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Monday, May 23, 2016
EXTRATIME
BRIEFS
Zidane
expects tough Villas-Boas
VillasBoas bids Zenit farewell! H
ulk and Axel Witsel led the well wishes to Andre Villas-Boas as he bids farewell to Zenit. Head coach Villas-Boas announced in September that he would be departing the club at the end of the Russian Premier League season, which concluded on Saturday. Zenit overcame CSKA Moscow to win the Russian Cup this month but were unable to prevent Leonid Slutsky’s team deposing them as league champions.
Champions
League final Z
inedine Zidane believes Real Madrid face a tough task in the final of the Champions League against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday. The capital clubs meet in European club football’s showpiece occasion for the second time in three years, with Madrid winning 4-1 after extra-time in Lisbon in 2014. Zidane’s side come into the final on an incredible run of 12 league wins in a row, although that was not enough
to snatch the Liga title from Barcelona. The Frenchman insists the clash with Atletico is 50-50, although Madrid are “in good physical and mental shape”. “We know it will be a difficult game but we are in good physical and mental shape,” Zidane said. “When you’re at this club you always have to give the maximum to win. And now we face the biggest game of the season. “The end of league season has
been extraordinary. We know it will be difficult against Atletico. As I said, it is 50-50 and it will be from the first minute to the last.” Zidane
Guardiola’s tears agent hints at understandable says AlKhelaifi Juve stay – Muller E A
Cavani can replace
Morata’s
lvaro Morata may remain at Juventus next season despite speculation linking him with a closeseason exit, according to his agent. Media reports in Spain have suggested that Real Madrid will exercise their buy-back clause on the Spain international then sell him on for profit, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United among those linked with his services. But Morata, who scored an extra-time winner in Juve’s 1-0 Coppa Italia final victory over AC Milan on Saturday, is not necessarily heading for England.
Ibrahimovic,
B
ayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller fully understood why outgoing boss Pep Guardiola became so emotional in the aftermath of Saturday’s DFB Pokal Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund. Muller scored one of the penalties as Bayern triumphed in the shoot-out after the sides had remained locked at 0-0 after 120 minutes. And Guardiola, who will join Manchester City next season, became tearful after Douglas Costa’s spot-kick secured a domestic double for the Bavarian club. “I am glad for Pep,” said Muller. “When the last game is over, you can sometimes be human because you’re not responsible for the team and the pressure is off. “He leaves the club after we achieved a major goal of the season. “His work here has been less valued by those outside the club and he knew it. “That’s why there was this emotional outburst and I can understand it.” Muller went on to insist that Bayern deserved their victory in Berlin, although he did pay tribute to the part Dortmund played in a gripping final. “Penalties are cruel,” he said, “but we were the worthy winners. “If we had not won, we would have been very upset because we did not capitalise upon the very many good scoring opportunities that we had.
Guardiola
dinson Cavani can step up and replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic as Paris Saint-Germain’s main striker next season, the club’s president Nasser AlKhelaifi insists. Ibrahimovic scored a brace in his last game for the club on Saturday, leaving on a high as PSG beat Marseille 4-2 in the Coupe de France final to secure back-to-back domestic trebles. Cavani was also on target on the night but Ibrahimovic stole the headlines by reaching 50 PSG goals for the season and departing in the dying minutes at the Stade de France to a standing ovation. But Al-Khelaifi insisted Cavani can shine in the spotlight next season, with 34-year-old Ibrahimovic moving on after four trophy-laden years at the club.
Klose refutes Lazio contract claims
M
Morata
iroslav Klose has denied claims he was offered a contract extension by Lazio. Klose joined the Serie A team from Bayern Munich in 2011 but his time in the Italian capital will end when his deal expires next month. This week, Lazio sporting director Igli Tare claimed the 37-year-old had turned down an offer of a two-
year extension in March, stating the striker “wasn’t interested” in remaining. Klose refuted those comments and said that neither he nor his agent were made aware of a proposal to remain at the Stadio Olimpico. “I do not understand this discussion,” the German told reporters.
“I will explain this clearly to close the debate: neither me nor my agent ever received any proposal, whether it be a written one or an oral one. “This is regardless of whether I had decided to leave Lazio or not.” Klose scored 54 goals in 139 Serie A appearances for Lazio and his next destination is yet to be confirmed.