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Mario barred from Reds first-team

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Mario Balotelli has been told he has no future with Liverpool and the striker is training away from the first-team squad.

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Mario Balotelli has been told he has no future with Liverpool and the striker is training away from the first-team squad along with Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique, whom the club are also looking to offload this summer.

Balotelli, 24, was not on the pre-season tour to Thailand, Australia and Malaysia, and neither has he been included in the squads for the friendly games against HJK Helsinki in Finland tomorrow or Swindon Town on Sunday.

The club want £10m for a player who cost them £16m to sign last summer and they anticipate that any deal will probably go to the final day of the transfer window on 1 September.

Rarely in the past has Brendan Rodgers asked members of the senior squad to train separately - Luis Suarez did so after his demand to leave the club in the summer of 2013 - but the Liverpool manager has told Balotelli that he does not want him around the first team.

It is telling that, although Rickie Lambert's departure to West Bromwich Albion is imminent, the Englishman is still part of the first-team group in training.

Lambert's deal is in the final stages with the negotiations now over the structure of the £3m payment from West Bromwich. There has been interest from Norwich City and Leicester City in Lambert but West Bromwich have always been the key contenders for his signature.

The future for Balotelli is less certain. Liverpool's asking price is far too high for Bologna, who have expressed an interest, and the likelihood is that a solution will be found by the player's agent Mino Raiola, who has moved him before. There has been no official approach to Liverpool over Borini from West Ham. Enrique's future is also uncertain, with no major interest in him yet.

The Helsinki game is Rodgers' main focus and he has named a strong squad. The likelihood is that Christian Benteke, the £32.5m signing from Aston Villa, will make his debut against Swindon on Sunday. That will possibly be Roberto Firmino's debut too - he is also not travelling to Helsinki. – The Independent

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Gunners out to make statement of intent

Arsenal finished third in the Premier League last season, 12 points behinds champions Chelsea.

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London - Old rivalries will be renewed when Arsenal play Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, with the Gunners hoping to prove they are the real deal and finally a match for the Premier League champions ahead of the new season.

Arsenal won the FA Cup for the second successive year in May but finished third in the Premier League last season, 12 points behind winners Chelsea.

Having signed Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who won four Premier League titles and the Champions League during 11 years at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners should now possess the solidity at the back to complement their free-flowing attack.

While Cech will go from Chelsea friend to foe in the traditional season-opening match between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, the loveless relationship between the two managers gives the fixture added spice.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appeared to push Jose Mourinho during a touchline spat last season, while the Chelsea boss described the Frenchman as “a specialist in failure” in 2014.

Mourinho, however, expects the Gunners to challenge for the title this season after assembling a squad that contains the likes of 42 million pounds ($65.54 million) playmaker Mesut Ozil and 35 million pounds forward Alexis Sanchez.

“If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years, I think maybe you will find a surprise,” Mourinho told reporters.

“It's a fantastic squad with good players, fantastic goalkeeper, they are more than ready to be title contenders.”

Chelsea, who beat Arsenal 2-1 in the last Community Shield meeting between the two sides in 2005, have injury concerns over striker Diego Costa and defender Gary Cahill.

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in last year's Community Shield but the north Londoners will be without forwards Sanchez and Danny Welbeck for the trip to Wembley.

Wenger's winless run against Mourinho stands at 13 games but the Gunners have enjoyed a strong pre-season, scoring 14 goals and conceding once as they won the Asia Trophy and Emirates Cup.

“We know we will be better and we work very hard to better,” Wenger told reporters.

“Let's not forget that Chelsea won the Premier League with a comfortable distance last year.

“There was still a gap between them and the others but the desire is to improve and to move up there to fight for the championship. Let's start well and try to give our best.” – Reuters

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Flamini thanks Chelsea for ‘good favour’

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has stoked the fires ahead of the Gunners' Community Shield meeting with Chelsea.

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Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has stoked the fires ahead of the Gunners' Community Shield meeting with Chelsea on Sunday by saying the champions have done them a “good favour” by selling Petr Cech.

The Czech goalkeeper ended an 11-year stint at Stamford Bridge after moving across London to the Emirates Stadium last month for a fee of £10million (14.2m euros; $15.6 million dollars).

“I was surprised by (Chelsea boss Jose) Mourinho because he really doesn't do that,” Flamini told British media on Thursday.

“He (Mourinho) is a competitor and usually doesn't like to sell any players to his rivals, but it's a good favour for us and now we have to take advantage.

“It's a top signing. That's why we have been lucky on this one,” added the French midfielder.

The 33-year-old Cech was allowed to move from west to north London – despite Mourinho's reluctance to let him go – after losing his place in the Chelsea side to Belgian international Thibaut Courtois.

And Cech, who made nearly 500 appearances for Chelsea, will face the surreal task of playing against them for the first time in his career when his new club meets his old one on Sunday at Wembley.

Arsenal, who finished third in the Premier League last season, 12 points behind champions Chelsea, face an early test of their title credentials for the upcoming season, but 31-year-old Flamini believes the acquisition of Cech could prove crucial.

“It's very important. Not only for his quality but also for his character,” added Flamini.

“When you play at the top level, the leaders on the pitch make the difference.

“Not only when things go well but especially when things go bad. So, for us, Petr Cech is a top signing.

“He is someone with character, someone with a winning mentality.”

Cech is Arsenal's only major signing so far this summer, but having spent big money on the likes of Danny Welbeck, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent seasons, Arsene Wenger's side -- who won the FA Cup last season for the second consecutive campaign – are once again considered as potential challengers for the Premier League title.

Arsenal downed Manchester City 3-0 in last season's Community Shield. – AFP

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Shabba promises to lead by example

Kaizer Chiefs captain Siphiwe Tshabalala says having the job doesn’t necessarily give him a start in the team.

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Newly appointed Kaizer Chiefs captain, Siphiwe Tshabalala, says having the job doesn’t necessarily give him a start in the team – but he knows he should lead by example, and this will make him work extra hard to earn a place.

“There are no guarantees, me leading the team doesn’t mean I’ll be a favourite to play. I need to lead by example, I need to work very hard and I need to be disciplined. And I’ve been doing that, being a good example,” said Tshabalala. “For me it is a challenge; if I was working hard, now I will have to work harder. I will definitely achieve that with the help of my teammates.”

Tshabalala was announced as captain on the club’s website on Tuesday, and he will be leading the team with a committee of other six players – Lorenzo Gordinho, Morgan Gould, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siboniso Gaxa, Tsepo Masilela and Willard Katsande.

The 30-year old winger takes over the armband from Tefu Mashamaite, who became Itu-meleng Khune’s successor after the goalkeeper was injured last season. However, both players have since been released by Chiefs.

“Both Itu (Khune) and Masha (Mashamaite) did very well. They led the team to the success we currently have. But now it is a new challenge for me this season. Obviously, new beginnings, new goals and we will work very hard. I have support from my teammates and we have a committee of good leaders, who will help make my job easier.

“We have a committee that consists of seven players. In a sense we are all captains as we are the ones who’ll look after the players’ interests and talk to management. We are the link between the players and management,” Tshabalala explained.

Shabba, as Tshabalala is affectionately known, is one of the most experienced players in the Amakhosi team. Since arriving from Free State Stars in 2007, he has earned 286 caps and scored 41 goals.

After winning the MTN 8 and the Championship title last season, the winger reckons they will have to work extra hard in the new season to make sure they retain their trophies.

“Obviously having done well last season, there is a lot expected from us. And we accept that; we are very determined to do well and improve where we didn’t do well last season. So this season is going to be huge in that we want to defend our two trophies and compete for anything else on offer.

“All the teams will be coming for us; we will be the hunted. We are ready and respect each and every opponent. Each and every game is important to us. We won’t single out any team and say this is the best team to play against. All the teams have quality and made things difficult for us last season, so this season will be the same.”

Tshabalala will lead Chiefs for the first time when they face arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Carling Black Label Cup at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

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De Gea saga not helping United

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal conceded that uncertainty surrounding David De Gea was “not favorable”.

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal conceded that uncertainty surrounding David De Gea was “not favorable” as the Premier League giants ended their US tour Wednesday with a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

De Gea, who is reportedly Real Madrid's top summer transfer target, gave a shaky goalkeeping display as the French champions exposed United's defense with soft first-half goals by Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Van Gaal is hopeful United will retain the services of De Gea this season but acknowledged the rumors swirling around the star goalkeeper were not helpful to either the play or the club.

“We have a situation that is not favorable for David De Gea, but neither for us and neither for the club (Real Madrid) that maybe he wants to go (to),” said van Gaal after United's defeat at Soldier Field.

The veteran Dutch coach was reluctant to be too critical of the Spaniard's performance however.

“Poor I cannot say, but he made a mistake. That's not poor,” van Gaal said.

“Everybody can make mistakes but when a goalkeeper makes a mistake it is mostly a goal and that's the difference.”

Despite the loss van Gaal said he was pleased with United's performance as they build towards their season-opening clash with Tottenham on August 8.

“I'm really satisfied about the performance. You lose, maybe that's also good, because last year we have won everything (in the USA) and then we lost the first match against Swansea,” van Gaal said.

“Maybe now the sequence is a bit different but I'm not superstitious. I think in the first half we have created more chances than PSG and they have created only chances with personal errors and you cannot fight against personal errors.

“When you're playing against top level, and PSG are top level, then they can score out of these kinds of errors and they can finish the game. A top team can do that. Chelsea can do that, PSG can do that.”

United had been aiming to maintain their 100 percent record after registering wins over Club America, San Jose Earthquakes and European champions Barcelona in their three previous tour games

However, van Gaal's men were undone by two goals from PSG which highlighted the defensive frailty of the squad, even after the arrival of several high-profile signings.

United began promisingly, stroking the ball around comfortably and probing for openings against the Parisian defenders.

The Red Devils got the ball in the net after 22 minutes when Juan Mata prodded home Daley Blind's exquisite through ball, only for it to be ruled offside.

But three minutes later, PSG struck at the other end when a long ball forward caused havoc in United's defensive unit.

French international Matuidi raced forward and got between Luke Shaw and Phil Jones to toe-poke home past the onrushing De Gea to make it 1-0.

PSG doubled their lead nine minutes later with a well-worked goal that came all too easily for the French champions.

Ibrahimovic picked up the ball in midfield and released Maxwell down the left flank.

The Brazilian fullback advanced and then calmly picked out Ibrahimovic with the return pass for the Swedish star to slot past De Gea.

The build-up to the match had been dominated by speculation surrounding United's unsettled Argentine star Angel Di Maria, who is expected to complete a move to PSG imminently.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc suggested afterwards the saga may be nearing an end.

“Wait and see,” Blanc said. “Two big clubs are negotiating, the negotiations are difficult but I truly think we are close to a conclusion.” – AFP

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PSG beat United in Chicago

Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester United 2-0 in their International Champions Cup clash in Chicago.

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Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored first half goals as Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday in their International Champions Cup clash in Chicago.

The game between the two sides was shrouded in a bubbling controversy with Manchester United without Argentine winger Angel Di Maria, who is reportedly seeking a move away from the English Premier League side with PSG a likely destination.

The victory for the French team moved them to the top of the invitational 10-team competition along with New York Red Bulls on 10 points.

PSG, who had lost their last game to Chelsea, created the early opportunities at Soldier Field, as Ibrahimovic zipped a great scoring chance over the crossbar within the first few minutes.

United, who defeated Barcelona on Saturday, however thought they had opened the scoring when midfielder Juan Mata had the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside.

PSG struck in the 25th minute, where Matuidi made a run into the box and sent a shot past goalkeeper David De Gea.

Ibrahimovic doubled the lead in the 34th minute when the Swedish forward took a cross from Maxwell and finished from close range. – Reuters

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Mourinho hits back at Benitez

Jose Mourinho has launched a stinging attack on Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez after the Spaniard's wife teased the Chelsea boss.

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London - Jose Mourinho has launched a stinging attack on Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez after the Spaniard's wife teased the Chelsea boss by saying her husband was always having to tidy up messes left by the Portuguese.

Montserrat Seara triggered the attack after Spanish newspaper La Region published her light-hearted remark following Benitez's appointment at the Bernabeu last month, the third time he has joined a club previously managed by his rival.

Mourinho was clearly not amused and speaking to reporters after Chelsea beat European champions Barcelona on penalties in a Washington friendly, he delivered a withering straight-faced response.

“The lady is a bit confused,” he said after the match that ended in a 2-2 draw. “I am not laughing...

“Her husband went to Chelsea to replace Roberto Di Matteo and he went to Real Madrid and replaced Carlo Ancelotti.

“The only club where her husband replaced me was at Inter Milan where, in six months, he destroyed the best team in Europe at the time.

“For her also to think about me, and to speak about me, I think she needs to occupy her time.

“And if she takes care of her husband's diet, she will have less time to speak about me.”

Benitez was hired by Inter Milan in 2010 after Mourinho had led an aging team to a European and domestic treble before leaving for Real Madrid. The Spaniard was dismissed after six months, with the club down in seventh place in Serie A.

The Spaniard also managed Chelsea on an interim basis, succeeding Roberto Di Matteo in 2012, five years after Mourinho's first spell ended, when the Italian was sacked six months after winning the Champions League.

His spouse's comments appear to have rekindled a bitter feud between the two men that dates back to his time in charge at Liverpool, when he clashed with Mourinho several times between 2005 and 2007.

Defending Premier League champions Chelsea begin their domestic campaign on Sunday when they meet last season's FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley.

However, they may go into that match without England defender Gary Cahill, who suffered a suspected broken nose when he scored Chelsea's second goal, and Spain striker Diego Costa, withdrawn due to a slight hamstring strain. – Reuters

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Tshabalala named Amakhosi skipper

Kaizer Chiefs appointed Siphiwe Tshabalala as their captain for the 2015/2016 Absa Premiership season.

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Kaizer Chiefs yesterday offered the strongest hint yet that they are ready to move on without their out-of-contract senior players who are still to find new clubs when they appointed Siphiwe Tshabalala their captain for the 2015/2016 Absa Premiership season.

Tshabalala, an Amakhosi veteran, takes over the armband from central defender Tefu Mashamaite who did not renew his contract in the hope of a move overseas. But after failing to secure a deal in the American Major League Soccer with New York City as well as in Cyprus, there is a possibility of Mashamaite returning to the local league.

If he does come back to South Africa and Chiefs, the central defender, who was last season’s star at both the league and club awards, will have to return to being just a normal player.

Ditto for Itumeleng Khune, the goalkeeper who previously captained Amakhosi before Mashamaite was elevated. Like the defender from Limpopo, Khune has not renewed his contract at Chiefs but with no clubs able to match his salary demands there is a chance he might be back at Naturena.

In appointing the player popularly known as Shabba as their skipper, Amakhosi have shown just how much they value loyalty – Tshabalala has been at the club since 2007 when he joined from Free State Stars.

A popular player with the fans, the player best known for scoring the 2010 World Cup’s opening goal expressed delight at his appointment.

“It is a great honour to be chosen to lead such a great club,” he said on the club’s website. “I am happy to form a part of the illustrious names that captained Chiefs in the past and I will do my best with the support of my colleagues.”

According to kaizerchiefs.com, coach Steve Komphela has no doubt the club has appointed the right leader in the 30-year-old left-footed midfielder.

“It is an honour that comes with a great responsibility for Shabba. He is capable. I think he will deliver as expected. Shabba has immense leadership qualities and more so, he works with a captain’s committee that will support him in his duties.”

The committee Komphela was referring to include senior players Tsepo Masilela, Morgan Gould, Pa Gaxa, Willard Katsande, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and (the not-so-experienced) Lorenzo Gordino.

Tshabalala couldn’t have asked for a better time to take over as the club’s official captain, his first match as Amakhosi’s leader being Saturday’s Soweto derby against rivals Orlando Pirates in the Carling Black Label Cup at the FNB Stadium.

He has been around for too long though to be fazed by the challenge and is actually looking forward to leading Chiefs to further glory.

“I will have to do extra weight- lifting and gain muscles to lift trophies for our supporters and the club,” Tshabalala quipped. - The Star

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Wenger, Jose rivalry starts again

Arsene Wenger has hit back at Jose Mourinho's comments about Arsenal's spending, signalling the start of another season of their rivalry.

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Arsene Wenger has hit back at Jose Mourinho's comments about Arsenal's spending, signalling the start of another season of their timeless rivalry. Whether it is psychological warfare or petty sniping is a matter for debate, but the two meet in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday and the build-up has already begun.

Mourinho opened festivities this week when he said that, despite Arsenal's frugal reputation, any examination of their spending would produce “surprising” results. Wenger spent £42m on Mesut Özil in 2013 and £35m on Alexis Sanchez last year.

The accusation of “buying success” is one which Wenger has traditionally directed at other clubs and so the Arsenal manager was especially keen to defend himself against it yesterday. The club, he said, had improved players far more than simply buying them. “I believe that one day, if you make real statistics of the players we have developed here, and you compare them to all the other clubs, you would be surprised.”

He added: “We do not listen too much to what people think or say. We spend when we think we have to spend and just try to make the right decisions. When you have the money available, we spend it. When we don't have it, we don't spend the money we haven't got.”

Wenger's use of the phrase “you will find a surprise” echoed Mourinho's comments on Monday which included the observation that: “If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years I think maybe you will find a surprise. If you put Özil plus Alexis Sanchez, plus [Calum] Chambers, plus [Mathieu] Debuchy, you will find a surprise.”

Wenger also noted that Mourinho was now accusing him of being the opposite of the traditional voice of frugality regularly begged to spend more money by Arsenal supporters, often in rather blunt terms. “You must not listen too much to what people say because, sometimes in the same week, I get two different reproaches: one is that I don't spend too much and another is I spend too much,” he said.

“If you want to create success - which we want desperately - [the way] is to focus on what happens inside. Just try to do as well as we can and believe in the football we want to play and play it as well as we can and let other people talk.”

Sunday will be Petr Cech's semi-competitive Arsenal debut following his move from Chelsea and Wenger is confident that his new goalkeeper will improve the team.

“He can improve the level of communication at the back and bring his experience to the defence - and a calmness as well, in some heated situations, into our team. On both fronts, his communication, his individual class and, I think, his calmness will be vital. It's important you are calm.” – The Independent

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Sherwood continues Villa revamp

Jose Angel Crespo has become Aston Villa's seventh close-season signing after sealing a move from relegated La Liga side Cordoba.

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London - Jose Angel Crespo has become Aston Villa's seventh close-season signing after sealing a move from relegated La Liga side Cordoba, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old defender has signed a three-year deal to join Villa, who finished one place above the relegation zone last season following manager Tim Sherwood's appointment in February.

Villa's other new faces include Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards from Manchester City, Idrissa Gueye from Lille and Jordan Ayew from Lorient.

“Jose is a player who has been on our radar for some time and we're really pleased to secure his signature,” Sherwood told Aston Villa's website (www.avfc.co.uk).

“He is an experienced player who has played in La Liga and Serie A - two of the strongest leagues in the world - and from speaking to him, I know he can't wait to play for Aston Villa.”

Crespo, who has been capped by Spain at under-21 level, previously played for Sevilla and Racing Santander in Spain and Padova, Bologna and Verona in Italy. – Reuters

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Chelsea beat Barca on penalties

Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season tour of the United States on a high note by beating Barcelona in a penalty shootout.

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Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season tour of the United States on a high note by beating Barcelona in a shootout after their International Champions Cup match ended 2-2 on Tuesday.

Eden Hazard scored an exquisite opener for the English champions before the Spaniards hit back with two goals in the second half. Gary Cahill scored with a brave header late on to send the game to a shootout at FedEx Field in Washington.

“For a preparation match it was fantastic for us,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Fox Sports. “It was a good pre-season game for us, I think (for) both teams and also for the public. You know, it's a friendly, but when Barcelona face Chelsea, you want to win, it's not a friendly.”

While European champions Barcelona do not start their La Liga title defence until August 23, time is of the essence for Chelsea, who face Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday before their Premier League opener against Swansea on August 8.

And with the Blues fielding the much stronger side to start Tuesday's match, it took them barely nine minutes to open the scoring.

Belgian Hazard received the ball 40 yards from goal and dribbled past several Barcelona players before slotting a right-footed shot inside the near post from 12 yards.

Barcelona, playing without Lionel Messi and Neymar, who were rested from the tour, gathered themselves and began to dominate possession and it was the third member of their prolific trio, Luis Suarez, who levelled the score in the 52nd minute.

After Cesar Azpilicueta's attempted headed clearance fell invitingly to the Uruguayan inside the box, Suarez shaped to shoot but instead let Chelsea defenders commit themselves before cleverly dinking the ball over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Defender Kurt Zouma made a valiant attempt to clear the ball but the referee decided it had crossed the line.

Barcelona went ahead 14 minutes later when Sandro cut in from the left and curled home a cracker with his right inside Courtois' far post.

Chelsea tied it up in the 86th minute when Barcelona failed to deal with a free kick and Cahill sent a looping header into the net, receiving a bloody nose for his troubles and was immediately substituted.

Loic Remy converted the winning spot kick for Chelsea after Radamel Falcao, Victor Moses and Ramires also found the net.

Iniesta and Sandro were successful for Barcelona but Alen Halilovic and Gerard Pique missed from the spot. – Reuters

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Vidal completes €40m move to Bayern

Arturo Vidal completed his transfer from Juventus to Bayern Munich by signing a four-year contract with the club.

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Berlin - Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal has completed his transfer from Juventus to Bayern Munich by signing a four-year contract with the Bundesliga champions.

No fee was disclosed but media reports put it at 40 million euros.

“I wanted to take another big step forward in my career,” the 28-year-old Vidal told the Bavarian club's website (www.fcbayern.de) on Tuesday.

“I want to keep developing as a player and win important trophies like the Champions League. I think the best opportunity to do so is with Bayern.”

Vidal was a member of the Juventus team beaten 3-1 by Barcelona in last month's Champions League final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

He becomes Bayern's second major signing of the transfer window after Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa joined from Shakhtar Donetsk at the start of July.

Bayern have also sold Germany playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger to Manchester United.

Vidal is no stranger to the Bundesliga having played for Bayer Leverkusen for four seasons until 2011.

He also helped Chile win the Copa America title for the first time on home soil this month.

“I'm thrilled about playing in the Bundesliga again and obviously hope to win it this time,” Vidal said.

“I didn't manage it with Leverkusen back then but with Bayern there's a very, very good chance.”

Reuters

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Chiefs hoping for a change of luck

Amakhosi’s record in the Black Label Cup makes for woeful reading: one win in four attempts.

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Prominent Kaizer Chiefs supporter Saddam Maake says it is about time Chiefs start winning the Carling Black Label Cup after lifting the trophy only once in four years.

Now in its fifth year, the competition will once more see the rivalry between Chiefs and Orlando Pirates continue when the teams meet at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

“It is about time things change at the team,” said Maake. “This is a different derby, we have two local coaches going head-to-head after a very long time. Chiefs have been coached by foreign coaches for a while now but now, we have Steve (Komphela). He has to win this one and not by penalties as Pirates have done in previous years.

“I don’t want to see us winning by penalties. We know this is a competition which allows the fans to be the coaches for the day, but Komphela’s input will be useful. It is a warm-up game for him, and we want to see if he will be ready for the season ahead,” said the outspoken Chiefs fan.

Pirates first claimed the Cup in its inaugural year (2011), beating Chiefs 4-3 on penalties.

The following year the Buccaneers retained the Cup after a late equaliser by Benni McCarthy sent the game to penalties, which the Sea Robbers won 5-4.

In 2013, a single goal by former Amakhosi player Lehlohonolo Majoro – who now turns out for Eric Tinkler’s team – saw Chiefs claim the Cup for the first time.

However, Chiefs failed to keep the Cup at Naturena in 2014 after another goalless draw, which saw Pirates once again winning the derby 6-5 on penalties.

The match might be a pre-season friendly, but to the fans of the two Soweto Giants, that couldn’t be further from the reality as Maake explained: “It is a derby, the biggest of all derbies in the country. There is no way we can call it a friendly game. It is very important to everyone. We have new players, new jersey and most importantly, it is a derby.”

Maake added that he is looking forward to the game, as it will give the fans an idea of how the teams will perform in the new season. “We want to see our new players. We have Xulu (Siyanda) at the back, he is very good. And some of our new signings we will see them in the second half.

“The only thing I am afraid off is winning this Cup and then going through the whole season without winning anything as we did in 2013. I think we will win this game 3-1,” said Maake confidently. - The Star

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Angola real threat to Bafana

Bafana must make sure the road to Russia and World Cup doesn’t end in Luanda.

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On the face of it, Bafana Bafana were given a good draw for their World Cup preliminary qualifying round two – Shakes Mashaba’s team being drawn to face Angola.

But while they have yet to lose to the Palancas Negras since readmission into the international game, it would be folly of South Africa to expect an easy ride into the group stages of the qualifying competition for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

For one, never have South Africa had it easy against their fellow Cosafa members – most of Bafana’s victories over the years being pretty narrow.

And while Angola appear to be slowly improving, Bafana Bafana are no world-beaters lately and Mashaba is actually in a rebuilding process since taking over the squad.

One thing that is pretty evident is that Bafana are not lethal up front with a strikeforce led by Tokelo Rantie and Bongani Ndulula not the kind to leave opposition defences quacking in their boots.

Bafana have to first travel to Angola and that in itself could be a potential banana skin, Lunda being a pretty notorious venue for visiting sides.

Only recently, Orlando Pirates were there for a Caf Champions League preliminary match and the mighty Buccaneers – expected by many to simply walk all over the little known Recreativo de Libolo – came a cropper. The same could happen to Bafana should they think they need only pitch up to be guaranteed a place in the group stages of the qualifiers.

And then there’s also the fact that Angola are fast improving – they convincingly beat the Central African Republic recently.

Add to that the fact South African teams have always struggled to cope with teams that rely on strength and this is where the Bafana defence are going to find themselves truly tested with Angola’s strikeforce led by Manucho.

The lanky striker is an awkward man to mark and is a consummate finisher who is playing the game at the highest level in Spain.

He will be complemented by the highly-experienced Gil-berto who has been in the squad for donkey’s years and has vast experience of the continental game having turned out for the mighty Al Ahly in the past.

Some will no doubt be quick to point out that Bafana got the better of Angola only recently in a friendly in Cape Town. But what should be noted is the fact that while South Africa had their ‘top’ players from overseas, the Angolan team was essentially made up of the locals. This tie being a case of do-or-die for both teams, Mashaba will do well to impress on his team the importance of getting a good result in the away leg and then coming home to seal the tie. But it won’t be an easy tie, not by any stretch of the imagination – the good record over Angola notwithstanding. - The Star

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LVG warning to De Gea

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has warned David de Gea that he could end up on the bench at Old Trafford.

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Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has warned David de Gea that he could end up on the bench at Old Trafford following the signing of Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

With Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos closer to signing a new contract with his club, De Gea’s hopes of moving to Spain in a swap deal this summer would appear to have decreased somewhat.

And although Van Gaal admitted last night the signing of 28-year-old Romero on a free transfer is a safety net in case De Gea leaves, he has also warned his No 1 his place is under threat.

‘I have of course spoken with Sergio and also with David,’ said Van Gaal. ‘With me always the best shall be in the line-up. So you have to fight for that place. With the threat that David de Gea is going to Real Madrid, we had to prepare our season.

‘I think Sergio can fulfil that because you have to handle quickly what may happen with David. I think he is a very good choice. I hope he can have a contribution to our selection and I have confidence he can.’

De Gea is expected to play against Paris Saint-Germain here in Chicago tomorrow.

Having complained of a mystery back injury earlier in the tour, the Spanish international will only be picked by Van Gaal for the Premier League opener against Tottenham on August 8 if he is thought to be fully focused. It is understood that there is some doubt about that at the moment.

United are still in negotiation with tomorrow’s opponents about the proposed transfer of Angel di Maria.

Di Maria did not join United in America as planned at the weekend and is expected to move to France once PSG increase their offer from what it is understood to have been a rather miserly €40million (£28.5m) first time round.

United are happy for Di Maria to leave, given the player’s unhappiness and problems he suffered integrating last season.

However, executive vice chairman Ed Woodward is determined to recoup as much of the £60m United paid Real Madrid for their record signing just a year ago.

United are still considering a move for Barcelona’s Pedro as a replacement, even though Van Gaal has reservations about the Spaniard’s lack of pace.

Defender Marcos Rojo will not make it out to join the United tour following an issue with his passport.

Soon after United’s opening league fixture against Tottenham comes a two-legged Champions League play-off that forward Juan Mata believes could be the most important fixtures of United’s season. They will find out their opponents on August 7 and Mata said: ‘It is massive for us to be in the Champions League this season.

‘We need to be in the Champions League. And the two play-off matches are very important.

‘We need to be fit enough mentally and physically for the battle because it is going to be some battle.’ – Daily Mail

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