CMYK
Ex-Barca Coach Says Messi Is ‘Muddled In The Head’ FORMER Barcelona and Argentina coach Cesar Luis Menotti believes Lionel Messi is fighting to overcome a case of mental burnout. Menotti, who led Barca normal when there are a lot between 1983 and 1984, has of games and he has many spoken to La Xarxa and gave obligations. his impressions of his “Maybe a couple of days compatriot. rest would help him “Messi has to overcome the recompose his head and be sadness of poor the best in the world again.” performances and rediscover It was suggested that Messi the joy, pride and passion it was already thinking of the takes to play at a club like World Cup, but Menotti Barcelona,” AS reports rejected that as a cause of the Menotti as saying. forward’s malaise. “I’ve seen more mental “I don’t think he is already fatigue than physical. It’s
thinking of Brazil. I think there is some disorder in his head, that his head is muddled,” Menotti added. “It’s happened to the best players in the world but I have great confidence in Messi and feel that he will have a great Cup final and rebuild himself. “Messi is always very
open-handed. I don’t think it has anything to do with the World Cup. “It happens to us all. There are days when things don’t go as we want. He should be helped to get back to his best.” The question of Barca as a whole was raised after La Blaugrana lost to Granada and fell to third in the League
Dortmund Looked Drained, Admits Klopp
JURGEN Klopp admitted his Borussia Dortmund side were drained after booking their place in the DFB Pokal final with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg. BVB beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the second-leg of their Champions League quarterfinal seven days ago, before thrashing Bayern 3-0 on Saturday, prior to Tuesday’s semi-final clash. The exertions of the past seven days appeared to take their toll, with Wolfsburg creating several good opportunities during the 90 minutes, though BVB’s superior quality eventually told. Henrikh Mkhitaryan opened the scoring in the first half and Robert Lewandowski doubled Dortmund’s lead with his 100th goal for the club before half-time, with Klopp relieved to see his players come through a stern test. “We have made the final, all is well,” he told reporters after the game. “With the quality that Wolfsburg have it is normal they have chance. The boys have played a lot of football and today it has taken its toll for the first time. “Wolfsburg always stayed focused and we had our chances on the break, but we didn’t have our usual control because of a lack of freshness.”
• Jurgen Klopp
table. Menotti pointed at a lack of cohesion in the team as the reason for their mixed results, believing Barca rely too heavily on moments of individual magic. “What the club needs is to regain its status and the quality of its play,” Menotti argued. “[The Copa del Rey final] is a good opportunity to do
Toni Kroos Going Nowhere, Says Agent TONI Kroos is not going anywhere before the summer of 2015, the Bayern Munich midfielder’s agent has told Bild. Rumours of a possible transfer to Manchester United resurfaced when Bayern coach Pep Guardiola told a news conference in Munich that the midfielder’s future is in his own hands on Tuesday. Earlier that day, the Guardian reported that the 2013 Premier League champions have offered Kroos a 260,000-pounds-aweek wage, a figure that would quadruple his reported current salary of 72,000 pounds a week with
• Messi
Gattuso Would Like To Coach AC Milan
GENNARO Gattuso has his sights fixed on becoming AC Milan coach in the future after doubts about Clarence Seedorf’s future in charge of the club resurfaced in the Italian media. Gattuso, 36, is keen on a return to the dugout, in spite of an ill-fated stint with current Serie B leaders Palermo at the start of the season. The former Milan and Italy midfielder — who began his management with a short stint at Swiss side Sion — claims to have turned down several offers already, and appears to be waiting for a call from the Rossoneri. “I’ve decided to stay where I am, also not to uproot my children from school,” Gattuso said at a book presentation. “But I am missing coaching a lot. I decided to start from the bottom and work my way up, but I would not mind returning to Milan one day. I was happy there and they are the side I supported since I was a child.” That opportunity could arise in the not too distant future with Seedorf again on the verge of
so against the eternal rival. “Barca are going through a difficult time. The worst is that the team has lost its order and has a huge dependence on the adventure of Neymar, Messi and Andres Iniesta. “Hopefully it’s down to circumstances. I’m still confident against Real Madrid that there are ideas to strengthen the collective and make the most of the great players Barca have.”
being dismissed, according to reports in Italy. General manager Adriano Galliani skipped a scheduled meeting with the coach — and the media — on Tuesday, fuelling speculation that his relationship with the Dutchman is deteriorating. A 1-0 win over Catania at the
weekend has done little to quell speculation, however, with Tuttosport suggesting that divisions have formed in the dressing room. Even finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League may not be enough to save Seedorf’s job, even if that was the objective he was set
when he arrived in January. Gattuso, however, believes his former teammate — with whom he won two Champions Leagues and two Serie A titles — is already having a positive impact. “It’s not right to question him,” said the 36-year-old. “He had the courage to accept this situation a few months ago, and now things are finally starting to work.”
PARIS Saint-Germain president Nasser alKhelaifi has dismissed speculation surrounding the future of Laurent Blanc and offered the embattled coach his “unconditional support”. Blanc has come under fire following a dismal week which has seen his side exit the Champions League after squandering a 3-1 first-leg
advantage against Chelsea and then lose 1-0 at Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. Going out of European competition was a significant setback for a club bankrolled by the Qatar Investment Authority but Al-Khelaifi insists Blanc is secure in his job. He told Le Parisien: “I am extremely surprised to read the various reports on our
coach. “It’s very simple: he is our coach now and I insist that I want him to stay. I was very clear on that before the return game against Chelsea and my opinion has not changed.” PSG have the chance to avenge their loss to Lyon when they take on les Gones in the Coupe de la Ligue final on Saturday but Al-Khelaifi is adamant
Bayern. Kroos, contracted to Bayern until 2015, rejected Bayern’s contract offer in January, which would have reportedly doubled his salary. On Tuesday, Guardiola said that Bayern “will do everything to keep Toni here. But it is up to Toni. He is a young person, it is his decision.” On Wednesday, Volker Struth, the Germany midfielder’s agent, told Bild that, so far, United have not officially approached Kroos. He said: “There is no official contract offer. Moreover, there is no need to make an official offer, because Toni Kroos will play at FC Bayern at least until 2015.”
• Toni Kroos
PSG President Offers Blanc Unconditional Support
even a third straight loss will not alter his stance. “Laurent Blanc has my unconditional support and anything that happens on the pitch cannot change it,” he added. Blanc is under contract with PSG until the end of next season and the club have already proposed a 12-month extension, which the former France boss is considering.