BARCELONA, Spain — Andres Iniesta means so much more to Barcelona than the 30-plus titles he helped add to its trophy case. The Spaniard, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, was pure elegance with the ball, and a popular player off the field. As Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu put it, […]
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Sometimes it feels like things are written in the stars.
The football world was rocked by the news that Arsene Wenger was leaving Arsenal a week ago.
Unai Emery announced he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season to somewhat less fanfare.
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This picture pretty much sums up the end of Arsene’s Arsenal careerREUTERS
But now the stars of world football could have aligned in such a way that Wenger is going to walk into the only possible job he could take after more than 20 years at Arsenal.
With both managers leaving their posts in the summer it would be no surprise to see Wenger take the hot seat in Paris for one final flourish.
After having to deal with the likes of Marouane Chamakh and Yaya Sanogo during his time at the Emirates no-one would begrudge him a season with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, would they?
ARSENE WENGER SPECIALThe Arsenal manager is 4/1 to be the next PSG manager
Encapsulating the Arsenal banter periodAction Images - Reuters
It would be the perfect next step for Wenger to move back to France and get to work with some real young talent, win a couple of trophies and have a real crack at finally lifting the elusive Champions League trophy.
It would be a chance for Wenger to show his methods are still capable of winning titles and if it brought the Champions League to Paris then the Qatari owners would be forever in his debt.
Wenger could then bow out of football with his head held high and party of his credibility restored.
The perfect job right?
Well, Sun Bets have priced Wenger becoming the next PSG manager at 4/1.
Emery might feel he was never given a chance at PSGGetty - Contributor
However, it might not work our if the Frenchman does move back to the number one club in his home country.
You can imagine a scenario where Neymar begins to lose respect for his manager early in the season and leads a mutiny with Mbappe against Wenger’s methods leading to uproar in the dressing room.
Fragile from a poor end to his career at Arsenal losing to Atletico in the Europa League and failing to qualify for the Champions League, Wenger cannot control the players and the season falls into tragedy before it has even started.
It would be entertaining either way.
A SQUAT, bicep and chest exercise inside a tiny backyard gym at a friend’s house in Arcadia was all it took for Gerald Woodend to build enormous muscles that brought […]
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He may be one of world’s best players in his position, but when it comes to FIFA, Sergio Busquets is best avoided.
That’s according to pro FIFA player Kevin ‘Clutch’ Brooks, who for the past few weeks has been taking part in the Gfinity Elite Series.
Kevin took 3 months off work to follow his gaming dream – and the gamble seems to have paid off
The competition sees some of the UK’s top esports athletes compete in a variety of games – from Street Fighter and Rocket League to FIFA 18 – for huge cash prizes.
Making sure you’ve got the best possible Ultimate Team, then, is a must – but Clutch says you shouldn’t let Busquets’ brilliant 86-rating fool you.
To be a pro you need a cool head and need to deal with high-pressure credit: Joe Brady
“Sergio has been the transition from defence to attack for Barca for best part of a decade,” explains the 19-year-old.
“He is the best in the world at what he does, but on the game he has no pace at all and has pretty useless stats.”
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players to win £5k!On the other end of the spectrum is Team of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, who Clutch named as the most overpowered player on the game – if you can afford him, that is.
“He is strong, quick, agile and has the best finishing on the game,” he said.
Esports has become massively popular over the past few years credit: Joe Brady
“Plus – having five-star skill moves and the ability to do the ‘El Tornado’ makes him unstoppable.”
Of course, none of these attributes matter if you don’t know how to use them effectively.
Thankfully, Clutch revealed the one skill move you need to learn – and you don’t need to be a five-star skiller to pull it off.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets have this brilliant offer when you sign up and bet a fiver“The one skill move you need to learn is the ‘Dragback’,” he said.
“This year it has become an integral part of the FIFA META and it is extremely effective when trying to create space to shoot.”
The Gfinity Arena in Fulham is a state-of the-art facility, where next month’s Elite Series will take place credit: Joe Brady
As FIFA 19 nears, we asked Clutch how is preparing for the game.
“The only steps I can take is to keep playing FIFA until FIFA 19 comes out and keep practising,” he said.
“I am slowly seeing improvement so hopefully I can keep on doing that.”
To keep up-to-date with all FIFA 19 news, check out our detailed explainer here – to find out about the FIFA 19 release date, trailer and new game modes.
The Gfinity Elite Series FIFA 18 Grand Final takes place this Friday, live from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London.
Watch live from 6pm here or gfinityesports.com
We’ve been here before, haven’t we Liverpool fans?
Just like when Luis Suarez left Anfield for the bright lights of Barcelona back in the summer of 2014, the Reds were forced to part with their talisman Mohamed Salah after his Golden Boot/PFA Player of the Year-winning 2017/18 campaign.
He can’t believe it
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We all knew this was an inevitability, although most of us expected him to stick around for at least one more season after leading the Reds to the 2018 Champions League final – which they lost in a 5-4 thriller against Real Madrid.
PA:Press Association Not a bad year, eh?[/caption]
But having played a big role in Egypt’s incredible run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, it was Los Blancos who came calling for Salah just weeks ahead of the new season and, let’s face it, their £145 million bid was hard to turn down.
Getty - Contributor As if Egypt needed any other reason to love this guy[/caption]
But what happened next? And how did Jurgen Klopp replace the likeable Egyptian?
#SalahMadridSalah was officially unveiled as the latest in a long line of “galacticos” in the early days of September 2018, claiming it was a dream to play under Zinedine Zidane and alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Salah’s arrival at Madrid ahead of the new season was all the more important considering Ronaldo was set to miss the opening couple of months of the campaign after being stretched off in the first few minutes of Portugal’s appearance in the World Cup final.
He looks delighted, doesn’t he?
Splash News Oh Ronny, not again?![/caption]
As you’d expect, #SalahMadrid trended on Twitter within minutes, while he’s handed the well-established No. 11 shirt thanks to Gareth Bale’s low-key departure to Man United.
However, Salah’s transfer fails to ignite the same hype as their eye-watering capture of Neymar earlier in the summer, who moved from Paris to the Spanish capital for £250m plus Keylor Navas.
Klopp’s shopping spreeMeanwhile, with £145m in the bank, Klopp decides to heed the mistakes made when Liverpool tried to replace Suarez by snapping up Marco Reus for a bargain price from Dortmund.
Unfortunately, the German winger tears his cruciate ligament walking through the terminal of Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and misses the opening six months of the season.
Get used to seeing this, Liverpool fans
As a result, Liverpool spend the rest of the summer desperately seeking further attacking options, and after Mario Balotteli tells them to go f**k themselves, they eventually settle for Brighton’s statesman Glenn Murray and Sporting winger Gelson Martins.
Don’t call him ‘the next Rickie Lambert’ though, whatever you do
Emre Can completes his long-time expected move to Juventus, so the Reds offer a huge contract to free agent Marouane Fellaini, who says he’s excited to move to such a dynamic and attacking side after having his creativity and finesse “stifled” at United.
Southampton picked apartHaving ended their previous campaign with relegation to the Championship, Southampton are expectantly picked apart by the big guys in the Premier League.
And with Liverpool being Liverpool, the Reds snap up three of the Saints most sought-after players in James Ward-Prowse, Ryan Bertrand and Mario Lemina for a combined fee of £55m.
Reuters More of the same for Simon[/caption]
As part of that deal, Simon Mignolet moves to St. Mary’s on a season-long loan but is instantly disgruntled to learn he remains third-choice behind Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster.
Opening weekendThe opening Premier League weekend kicks-off with Liverpool facing newly-promoted Wolves at Anfield.
The Championship winners make several big-money signings of their own over the summer – including Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, who combine to help Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to a shock 3-1 win.
EPA Hope you like wearing orange, Angel[/caption]
Sorry, Liverpool fans, but it’s going to be another few years before it really is ‘your season’.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players to win £5k!READ MORE:
Remembering Wolves’ game-changing summer transfer window of 2018 Egyptians vote for Mohamed Salah to become president as more than 1 million spoil ballots in election Egypt are the World Cup dark horse everyone should be talking about…
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MADRID — Atletico Madrid lost 3-0 at Real Sociedad on Thursday, leaving Barcelona one victory away from clinching the Spanish league title. Barcelona, which drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo on Tuesday without most of its regular starters, can secure its 25th crown at Deportivo La Coruna on April 29. The Catalan club faces Sevilla in […]
The post Atletico defeat leaves Barcelona on brink of title appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Get the beers in, it’s 57 days away.
While all the managers are focused on how they can kidnap Lionel Messi on the streets of Moscow and how to say man-mark in Russian there are a few modern legends of the game staking their claim for a place in those first class plane seats.
There are a number over-thirties banging them in across the world and international managers need to listen up and make one more space in their squad list for these stars in their twilight.
The last person to look him directly in the eye turned to stoneAFP or licensors
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, making the MLS great again.
Ibra has gone to LA Galaxy for a late-career swansong and no doubt bucket loads of goals – he’s already banged in three in three.
And why shouldn’t he go to the World Cup?
He’s Sweden’s record goalscorer with 62 goals, he continues to score in club football and there’s barely an inch of fat on his tank of a body.
His country love him, he even has his own entry in the Swedish dictionary and on top of that He’s told the world he is going to the World Cup.
Who is Janne Andersson to say no?
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Point to the person you think should go to the World CupGetty Images - Getty
Argentina might be blessed with one of the best players to walk the planet and a delectable selection of back up strikers but there’s one man you have forgotten about.
Carlos Tevez returned to Argentina for his third spell at Boca Juniors and is proving that class is permanent and age is just a number.
Three goals in five games this season is enough to rival Paulo Dybala, isn’t it?
Well Jorge Sampaoli isn’t ruling out adding a few more caps to Tevez’s tally of 75.
And there’s no-one out there that wouldn’t love to see that beautiful FIFA combination of Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi one last time.
Doesn’t look a day over 34EPA
If there is one man who truly does deserve a call up to the World Cup it is Benfica’s Jonas.
He’s currently the top scorer in the Primeira Liga with 33 goals in 27 games and at 34 he is finding a whole new level to his game.
Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino are Tite’s strikers one and two but surely there’s room for a red hot plan C?
Jonas could be just what Brazil need when they’re struggling to breakdown Serbia’s rock solid backline.
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They say his neck muscles most represent that of an oxGetty Images - Getty
OK so France don’t really need any more strikers but how can you say no to Andre-Pierre Gignac.
Yes, Kylian Mbappe could win the Golden Boot, yes Antoine Griezmann is one of the best strikers in the world right and yes they’ve got perfect back-up options in Alexandre Lacazette and Olivier Giroud.
But Gignac is a beat and if you can hack it in the crazy world of Liga MX then you’ve definitely still got it.
He played in the Euros and I’m starting the petition for Gignac to the World Cup right now.
As all survivalists know, use the terrain to your advantagePA:Press Association
Lo and behold Harry Kane were to get injured between now and the World Cup but Gareth Southgate has to plan for these things.
And that is why he should seriously be considering calling on the unlimited talents of beanpole extraordinaire Peter Crouch.
His goal against West Ham, expertly nicking the ball out of Joe Hart’s grasp and slotting home was pure finishing instinct.
In scoring that one he became Stoke’s record Premier League goal scorer.
Need I continue?
Fine. If there has ever been a more Crouchy site than him using the defender’s dreadlocks to get a boost in the air and nod in a header then let me know.
READ MORE WORLD CUP GOODNESS:
Germany’s midfield options are completely stacked ahead of the 2018 World Cup Egypt are the World Cup dark horse everyone should be talking about Why Pep Guardiola could be the reason Argentina win the 2018 World Cup
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona set a Spanish league record of 39 consecutive games unbeaten on Saturday, as it rebounded from its humbling Champions League exit by defeating Valencia 2-1 to continue its march to the domestic title. Philippe Coutinho set up goals for Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti to help Barcelona establish the new Liga […]
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FORMER Zifa president Vincent Pamire has laughed off the ban imposed on him by Phillip Chiyangwa, describing the beleaguered domestic football boss as a dictator who does not want to […]
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Look away now West Ham fans.
That’s because public enemy number one and king serpent Dimitri Payet is still producing moments of magic over 12 months after his controversial Hammers exit.
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A wild anaconda appearsAFP
Payet famously went on strike in east London to break the hearts of Irons’ fans who adored him so much, demanding a return to France.
He’s since become Marseille’s captain and creative master – and is still scoring simply sublime goals.
And his strike for the Ligue 1 club tonight was not only stunning, it was also worth its weight in gold.
Dimitri Payet that is a glorious goal 
Wait for the replays on this one, you won't be disappointed… 
pic.twitter.com/lYouhm70gv
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 12, 2018
That’s because Payet put Marseille 4-2 up against Leipzig on the night, enough to take them through to the Europa League semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate.
Collecting a one two with Florian Thauvin, Payet steadied himself 30 yards out.
The Frenchman then threw in a step over to get away from the Leipzig defender.
And did he have the composure to finish? You bet he did, completely unnecessarily with a beautiful strike caressed with the outside of his boot into the top corner.
AFP or licensors Pick that one out[/caption]
You. Don’t. Save. Those.
Payet has gone slightly off the radar since his move back home, but could he inspire Marseille to Europa League success this season?
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