football !!

Looks like the great Messi has found the net again:

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in his 300th Primera Division match as Barcelona thumped Levante 5-0 on Sunday.

Neymar opened the scoring, with Messi adding the second in the 38th minute as Barcelona looked totally comfortable against their lowly opponents.
The Argentina striker added his second and Barcelona's third in the 59th minute as Luis Enrique's side continued to dominate the match.
Messi then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 65th minute before Luis Suarez added the gloss with a fifth goal courtesy of a bicycle kick.

The win means Barcelona are now back to within a point of Primera Division leaders Real Madrid, who defeated Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 on Saturday.

 

Chelsea have announced they have suspended three people from Stamford Bridge as a result of investigations into an incident on the Paris Metro on Tuesday.

A local man was prevented from boarding the train by so-called fans chanting " We’re racist, and that’s the way we like it" ahead of the English club's Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Swift action from Chelsea has prevented the trio from attending Saturday's Premier League match with Burnley in south-west London, which has been designated a 'Game for Equality'. The supporters face life bans if they are found guilty.
A club statement said: "If it is deemed there is sufficient evidence of their involvement in the incident, the club will issue banning orders for life.

 

Arsenal’s Champions League hopes took a massive dent as Dimitar Berbatov scored against his old rivals in a 3-1 win for Monaco in the first leg of their last-16 clash.

Geoffrey Kondogbia’s deflected effort put the visitors in front, before former Tottenham striker Berbatov smashed Monaco further ahead in the second half as Arsenal failed to put away their chances
Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck missed glorious opportunities to bring the hosts back in it before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled one back in stoppage time, but Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco restored Monaco's two-goal cushion.

It’s the first victory for a French side at the Emirates Stadium and leaves Arsene Wenger's side on the brink of an exit at the last-16 stage for the fifth season in a row.

 

The Leeds United fan group LLP are urging Oscar winning actor Russell Crowe to help them buy a minority stake in the club.

Crowe, star of Gladiator and Robin Hood, is a lifelong Leeds supporter and also owns Australian National Rugby League side South Sydney Rabbitohs, who were crowed World Club champions last weekend.
The LLP say they are seeking to meet with Crowe for talks after the Bafta winner contacted them via Twitter to pledge his support and offer them advice.
An LLP spokesperson told Sky Sports News HQ: "We’re a group of Leeds fans looking to raise up to £10m to buy the 25% minority stake owned by Gulf Finance House.
"In addition to the our executive board, we have a team of over 100 people working with us to make it happen and have been trying to get hold of Russell Crowe to ask for his support.
"He contacted us today via Twitter to show his support and offer some advice. We hope to meet with him to talk about how we can work together to buy a stake in our club and get fans on the board at Leeds United."

 

Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League as Dejan Lovren missed the decisive penalty in the shoot-out after Besiktas had taken the tie to extra time with a 1-0 win in Istanbul.

The Turkish side won the 5-4 on penalties after a gruelling encounter finished 1-1 on aggregate, Croatian defender Lovren seeing his spot kick fly high and wide after nine perfect kicks.
Substitute Tolgay Arslan scored the leveller in the tie in the 72nd minute, curling home left-footed from the edge of the box, before Demba Ba hit the bar in injury time from close range.

Neither side could find a winner, before Lovren miscued from 12 yards to send Besiktas through.

 

move along, nothing to see here....

 

Nice...

A player with Serbian top flight club Novi Pazar was threatened by the team's own supporters at gunpoint after missing a penalty, the world players' union FIFPro said on Thursday.

Novi Pazar's Zarko Udovicic sent his penalty over the crossbar in the 85th minute of last Saturday's game against FK Rad, and two days later, several hooligans burst into the dressing-room at the club's training ground.
A gun was drawn and held in Udovicic's face, FIFPro said, in an incident they describe as "a new low in Serbian professional football" The player has since left the club.

 

Pep Guardiola says he has no plans to leave Bayern Munich following speculation he could replace Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City.

Pellegrini's position has come under scrutiny after a run of results that has left his side five points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, as well as a Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat to Barcelona in which his tactics were called into question.
Despite winning two trophies in his first season at the Etihad reports have suggested the Chilean faces a fight to hold onto his job with Guardiola, Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti and Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone all linked as potential replacements.
But Guardiola, whose current deal with the Bundesliga champions runs until 2016, has distanced himself from talk of a move to the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of his side's German Cup game against Eintracht Braunschweig, the former Barcelona boss told a press conference: "Of course I'll stay here. I haven't had a contract offer and I am not waiting for a contract offer from anyone else.
"I'm happy here at Bayern - this is an outstanding club.
"I want to fulfil my contract and do my job well, that is all I am thinking about at the moment.

 

Lionel Messi scored a record-breaking 24th La Liga hat-trick and Luis Suarez struck twice as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 6-1 at the Nou Camp to return to the top of the table in emphatic style.

The Uruguayan got the ball rolling with an early goal and Gerard Pique doubled the lead shortly after the break, before Messi scored a treble inside 12 minutes which took him one hat-trick clear of Cristiano Ronaldo.

And Messi's hat-trick - his sixth of the season and 32nd for Barca in all competitions - takes him level with Ronaldo at the top of the league's scoring charts with 30 goals from 25 starts.

 

Chelsea beat ManU 1-0 and has a 10 point lead, and just 6 rounds to go.Seems like Mourinho will win the Premier league. Klopp leaving Dortmund and quite obviously next season in Manchester City. Pellegrini just losing too many games and no trophies...

 

Pep Guardiola was elated with Bayern Munich’s 6-1 demolition of Porto in the quarter finals of the Champions League - but said a blistering first half still wasn't perfect.

Trailing the Portuguese champions by two goals from the first leg, Bayern sent a warning out to their European rivals as five first-half strikes equalled, and then surpassed, Porto’s first leg lead.
Xabi Alonso completed the victory with a sumptuous free-kick two minutes from time as the Bundesliga side secured a place in the last four.

Guardiola was left praising his side’s resilience after they produced a performance of stark contrast to that seen at the Estadio do Dragao - where they lost 3-1 - but still can see room for improvement.
"At this moment, it's easy to love my players,” he said. “We played very differently to the first leg.
“We couldn't have achieved what we have without a fight. Many thanks to my players: they have made me very happy.”

 

Iker Casillas is reportedly on the verge of leaving Real Madrid - heightening claims they are closing in on the signature of David de Gea from Manchester United.

Spanish TV station TVE claimed on Wednesday that Casillas has reached an agreement to leave the club this summer despite the Spanish goalkeeper having two years left on his contract.
Real have been strongly linked in recent months to acquire Manchester United goalkeeper De Gea.
De Gea, 24, is under contract at Old Trafford for another season but has failed to agree a new deal with the Red Devils.

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AC Milan have held talks with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's representative Mino Raiola over bringing the Sweden star back to the San Siro, according to Sky sources.

Ibrahimovic is believed to be keen on a move away from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and Raiola met with Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old, who has one year left on his current deal, is the subject of interest from a number of European clubs, with Premier League sides Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal reportedly among them.
Former club Milan, where he spent two years until 2012 and scored 28 Serie A goals in 32 appearances, are believed to be willing to offer him a three-year contract.

 

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed his interest in signing Radamel Falcao this summer.

Mourinho has vowed to help the Colombian "reach his level again" after he scored just four goals in his season-long loan at Manchester United.
Falcao has been open about his desire to remain in the Premier League and looks likely to join Chelsea on another loan from Monaco.
"If I can help Falcao reach his level again, I will do it," Mourinho told DirecTV Sports.
"It hurts me that people in England think that the real Falcao is the one we saw at Manchester United."

 

Ajax keeper Jasper Cillessen has hinted that Man Utd are interesting in signing him, but has admitted the Dutch club are desperate to block any proposed move.

The 26-year-old Holland keeper is believed to be United's number one target to replace David De Gea if the Spain stopper heads off, as expected, to Real Madrid.
United have been linked with Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak but goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek has prioritised a move for Cillessen, who featured in the Holland World Cup squad under Louis van Gaal.
However, Cillessen reckons Ajax will do everything in their power to stop him moving to Old Trafford.

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Start to sound like De Gea is going...

 

Everton have confirmed the permanent signing of Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu for £4.2million on a three-year contract.

The 21-year-old, who spent a season on loan at Goodison Park in 2013/14, will officially join on 1 July and has signed a three-year contract, with an option for an extra season.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez said: "Gerard needs no introduction to anyone here, for we are all well aware of his incredible footballing talent.

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Southampton have accepted a £12.5million offer from Liverpool for right-back Nathaniel Clyne, according to reports.

Liverpool's initial offer of £10million for the 24-year-old was rejected by Southampton last month but it is now being widely reported that a deal worth an initial £10.5million, potentially rising to £12.5million, has been agreed between the two clubs.

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Pool sure is splashing the cash this summer

 

Seems like Di Maria is outta the door?


Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign long-time target Nicolas Gaitan, according to the Benfica winger's agent.

The 27-year-old Argentinian has been linked with a move to Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson's days in charge and his agent expects the move to be rubber-stamped some time next month.
The Argentine’s representative, Jose Irribaren, is quoted by the Daily Star as saying: "Everything is possible, there is a deal with Manchester United.
"The will of the player is that everything goes well.
"We are waiting for a response from the vice-president, which is why I cannot say much more," Irribaren added.
Gaitan is contracted to Benfica until the summer of 2018 and has a buy-out clause of 35million euros - a fee that is unlikely to scare off United.

 

Fiorentina director Vincenzo Guerini has confirmed the club have made an "insane offer" to Mohamed Salah in a bid to sign the Chelsea winger.

Since arriving in January on loan from the Premier League champions, the Egyptian has been in impressive form scoring nine goals during his six-month stint with the Viola.

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Liverpool and Man United's hopes of signing Carlos Bacca appear to be over after the Colombian's agent claimed he has agreed to join AC Milan.

Both Premier League clubs had been considering moves for the highly-rated Sevilla frontman, who has a buy-out fee of £21.5million.

 

Man United are reportedly set to make a fresh £80million bid for Gareth Bale after Louis van Gaal spoke of springing a transfer "surprise".

Wales winger Bale, who cost the Spanish giants £85million from Tottenham two years ago, had a tough time in La Liga last season, and was repeatedly barracked by Madrid fans on and off the pitch.
And with Van Gaal now hinting United could do something special in the remaining 44 days of the transfer window, the Sunday Mirror have claimed Bale - now valued at £95m by the Spaniards - is still on their radar.
Van Gaal, who has spent £76million on four new signings so far this summer, has admitted he is determined to "improve at least two positions" before the transfer window closes, with the Dutchman identifying a forward and an experience centre-half as his two priority areas of reinforcement.

 

Hi K-P, no mention of Sterling's £49 million move to Man City!..not bad for a kid who's only managed one half-decent season for the mighty Reds! how are we ever going to compete though if we sell our best players all the time. Expect Rodgers to fall on his sword after a mediocre start to the forthcoming season (8 August first game..whatever happened to football!)

 

Yeah, Falke, but I was a bit late on that so thought to stick with fresher news...

After one big mone purchase they buy Fabian Delph for 8 million and Fulham teenager Patrick Roberts for £5million up front for the 18-year-old with a further £6million in add-ons.

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I do think there will some big-money deals by ManU, Arsenal,Chelsea and Madrid to come.