In the build-up to Liverpool s clash with Inter at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp went to great lengths to spell out the fact that he and his team were taking nothing for granted.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Milan, the Reds were the clear favourites for progression in the Champions League last 16.
But, at his pre-match press conference, their manager warned: The danger everybody knows about. It s 2-0, the lead I think which got turned over most often in the history of football.
And he struck a similar chord in his programme notes, telling supporters: If anyone has even a tiny percentage of complacency or entitlement, please stay away.
Of course, Klopp would have loved nothing more than for Liverpool to have produced a vintage performance that made his caut…
Barcelona have signed Antoine Griezmann after the France international announced he would leave Atletico Madrid despite having signed a new five-year contract last June.
The 28-year-old, who joined Atleti from Real Sociedad for approximately €30million in July 2014, has been the club s top goalscorer across all competitions in each of his five seasons in the capital.
His exploits took him to fifth in the club s list of all-time leading scorers with 133 in all competitions, but the World Cup-winning forward brought much more than just goals to the Rojiblancos.
A detailed look at his season-by-season statistics underline his huge importance to Diego Simeone s team over the past five years, but do they also indicate his best football may be behind him?
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Jude Bellingham would prefer to move to Real Madrid if he leaves Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, according to . The report has claimed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all are keen on signing Bellingham from Dortmund next summer. However, the England international midfielder would prefer to move to last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners.
Bellingham has been on the books of Dortmund since 2020 when he joined from Birmingham City. The 19-year-old midfielder has been superb for the German club and has done well for them in the Bundesliga and in the UEFA Champions League.
The English teenager is one of the best young players in the world, and he would be a brilliant signing for Real Madrid next summer. Dortmund do te…
Australia will battle old demons after being thrust into the same group as Jordan in the second round of AFC qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and put the Socceroos on a collision course with a team that has had their measure in recent years.
Jordan have won three of five meetings since 2012, among them a 1-0 victory at the Asian Cup in January.
Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Nepal round out Group B.
Asia s top-ranked team, Iran, are to face Bahrain, Cambodia, Hong Kong and the tricky Iraq in Group C.
We’re definitely in for a treat. Here’s the Round 2 draw results.
Tell us your thoughts!
— AFC (@theafcdotcom)
Continental champions Qatar, heavyweights Japan, and Sou…
Nicola Berti believes Inter will be at the same level as Serie A champions Juventus if they complete a reported swoop for ex-Bianconeri star Arturo Vidal.
Inter have already brought in Radja Nainggolan this off-season, but they continue to be linked with other elite midfielders including World Cup Golden Ball winner Luka Modric and a deal for Bayern Munich s Vidal is said to be close.
Juventus have bolstered their own squad with the sensational signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, but former Inter man Berti claims Vidal s arrival would put the Nerazzurri on par with Massimiliano Allegri s side.
Vidal at Inter would be super, Berti told La Tercera. If we sign him, I will be very excited.
35 410 Arturo scored 35 goals and won 410 tackles between…
The 2022 men s World Cup will feature female referees for the first time in the competition s history.
FIFA announced on Thursday the list of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials that have been chosen for the tournament, which is to be held in Qatar in November and December.
Three female referees, Stephanie Frappart, Salima Mukansanga and Yoshimi Yamashita, and three assistant referees, Neuza Back, Kathryn Nesbitt and Karen Diaz Medina, have been included.
Frappart has experience in top-level European football, becoming the first female to referee a Champions League match and European Championship qualifiers, while she has also taken charge of Ligue 1 games.
Mukansanga became the first woman to referee a match at the Africa …
Liverpool have surprised everyone! After almost doing no business in the summer of 2019, they are now on the verge of making an unexpected deal with Takumi Minamino. The Japanese forward plays for Red Bull Salzburg and Liverpool are now in advanced talks with his club to make the deal happen. It should be worth 7.25 million pounds, as that is reportedly Minamino s release clause.
The deal has been apparently agreed on and he is expected to join Liverpool on 1 January 2020. The 24-year-old impressed everyone at Liverpool during the two matches Salzburg played against the champions of Europe this autumn.
The media have been caught surprised by this move, as Minamino was never really linked with the Reds. He joined Salzburg in 2015, coming from Cerezo Osaka, the J-League s…
Malaga goalkeeper Carlos Kameni has arrived in Istanbul to complete his transfer to Fenerbahce.
The Super Lig giants announced on Monday they had reached an agreement in principle with Malaga to sign the Cameroon international.
Kameni touched down at Ataturk Airport on Tuesday in order to conclude the deal, ending an association with the Andalusian club that began in 2012.
The 33-year-old was welcomed in Istanbul by fans chanting his name and he posed for photographs with a club scarf.
Idriss Carlos Kameni İstanbul’da |
— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce)
Kameni, who has also been on the books of Le Havre, Saint-Etienne and Espanyol, made 113 LaLiga appearances for Malaga.
He won the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon in 2002 a…
Santi Mina scored twice as Valencia recorded their first victory of the 2018-19 Champions League campaign with a 3-1 triumph over Young Boys that applies pressure on Manchester United in Group H.
After three games without a win in Europe, Valencia finally earned all three points as Mina made it four goals in his last three competitive matches.
Twice the 22-year-old combined with Carlos Soler in the opening 45 minutes of Wednesday s clash, his strikes coming either side of Roger Assale s leveller.
Having created two in the first half, Soler was on hand to extend the hosts lead after the restart with a low drive that was too good for David von Ballmoos as Valencia pushed Young Boys who had Sekou Sanogo sent off close to elimination.
FULL TIME
Roma c…
Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool s decision not to buy a first-choice striker in the close-season was still the right one.
Klopp has the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah at his disposal, but wastefulness – as well as poor defending – has cost Liverpool at different times early in the season.
While Manchester United (Romelu Lukaku), Chelsea (Alvaro Morata) and Arsenal (Alexandre Lacazette) strengthened with first-choice forwards in the off-season, Liverpool brought in 20-year-old Dominic Solanke.
But Klopp insisted there was enough firepower at Liverpool, who visit Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
We have Daniel Sturridge. We all know about his potential. Now he s fit, so hopefully we can use it…