Wednesday, June 07, 2017

Mourinho fed up of football, issues Ultimatum to Woodward

The burden of signing players at Manchester United this summer will fall solely on the shoulders of CEO Ed Woodward after Jose Mourinho says he is “fed up” of football after an exhausting first year at Old Trafford.

United is expected to have another busy summer when the transfer window opens on June 9, with Mourinho reportedly giving Woodward a list of four players he wants. Reports have linked the club with strikers Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann and defender Victor Lindelof.

Signing for United has become a more attractive prospect after the club qualified for next season’s Champions League by winning the Europa League in May, Mourinho’s third trophy of the season, after the League Cup and Charity Shield. And it was after the Europa League final in Stockholm that Mourinho revealed that Woodward knows the targets he wants.

“Ed Woodward has my list, what I want, what I would like for more than two months,” he told BT Sport. “So now it’s up to him and the owners. But I don’t care about football for now.”

He reiterated the message Tuesday, insisting the signings would be up to Woodward, who became executive vice-chairman at the club in 2012.

“This year, I had the most difficult season of my career,” Mourinho told VLT, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. “We played all of the games that were possible minus two.

“I got fed up and tired of football until the last day. I promised that you would not see me in football stadiums, and I stopped negotiating for players and being worried.

“I handed my list to the CEO in April and he has until August 31 to give me what I want, or not.”

If Everton striker Lukaku was on that list, United appears to have had a poor start to the summer after the Belgian chose a move back to Chelsea over joining Mourinho, The Times reported.

A striker will certainly be on Mourinho’s list as Zlatan Ibrahimovic suffered an injury that will likely see him miss the start of next season. The 35 year old’s contract at United will expire in the summer, though the club said it will continue to support his recovery from injury.

Woodward has delivered top transfers in the past. Last summer, he oversaw the signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus for £90 million (about $116 million) that broke the world transfer record. That summer the club also signed Ibrahimovic, the top scorer last season, as well as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly.
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Sunday, June 04, 2017

Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid: Ronaldo strike twice as Los Blancos crush Juve for La Duodecima

The unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice, as Real Madrid crushed a helpless Juventus to retain their UEFA Champions League crown at the Millenium stadim in Cardiff, South coast of Wales.


The Final showpiece of Europe's elites was finely poised between the most solid defending and one of the most lethal attacking sides in the competition, but it was Zinedine Zidane's men who wore their glass slippers to the ball, as they showed class to enforce the famous saying "the best form of defence is attack" in a fairy tale Finale. Allegri's Bianconeri had conceeded just 3 goals, while the Los Blancos racked up an amazing 32 goals enroute the final showpiece. The build up to the game had both fans expectations over the roof, as there was going to be no big name absentees due to injuries or suspensions, although Real's Gareth Bale had just made a speedy recovery in time to be fit for the piece, not fully fit. Many of the Italian fans waited to applaud the runners-up at the National Stadium of Wales, where the roof was closed due to safety and security reasons as vigilance increased in the wake of the Manchester attack.

The opening ceremony of the UEFA Champions League Final 2017 was intended to be lit up by a "fergie-less" black eyed peas to the dismay of many in the fully packed millenium stadium. They did though perform their hit track "i gotta feeling", amongst other songs, and indeed the night went on to be a "good night" for both the Madrid fans and the neutrals.


Smoke from the pyrotechnics hung high when play finally got under way, with the Old Lady flying out of the blocks and moving the ball around with confidence and authority.
Ex-Madrid star Gonzalo Higuain led the lines early on for Juve, asking questions of Keylor Navas in the Madrid goal with an early header and long-range strike that surprised Keylor Navas, with the goalkeeper soon producing a one-handed save as stunning as Miralem Pjanic's volleyed effort.


Real gradually settled into their stride but found Juventus' defence unsurprisingly difficult to breakdown, with late challenges and smart play denying them a shot until the 20th minute, and my was it worth the wait.
A Superb play saw the ball moved from left to right where Dani Carvajal collected a pass from Ronaldo, with marauding full-back playing it first time straight back to the Portuguese, who swept home a sublime right-footed strike via a slight deflection off Leonardo Bonucci past Gigi Buffon in the Juve goal to open the scoring.

The speed and quality of the move was outstanding, with Ronaldo celebrating in front of the Juve fans with typical flamboyance.


Massimiliano Allegri's side rallied impressively and soon levelled in the most emphatic fashion.
Higuain controlled a first-time cross from Alex Sandro and directed onto the Croatian, who cushioned the ball with his chest and produced an effort that left the footballing world open-mouthed.


Mandzukic's wonderful overhead kick from just inside the box looped home past a fully stretched Navas to give Juventus a deserved leveller - a goal they were unable to add to before a breathless first half came to an end.

Real came back blazing from the break, and from their on, their French maestro of a manager had worked his magic. The defending champions started the second period far better than the first, with Luka Modric and Marcelo having efforts as they pushed forwards in numbers. Isco directed wide as the Spaniards continued to threaten to score a goal that arrived in the 61st minute.


Casemiro ran onto the loose ball after a shot was blocked, hitting a thundering 40-yard screamer that deflected off Sami Khedira's heels and out of Buffon's reach to put the resilient Madrid back in front.
Things only got worse for the Bianconeri and pretty quickly too, as they fell further behind.
Fine build up play down the right unleashed Modric who hooked the ball back from the byline with outstanding precision, with Ronaldo getting ahead of his man to direct home at the near post for his second of the night, Juve had been dealt the killer blow.


Ronaldo attempted to complete his hat-trick before Marcelo missed the target, with Zidane bringing on Bale to the delight of the Welsh contingent inside the ground.
A last-ditch challenge prevented him getting on the end of a Ronaldo cross, with Sandro heading wide at the other end.
Matters went from bad to worse for the Italians as Juan Cuadrado picked up a second booking in quick succession. Tempers frayed after Ramos' theatrical reaction on a night that ended with him lifting the Champions League.


Marcelo then went on to set up substitute Marco Asensio who swept in their fourth goal in the last minute to add gloss to a mouth-watering performance by the men from the Spanish capital. As manager Zinedine Zidane joined Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho among others on the list of managers who have won the European Cup twice.





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Saturday, June 03, 2017

Juventus VS Real Madrid: UEFA Champions League Finals

Real and Juventus go head to head at the Millennium Stadium tonight in what could be an historic Champions League Final.

Zinedine Zidane's La Liga title winners will become the first ever team to defend the Champions League trophy if they can find a way past Juventus in Wales - but the Italian giants will be no pushovers.

Massimiliano Allegri's side successfully defended the Serie A title this term despite losing a number of key players last season, and boast a mean defence with Italian icon Gianluigi Buffon captaining the side.

The legendary 39-year-old goalkeeper has yet to win the competition despite a career full of honours, and must keep the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale at bay to add the famous trophy to his glittering collection.

It's a back three for Juve then. They played in this exact same way against Monaco, with Alves and Sandro starting level/slightly further ahead of a midfield two or Pjanic and Khedira. The shape looks a lot like Chelsea's 3-4-2-1 but is actually more like a 3-2-4-1. The idea is that the two wing-backs are actually wingers, which means Marcelo and Carvajal can't gallop down the line like they want to. This in turn means Real have no width, which means no room for Isco and no creation of chances for Ronaldo and Benzema.

Juventus

  • 1Buffon
  • 15Barzagli
  • 19Bonucci
  • 3Chiellini
  • 12Alex Sandro
  • 5Pjanic
  • 6Khedira
  • 23Dani Alves
  • 21Dybala
  • 17Mandzukic
  • 9Higuaín

Substitutes

  • 4Benatia
  • 7Cuadrado
  • 8Marchisio
  • 18Lemina
  • 22Asamoah
  • 25Murara Neto
  • 26Lichtsteiner
So it turns out the Bale thing may possibly have been one of those little rumours that can cause a bit of unrest in the opposition, but at least you know you're in safe hands, since I've been saying all day and week and Isco will start.

An interesting aside is that James Rodriguez isn't even in the squad! Don't expect to see him in Real Madrid colours next season...

The preening Portuguese meets the immovable Italian. Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Real Madrid’s breathtaking attacking force in their attempt to crack Juventus’s sublime defensive unit marshalled by Gianluigi Buffon. Massimiliano Allegri will see Madrid’s defence as inferior to his own and Paulo Dybala as the man to exploit any frailty. Zinedine Zidane’s side can become the first to win back-to-back Champions League titles while Juventus can complete a historic Serie A, Coppa Italia and European treble. An enthralling encounter beckons.

Real Madrid

  • 1Navas
  • 2Carvajal
  • 5Varane
  • 4Ramos
  • 12Marcelo
  • 8Kroos
  • 14Casemiro
  • 19Modric
  • 22Isco
  • 9Benzema
  • 7Ronaldo

Substitutes

  • 6Nacho
  • 11Bale
  • 13Casilla
  • 16Kovacic
  • 20Asensio
  • 21Morata
  • 23Danilo


Kick-off Saturday 7.45pm

Venue National Stadium of Wales

Head-to-head Juventus 8 Real Madrid 8 Draws 2

Referee Felix Brych (Ger)

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Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Five key problems Arsene Wenger must address at Arsenal after agreeing new two-year deal

 After months of speculation, Arsene Wenger is set to put pen to paper on a new deal and remain at Arsenal for another two years.

Wenger sat down with the board on Tuesday after the dust settled on the FA Cup final win over Chelsea to discuss the direction of the club.

Despite the trophy win, it has been a torrid campaign for the Gunners, who dropped out of the top four for the first time since the Frenchman took the reigns in 1996.

But Wenger has refused to give up on his 21-year stint in charge - and fully believes that he is the man to guide the Gunners back to former glories.

So, what does he need to do to get them there?

Here is what we believe should be at the top of his to-do list...


1. Sort out Sanchez and Ozil's contracts

The saga surrounding the contracts of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil has been going on just as long as Wenger's.

Now Wenger's future is confirmed, Arsenal have to focus on getting their two prize assets nailed down for the foreseeable future.

Both men have just one year left to run of their current deals and given how long the discussions have dragged on, both are set to be offered wages far bigger than what Arsenal would have liked.

The current market does suggest, however, that Sanchez and Ozil are worth more than the initial £180,000-a-week that Arsenal had offered them.

Selling them would only ruffle feathers more, given that they will have to be sold at a cut-price rate as their contracts wind down.

Without Champions League football to attract new talent, Wenger has to push Arsenal to break the bank and ensure that they keep the men who will guide them back to European football's top table.


2. Invest in the squad this summer

Poor recruitment has been something of a theme for Arsenal in recent years.

Yes, they sign good players, but when was the last time they secured a truly outstanding talent?

If Arsenal are going to compete at the top of the Premier League table, they need to go some way to try and match the riches being spent by their rivals.

Manchester City will have spent nearly £100m by the end of this week and Manchester United will spend similar on Antoine Griezmann alone - so Wenger needs a summer recruitment drive to keep pace.

The inability to offer Champions League football is a big problem for them - but United proved with the signing of Paul Pogba last summer that it is doable.

Wenger desperately needs to push for new arrivals just to prevent Arsenal from dropping even further behind their rivals.



3. Resolve the director of football situation

Wenger has made it categorically clear that he does not want a director of football. He even claimed that he did not know what the role involved.

So a compromise is going to have to be found for him to move forward with taking Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal's board want to bring in a new face to oversee some of the lesser operations at the club, which Wenger has got a stranglehold over at the moment.

That role will likely include contracts talks, pooling together medical information to logistics like first team travel.

The new role would ease Wenger's workload and help him delegate some of the tasks at the club.

He might not like it necessarily, but it seems to be the way forward for Arsenal.



4. Get set for the Europa League

Is the Europa League a desirable competition or just a pain in the backside?

Wenger needs to work out early on how he wants to approach the competition next season.

Manchester United have shown how playing in the Europa League can be a positive thing for a Premier League team if the right balance is found.

Jose Mourinho rotated his squad nicely and treated the Europa League with the respect that it deserves - and Wenger should approach the competition the same way to get the most out of it.

It could also prove the perfect breeding ground for the likes of Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Ainsley Maitland-Niles - if they are played alongside more experienced stooges.

And with competition for the top four as fierce as ever, Arsenal might as well keep the Europa League as a viable alternative to returning to the Champions League.



5. Show some love to the captain's armband

If his usage of Per Mertesacker during last season is anything to go by, Arsenal need to find themselves a new leader.

Mertesacker was excellent during the FA Cup final but it is clear to see that Wenger prefers Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding in the Arsenal back line.

Club captain Mertesacker played just the very last 127 minutes of the season.
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Manchester City unveil new kit for 2017-18 season

Man City have unveiled their new home kit for the 2017/18 season with Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane modelling at the launch.


Pep Guardiola's side will sport a design based on the title-winning side of 1967/68 with the added detail of maroon-banded socks.

The classic City blue shirt, which included a round-neck with white trim, is matched with white shorts.

Leroy Sane, who ended the season in superb form, expressed how much he has enjoyed his time at the Etihad after joining last year from Schalke.

“I’ve loved my first season with City," said the German winger after finishing the year with nine goals and eight assists in all competitions.


"We work hard to play fast, exciting and attacking football and we’re looking forward to creating winning moments for our fans."

The kit will also be worn by City's highly successful women's side and captain Steph Houghton, who has claimed three trophies in 12 months with the side, is excited by the future.

The kit will also be worn by City's highly successful women's side and captain Steph Houghton, who has claimed three trophies in 12 months with the side, is excited by the future.
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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

#WengerIN; Arsenal boss agrees new two year deal

 Arsene Wenger will today agree a two year contract to stay at Arsenal.

Wenger, 67, will attend today's board meeting where his future, summer plans and a backroom reshuffle will be discussed.

But reports say Wenger will stay and the deal has now been agreed with a formal announcement to follow on Wednesday.

There will be some degree of change after amicable talks between Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

Majority shareholder Stan Kroenke has always been a huge admirer of Wenger and has been fully supportive of Wenger.

Frenchman Wenger, who joined the club in 1996, has always wanted to stay.

And while this contract was on the table long before Wembley, the FA Cup has helped change the mood among many fans.

Wenger has held discussions since Saturday and it is understood now that everything is in place for him to stay until at least 2019.

Arsenal are also making one last push today to keep contract rebels Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil - by offering them a combined £30million per season in salary.

The Gunners are set to offer Sanchez a new contract with a two year extension in excess of £275,000-a-week to keep him at the club until 2020.

They have already offered Ozil £280,000-a-week to stay even though the German midfielder’s representatives have been pushing for around £350,000-a-week.

Sanchez likes London and Arsenal hope that plus a mega offer will help persuade him to stay as both have got contracts which expire in 2018.

Bayern Munich have sounded out Sanchez’s representatives while Manchester City are also confident of landing the Chile forward.

But there has not been the same level of interest in signing Ozil and Arsenal are anxious to avoid allowing them to run down their contracts and let them leave for free.
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Monday, May 29, 2017

Who won what around Europe in the 2016/17 season? League champions and cup winners revealed

Find out who got their hands on silverware across Europe in the 2016/17 season...


England:
Premier League champions: Chelsea
FA Cup winners: Arsenal
League Cup winners: Manchester United

Italy:
Serie A winners: Juventus
Coppa Italia winners: Juventus

France:
Ligue 1 winners: Monaco
Coupe de France winners: Paris Saint-Germain
Coupe de la Ligue: Paris Saint-Germain


Spain:
La Liga winners: Real Madrid
Copa del Rey winners: Barcelona

Germany:
Bundesliga winners: Bayern Munich
DFB-Pokal winners: Borussia Dortmund

Netherlands:
Eredivisie winners: Feyenoord
KNVB Cup winners: Vitesse Arnhem

Belgium:
Belgian First Division winners: Anderlecht
Belgian Cup winners: Zulte Waregem

Scotland:
Scottish Premiership winners: Celtic
Scottish Cup winners: Celtic
Scottish League Cup winners: Celtic

Portugal:
Primeira Liga winners: Benfica
Taca de Portugal winners: Benfica

Russia:
Russian Premier League winners: Spartak Moscow
Russian Cup: Lokomotiv Moscow

Switzerland:
Swiss Super League winners: Basel
Swiss Cup: Basel

Turkey:
Super Lig: Besiktas
Turkish Cup: To be determined (İstanbul Başakşehir v Konyaspor, 31 May, 19:30 BST)
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Barcelona name former Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde as new manager

Barcelona have appointed Ernesto Valvderde as their new manager.

Valverde has been the reported front-runner for the job for some time and he last week stepped down as Athletic Bilbao boss.

He replaces Luis Enrique at the Nou Camp, with the Spaniard calling time on his tenure after three years.

President Josep Bartomeu confirmed the appointment, stating: "A new era has begun." Valverde is due to be formally presented on Thursday.

Bartomeu added: "He has ability, knowledge and experience. He promotes the youth players and he follows the Barca way"

The 53-year-old Valverde is a former Barca player, helping the club win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Copa del Rey during two years at the Nou Camp under Johan Cruyff.

His managerial career has included spells at Espanyol, Olympiacos, Villarreal and Valencia

Barca have been searching for a new boss since Enrique announced in March that this would be his final season, and his last game in charge was Saturday's Copa del Rey final victory over Alaves.

That was the ninth trophy Barca had won during the 47-year-old Enrique's three years in the hotseat, which included league and cup doubles in 2015 and 2016.

Barca were unable to make it a hat-trick of doubles this season as they finished runners-up in LaLiga to Real Madrid, while in the Champions League they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Juventus.
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Huddersfield 0 Reading 0 (4-3 pens); Huddersfield seal £200m jackpot to join Premier League with Championship play-off final win

Huddersfield sealed a £200million jackpot and promotion to the Premier League with a tense penalty shootout win against Huddersfield in the Championship playoff final this afternoon.

Nearly 77,000 fans packed Wembley to watch the extremely nervy affair as the Terriers kept their cool from the spot and booked their place in the top flight for next season.

A minute’s silence before kick-off was impeccably observed and there was applause in the 22nd minute at Wembley to remember the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
    Huddersfield started brightly, and Michael Hefele should have scored after five minutes when Aaron Mooy swung in a free kick and the unmarked German defender somehow headed wide from five yards out.

    Latest possible contender for miss of the season: Elias Kachunga forced his way down the right and squared for Izzy Brown who missed an open goal from a yard out. Surely Izzier to score than miss.
    Manchester United fans knew all about the Dutch philosophy under Louis Van Gaal: lots of possession but going nowhere. That was Reading in the first half.
    Better from Swift at the start of the second half. He combined with George Evans and timed his run well to burst into the box, but his shot was straight at keeper Danny Ward.


 £200million or £20 at stake, there weren't any nerves shown by any of the players; it was simply a case of some real poor quality on show in the most lucrative game in world football.
    Reading pushed for the winner with Chris Gunther raiding down the right but Hefele was there with superb block just before Yann Kermogant could pounce.
    Referee Neil Swarbrick nearly had his Yorkshire pass revoked when he failed blow when Van La Parra was fouled. Gareth McCleary found Royals skipper Chris Gunther whose poor header sailed over the bar.
    The first period of extra time was as depressing as the Tiger Woods mugshot doing the rounds on social media.

    Nakhi Wells should have won it in the second period when sub Kasey Palmer found him in the box. A great turn and control, but the striker screwed a tame shot wide.
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Barcelona unveil Nike home kit for 2017-18 season with new sponsor


Barcelona have unveiled their new home kit for the 2017-18 campaign.


The Catalan giants took to social media to show off their latest design with brand new shirt sponsor Rakuten.

Sticking with the traditional colours of blue and red, the new jersey has faded stripes across the front moving away from last season’s shirt which had an evenly-spaced design.

Part of the club’s history is shown on the collar with is partially represents the Catalan flag called the Senyera.

On the inner right sleeve are the words “Forca” whilst on the left is “Barca” which stands for “Strength to Barca.”

It will be the first season with Japanese company Rakuten, the club’s new global sponsor.

Brazil ace Neymar said of the shirt: “Pulling on the new Barça kit for the first time creates a mixture of pride and optimism for the season ahead. It looks and feels like a modern uniform of sport.”

But that’s not the only change happening at the Nou Camp this summer with boss Ernesto Valverde set to replace departing manager Luis Enrique.

The current Athletic Bilbao coach has reportedly agreed a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Thibaut Courtois issues Chelsea ultimatum

Real Madrid target Thibaut Courtois has told Chelsea “there will be no doubt” he will stay if he is “rewarded with a new contract” by the club.

The Belgian goalkeeper has so far yet to commit his future to the club amid interest from the La Liga giants.

Courtois and Manchester United’s David De Gea are both wanted by Champions League finalists Madrid.

The 25-year-old Blues stopper’s family still live in the Spanish capital from his time playing for Atletico Madrid, but that looks unlikely to draw him away from the Premier League champions.
Following Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup Final at Wembley, he told Sky Sports: “Contract talks haven’t opened but I am happy at Chelsea.
“I hope they reward me with a good contract.

“Then there will be no doubt I will sign it.”
Courtois is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2019 his form this campaign has led to Madrid stepping-up their interest in the star.
He won the Golden Glove award for keeping 16 clean sheets during Chelsea’s march to the title.

And reflecting on their defeat against the Gunners, Courtois admitted he and his team-mates will try to forget it as soon as possible.
He told the club’s website: "It's not a good feeling now. I had the same thing in Spain when I won the league and then lost the Champions League. We wanted to end on a high, now we feel sad.
"Winning is everything so this is hard to face but we have to try to forget it."
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Manchester City complete £43.6m signing of Monaco’s Bernardo Silva

Manchester City have signed Monaco’s Bernardo Silva in a £43.6m deal. The midfielder has agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League side to kickstart Pep Guardiola’s overhaul of a squad that finished last season without a trophy.


The Catalan was determined to move swiftly in the transfer market this summer after his team finished third in the Premier League and failed in their pursuit of the two domestic cups and the Champions League.
Guardiola had earmarked the 22-year-old Monaco midfielder as one of his top targets and the two clubs reached an agreement on Friday, with the player having travelled to Manchester for a medical.
Silva, who will wear the No20 shirt, told City’s website: “It feels great. To be honest I’m now at one of the best teams in the world. To be part of this club and to have this opportunity is great.
“I’m very happy to be part of City’s team and I look forward to trying to do my best to help the team reach their goals. Of course when you have the opportunity of being trained by Guardiola, you don’t say no. If not the best coach in the world, he is one of the best.

The Portuguese added: “What he did in Barcelona and Bayern Munich was amazing and we expect also here that he will win titles. It’s great to be working with him and to have this opportunity.”

Silva, who has 15 caps for Portugal after making his debut against Cape Verde in March 2015, joined Monaco on a permanent deal in the summer of that year having spent the previous season on loan there from Benfica.
The playmaker missed Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph through injury but has been instrumental in Monaco’s title win this season, as well as their progress in the Champions League, where they eliminated Manchester City before losing to Juventus in the semi-finals. In the French league in 2016-17 Silva played 37 games, scored eight goals and provided nine assists.
On Thursday City confirmed the departures of Jesús Navas, Gaël Clichy, Willy Caballero and Bacary Sagna with Guardiola set for an upgrade of the squad he inherited last summer. All four players were out of contract this summer. A number of other players out on loan could also move on, including Samir Nasri, Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony.
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Angers 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain; Late Issa Cissokho own goal hands PSG French Cup title

PSG's dominance in the domestic cup competitions continued on Saturday after they captured a record 11th French Cup title by beating Angers 1-0 thanks to an injury-time own goal.


The capital side, who owed their victory to Issa Cissokho's own goal a minute into added time in an otherwise dull final, claimed the title for the third year running and have now won 32 consecutive League Cup and French Cup games.
Their last defeat in a cup match came in the 2013/14 season when they were knocked out by Montpellier in the last 32 of the French Cup.

The result at the Stade de France should ease the pressure on coach Unai Emery after his side failed in the Champions League and lost their Ligue 1 title to Monaco.
PSG, who now own one more French Cup title than Marseille, got off to a solid start but Alexandre Letellier denied Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti early on.

Emery's side struggled to threaten and Angers came closest to scoring midway through the first half when Nicolas Pepe's fierce 20-metre strike hit Alphonse Areola's post.
Letellier made a fine save in the 56th minute to deny Blaise Matuidi as Angers held firm.
Six minutes from time, Cavani, who has scored 49 goals in all competitions this season, squandered a chance to match Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 2015/16 tally of 50 when he missed the target from close range.
But PSG eventually sealed their win when Senegalese Cissokho put through his own goal when trying to defend a corner.



The result earned Girondins de Bordeaux, who finished sixth in Ligue 1, a Europa League spot next season.
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