Chile lift Copa America for first time

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Chile bagged the Copa America for the first time with a cheeky Alexis Sanchez penalty on Saturday.

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Santiago – Chile won the Copa America for the first time on Saturday when a cheeky penalty from Alexis Sanchez clinched a shootout victory over Argentina and glory for the host nation’s golden generation in front of their own fans.

The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and when another half an hour of extra time failed to produce a goal, the contest was destined to be decided by penalties.

Lionel Messi stepped up to score Argentina’s first spot kick but, as the first three Chileans converted unerringly, Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega missed.

That left the stage set for forward Sanchez, who made up for a quiet game by dinking the ball into Sergio Romero’s net to send the capacity crowd at Santiago’s National Stadium into raptures.

“Our whole idea was to win something, we knew that this was the moment,” goalkeeper Claudio Bravo told reporters.

“This is a privileged generation and now it is time to enjoy it. We are not used to winning anything so this is an exception.”

Chile had beaten Argentina just once in 38 competitive matches before the final and were outsiders to take the trophy for the first time in the 99-year history of the tournament.

Few sides were able to handle their fast-paced football, however, and they won four of their five games on their way to the deciding match, scoring 13 goals and delighting their home fans.

“This is something so nice for all the Chilean people,” midfielder Arturo Vidal told reporters after the whistle.

“We Chileans needed a triumph, something like this Cup, today we took an incredible step, we’re America’s best.”

The final itself was a poor game with neither side able to create many chances.

With Messi uninspired and Sanchez faltering, the teams attempted just 19 shots between them - less than all but one of the Copa America finals contested since 1993.

Higuain came closest to breaking the stalemate for Argentina in the last minute of regulation time.

Messi sent Ezequiel Lavezzi through on the left and he crossed to Higuain at the far post but the striker could only put the ball in the side netting.

Sanchez had one great chance to steal the game for Chile in extra time but blazed over with just the goalkeeper to beat. – Reuters



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Argentina side is the best - Martino

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The current generation of Argentina players is the best ever, even though they have won nothing, Gerardo Martino said.

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Santiago - The current generation of Argentina players is one of the best ever even though the team have not won a major trophy in 22 years, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.

Argentina head in to Saturday's Copa America final against Chile seeking their first silverware since 1993, when they last won this tournament.

Since then they have twice reached the final, losing to Brazil both times, and made the World Cup final last year only to lose to Germany.

After the successes of the 1970s and 1980s, when they won the World Cup twice, Argentina's fans and players are hungry for trophies.

Argentina are used to having great generations of footballers, some of whom have won things and others who have not,” Martino told a news conference.

“This is one of the best - not just one of the many Argentine sides in history but one of the best.

“Unfortunately in football you're judged by your achievements, so obviously they'll be more highly regarded if they get the chance to win something.”

Martino also described the current Chile side as “the best Chilean generation in history”.

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero said he was hopeful Saturday's match could mark a turning point for his team.

“It's a long time, 22 years, that we haven't won anything, but we've reached two finals in two years and now we have a great opportunity to win something,” he said. “Hopefully it will become a habit.”

Reuters



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Shakes targets a Bafana ‘goal or two’

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"We hope we can get a goal or two, but the priority is to consolidate on the goals we have."

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Johanensburg - Bafana Bafana completed their home preparations before flying out to Mauritius on Friday.

South Africa takes on Club M, as the Mauritius national football club is known, on Sunday, at the Stade Anjalay.

This will be in the second leg clash of a 2016 Chan qualifier. Kick-off is at 1pm.

Bafana Bafana were scheduled to leave on Thursday, but due to unavailability of flights delayed departure to Friday.

“This has not affected us at all, in fact it was a plus because we managed to squeeze in another fruitful training session. In Mauritius, we would have had to look for a field, but now we don’t have to do that.

“For now we have completed our preparations and are left with just the 45 minutes or so the day before the match at the match venue - in any case we can’t do much except feel the pitch, so we are happy with the turn of events,” said Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba after the squad’s final training session at the University of Johannesburg Stadium in Auckland Park.

The squad has had to make changes to the playing personnel which has also forced changes in the starting line-up. Marc van Heerden starred at left-back in the first leg but injury has ruled him out of the team. Lehlohonolo Nonyane of Mpumalanga Black Aces has been called up and could be thrown into the fray. The defender trained with the team.

“Changes will always be there, but we haven’t decided on who we are going to play. By tomorrow (Saturday) when we get to Mauritius, we will know exactly who will start. But I can confidently say we have a left-back which has been a problematic area since the start of the week, unfortunately the player (Nonyane) arrived late in camp and his level of fitness is suspect,” said Mashaba.

“When we get down to Mauritius we hope he would have settled and will be ready to play. Our physical trainer will assess him so that in the match we will know how to help him and cover for him if needed”.

Mashaba is also delighted with the way things went this week compared to the preparations leading to the first-leg clash.

“It was a very positive and fruitful week for us. The boys showed a lot of hunger - a clear indication that they want to don the national team jersey and we are happy about that,” said the Bafana Bafana mentor, adding this could lead to a good game.

“The question of an avalanche of goals is not easy, the truth is we were happy to score three goals because we haven’t done that in a long time. We can only look forward to doing the same when we get there. We hope we can get a goal or two, but the priority is to consolidate on the goals we have. We are doing everything we can so that our boys are not swallowed by the 3-0 victory that we got in the first leg. All our boys are professional enough and I know they will forget about the past - we always tell them that they must forget about yesterday and prepare for tomorrow. What we achieved yesterday is history now”.

ANA



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No Blatter? No problem!

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The absence of embattled Sepp Blatter will not have any impact on the Women's World Cup final, organisers say.

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Vancouver - Players do not care who hands out trophies and the absence of embattled Fifa president Sepp Blatter will not have any impact on the Women's World Cup final, organisers said on Friday.

With world soccer's governing body embroiled in corruption investigations, Blatter's US based lawyer has told Reuters the Fifa chief will not travel to Vancouver for Sunday's final between the United States and Japan.

It will be the first time Blatter has not presented the trophy to the winners of the women's competition, which is held every four years, since he became Fifa president in 1998.

“The players don't care who gives them the trophy to be quite frank with you,” Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani told reporters during the tournament's final press conference.

“It's the prerogative of the president, or anybody at Fifa, to go to whatever competition they want.

“The choice was made but I actually think in light of the circumstances, the focus needs to be on the games and the players not the suits that run football like myself or anybody else.

“As I said, whoever wins the World Cup, whether it's you or me who hands them the trophy, I'm sure they are not too bothered by it.”

Blatter, the self-styled “godfather of women's football,” said before the tournament began on June 6 that he was looking forward to being in Canada.

Fifa said in a statement that Secretary General Jerome Valcke would also not travel to Vancouver.

Reuters was unable to determine the specific reasons why Blatter, a Swiss national, had decided not to attend the final.

Some lawyers with experience in international criminal cases said that Blatter would be ill-advised to travel after an indictment announced on May 27 by US prosecutors against nine current and former Fifa officials and five sports marketing businessmen.

US prosecutors have not accused Blatter, 79, of any wrongdoing, but his stewardship of world soccer's governing body is under scrutiny, sources familiar with investigations in the United States and Switzerland have said.

Richard Cullen, Blatter's attorney, told Reuters that that Fifa Senior Vice President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon would preside at the trophy ceremony.

But Tatjana Haenni, the Fifa deputy director of the competitions division and head of women's football, would not confirm who would take over the duty.

“I think who hands the trophy over and what kind of dignitaries we have and what kind of politicians are in the stands is maybe for the teams and spectators maybe not so important,” Haenni told reporters.

“People come to watch the players and watch the game and want to be part of it in the stadium or on TV or whatever means they have that is what people are excited about.

“Mr. Blatter and Mr. Valcke are not here, I think that is another topic.”

Reuters



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Ramos is quick fix LVG needs

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Sergio Ramos, in some ways, the antithesis of the players Ferguson sought towards the end of his tenure.

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London - The restructuring of Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era continues apace. Old Trafford’s academy system is being remodelled along more modern lines while United’s scouting network remains under review.

It is, however, deep within the first-team squad that dramatic change at England’s most successful club is being felt and nowhere is that more apparent than in the pursuit of Spain international Sergio Ramos.

The Real Madrid defender is, in some ways, the antithesis of the players Ferguson sought towards the end of his tenure. He is undeniably talented but, at 29, is approaching the final stages of his career. If Ramos does come to Manchester, he will do so on the back of a pay dispute with his current employers.

The transfer, likely to take a fee north of £35million to pull off, would have set alarm bells ringing for Ferguson.

However, the current United - the one left by Ferguson, then passed rather unfortunately by David Moyes to Louis van Gaal - is in need of experienced players, those who can help the club make some forward steps very quickly, players bought for the here and now.

For the time being at least, words such as ‘potential’ and phrases like ‘resale value’ - judged to be so important at Old Trafford until recent times - have been set aside. United find themselves playing catch-up in the slipstream of clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea and this is why they have turned in part to expensive, experienced players.

Those who know Van Gaal are surprised he has authorised a bid of almost £30m for Ramos. The Madrid player is not necessarily a Van Gaal type in terms of character or technical ability.

Nevertheless, the United manager has identified clear failings at the centre of the defence and midfield.

These are fundamental areas and Van Gaal has decided he doesn’t have time to wait and see if Phil Jones will ever fulfil his potential, or if players like Paddy McNair or Tyler Blackett can make the step up from reserve-team level for the long term.

To Van Gaal’s credit, he is doing what he can to look after United’s future. The Dutch international Memphis Depay, signed from PSV Eindhoven, is only 21, Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin, also interesting Arsenal, is 25 and approaching his peak years while another target, Lazio’s Brazilian midfielder Felipe Anderson, is just 22.

Van Gaal is the first manager to be appointed by United for a long time who carries a fundamentally short-term brief. His role is one founded on damage repair, stability and then rapid recovery of ground lost.

This is why the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss continues to hope that Bayern’s midfield totem Bastian Schweinsteiger can be tempted at the age of almost 31.

As Van Gaal prepares to take his team back into the Champions League - they have a two-legged qualifier next month - he is aware the club’s squad has been allowed to run dry of genuine know-how in key areas.

It was not that long ago that United would brief reporters that players over 27 would not be considered for purchase. The signing of Robin van Persie, then 29, from Arsenal three years ago was said to be an exception - a player bought with regaining the Barclays Premier League title in mind.

That piece of business worked brilliantly, of course. Van Persie scored heavily as United wrestled the title back from City in 2013. As the Dutch striker’s contract runs down and his £1m-a-month salary begins to feel a little painful, it is rightly considered to have been worth every penny.

Times are a little different now. Back in 2012, Ferguson’s United squad needed a tweak. This one needs something of an overhaul after a first season under Van Gaal that saw his team finish fourth in unconvincing style.

No matter which way you look at it, United’s pursuit of Ramos seems at odds with what they have traditionally been about. They paid £30m for Rio Ferdinand in 2002 but he was only 23.

Ramos would be a glamour signing but United have never needed to pay for that particular commodity. This is not about that. This is about a manager who inherited a team without a reliable spine.

Van Gaal, 12 months into a three-year contract, does not have time to build one. The only alternative is to try to buy one.

Daily Mail



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Aguero praises Chile trio ahead of final

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Gary Medel, Jorge Valdivia and Eduardo Vargas are three Chile players who have caught Sergio Aguero's eye.

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Santiago - Gary Medel, Jorge Valdivia and Eduardo Vargas are three Chile players who have caught Sergio Aguero's eye at the Copa America, the Argentina striker said on Friday.

“I think Medel is crucial in defence and Valdivia is a player who can create things in midfield,” Aguero told a news conference ahead of Saturday's final between the two sides.

“Vargas is on form and can create a goal out of nothing at any moment. He's a player who maybe doesn't get that many touches of the ball but he's always there so you have to be careful.

“Chile have some great players... they have a great team,” added the Manchester City marksman.

Medel may hold the key as Chile try to stop Aguero and attacking partner Lionel Messi.

Valdivia has been the host nation's most inventive midfielder in the tournament while Vargas has scored four of their 13 goals including a double in the 2-1 defeat of Peru in the semi-finals.

Aguero has bagged three of Argentina's 10 goals and is their top scorer in the competition.

Reuters



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Peru beat Paraguay to claim 3rd place

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Peru beat Paraguay at the Copa America to ensure they finished in third place.

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Chile - Peru beat Paraguay 2-0 at the Copa America on Friday to ensure they finished in third place for the second consecutive edition of the tournament.

Midfielder Andre Carrillo gave them the lead three minutes into the second half, stabbing a shot into the bottom corner of the Paraguayan net after striker Paolo Guerrero had nodded down a Christian Cueva corner.

Guerrero sealed a deserved victory with his fourth goal of the tournament in the 89th minute.

At the last Copa America in 2011, Peru also finished third, beating Venezuela in the clash between the losing semi-finalists. Hosts Chile face Argentina in the final on Saturday.

Reuters



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Chelsea sign Falcao on one-year loan

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Chelsea have signed Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco, the Premier League champions said.

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London - Chelsea have signed Colombia striker Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco, the Premier League champions said on Friday.

The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Manchester United, scoring four goals in 29 games.

“I am very happy to be joining Chelsea and can't wait to start training and help with our aim of retaining the league title and being successful in Europe,” Falcao told the club website.

Falcao previously played for River Plate, Porto and Atletico Madrid.

Reuters



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Messi can end Argentina’s drought

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Lionel Messi’s lack of success with Argentina is well documented. He has a chance to change that in the the Copa America final.

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The prospect of leading his country to a first major title in 22 years is driving Lionel Messi as Argentina meet Chile Saturday in a Copa America final clash of the golden generations.

The three-week South American football showpiece reaches its climax at the Estadio Nacional with a dream final pitting the favourites against the hosts, and the stakes could not be any higher for both sides.

Messi heads a star-studded Argentina desperate to write their own piece of history by winning a first international title since 1993, 12 months after an agonizing defeat to Germany in last year's World Cup final.

Chile, meanwhile, are anxious to finally shed their unwanted tag as the perennial nearly men of South American football, ending 99 years of hurt by winning a first Copa America.

An Argentine triumph would crown a remarkable season for Messi, who less than a month ago completed a treble-winning campaign with Barcelona with victory in the Champions League final.

It would also erase the sense of frustration Messi has often felt at international level, 10 years after he led Argentina to victory as a teenager in the 2005 Under-20 World Cup.

“This generation is desperate to win a title with the national team,” Messi told reporters on the eve of the Copa America.

“As a team, we deserve to win something and it would mean so much after the World Cup last year where we came so close.”

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, who featured in an Under-20 World Cup-winning side in 2007, believes defeat is not an option.

“If this generation of players don't win anything we're going to regret it for the rest of our lives,” the Manchester City star said.

After a series of unconvincing performances in the first phase, and a nervy win on penalties against Colombia in the quarter-finals, the signs are that Argentina have hit form at the right time.

Messi produced a scintillating man-of-the-match display in Tuesday's 6-1 semi-final destruction of Paraguay, setting up three goals and running the opposition ragged with a virtuoso performance.

Standing in Messi's way however are a Chilean team who know they may never have a better chance to finally end their nation's long wait for a trophy.

Since a 6-1 defeat to Argentina in the inaugural South American Championship in 1916, Chile have endured nearly a century of failure.

While Argentina will join Uruguay as the most successful side in the tournament's history if they win on Saturday, with 14 titles, Chile are still waiting for their first crown after finishing runners-up four times.

Chile have also never beaten Argentina at the Copa America in 24 attempts.

Chile's own golden generation - featuring the likes of Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Claudio Bravo -- believe Saturday represents a now-or-never moment.

“This group of players has grown a lot, it's the right time to win something,” Juventus midfielder Vidal said earlier this month.

“There is pressure but we are very calm and anxious to show we are a strong team.” – AFP



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Chile won’t man-mark Messi - Bravo

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Chile will not try to man-mark Argentina's playmaker Lionel Messi out of the Copa America final but will concentrate on playing their own quick-fire passing game.

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Santiago - Chile will not try to man-mark Argentina's playmaker Lionel Messi out of the Copa America final but will concentrate on playing their own quick-fire passing game, captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo said on Thursday.

Bravo knows Messi well from their past season together at Barcelona and acknowledged the Argentine would be difficult to stop on Saturday.

“It's not easy, given Leo's ability. If you look at what he's done in his career, it's been incredible, but we're not going to put a man on him for the 90 minutes of the match,” Bravo told a news conference at Chile's training camp in Santiago.

“He's not the only one playing. We have to worry about Argentina as a whole, not just Leo.”

Saturday's tie will bring Bravo face to face with another Barcelona team mate - Argentine defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano.

“It's a privilege to play against two of my club team mates. I hope they don't play like they often do for my club team,” he joked.

“Javier is the heart of the side, and they (Argentina) have a great team - not just Leo and Javier, they have a lot of great players.”

Bravo is hoping to be the first Chilean captain ever to lift the Copa America while Argentina are looking for a record-equalling 15th title. – Reuters



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Nani set for Fenerbache medical

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Portugal winger Nani is set to join Fenerbahce from Manchester United with the Turkish club saying negotiations were underway.

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Portugal winger Nani is set to join Fenerbahce from Manchester United with the Turkish club saying negotiations were underway and he will be in Istanbul on Sunday for a medical.

“Fenerbahce has begun talks with Luis Nani and his club Manchester United to transfer the player,” the Turkish league runners-up said on their official Twitter feed.

The 28-year-old joined United in 2007 from Sporting Lisbon, where he spent last season on loan scoring 11 goals. He has been told he is not part of United manager Louis van Gaal's plans.

Nani, who won four Premier League titles and the Champions League at United, signed a five-year deal in September 2013. – Reuters



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Seven Fifa figures face extradition

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The US wants Switzerland to extradite seven Fifa officials arrested in an investigation into a bribery scandal.

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Zurich/Geneva - The United States has asked Switzerland to extradite seven Fifa officials arrested in an investigation into a global bribery scandal at soccer's governing body, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said on Thursday.

The move marks the start of a legal process expected to last several months during which the officials, who have been in jail since their detention on US arrest warrants in May, will either keep fighting extradition to the United States or agree to go.

The arrests of the seven, including two then-members of Fifa's executive committee, took place in a raid on a luxury Zurich hotel on May 27, two days before Fifa's annual congress, pitching the organisation into turmoil.

US prosecutors say their investigation - which is running parallel to a separate Swiss inquiry - exposes complex money laundering schemes, millions of dollars in untaxed incomes and tens of millions in offshore accounts held by Fifa officials.

The seven were among 14 people charged in cases involving more than $150 million in bribes over a period of 24 years. Those being held in Switzerland include Jeffrey Webb, the former president of Fifa's Americas confederation CONCACAF, and Eugenio Figueredo, who sat on the executive committee at the time of their arrest.

The FOJ said it would rule on the extradition requests within a few weeks, based on statutory hearings and the responses of the Fifa officials.

Edward O'Callaghan, a New York-based lawyer representing Webb, declined to comment on the extradition request and a lawyer for Figueredo did not respond to requests for comment.

The US Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under a bilateral treaty, US authorities had up to 40 days to file an extradition request - by July 3. All seven of the officials had previously said they would contest extradition.

Proceedings under the treaty are relatively straightforward, even if the defendants have the right to appeal along the way, legal experts say.

If the FOJ orders extraditions, defendants may appeal to Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona.

The detainees were provisionally banned by Fifa’s own ethics committee following the arrests. Fifa has said that it is co-operating with the investigation.

A Swiss court last month rejected one official's request to be released on bail, citing the risk he might flee.

Rafael Esquivel, 68, the former head of the Venezuelan Football Association, is among the seven Fifa executives held since the Zurich arrests.

At a news conference on Thursday, the interim head of the association said Esquivel's lawyers had received the extradition request on Wednesday and were already moving to block it.

“The lawyers are going to try to seek that the Swiss tribunal not go forward with the extradition,” said Laureano Gonzalez.

“If that fails, we'll appeal to the immediately higher instance that could extend Rafael Esquivel's stay in Switzerland,” he added.

Esquivel is represented by a group of lawyers led by Gorka Villar, the son of Spanish Football Federation president and Fifa executive committee member Angel Maria Villar.

Reuters



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I couldn’t just warm the bench - Cech

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With Prague’s skyline as a backdrop, Petr Cech recalls the moment he knew his Chelsea career was over.

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With Prague’s skyline as a backdrop, Petr Cech recalls the moment he knew his Chelsea career was over.

He remembers it well. March 1, at around 6pm under Wembley’s arch, having just notched his 12th major honour as a Blue.

‘The moment I knew I had to leave? After the Capital One Cup final,’ reveals Arsenal’s new goalkeeper.

‘I knew there weren’t many games left for me after that. We were out of the FA Cup and Champions League, so there were only league games, and I knew that was it. I knew then this wasn’t the way I wanted to have another season.

‘As tough as it was to make the decision, it became clear that it would be this way because I have the same motivation as I did 10 years ago. My commitment to training, the will to get better is the same. I don’t want to waste that sitting on the bench.’

There is no hint of sadness, however, though Cech admits that the decision to leave was the hardest of his career. But he has no regrets. Before losing his place to Thibaut Courtois as first-choice goalkeeper, Cech collected 13 winners’ medals in 11 years and will be remembered as a Chelsea legend.

Not that a minority of Blues fans, who have directed death threats at Cech, see it that way. He is paying no attention to those with short memories, insisting the abusers are not ‘true Chelsea fans’.

It is time, as Cech puts it, to start an exciting new chapter. If Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had his way, however, Cech would still be at Stamford Bridge — or at least not at Arsenal.

Mourinho knows this deal has the potential to bite him on the backside but once Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gave 33-year-old Cech his blessing, the manager was helpless to prevent the deal.

On chelseafc.com, the club website, Mourinho said: ‘I support the owner’s decision. I always said I wanted him to stay but I understand Petr needed first-team football.

‘It is very rare to make a decision like this and for that reason I am proud of my club for making it. Petr’s success at this club will always to be remembered and we thank him for everything he did.’

Cech agrees his relationship with Mourinho has not soured. He says: ‘Jose had to make his decision about his first-choice goalkeeper. I spoke to Jose when I was leaving and he would have loved me to stay. He made his decision, now I’ve made mine. It will not change my opinion of him. For me, he is one of the best managers in the world.

‘Chelsea could have made me sit out the final year of my contract so I am grateful to Mr Abramovich for giving permission.’

Time will tell if that generosity will haunt Chelsea.

If Cech has his way, Chelsea may have to endure eight more years of watching him play for their arch-rivals. Cech has a four-year contract but believes he can play into his 40s.

He is not stopping there either. Cech is already looking forward to a managerial career, revealing he is virtually fully qualified to start top-level coaching, with only his Uefa Pro badge left to complete.

‘If I stay fit I can have seven or eight years at this level,’ says Cech, who will spend the next two days running a summer football academy for youngsters in Prague.

‘Retirement is not something I’m planning for yet. I have in my head that I could possibly do it (be a manager) and maybe do the training, the travelling and staying in hotels for another 20 years.

‘Maybe in eight years I will say I don’t want to watch football any more!’

If Cech leads Arsenal to the title next season, Mourinho will be the one who will not be able to watch. – Daily Mail



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City’s Pogba hopes fade

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Manchester City face a desperate battle to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus, but hope to take a step closer to landing Kevin De Bruyne.

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Manchester City face a desperate battle to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus, but hope to take a step closer to landing Kevin De Bruyne when his agent meets with Wolfsburg next week. City’s fears that Pogba could end up at Barcelona next year were confirmed yesterday when two senior representatives of the Spanish club, Ariedo Braida and Albert Soler, met Juve’s managing director Giuseppe Marotta and sporting director Fabio Paratici at a Milan restaurant. Marotta later confirmed that a bid of £56.7million had been received for Pogba, but insisted the 22-year-old France midfielder would not be sold. It is understood Barca want to put a deal in place for Pogba to move to the Nou Camp in a year.

City’s hopes of signing De Bruyne have been lifted by indications that the 24-year-old Belgium forward will ask Wolfsburg to listen to offers for him. – Daily Mail



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Reds must improve - Clyne

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Nathaniel Clyne completed his £12million move to Liverpool and admitted the Reds have to do better this season.

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Nathaniel Clyne completed his £12million move to Liverpool and admitted the Reds have to do better this season.

The Southampton right back became Brendan Rodgers’ sixth signing of the close season after completing the paperwork on a five-year contract.

Clyne thinks the additions to the squad will help the club seek to regain Champions League status.

‘There is room for improvement and you can see with the signings that have been made, we’re pushing for it,’ he told liverpoolfc.com.

‘If we get a good pre-season and start the season brightly, it’ll be looking good. I’m fully confident I am good enough to play for a team like Liverpool. What I need to do now is show that.’

Despite the six new signings, Liverpool, who have sold defender Sebastian Coates to Sunderland for £2m, remain interested in Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke but are reluctant to meet the £32.5m buy-out clause.

Clyne’s former club, Southampton, have terminated Dani Osvaldo’s contract two years early at a cost of about £25m.

The 29-year-old joined the club from Roma in 2013 but six months later was shipped off on loan to Juventus after head-butting captain Jose Fonte. He then had spells at Inter Milan and Boca Juniors last term. – Daily Mail



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