Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has been appointed as head coach of La Liga side Villarreal on a three-year deal.

Unai Emery will take charge of Villarreal for the next three seasons

The Spaniard has been out of work since being sacked by Arsenal in November.

Former Villarreal boss Javier Calleja left the club last week after leading them to a fifth-place finish in La Liga, ensuring qualification for next season’s Europa League.

Emery was sacked by Arsenal in November after 18 months in charge

Emery replaced Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager in May 2018 and led the club to the Europa League final and a fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Prior to a spells in charge at Paris Saint-Germain, Sevilla and Spartak Moscow, Emery managed Villarreal’s local rivals Valencia from 2008-2012.

As Sevilla boss, Emery guided the club to three consecutive Europa League titles.

Source – Sky Sports

The Austrian left-back has been linked with a summer departure but his new team-mate wants to play alongside him.

Leroy Sane has urged David Alaba to stay at Bayern Munich so the pair can play in the same team.

Alaba, 28, has been linked with a move away from the Bavarian side as he has just 12 months left on his contract, with Manchester City reportedly eager to sign him.

Sane, meanwhile, has moved in the opposite direction after Bayern reached a €49 million deal (£45m/$55m) with the Premier League side.

The Germany international is excited by the idea of playing alongside his friend Alaba and hopes to convince the Austrian full-back to continue his career with the Bundesliga giants.

“I really hope David stays. I would like to play with him. He is a good guy, a great footballer, and we like each other privately,” Sane said to Sport Bild.

“David has proven that he is not only one of the world’s best left-backs, but also exceptional in the centre.”

Sane spent four years with Pep Guardiola’s team after joining from Schalke and went on to lift two Premier League titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup on one occasion.

He had been limited to just one league appearance this term, however, as an injury kept him sidelined while City surrendered the crown to Liverpool.

With Bayern on a record run of eight consecutive Bundesliga titles, Sane is confident of winning even more silverware and has his eyes on the European crown.

“I can feel [the excitement at Bayern]. The boys are hot and focused, they have big goals with the club,” he added.

“I think a lot can be achieved. I definitely see a realistic chance of winning the Champions League with Bayern.”

The 24-year-old is also back in Germany coach Joachim Low’s plans despite being left out of the squad for the 2018 World Cup and he is eager to resume his international career.

“I was very surprised about that. Statements and judgements about my character came from many corners, from people who don’t know me personally and don’t know what makes me tick,” he said.

“I wondered how things like that came about? If I don’t know a person, I would never talk about their character.

“I was far away [from Germany] and, of course, there is speculation. But still, I found it strange, surprising.

“I’ve completely ticked off the 2018 World Cup chapter, and I don’t think about it anymore. My relationship with Jogi Low was very good right from the start, and that hasn’t changed.

“He is counting on me for the future, and I appreciate that. I really enjoy working with him. I didn’t focus on the national team when I made the transfer but I know how much it has helped the national team when there was a strong Bayern block at tournaments.”

Source – Goal.com

The Reds collected the trophy in an empty stadium but the German manager insists the fans will get a chance to celebrate with the team.

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Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool fans to “prepare for a party” with the team when social distancing measures are lifted.

The Reds’ 30-year wait for a Premier League title came to an end this season and the trophy was presented to the players after their 5-3 win over Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday.

There were no fans present to join in the celebrations due to restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19, but Klopp promised there will be a real party when it is safe.

“If you cannot see that we do this for you then I cannot help you, really,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports.

“Five years ago I asked you to change from doubters to believers. I asked and you did it. You made us champions. Thank you very much.

“We should all celebrate. Drink what you want but you have you to prepare for a party when this bullsh*t virus is gone. Then we will have a party all together. Make sure you are ready then.”

He added: “We are champions – it’s the truth. We won four trophies, big ones. I couldn’t be more proud. Usually I don’t need pictures with something but I will have a picture with all four trophies – it doesn’t happen too often.”

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson made a dream come true by lifting the Premier League trophy and praised the team for rising to the challenge.

“The start was really good and from there we just grew and grew as the season went on,” he said.

“We got stronger, more confident, more ruthless, really. We found a way to win on so many occasions and that was down to mentality. The lads have been great all season and deserve what they are getting now.

“To get 97 points last year and not win was hard to take. We reacted a few weeks later, won the Champions League and then started the season a few weeks later with unfinished business.

“It’s been an amazing season and I am so thankful to be part of this club and team that has won the Premier League after 30 years.

“Winning the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. That’s why you join Liverpool, you want to win trophies, the expectations are so high. When you come as a young player it was so difficult, but it has been a process, a journey that doesn’t happen overnight.

“It’s been five years since the gaffer came in and every single player has been a part of that journey.”

Source – Goal.com

While he is still a long way short of Frank Lampard’s non-striker scoring record, the City ace is gaining ground with every season that passes.

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Raheem Sterling netted his 85th Premier League goal on Tuesday, a tally that puts the Manchester City winger ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the division’s all-time goalscorer standings.

Sterling opened the scoring for his club after 31 minutes against Watford, and struck again before half-time to send Pep Guardiola’s charges into the break 2-0 up at the Vicarage Stadium.

The 25-year-old now has 19 for the 2019-20 Premier League season, putting him level with Liverpool marksman Mohamed Salah and a single goal behind Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who in turn trails current league top scorer Jamie Vardy, who boasts 23 strikes to date.

Unlike his challengers for the scoring crown, Sterling is not an orthodox centre-forward, playing primarily in a wide position for City since moving from Liverpool in 2015.

And when it comes to hitting the net, the England international belongs to a select club of stars who have posed a regular goal-scoring threat from outside the forward line.

Tuesday’s double marked his 84th and 85th league goals, which means he has now surpassed Ronaldo’s United mark – scored, like Sterling, mostly as a winger.

In the history of the Premier League only five non-strikers have managed to score more than the City star.

Sterling now shares sixth place on that list with Eden Hazard, who also netted 85 times during his time at Chelsea.

Ahead of that pair sit Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, who scored 100 Premier League goals with the Saints – a number that ascends to 160 when taking into account his strikes in the First Division prior to 1992-93.

Next is Paul Scholes, the author of 107 goals while at Manchester United, with long-time Reds team-mate Ryan Giggs a nose in front with 109.

And, unsurprisingly, the list is topped by a formidable pair: current Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who notched an incredible 177 strikes with the Blues; and Steven Gerrard, with 120 for Liverpool.

Sterling’s haul of 19 for 2019-20 also sees him beat his own personal best for a single season, set in 2017-18 as City won the English crown.

After initially struggling in front of goal as a youngster he has now recorded 17 goals or more in the last four campaigns, and if he can keep up that pace the star has plenty of time to challenge Lampard and Gerrard as the Premier League’s most prolific non-striker in history.

Source – Goal.com

Striker Kylian Mbappe has been linked to Liverpool, among others, but has no interest in departing Paris Saint-Germain.

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Kylian Mbappe says he will be a Paris Saint-Germain player next season “no matter what”.

The World Cup winner continues to be linked with moves away from PSG, the club he joined from Monaco in 2017 on an initial loan that was followed by a €180million transfer.

Mbappe scored 30 goals in all competitions before the Ligue 1 giants saw their season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The France forward will get the opportunity to add to that tally as the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Champions League continue in the coming weeks.

And while certain reports have linked Mbappe with a potential move to Liverpool or Real Madrid once the current season comes to a close, he has confirmed that he will also remain at the Parc des Princes in 2020-21.

“I’m here. I am in the project for a fourth year,” Mbappe told beIN SPORTS on Tuesday.

“The 50th year of the club is an important year for the club, the supporters, everyone, so I will be there no matter what.

“I will try to bring back trophies with the team and give the best of myself.”

Mbappe could yet be joined in staying in Paris by another key figure, as Thomas Tuchel acknowledged Thiago Silva’s future has not been settled.

PSG announced their captain would depart at the end of the campaign but later confirmed an extension to take in the remaining three competitions, while the likes of Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier opted to leave Parc des Princes immediately.

The Braiil defender has represented PSG since 2012, racking up more than 300 appearances for the club since joining from Milan and lifting 21 pieces of silverware, including seven Ligue 1 titles.

Speaking of Silva after Tuesday’s 4-0 friendly win over Celtic, Tuchel said: “He’s our player, he’s our captain, and we need to talk about this after the Champions League.

“Today is the time to be focused. It looks like he’s going to leave, but in football, you never know.”

Source – Goal.com

Roy Hodgson pointed to Crystal Palace’s lack of selection options and said he does not know “what more we can do” after his side slumped to a seventh consecutive Premier League defeat.

Palace defender Mamadou Sakho went off injured in the first half against Wolves

The Ballon d’Or will not be awarded in 2020, the award organisers Group L’Equipe have confirmed.

Lionel Messi accepts the Ballon d’Or award in 2019

The decision comes after consultation with the group stakeholders, who decided that the conditions under which the award is usually handed out could not be met this year.

Near worldwide stoppages because of the coronavirus – even though seasons resumed in England, Germany, Spain and Italy, among other leagues – have led organisers to determine that a cancellation is the fairest outcome.

Messi won his sixth Ballon d’Or last year

“As the organiser of the Ballon d’Or, the Group L’Equipe, to which France Football belongs, decided not to award the most prestigious individual trophy there is in 2020,” a statement said.

Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football, added: “For the first time since 1956, the Ballon d’Or will take a break.

“There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met.

“We believe that such a singular year cannot – and should not – be treated as an ordinary one.

“From a sports perspective, two months (January and February), out of the 11 generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies, represent far too little to gauge and judge, without forgetting that the other games were played – or will be played – in unordinary conditions (behind closed doors, with five replacements, Champions League played in a single game).”

Megan Rapinoe claimed the most recent women’s Ballon d’Or

Ferré confirmed that the award will take a one-year break before returning in 2021 when, they hope, conditions to make a fair judgement will have returned to the football world.

“Finally, the equity that prevails for this honorary title will not be warranted, especially when it comes to accounting and preparation,” Ferré said.

“All the award seekers will not be in the same boat, some having seen their season cut short. Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison? To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.

“This decision, which was taken of course with all the Group stakeholders, does not delight us but it seems to be the most responsible one.”

Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or for a sixth time in 2019, while Megan Rapinoe claimed the women’s Ballon d’Or.

Source – Sky Sports

The mercurial winger has been tipped to secure a transfer away from Santiago Bernabeu after a turbulent season in the Spanish capital.

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Gareth Bale “will not leave Real Madrid” this summer, according to his agent Jonathan Barnett, who says “the best players in the world do not go out on loan”.

Bale has been restricted to just two appearances for Madrid since their return from lockdown in June, and was left out of Zinedine Zidane’s squad completely for the 2-2 draw with Leganes on the final day of the Liga season.

The Welshman has cut a forlorn figure in the stands over the last few weeks, making headlines for pretending to be asleep and simulating the use of binoculars while watching his team-mates handle business on the pitch.

Bale has contributed just three goals to Madrid’s cause in 20 appearances in 2019-20, and he looked somewhat out of place while the team celebrated their latest La Liga title triumph following a 2-1 win over Villarreal last Thursday.

As the rest of the squad picked up Zidane and revelled in a first domestic crown since 2017, the 31-year-old looked on with his arms folded, leading to more question marks over his future at Santiago Bernabeu.

It has been suggested that Madrid will look to offload Bale when the transfer window reopens, but Barnett is adamant that his client will be staying put.

“Gareth is fine. He has two years left on his contract,” the Wales international’s agent told BBC Sport. “He likes living in Madrid and he is going nowhere.

“He is still as good as anyone else in the team. It’s up to [Real Madrid manager] Zinedine Zidane.

“Of course here’s been interest but there’s hardly a club in the world which can afford him.

“It’s a great loss that he’s not in the Real Madrid team at the moment but he will not leave.”

Asked whether a loan move could be possible for Bale rather than a permanent transfer, Barnett responded: “He wants to play for Wales at Euro 2020. He always wants to play well for Wales.

“Gareth is one of the best players in the world. The best players in the world do not go out on loan.”

Bale’s representative went on to insist that there is no bad blood between the Madrid star and Zidane, despite the fact he no longer enjoys a prominent role in the first team.

“Gareth is not looking to outlast Zinedine Zidane. Mr Zidane has been very successful,” Barnett said.

“There’s no hatred. Mr Zidane just does not want to play him. Gareth trains every day and he trains well.”

Source – Goal.com

The Portuguese’s second-half penalty against Lazio also saw him become the fastest player to reach a half-century of finishes for 25 years.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has written himself into the history books once again after the Juventus striker became the first player to score 50 goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

The Portuguese’s second-half penalty finish against Lazio saw him clock up a half-century of goals in the Italian top-flight since his arrival in Turin, in addition becoming the fastest player to do so since 1995.

In addition, the 35-year-old’s converted spot-kick means that he has also equalled Giuseppe Signori’s 1994-95 record for penalty goals in a season, with 12 successful conversions from inside the area.

Ronaldo joined Juventus ahead of the 2018-19 campaign following the better part of a decade with Real Madrid, during which period he won virtually every major domestic honour and four Champions League titles.

Before that, he spent six years at Manchester United, where he initially forged his reputation as one of the world’s greatest players with a maiden Ballon d’Or win in 2008 following the Red Devils’ own European triumphs.

At both clubs, he clocked up an impressive number of goals, with 118 in 292 appearances for United and 450 in 438 games for Madrid – and with his latest haul for the Bianconeri, he has shown that his prowess remains impressively intact even as he approaches the twilight of his career.

At international level, Ronaldo lies one finish short of a century outright, with 99 goals for Portugal across all competitions, with only Iran’s Ali Daei having exceeded his prolific total on the global stage.

Juventus are chasing another Serie A crown in what is manager Maurizio Sarri’s first campaign at the helm, though Lazio remain one of a handful of sides breathing down their neck across the final weeks of what has been a peculiar season bisected by a global pandemic.

Five months after they were first scheduled to face them in a second-leg encounter at Allianz Stadium, the Bianconeri will look to overturn a 1-0 defeat against Lyon in the Champions League round-of-16 in the coming weeks, as they hope to reach the competition’s condensed finale in Lisbon.

Source – Goal.com