people arrested in Zurich. We have for all these years respected the sub judice thing. All of a sudden we want to break it,” said ANC MP Samuel Mmusi.

“I’m sorry I’m not going to be part of a group that will agree that Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant be summoned to this committee. We are saying the first port of call must be the minister because that is the correct thing to do because we are not a banana republic.”

ANC MP Strike Ralegoma said since “the South African government is under attack”, Mbalula was the one that needed to answer MPs questions.

In the end, ANC MPs used their majority to push through a resolution that Mbalula be asked to appear before the committee on June 23. It was up to Mbalula to decide whether he would be bringing SAFA executives with him to brief the MPs.

ANA



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Fifa scandal: wanted official surrenders

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Alejandro Burzaco, one of three Argentines wanted by the US over the Fifa scandal, surrendered voluntarily to police.

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Rome - Businessman Alejandro Burzaco, one of three Argentines wanted by US authorities over the Fifa bribery investigation, surrendered voluntarily to police in northern Italy on Tuesday.

Italian police said Burzaco turned himself in to authorities in the city of Bolzano, but they provided no further details.

Separately, an Italian regional police official told Argentine radio station La Red that Burzaco showed up unannounced at a police station accompanied by two lawyers, one Italian and one Argentine.

“He just appeared all of a sudden,” the official said.

US prosecutors say Burzaco, 50, along with Argentines Hugo Jinkis, 70, and his son Mariano Jinkis, 40, conspired to win and keep hold of lucrative media rights contracts from regional football federations through payment of bribes. The whereabouts of the father and son are unknown.

The Argentine judge who ordered the three men's arrest on May 28 said at the time that he did not know if they were in the country.

Burzaco was president of Argentine sports marketing firm Torneos y Competencias (Torneos), while Hugo and Mariano Jinkis are controlling principals of Full Play, another sports media and marketing business headquartered in Argentina.

Reuters



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Bilic named new West Ham boss

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West Ham United have appointed Croatian Slaven Bilic as their manager, the Premier League club said.

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London - West Ham United have appointed Croatian Slaven Bilic as their manager, the Premier League club said.

The 46-year-old has signed a three-year contract to replace Sam Allardyce who left Upton Park at the end of last season.

Former international defender Bilic played for the Hammers from 1996 to 1997 and was a popular figure who will be welcomed back by supporters.

“I'm really glad to be back with West Ham United,” he told the club's website (www.whufc.com).

“It's in the Premier League, which is among the best in the world. It's a big challenge and you are competing with the best and what better club to do it with than West Ham?”

“It's a big privilege and a big responsibility to now be manager. I would say to the West Ham fans that I will give my best and together we will achieve great things.”

The tough-tackling Bilic joined West Ham in 1996 for a then club record transfer fee of 1.3 million pounds ($1.99 million) and helped the side avoid relegation before joining Everton in 1997.

He won 44 caps for Croatia, scoring three goals, and managed his country for six years from 2006 to 2012, winning 42 of his 65 matches in charge.

Bilic also had spells managing Hajduk Split in his native Croatia, Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow and most recently Turkey's Besiktas, whom he left last month.

West Ham finished 12th in the Premier League last season and decided not to renew Allardyce's contract.

Bilic will have to get down to work quickly. Having qualified for next season's Europa League by way of the Fair Play League, West Ham could be playing in it as early as July 2.

More important is consolidating their Premier League status during the final season at Upton Park before moving to London's Olympic Stadium.

Staying in the top tier would also ensure a share of the lucrative new domestic television deal that begins in 2016. – Reuters



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Alves pens new Barca deal

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Dani Alves put an end to speculation about his future when he signed a two-year extension to his deal with recently-crowned European champions Barcelona.

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Dani Alves put an end to speculation about his future when he signed a two-year extension to his deal with recently-crowned European champions Barcelona.

The 32-year-old Brazilian defender's contract was due to expire on June 30, but he came to an agreement with Barca officials for the extension through to 2017, with the option of a third additional season.

Alves, who joined the Catalan club from Sevilla in 2008, has gone on to appear in 343 matches for Barca, more than any other foreigner in the history of the club.

During that time he has won 19 titles, including five La Ligas, three Champions Leagues, three Spanish Cups, two European Super Cups, four Spanish Super Cups and two Club World Cups.

He forms part of the group of seven players that were in both of Barca's treble winning squads: the latest completed in Berlin with victory over Juventus on the weekend; and that of his first season, 2008-09, when he was forced to sit out the European Cup final in Rome against Manchester United through suspension. – AFP



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Goal-scoring worry for Mashaba

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Shakes Mashaba’shappy start to his Bafana tenure was replaced with the stress of leaving the 2015 Afcon finals and Cosafa Cup early.

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Shakes Mashaba knew he had to work on finishing yesterday, but he could not tell when the main striker in his squad, Tokelo Rantie, would arrive in Durban.

After starting his labours in the winter sun of the east coast, the Bafana Bafana coach said he had to quickly reduce rustiness in some of his players who were on club leave, before moving to the perennial problem of banging in goals.

“One big problem in South Africa is the scoring of goals. Nobody can say we are not creating chances or not keeping possession well enough,” said Mashaba, whose happy start to his Bafana tenure was replaced with the stress of leaving both the 2015 Afcon finals and Cosafa Cup early.

His team have averaged just one goal per game in this disappointing period, making him extremely conscious of the need to work on finishing ahead of Saturday’s clash with little-known Gambia in the start to 2017 Afcon qualifying at Moses Mabhida Stadium (3pm kick-off).

However, the veteran coach seemed reluctant to say exactly when Rantie would report for duty – the marksman from newly-promoted English club Bournemouth was given a break to spend time with his new wife.

“We hope to see him later in the week,” was all Mashaba could say.

Since Chiefs star Bernard Parker is not in the squad and the rest of the forwards selected by Mashaba have extremely limited international experience, the coach may well have to call on his midfielders to take on scoring responsibilities this week.

Some Bafana followers may have actually viewed those four forwards as surprise picks because they come from teams relegated from the Premiership recently or clubs in the First Division.

SuperSport winger Thuso Phala was another experienced man absent from both training sessions at People’s Park yesterday, because of influenza, but was expected to bounce back today.

Meanwhile, the Gambians have reportedly formed a new team under young Swiss coach Raoul Savoy following the serving of a two-year ban from the game for age-cheating.

Savoy, 42, previously coached the Central African Republic's national side and has told reporters in tiny Gambia that he plans to get a “positive result” in Durban, meaning a draw, and then a win in the next qualifier at home against Cameroon in September.

His team, whose most recent captain Abdou Jammeh earns his keep as a defender in Finland, are scheduled to play a friendly against Uganda in Kampala today before they fly to South Africa.

They are nicknamed the Scorpions, but have not stung enough opponents down the years to earn the right to play in the finals of the World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations.

This is largely because of a small selection pool and limited resources, with their “star” players tending to feature in modest European leagues or lower divisions of top countries.

Like Durban, Gambia is reportedly better known for its beaches than football teams.

Bafana squad

Goalkeepers: Jackson Mabokgwane, Brilliant Khuzwayo, Itumeleng Khune

Defenders: Thabo Matlaba, Rivaldo Coetzee, Anele Ngcongca, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Marc van Heerden, Clayton Daniels, Patrick Phungwayo, Siyabonga Nhlapho, Tshepo Gumede, Ntsikelelo Nyauza

Midfielders: Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, May Mahlangu, Thulani Serero, Mandla Masango, Bongani Zungu, Ayanda Patosi, Thuso Phala, Jabulani Shongwe

Strikers: Tokelo Rantie, Bonginkosi Ntuli, Vuyisile Wana, Gift Motupa, Siphelele Ntshangase



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Can Premier League attract top players?

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The Premier League earns the biggest televsion revenue in the leading leagues. But, can they attract the top stars?

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The Premier League earns the biggest televsion revenue in the leading leagues. But, can they attract the top stars? Simon Jones has a look.

Paul Pogba

Juventus — Cost: £65m

Manchester City, United and Chelsea want the Juventus star but agent Mino Raiola is blunt about him going to the highest bidder. Paris Saint-Germain think the France international can spearhead a Champions League push, as do Barcelona, who can do a deal from January 2016. CHANCES: 3/5

Lars Bender

Bayer Leverkusen — Cost: £22m

City have contingency plans should they fail to land Pogba and Bender, 26, is on the list. Watched by Arsenal and Manchester United, he is the twin of Dortmund’s Sven. Lars is a rangy defensive midfielder comfortable bringing the ball out of defence. Contracted until 2019 but has had injury problems. CHANCES: 2/5

Gonzalo Higuain

Napoli — Cost: £37million

The Argentina striker wants to leave but Napoli are reluctant to sell without recouping the £32million they paid. He is 27 and carrying a little weight, which concerned scouts at Manchester United. Juventus expressed an interest while Arsenal and Chelsea have monitored his progress. Jose Mourinho is a fan from his time at Real Madrid. CHANCES: 3/5

Bastian Schweinsteiger

Bayern Munich — Cost: £8m

Manchester United have earmarked Schweinsteiger (right) for midfield and are also considering Morgan Schneiderlin of Southampton. The German is on big wages and will be 31 on August 1 but Louis van Gaal wants someone to share Michael Carrick’s burden of pulling the strings in midfield. CHANCES: 2/5

Kevin de Bruyne

Wolfsburg — Cost: £45m

The ex-Chelsea midfielder was named best player in the Bundesliga and City sporting director Txiki Begiristain has spoken to agent Patrick de Koster. Bayern Munich, PSG and Juventus are also keen. Wolfsburg want him to sign a new contract. CHANCES: 3/5

Douglas Costa

Shakhtar Donetsk — Cost: £24m

Brazilian has made his love of Chelsea and Jose Mourinho clear and nearly moved in January. Instead Chelsea signed Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado, who has failed to shine. Inter Milan want Cuadrado on loan with a view to a permanent deal and that could pave the way for Costa. Liverpool and Arsenal have also shown an interest in the attacker, who has a Portuguese passport. CHANCES: 4/5

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid — Cost: £35m

Could struggle to make the starting XI at Real Madrid next season, with Rafa Benitez considering playing Cristiano Ronaldo as centre forward. Agent Karim Dajziri is undeterred. ‘I haven’t met with any club in London,’ he said. ‘Not with United or anyone else. He would only leave if Real Madrid told him he was surplus to requirements, because he isn’t going to leave of his own accord.’ CHANCES: 1/5

These are more likely to arrive:

Yohan Cabaye

(PSG) £10m

The stylish midfielder (below) has been pushed out by PSG’s all-star cast so wants a return to the Premier League and Crystal Palace want to sign him.

Cedric Soares

(Sporting Lisbon) £3.5m

Stoke have bid £3.5m for the Portugal right back, also watched by Arsenal and Barcelona.

Anthony Martial

(Monaco) £18.5m

Exciting French forward, 19, who shone in the Champions League. Tottenham will push for a deal.

Cristian Benavente

(Real Madrid) £4m

‘Peruvian Ronaldinho’ has starred for Castilla and is in talks with West Brom.

Pedro Obiang

(Sampdoria) £4.4m

A tough, technical midfielder, 23, who is heading to West Ham.

Shinji Okazaki

(Mainz) £9m

A long-term Leicester target, the Japan striker looks set to move for £8m.

Franck Tabanou

(St Etienne) £3.5m

French left back wants to join Swansea. and the clubs are close to a deal. – Daily Mail



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Gascoigne can’t bear watching England

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Former England hero Paul Gascoigne has said the current team under Roy Hodgson lack the passion he was famous for.

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London - Former England hero Paul Gascoigne has said the current team under Roy Hodgson lack the passion he was famous for, and that he cannot bear to watch much football these days because he misses playing so much.

Gascoigne, 48, appeared 57 times for England and more than 400 times for clubs such as Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio and Rangers.

He retired in 2004, struggling with alcoholism and personal problems, and is promoting this week a new documentary film “Gascoigne” about his life and career.

“I hardly try and watch games because I still wish I was playing,” he said in a BBC radio interview.

“I cannot handle watching players getting lots of money and not putting 100 per cent in. The fans paid for my house, my car, my holidays - but I've seen players score a goal, even for England, and just walk back.

“There are young kids there seeing that and thinking it means nothing to score goals. I don't like that.”

He took up that theme in an interview with the Daily Mail, saying of England's widely criticised goalless draw with Ireland on Sunday, “There was the intensity? Where were the characters in this England team? Nowhere.

“I would be in the England dressing-room with Bryan Robson and Terry Butcher and they would be screaming 'nobody comes into my house and takes anything'.”

Another England player of that era, Kenny Sansom, was reported on Sunday to be a homeless alcoholic.

Gascoigne said he tried to assist his former team-mate but added: “I can't help him, no-one in the world can help unless he puts his hand up and says he needs help.” – Reuters



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Messi now seeks glory with Argentina

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Lionel Messi has won everything possible with Barcelona but has been left staring at an empty shelf gathering dust for his Argentina honours.

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Lionel Messi has won everything possible with Barcelona but has been left staring at an empty shelf gathering dust for his Argentina honours.

And 20 000 Argentine fans will cross the Andes hoping that the jinx is ended at the Copa America starting in Chile on Thursday.

Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Juventus on Saturday provided Messi's fourth Champions League crown in 10 years. He also has seven Spanish titles and two World Club Cups and has been world player of the year four times.

But Argentina's defeat to Germany in the World Cup last year extended a national title drought lasting back to the 1993 Copa America.

“Our aim is to win this year,” said Messi, who has nevertheless tasted Olympic gold with his country at the 2008 Beijing Games.

But while he was declared player of the World Cup, the Little Genius's speed and jinking runs never seem the same on the international stage as they do when he pulls on a Barcelona shirt.

Messi scored 43 goals in 38 Spanish championship matches this season – behind eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo on 48 – and has the most goals in La Liga history with 286 and also a record 77 in the Champions League.

But the rate falls for Argentina, with 45 goals in 97 appearances.

Messi says he is always being asked why Argentina, who start this tournament again as one of the favourites, never win.

He wept uncontrollably after losing the 2010 World Cup quarter final 4-0 to Germany when Argentine legend Diego Maradona was the coach.

“It's great to play with the national team, to wear the shirt and to be captain,” Messi said recently. “But getting a title would be the ultimate for me.”

In 2007, Messi was part of the Argentine team that lost the Copa America final 3-0 to Brazil. In 2011, they lost to Uruguay in the quarter-finals on penalties when playing in his home province of Santa Fe.

Messi was jeered by Argentine fans for the first time in his career, according to his father Jorge.

Argentina start this tournament against Paraguay in La Serena on Saturday and also play Uruguay and Jamaica in Group B.

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino believes that this will be his country's year because Messi has been in precocious form for Barcelona after two seasons marked by injury absences.

“He is doing things I have never seen him do before. I can see that he is taking pleasure being with his counterparts in attack,” added Martino who coached Messi at Barcelona for the 2013-14 season.

As Martino can choose between Messi, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain up front there is no reason the goals should not flow.

Messi and Tevez only arrived in Chile on Monday to join up with their teammates in La Serena after their clash in opposing sides in the Champions League final.

Barcelona's Javier Mascherano and Juventus midfielder Roberto Pereyra were also late arriving because of the final.

No matter the result in Chile, Messi will be welcomed back to Barcelona with open arms.

But a statue of Messi put up during the World Cup last year was vandalised during the tournament.

And the Little Genius will have to use his magic to lift the Copa America in Santiago on July 4 to become a real Argentine hero.– AFP



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Lloris keen on United move

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Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has indicated he would be open to a move to Manchester United if David de Gea leaves.

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Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has indicated he would be open to a move to Manchester United if David de Gea leaves for Real Madrid.

Lloris is reportedly on a United shortlist of possible replacements for De Gea, who is said to be considering his future with only one year left on his Old Trafford contract and Madrid keen on taking him back to Spain.

‘For the moment there is a goalkeeper at United and we are watchful of his situation,’ said Lloris in an interview on Telefoot. ‘You have to keep a certain calm with all this. If things should happen then they’ll happen naturally.’

His comments came a week after Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino hit back at ‘rumours’ linking his star man with a move away from the club.

Lloris, 28, joined Spurs from Lyon in 2012 and has made 99 league appearances. He is under contract at White Hart Lane until 2019.– Daily Mail



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Reform process will be hard, Bach warns Fifa

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IOC boss Thomas Bach has encouraged soccer's scandal-plagued governing body to push for change.

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Lausanne, Switzerland - International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach encouraged Fifa to continue with its reforms on Monday - but warned soccer's scandal-plagued governing body that the process would be painful.

Bach added that he did not want to give advice to Fifa and pointed out that the structures of the two organisations were enormously different and difficult to compare.

“We can only encourage Fifa to continue (with) the reforms which have been initiated, we cannot give detailed advice of what to do but we appreciate there is a readiness for reforms,” he told a news conference.

“We also know from our experience that putting everything on the desk can be a painful experience, but it is absolutely necessary to do this as we have seen from our own history.”

Fifa president Sepp Blatter resigned last Tuesday, less than one week after Swiss police staged a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich and arrested several officials on corruption charges filed by US prosecutors in New York.

In 1998, the IOC was caught in its own bribes-for-votes scandal involving the 2002 Salt Lake City winter Olympics. That was the catalyst that led to wholesale reforms within the organisation.

“The structure of Fifa is very different from the IOC and the difference in the scope is huge. There is almost no comparison of what happened with Salt Lake City and what is now at stake with regards to Fifa,” said Bach.

“We had this kind of problem (and) we addressed it... by introducing term limits, reducing the age limits, by having term limits not only for members but also members of the executive board and president,” added Bach.

“One of the major steps in this reform (was) to have athletes electing their own representatives for the IOC executive board; we had the representatives of the international federations and of the national Olympic Committees.

“It means giving all the stakeholders in the Olympic movement the chance to express themselves.”

Bach played down the significance of Blatter's decision not to attend the presentation of 2022 Winter Olympic candidates cities Almaty and Beijing to IOC members on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“He informed us 10 to 14 days ago that he will not be able to make it for the briefing... because of other commitments, and I think he is not the only one who excused himself,” said Bach.

Reuters



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Bent joins Derby after leaving Villa

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Aston Villa's record signing Darren Bent, released on a free transfer after four years, has signed for Derby County.

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London - Aston Villa's record signing Darren Bent, released on a free transfer after four years, has signed for Derby County.

The 31-year-old spent the last four months of the season on loan at the Championship club, who missed out on a place in the promotion playoffs after finishing the campaign badly despite Bent's 12 goals in 17 appearances.

“Darren Bent is a proven goal-scorer and that was something he proved during his loan spell with the club last season,” Derby's new head coach, Paul Clement, who has moved back to England from Real Madrid, told the club website (www.dcfc.co.uk).

“He is going to be key in our plans to move forward.”

The former England striker cost 18 million pounds when he joined Villa from Sunderland in January 2011.

Bent netted on his debut and finished as joint top scorer that season but from 2013 played much less frequently.

He spent most of the last two campaigns on loan at Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and then Derby, who have also announced the signing of Ireland international defender Alex Pearce from Reading.

Reuters



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Russia, Qatar could lose WC hosting rights

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Russia and Qatar could be stripped of the right to host the World Cup if evidence of bribery in the bidding process emerges.

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Russia and Qatar could be stripped of the right to host the World Cup if evidence of bribery in the bidding process emerges, the chairman of Fifa's audit and compliance committee has said.

Domenico Scala said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung: “If evidence should emerge that the awards to Qatar and Russia only came about thanks to bought votes, then the awards could be invalidated.”

But Mr Scala said that such evidence “has yet to be brought forth” and Russia and Qatar have previously denied any wrongdoing in the award of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. They were not included in the charges announced by the FBI last week against Fifa officials.

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said yesterday that he supported Qatar hosting the 2022 tournament but that Britain would work with another country if Fifa reopened the bidding process. However, he ruled out any British bid to host the 2022 competition if Qatar were stripped of hosting rights.

“We would offer our support to any country that has been chosen to host the World Cup,” he told BBC World Service radio, saying the final decision would be for Fifa to make.

The last fortnight has seen football's governing body embroiled in a series of scandals, culminating in the shock resignation of its president, Sepp Blatter, last Tuesday. The move came just days after he had been re-elected for a fifth term.

At the end of last month, seven Fifa officials were arrested in dawn raids at a hotel in Zurich and charged by US authorities over allegations of racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies spanning 24 years. Two other Fifa officials and five corporate executives were also charged.

Mr Blatter has not faced any charges but according to The Sunday Times the FBI is now investigating whether he had knowledge of a $10m (£6.5m) payment for South Africa to host the World Cup in 2010. It is also said to be investigating whether he had any role in discussions with South African officials during which the payment was agreed. Mr Blatter has denied any wrongdoing.

The American whistleblower and former Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer said he and others took bribes totalling $10m for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup and an undisclosed sum for Morocco's unsuccessful bid to host the 1998 tournament. His allegations are sworn testimony as part of a plea bargain published by the US Department of Justice.

Allegations of how the $10m was sent from Fifa to accounts controlled by the former vice-president Jack Warner were reported by the BBC yesterday. The funds, sent on behalf of South Africa, were apparently for use on its Caribbean diaspora legacy programme.

But the broadcaster has seen documents which allege he used the payment for cash withdrawals, personal loans and to launder money. The BBC claimed that three wire transfers in 2008 took money from Fifa accounts into accounts for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football which were controlled by Jack Warner.

Mr Warner, 72, has been indicted by the FBI for corruption but denies all claims of wrongdoing. Fifa says it is co-operating with the investigation and South Africa's Football Association has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Fifa did not respond to The Independent's requests for comment. – The Independent



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