The German coach admits he’ll need to rebuild his side after a disappointing end to their season.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has declared Lionel Messi is “very welcome” to join the club should the Barcelona star decide to pursue a move away from Camp Nou.

The Argentine legend has once again been linked with a possible Barca exit after seeing his side end the season without a trophy and lose 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Tuchel himself failed to guide his side past Bayern on Sunday as the Bundesliga giants claimed their sixth Champions League title with a 1-0 win over PSG.

The Ligue 1 champions are one of few clubs in the world that could potentially afford a move for Messi and Tuchel conceded he certainly wouldn’t say no to having the 33-year-old to join his side.

“He [Messi] is very welcome! We lost lots of players for this campaign only and we lose now Thiago Silva and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. We need to use the transfer window now to make the squad bigger,” Tuchel told BT Sport.

“The campaign will be very demanding without any breaks. We need to build a strong, strong squad.

“We decided not to talk about transfers in this period here. We will sit together in the next days. We have many things to do to keep the level of the squad.

“What coach says no to Messi? I think Messi finishes his career in Barcelona. He is Mr. Barcelona.”

Despite a few chances to strike against Bayern, PSG were unable to triumph in their first Champions League final and Tuchel called on his men to rebound quickly next season.

“It is necessary if we want to keep the same level, we have to step up again. You have to go on. This level is necessary,” Tuchel said.

“We showed again we can compete with the best teams in Europe with this mentality and attitude, in combination with our talent.

“We are a strong, strong side. We can be proud of that. We cannot worry too much because it is okay and we will go on.”

While once again falling short on Europe’s biggest stage, PSG ended their season with a domestic treble and lost just three games in a shortened Ligue 1 campaign.

Source – Goal.com

Uefa might consider revisiting the single-game knockout format in future seasons following its incorporation in this season’s Champions League.

Manchester City were stunned by Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals

Football’s suspension during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a revision of the club competition’s format in order that it could be completed at all.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “We were forced to do it but in the end we see that we found out something new.

“So we will think about it in the future for sure.”

Both the final stages of the Champions League and Europa League – from the quarter-finals onwards – were held at neutral venues over a two-week period in August.

There were thrilling climaxes in the Champions League quarter-finals involving Manchester City and Lyon, Paris St-Germain and Atalanta, and in RB Leipzig’s win over Atletico Madrid. And in the most eagerly awaited match, Bayern Munich trounced Barcelona 8-2.

Ceferin believes games have been less cautious and teams have been forced to go for goals because there have not been second legs.

He added: “If it is one match, if one team scores then the other has to score as soon as possible. If it is two-legged system then there is still time to win the next match.

“But of course we also have to think about the fact that we have less matches and broadcasters say ‘you don’t have as many matches as before, this is different’ – so we will have to discuss when this crazy situation ends.”

The current format cannot be changed until 2024-25, although discussions are expected to begin later this year on the structure for the competition in that next phase.

This season’s final between Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain kicks off at 20:00 BST on Sunday.

Source – BBC News

This was a Champions League final like no other at the conclusion of a Champions League campaign like no other – but the outcome was the right one in the end as Bayern Munich were deservedly crowned kings of Europe for the sixth time.

Bayern Munich won their sixth European title in their 11th final

The final was originally scheduled to take place in Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium on 30 May but was eventually staged 85 days later inside the vast, but virtually deserted, Stadium of Light in Lisbon.

Kingsley Coman’s headed goal just before the hour gave Bayern victory and crowned a remarkably swift renaissance under coach Hansi Flick, who initially assumed interim charge after Niko Kovac was sacked in November, and left Paris St-Germain still with an empty space in their trophy cabinet where they want the Champions League to be.

This may have been a revamped knockout format because of the rescheduling forced on Uefa by the global coronavirus pandemic, but it was a success and no-one can seriously question Bayern’s status as worthy winners.

Bayern are the first team to win every game in a single Champions League campaign and produced the performance of the tournament, thrashing Barcelona 8-2 in the quarter-finals as well as demolishing Tottenham 7-2 on their own ground in the group stage.

Some may question this enforced new format.

Did it work? Did it devalue the tournament? Yes. And no.

The knockout format, which involved one-off games from the quarter-final stage in a single city, in this case Lisbon, can be judged a success by any measure.

Of course the biggest game in club football should be played in front of a packed stadium, awash with colour and Uefa’s occasionally ludicrous pre-match pageantry, but this was the reality and the new format worked with drama, goals, excitement and a final that was typically tense and tight.

These last two weeks have had the usual Champions League storylines.

The glorious underdogs of Atalanta were only denied in the closing moments by PSG. Manchester City were stunned by Lyon. No-one will forget the incredible night when one-time rulers Barcelona saw their kingdom come crashing down around them as they were tortured by Bayern, eight goals going in as the Catalan giants threw in the towel long before the final whistle.

The final itself was awash with sub-plots.

PSG paid hundreds of millions of pounds to entice the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe only to be undone by Kingsley Coman, who they had as a youngster only to see him leave, first for Juventus and then on to Bayern.

Neymar was crying in the stands at full-time after Paris St-Germain failed to win their first Champions League title

It even had a redemption story in the figure of Philippe Coutinho, derided for leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018, subsequently missing out on a Champions League final appearance at the end of that season and watching from afar as his former club won it against Tottenham last season while his own career at the Nou Camp ran aground.

Coutinho is now a winner after coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Bayern in Lisbon, the dysfunctional nature of his recent career – and the similar state of Barcelona – summed up by the Brazilian coming on as a substitute and scoring twice for his loan side against his parent club in that remarkable quarter-final.

So yes, the new format has been a success and the Champions League has the right winners.

For all that, however, this should be a one-off and the normal two-legged format should be restored if and when circumstances allow.

Uefa should resist the temptation to tamper with the format permanently, no matter how successful these last two weeks have been – but president Aleksander Ceferin has already been making noises suggesting this may not be the last we see of the new set-up.

These games have been dramatic and Uefa provided the perfect solution to the problem it faced, but the dramas the traditional format provided should not be wiped away.

Think of Manchester United’s comeback against Juventus in the second leg of the 1999 Champions League semi-final.

Think of Barcelona’s remarkable recovery from 4-0 down to beat PSG in the last 16 in 2017, although the French side will harbour injustices forever about decisions that went against them in the Nou Camp that night.

Think of Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield in the 2019 semi-final that allowed them to somehow overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg against Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and company.

And then the Champions League delivered Lucas Moura’s winner for Tottenham against Ajax five seconds from time in Amsterdam the following night to give them a 3-2 win from 2-0 down to take them into the final in Madrid.

The last two weeks have been a credit to the teams involved and the organisation required to take the Champions League on a different road to the one originally intended – but hopefully normal service and schedules can be resumed when it is safe and possible to do so.

Source –BBC News

Arsenal assistant coach Freddie Ljungberg is leaving the club to “pursue new opportunities”.

Freddie Ljungberg helped Arsenal to win the FA Cup this season alongside manager Mikel Arteta

In a statement, Ljungberg said he had taken the decision to leave “to progress my management experience”.

Ljungberg, 43, had a spell in interim charge following the departure of Unai Emery in November 2019 and stayed on the coaching staff after the appointment of Mikel Arteta.

He also coached Arsenal’s under-15 and under-23 squads.

As a player, Ljungberg made 326 appearances for Arsenal and was part of the Premier League-winning Invincibles side of 2003-04.

“I have been involved with this club on and off since 1998 and am grateful for all the opportunities they have given me both as a player and as a coach,” said Ljungberg.

“I wish Mikel and all the team every success for the season ahead. Thanks also to the fans for their constant support and for always being by my side. I hope we will all meet again soon.”

Arteta added: “Freddie has been a really important member of my team since my arrival.

“He did a great job picking the team up when Unai left and we all have 100% respect for him as a man and a coach. I know I’ll be facing him on the touchline in the future.”

Arsenal technical director Edu revealed Ljungberg had “various opportunities over the last 12 months and stuck to the job at Arsenal”, adding: “Now he has the opportunity to consider other options, and it makes sense for his career at this time.”

Source – BBC News

The Brazilian legend is adamant that the Frenchman would be a better investment for the club moving forward.

Photo by Getty

Real Madrid great Ronaldo believes the La Liga champions should sign Kylian Mbappe ahead of Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar.

Mbappe has been tipped to make the move to Madrid at some stage in his career, with Los Blancos reportedly eyeing a 2021 transfer.

Former Barcelona forward Neymar – who joined PSG in a world-record deal in 2017 – has also been linked to Madrid previously.

But Brazilian legend Ronaldo, a La Liga winner with Madrid in 2002-03, prefers France‘s Mbappe over countryman Neymar due to age.

“Right now, it is not that one is better than another, but if Real Madrid had to make a big investment, they should do so thinking about the future,” Ronaldo said during a webinar hosted by Santander.

“Neymar is 28 years old and Mbappe is 22. As an investment, it would be more logical to bring the younger [of the two].”

Mbappe and Neymar are preparing for Sunday’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

French powerhouse PSG will feature in their first Champions League decider, having dominated domestically.

Neymar – who won the 2015 Champions League with Barca – and PSG have already claimed Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions in 2019-20.

“He needs to win the Champions League to complete his season,” Ronaldo said of Neymar.

“He has played very well in the last few games, especially in this final phase in Portugal.

“He has created many scoring chances, but he has lacked calmness to finish off moves. With luck and calmness, he can find himself scoring in the final.”

Ronaldo, meanwhile, also believes Lionel Messi won’t be leaving Barcelona anytime soon despite reports suggesting he’s considering a Camp Nou exit.

“It is very unlikely that Messi will leave Barcelona, especially with the financial crisis in Europe,” he said.

“Messi is the reference of the team and if I was Barcelona I would not let him leave in any case.

“Messi has a very intense relationship with Barcelona, I do not think he will stop being in love with the team. He’s upset, of course, with how they were defeated in the Champions League.

“Messi needs his team-mates to help him, as they do, and Barcelona will have to think of something different for the next seasons. Letting your main player leave is not the solution.”

Source – Goal.com

A former Anfield favourite believes the Belgian midfielder would slot into Jurgen Klopp’s line up perfectly.

Photo by Getty Images

Stan Collymore says that Kevin De Bruyne “would be the perfect fit for Liverpool“, with it his belief that the Manchester City star could turn the Reds into a “truly great side”.

De Bruyne was the standout player for City throughout their 2019-20 campaign, as he hit 13 goals while also recording a staggering 20 assists in 35 top-flight outings.

The 29-year-old picked up the Premier League Player of the Season award for his efforts, and also added a fourth League Cup winners’ medal to his collection of domestic honours.

He was, however, unable to inspire City towards a third successive title or Champions League glory, with Liverpool emerging as the new dominant force in England and Lyon humbling Pep Guardiola’s men in Europe.

Collymore thinks it is about time that De Bruyne moved onto a new challenge, and that Anfield could be the ideal next destination for a player “at the height of his powers”.

The former Liverpool striker says the Belgium international is capable of elevating Jurgen Klopp’s side to an even higher level, and he wants to see his old club test City’s resolve with an audacious approach.

“Kevin De Bruyne fully ­deserves to have been named PFA Player of the Year – he has been Mr Consistency at such a high level,” Collymore wrote in his latest column for The Mirror.

“But that makes me wonder: Isn’t it time he tested himself at Real Madrid, a rejuvenated Barcelona or – here’s one to put the cat among the pigeons – Liverpool?

“De Bruyne hasn’t yet played for a massive club because Chelsea and Manchester City come with B-grade expectations. At Wolfsburg, it’s a C and Belgium are more of a dark horse than front-runner.

“The only way he can really stamp his greatness on the game is by joining a club at which he’d have A* ­expectations and, at the height of his powers, there isn’t a better time for him to do that. De Bruyne would be the perfect fit for Liverpool.

“He could go in and run a midfield which already has all the attributes to get the best out of him. He could make them a truly great side, one which wins multiple Premier League and Champions League titles.

“I can hear City fans screaming: ‘Nonsense, Stan’. But it’s only ­nonsense if Liverpool don’t have the brass neck or finances to go for it.”

Collymore added on the extra dimension De Bruyne could bring to the current Liverpool squad: “Having a nibble at De Bruyne ought to be a no-brainer for Liverpool ­because he would make a midfield that was excellent last season even better.

“Most Liverpool fans would tell you their midfield is 8/10 as things stand, compared to rearguard and forward lines that are 9/10. To go on and truly dominate at home and in Europe, Liverpool are going to need more goals and assists from midfield.

‘And in De Bruyne they would have a player who is always going to find a forward with a pass and is always ­going to weigh in with goals and ­free-kicks, too.”

Source – Goal.com

The FA is hopeful of welcoming England supporters back to Wembley for October’s triple-header as a phased return of fans begins this weekend.

The FA is hoping to see fans at Wembley for England’s Nations League fixtures in October as a phased return begins this weekend

The governing body has announced supporters at clubs playing in steps three to six of the men’s National League System (NLS) and teams in tiers three to four of the women’s football pyramid will be able to attend games from Saturday.

Spectators will be allowed through the turnstiles for games played between August 22 and 30, providing their number does not exceed 15 per cent of the minimum ground grading capacity at these levels.

From August 31, clubs will be permitted to allow spectators to attend fixtures provided their number does not exceed 30 per cent of the minimum ground grading capacity.

If a club does have any fixtures before August 30, they must play at least one pre-season or competitive match at the 15 per cent threshold, before moving on to the 30 per cent limit.

Fans have been unable to attend matches played in the top 10 tiers of men’s football since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March but it is hoped the phased return will lead to fans enjoying live football further up the pyramid by October.

In comes after UEFA stated September’s Nations League games will go ahead as planned but behind closed doors.

Similar to the FA’s stance, UEFA also wants to hold pilot games first with next month’s Super Cup in Budapest on September 24 between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League, put forward as a possible fixture.

Although it means England’s back-to-back away games in Iceland (September 5) and Denmark (September 8) will see no spectators, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is hopeful supporters will be allowed back for their three home games the following month following positive discussions with UEFA.

“We have obviously got to work out with both UEFA and the government – we are not talking about full stadia but we are talking about having some level of crowds back in October as our goal,” Bullingham said.

“We’d love to get fans back in the stadia for all three matches in October and I think there will be a different set of circumstances discussed for then.

“We didn’t go to that level of detail on the call today, but I think there could well be a circumstance where you get different approaches from different countries.

Source – Sky Sports

The full-back saw his request denied after his side’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona last week.

Photo by Getty Images

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies said Lionel Messi denied his request for his shirt after last week’s 8-2 demolition in the Champions League quarter-final.

Davies and his Bayern Munich team-mates beat Lyon 3-0 at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Wednesday in the semi-final, reaching the final against PSG.

Serge Gnabry grabbed a first-half double and the prolific Robert Lewandowski nodded in his 55th goal of a staggering season to put Lyon out of their misery late on.

It followed an astonishing win over Barcelona in the quarter-final, where the only blot on a fabulous evening for Davies came when he failed to claim Messi’s famous number 10 jersey as a souvenir afterwards.

“I asked for it but I think he was a little bit upset,” the left-back told BT Sport. “It’s OK, next time hopefully.”

Messi’s frustration was understandable after Barcelona finished the 2019-20 season without a trophy, casting doubt on the 33-year-old’s future with the club.

Reports have suggested that Messi could be looking for a way out of Camp Nou as his contract enters its final year.

New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has said that he plans to sit down and talk with Messi, expressing his hope that he can work alongside the Argentinian star for years to come.

“I don’t know if I have to convince Messi or not,” Koeman said on Wednesday. “You want to have the best in the world in your team, not the opposite.

“I want to work with Messi. He wins you games and, if he provides the performances he has always shown, I’ll be happy if he wants to stay.

“He has a contract. I have to talk to him, because he is the captain of the team. We are going to work and talk with several players. And in the case of Messi, I hope that he will be here for many more years.

“What I talk to Messi, there are private things between player and coach. We will talk about what he thinks of Barcelona and then I will make decisions.”

Koeman took over from Quique Setien, who was sacked in the aftermath of the heavy defeat to Bayern. Technical manager Eric Abidal was also shown the door.

Source – Goal.com

The Blaugrana have made a swift change in the dugout in the wake of a shocking Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this month.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Barcelona have confirmed Ronaldo Koeman’s as their new permanent head coach on a contract set to run until 2022.

The Dutchman has left his post in charge of the Netherlands national team to replace Quique Setien in the Camp Nou hot seat.

Barca have released an official statement on their website confirming the news, which reads: “FC Barcelona and Ronald Koeman have reached an agreement for the Dutchman to take over as first-team coach until 30 June 2022.

“The Blaugrana legend, hero of Wembley, the man who handed Barca their first-ever victory in the European Cup returns to Camp Nou.

“This time, however, he will do so as coach as the Dutchman brings more than 20 years of experience as a manager and eight trophies on his CV.

“Ronald Koeman comes to FC Barcelona after coaching in the Premier League, La Liga, the Dutch league, the Portuguese league and also on the international stage with the Netherlands.”

Koeman spoke out on his new role while sending a final farewell message to Netherland’s supporters following the KNVB’s announcement of his departure on Wednesday.

“It was an honour to be the national coach of the Netherlands,” said 57-year-old. “For the past two and a half years I have done everything I can to achieve successes with Oranje.

“I look back with pride on what we have achieved together in that period. The Dutch national team has a bright future, I am convinced of that.

“Everyone knows that Barcelona is my dream club. It feels very special to me to be able to become a coach there.”

KNVB football director Eric Gudde added: “We regret Ronald’s decision, but respect his choice. He has given Orange colour to the cheeks again.”

Koeman played for Barca at the height of his playing career between 1989 and 1995, winning four league titles and the Champions League.

He has now returned to club management for the first time since leaving Everton in 2018, and will be tasked with steadying the ship at Camp Nou following a disastrous 2019-20 campaign.

Ernesto Valverde lost his job in January after a mediocre start to the season, with ex-Real Betis boss Quique Setien drafted in as his successor.

Barca went on to surrender their La Liga crown to arch-rivals Real Madrid, before suffering an embarrassing Champions League quarter-final defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Setien’s sacking was made official on Monday after a week of intense media scrutiny at Camp Nou, and technical director Eric Abidal was also relieved of his duties ahead of Koeman’s arrival.’

Source – Goal.com

The Frenchman expressed his delight after the Ligue 1 champions’ impressive last-four triumph over RB Leipzig in Lisbon.

Photo by Getty

Kylian Mbappe says he is feeling the same vibes as when he won the World Cup with France following Paris Saint-Germain‘s run to a first ever Champions League final.

PSG put RB Leipzig to the sword in their semi-final clash at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night, with goals from Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria and Juan Bernat wrapping up a comprehensive 3-0 win.

Thomas Tuchel’s men took the lead with just 13 minutes on the clock when Marquinhos headed home a beautifully flighted Di Maria free kick.

PSG continued to apply pressure for the remainder of the half, with Mbappe missing a clear chance and Neymar striking the woodwork before the second goal of the game eventually came just before the interval.

Leandro Paredes pounced on a poor pass from the Bundesliga outfit’s goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to feed Neymar in the penalty area, whose delightful flick set up Di Maria perfectly to score his 13th goal of the season.

Di Maria grabbed his second assist early in the second period, as his cross was headed past Gulacsi by Bernat, with the goal standing after a lengthy VAR review confirmed that the Spaniard was onside when the ball was played.

PSG saw out the last half hour of the contest in comfortable fashion and will now look forward to a showpiece encounter against either Bayern Munich or Lyon on Sunday.

When asked how reaching the Champions League final compares to arriving on the same stage at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Mbappe told reporters post-match: “I feel the same vibes because we managed to create a group where everyone knows their importance and everyone does their job.

“We do a lot of activities outside the pitch, maybe it’s too much for some but that’s how you win titles.”

The 21-year-old went on to admit that he thought his season had been ended early when he picked up an injury in the French Cup final on July 24, before explaining how he managed to make a remarkable recovery to feature in both the quarter and semi-finals.

“When I got injured against Saint-Etienne, I thought the Champions League was over for me,” he said. “But the morning after I told myself I needed to be part of this journey, even if I didn’t play, at least to bring my good mood to the team.”

Mbappe added on his deadly partnership with Neymar in the PSG attack: “The coach said that we get along very well, and we get along very well on and off the pitch, so I think it’s important for the group too. It is a pleasure to play with a player like Neymar.

“He’s one of the best players in the world and he proved it today. Maybe he hasn’t scored a goal but he assisted which is very important too as Di Maria benefited from it.”

Source – Goal.com