Arsenal's Santi Cazorla: 'David Moyes will have difficult start at Manchester United

Arsenal's Santi Cazorla: 'David Moyes will have difficult start at Manchester United

The Premier League champions have started a new era following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, who stepped down from his role after accumulating 38 trophies in 26 years at Old Trafford.


"The most radical change is at Manchester United because Ferguson has been there for so long," Cazorla told the official Arsenal Magazine.

"It will be a little difficult at the start for a new manager but I don't think it influences too much in terms of being an advantage for other teams. There are great managers at those clubs and I'm sure [the title race] will be just as difficult."

Blanc given task of replacing Ancelotti at PSG

Blanc given task of replacing Ancelotti at PSG

Laurent Blanc is Carlo Ancelotti's successor at Paris Saint-Germain FC, charged with "continuing the club's ascendency towards the summit of the European game".

Paris Saint-Germain FC have turned to former France coach Laurent Blanc following Carlo Ancelotti's departure for Real Madrid CF.

Ancelotti was unveiled as the man to replace José Mourinho in the Spanish capital on Tuesday lunchtime. PSG did not take long to confirm their own successor, securing the services of Blanc on a two-year deal. The ex-FC Girondins de Bordeaux boss will assume the reins on 1 July.

"The Paris Saint-Germain board has given Laurent Blanc the mission to build on last season and to continue the club's ascendency towards the summit of the European game," read a club statement. PSG won their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years last term and also reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost out to FC Barcelona.

Blanc enjoyed a decorated playing career before taking to the dugout, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 with his country. He represented an illustrious band of clubs including FC Barcelona, Manchester United FC and FC Internazionale Milano, winning top-flight championships in England and France.

The 47-year-old enjoyed further success as a coach, steering Bordeaux to the Ligue 1 title in 2009. He subsequently took over the France national team and guided them to the last eight of UEFA EURO 2012. Blanc's new club will go straight into the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage.

Ancelotti leaves PSG to take over at Madrid

Ancelotti leaves PSG to take over at Madrid

Nine-time European champions Real Madrid CF have named four-time winner Carlo Ancelotti as coach after Paris Saint-Germain FC agreed to part company with the 54-year-old.

Carlo Ancelotti has been unveiled as José Mourinho's replacement as Real Madrid CF coach after French champions Paris Saint-Germain FC parted company with the 54-year-old contract having agreed a deal with Laurent Blanc.

Ancelotti, formerly in charge of Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea FC, arrives at the Santiago Bernabéu following the departure of Mourinho, whose three-season spell in charge of the nine-time European champions ended last month. He has agreed a three-year deal with Madrid and will be formally presented on Wednesday.

Ancelotti, who has also been at the helm of AC Reggiana 1919 and Parma FC during a coaching career that began in 1995, led PSG to their first top-flight title in 19 years last term. It was his first full season in Paris, having taken the reins in December 2011. He also steered PSG to last season's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to FC Barcelona on away goals.

Ancelotti enjoyed huge success while a player with Milan, winning both the Scudetto and the European Cup on two occasions (he also won the title and four Coppa Italias with AS Roma). He emulated those achievements as coach, guiding the Rossoneri to Serie A glory in 2004 and UEFA Champions League triumphs in 2003 and 2007. He left Milan for Chelsea in 2009 and oversaw a Premier League and FA Cup double in his first campaign.

The former Italy midfielder's new employers finished second in the Spanish Liga last season and were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the third year in a row. The Merengues will begin their 2013/14 UEFA Champions League campaign in the group stage.

Rio: We’ll win title for Moyes.

Rio: We’ll win title for Moyes.

“To win the league under David Moyes would be phenomenal.

“Last season was one of the best when we won title No 20 but this could go beyond that.

“To win it at the first attempt with a new man in charge would be something special.”

Midfield Crisis.

Midfield Crisis

With our 20th league title, our Ginger Prince retired, along with Sir Alex. This time, it is for good. He wont come back this time.
Anyway, that leaves us with even fewer options in the centre of the park. As we all know, our Fletch has been down with Ulcerative Colitis. And as a Medico, trust me, he wont ever be the same athlete he ever was. Fletch relied a lot on running and energy. A patient suffering from an inflammatory bowel disease will find it very difficult to gain his lost weight back. There’s gonna be severe muscle wasting too. I’m not saying he wont come back. He sure will, but don’t expect him to be the same old Fletch. Now added to that, we have our chubby Samba boy Anderson. 6 years at United and he’s had a rough time. Injuries and lack of fitness. He has got good bursts of speed over short spaces and has adapted his game well, but he starts panting just after 60 minutes roughly. Not something which will get him into Moyes’s squad (who usually plays an extremely energetic MF).
Going off topic, If he does stay however, hope he gets to play the role he use at Grémio and Porto more often (as Shinji wont play all matches in the season). So, that leaves us On Thin Ice in the CM department.
Surely, we’d think Boss will spend on CMF’s this time. Let’s look at all the players linked to our club this time:

Ilkay Gündogan (prolly wont leave Dortmund. He’s a key player for them).

Bender brothers. 

Ceśc Fabregas (£40m is way too much and has reiterated his desire to stay at Barça

PS: I don’t really want us to sign him as he’d want to play higher up and will compete with Shinji. Also, it’ll spell an end to the career of young lads  at United and i don’t like the sound of it. But who am I to say no to extra class anyway?). 

Luka Modric is another midfielder we have been linked with.

Nampalys Mendy ( touted as the next Makelele by Ranieri and will be available for free but it’s being reported that he wants to stay in France.)

Kevin Strootman (looks likely that he’ll move to EPL and United and it was being reported that Jim Lawlor was scouting him in the U21 Euros. He is a hard tackling and energetic MF who is tidy with his passing too. He got around 11 assists and 5 goals in the league. If I’m not wrong, he won around 140 tackles. Might exactly be the one who United need right now.)

Marco Van Ginkel (Vitesse lad, rated at around £15m, but is very similar to Powell.)

Claudio Marchisio (seems Juve want Nani and United will make a part ex. move for Claudio. He loves Juve way too much and I doubt if there’s any truth in the rumours that he will leave. But if he does join us, it’d be a FANTASTIC signing for us. )

Thiago Alcântara (Barça made a big mistake including THAT clause and now his release clause stands at €18m instead of €90m. He can easily play 2-3 positions in the MF. He’s just the kind of genius we are looking for and he also wants more 1st team action. If we sign him, it’ll be a win-win. Seems he’ll announce/decide his future after U21 finals, so let’s wait and watch).

Then there is Marouanne Fellaini. Seems he has a release clause around £24-25m. Proven in EPL but I’m not so sure Boss will take his ex-club’s best player away from them. 

Now look at our U21s. We have Ryan Tunnicliffe, Charni, Davidé Petrucci, Jesse Lingard, Nick Powell. Ryan, Charni and Jesse need loan spells where they’ll get 20-25 first team matches to grow(just like Clevz at Leicester and Wigan.)

If we can sign One of the CMs i listed previously and give Davidé and Nick a run, and get good loans for Ryan,Charni and Jesse, our future will be secured. At least ONE new CM is a must IMO. Anything more is a bonus. 

Anyway, interesting times lay ahead of us. Can’t wait to see what boss will do. Would love boss to sign 1-2 CMs and give the young lads a run. 

Not mentioned/lined to us, but if we want to sign someone young, very talented and cheap, then Asier Illarramendi is our answer (but then again, we have Charni and Ryan waiting in the fold for a chance.)

Boss knows the best.

<-- THE NEW FRONTIER -->

THE NEW FRONTIER

It was 12 years ago that i watched my first Manchester United match. Little did i know back then that it would become such a big part of my life one day. What I saw was poetry in motion. For a 9-10 year old lad, it looked like some kind of magic. It was like a symphony was going on and it was being orchestrated by one man- SIR ALEX FERGUSON. In my 1st match I saw Scholes pick the ball in the centre of the pitch, spray across to Becks. You lot know the drill, don’t you? Becks as always got the ball past his man and into the box. Then there was Van the man. There’s only one winner in such a situation. I should say, I was lucky that my big brother made me watch this (back then, my folks wouldn’t allow me to watch TV as much as I’d have liked to. My bro and I secretly watched it at times though. ) anyway, THAT was enough for me to fall in love with the greatest club in the world.
Then, things didn’t go well and My hero- David Beckham left. I was heart broken to be honest. He was the reason i started watching or playing football in the first place. Anyway in the seasons that followed, we signed a not-so-popular but flashy lad called Cristiano and then a true Everton lad- Wayne Rooney. I didn’t watch much football back then, so i didn’t know anything about these two at that time. I couldn’t have been more bothered anyway as we still had Ruud.
As the years passed i started watching videos, documentaries and what not on United (thanks to my brother and my cousins. I noticed one thing.
It always looked like “One for all, all for one. ” there was a real sense of “family” and “togetherness” on and off the pitch. Viera messed with Gaz- Keano took care of the c*nt.
Also, There was always a man in the team around whom the rest of the team was built. I never got to watch King Eric or Captain Marvel, but have done enough homework to say that they were extremely important cogs in our wheel. Then it was Ruud.
Then with changing times, Sir Alex started rebuilding-ONCE AGAIN! He stared to build a team around Ronnie and Wazza. A fast counter-attacking approach. This didn’t go down too well with Ruud as he was a kind of player who liked to hold play up and bring others into play too. Sure, boss, as always was not hesitant and Ruud wanted to leave, he let him go.
It was a little difficult every time there was rebuilding at United, but our Sir Alex was a man with a plan. It always paid off in the end. We went on to win The PL and even the famous UCL by beating Chelsea. And after reaching another final and losing to Barça, we saw Ronnie leave too. Joined us a lad, left us as a man! Then once again the papers started printing shit. “United on the slide as Cristiano Departs.” No. They were wrong. Yet again. It has become a routine for them to write us off every time there was a change and it had become a routine for Sir Alex to prove them wrong. Then came the blue nose c*nts. They won the PL on goal difference on the last day of PL and yet again papers started running stories that there’s no coming back for United. Really? Do you fail to notice that we lost on goal difference with a squad that was in transition and was plagued with injuries? Anyway, fast forward one more year and who’s laughing now? Sir Alex’s United ran away with the title. Rubbed Citeh’s blue noses in the mud.
The man is a genius. Started off slowly, Killed the so called Invincibles, withstood and saw off the Russian Revolution, Knocked Pool off their fucking Perch and brought the blue moon down.
It was painful to hear the news of his retirement but hey! Life must go on! This is a new frontier. A new challenge. If he thinks Moyes is the right man for the job, then he sure as hell is. He gave us 26 yrs of his life. He couldn’t possibly do anything but the right thing for us. I have never met him and most probably never will, but Thank you, Sir Alex for being such a big part of my life.

Now, i cannot wait to see how this new chapter goes for Us under David Moyes. One Glaswegian departed, another Glaswegian took charge.
Over to you boss! Cast your own image, and All the best! Your Red Army is with you!

Top ten UK shirt sales:

Top ten UK shirt sales:

1. Robin Van Persie (Man Utd) 25.4%

2. Gerrard (L’pool) 8.2%

3. Rooney (Man Utd) 6%

4. Kagawa (Man Utd) 5.8%

5. Suarez (L’pool) 3.6%

6. Hazard (Chelsea) 3.1%

7. Scholes (Man Utd) 2.7%

8. Torres (Chelsea) 2.5%

9. Aguero (Man City) 2.2%

10. Podolski (Arsenal) 2.1%

GLENN HODDLE: GARETH BALE SHOULD GO TO MANCHESTER UNITED

GLENN HODDLE: GARETH BALE SHOULD GO TO MANCHESTER UNITED

GARETH BALE has been told by Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle he would be better off joining Man United in a whopping £85million deal - rather than Real Madrid.

Tottenham superstar Bale is said to be a target for new Old Trafford boss David Moyes IF Cristiano Ronaldo refuses to return to the Theatre of Dreams.

And Hoddle believes Bale, 23, would favour a move to United - or even City - this summer, rather than make the switch to Spain.

Madrid are favourites to splash the cash for the Wales wizard.

But Hoddle has warned Bale he is too young to play abroad and if he wants to leave Spurs he should choose a Premier League big gun.

Hoddle said: "Personally, I don't think Gareth Bale wants to leave yet - unless it was to one of the Manchester clubs.

"He's had a new baby and I'm not sure if he's ready for a move abroad. You have to be settled off the pitch before you get your form on it."

ACE IN THE HOLE- SIR ALEX FERGUSON

The King of striker transfers offers us ‘dejavu’ every few years and that has never changed. It comes at a dire time of need but has always been Fergies ‘ACE IN THE HOLE’ .The most romantic club in history of football offers a lot to join this enigmatic franchise.

Recent years have proven to be difficult in the transfer market because of the exponential market value of players.

Gone are the days 1 million pounds being the record breaking deal in the days of Trevor Francis . The Ronaldo market rate of 80million(later to become a120 million deal including Ronaldo’s payment)  has made small clubs have a bargaining power like they never did before. Now an offer price below 20 million pounds is laughed off. But SIR ALEX FERGUSON has his own way of doing deals.

In the early 90’s Newcastle was beginning to emerge as contenders under Kevin Keegan. A juggernaut was scoring goals for fun on Tyneside and then…….

Andy Cole is signed for 7 million from Newcastle as soon as Ferguson’s sources heard about a rift between then Manger Keegan. Cole repayed the transfer fee by helping United overturn a 12 point deficit to win the League.

.Andy cole went on to becoming a success lifting trophy after trophy his best moment lifting that european title in 98-99 season while Newcastle’s Trophy cabinet remains bare.

When the league slipped from Fergie’s clutches in 92’  he turned to the Mercurial Frenchman called his ‘greatest signing ever’ ERIC CANTONA
 and the French man delivered back to back titles in the Newly formed PREMIER LEAGUE and he guided the upcoming youngsters who looked upto him as their Role model.

The Fiery Scot called it the Scot-French alliance. Never had a signing been as impactful as CANTONA. He was truly the KING of Old Trafford.

When Arsenal won the league twice in 3 seasons Fergie turned to another striker. A young face from Everton ‘Wayne Rooney’. Rooney was ambitious and wanted to play European football and Fergie granted him his wish of a debut. Wayne repayed fergie’s faith with a Hattrick at Old Trafford on his European Debut and the rest as they say………

Rooney and Ronaldo terrorized defences across the globe and 5 PL medals and a Champions League medal says it all.

In 2011-2012 season the Blue half of Manchester emerged as not only contenders but as Winners on the Final Day. A heart break for every United fan.

But Ferguson promised we will not lose another title on goal difference and he kept his word.It was Dejavu again Fergies gamble, it was an ‘ace in the hole’ yet again.

The World was shocked when the Robin Van Persie transfer finally took place. It was to the Red half of Manchester and it was all Alex Ferguson charm and the lure of Playing for Manchester United that he decided that he join United.

And did he deliver the title in style. He was a man posessed scoring goals for fun and leaving champions City behind clinching the Historic #20 Title.

#20 delivered by #20 RVP IRONIC!!!!

As Sir Alex vacates the Managerial seat he will always be known for these transfers that brought immediate success to the club and a smile to the fans.

HAIL….. SIR ALEX FERGUSON 

Shinji Kagawa has set his sights on becoming as influential as his Manchester United team-mates Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

Shinji Kagawa has set his sights on becoming as influential as his Manchester United team-mates Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

"I wasn't satisfied with my overall performance but I played well in the second half of the season and started to get more and more confidence," he told Sports Illustrated.

"Hopefully, I can keep that going at the Confederations Cup.

"In this business, you need to be like Rooney or Van Persie and prove yourself if you want the ball.

"I want to be a player like them, which means I need results."

Best skills of Cristiano Ronaldo in flipbook by Etoilec1

Best skills of Cristiano Ronaldo in flipbook by Etoilec1

THE MANCHESTER UNITED MAFIA

Who is Sir Alex Ferguson? Despite the reams of newsprint and hours of TV and radio broadcasts dedicated to the Manchester United manager’s retirement, none of it has given me any deeper insight into the personality of the man. We hear over and again the jaw-dropping statistics about the trophies won, and the cliches – the hairdryer, the horses, one of the greatest managers of all time – but who can tell us anything really personal about Ferguson? If there is anyone out there, they are keeping quiet.

DAVID JAMES Said:

”I call it the Manchester United mafia, led by Sir Alex Fergu-don. In 25 years of professional football, a period in which I have played Ferguson’s teams on many occasions, I have never exchanged more than a hello and a nod with the man. Whereas a manager like José Mourinho will give you the time of day, Ferguson is unapproachable.

If there is a code of silence, Ferguson’s players are bound to it. Despite being friends with Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, among others, I have never – ever – heard them say anything about Ferguson. All those hours of sitting around at England camps or on bus rides, and not once did any United players ever reveal anything to me about their team-mates, their dressing room or their manager. In an industry renowned for its gossip I find that extraordinary.

On one occasion I remember sitting with Phil Neville for a chinwag and, like a typical footballer, ranting about a team-mate of mine who I found annoying at the time. When I’d finished I expected Phil to reciprocate. But there was not a word. “What an absolute prick!” I thought, red-faced after pouring my heart out only for him to remain tight-lipped. But later I concluded that his approach was an exemplary – and clever – way to carry yourself through a career in football.

All the United players were the same, no one would ever say a bad thing about their team-mates. Even when the media reported chaos in the United dressing room – from the infamous pizza throwing to Becks’ cut above the eye after Ferguson kicked a boot at him – there were no comments from the United boys. There were plenty of questions, of course. But their answers were only ever vague, or meaningless.

It all contributed to that sense of separation: there were United players, and then there was the rest of us. And I have little doubt that it was Ferguson himself who encouraged that segregation. For it was Ferguson who was the first manager to ban opposition players from entering the home players’ lounge for a drink after a game. Until then post-match mingling had been a tradition. But while Ferguson famously enjoys a glass of red with rival managers at Old Trafford, he was quick to ensure there was no such socialising among his players. At the time the football fraternity was horrified. There was this feeling of “Just who do you think you are?” Little did we know.

At England camps United players kept themselves apart. They had a competitive ethos so extreme it was unlike anything we had ever come across. While a simple training drill of piggy-in-the-middle was usually understood as an exercise in which you worked together against the man in the middle, for United players it was an opportunity to catch each other out. I had never seen it played that way before. To talk about one individual player being competitive is unremarkable, but to apply the same label to generation after generation of players from one specific club is unheard of.

Everyone keeps asking whether David Moyes can control the United dressing room, but United players police themselves. Ferguson created an environment in which players would control each other, so that he didn’t have to. The presence of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes was significant. Two players who had won more trophies than anyone else meant that there were authority figures in the team, whom younger players dared not question.

And wow, were they professional. While the likes of Rio and Wazza are very funny, very loud characters, they are very serious about what they do. I should know, I’ve been on the receiving end of one of Rio’s tirades for some minuscule incident on the pitch. That’s the norm at United, where anyone who steps out of line or makes an error can expect a verbal battering from their team-mates. United players just have that intensity about them. Sure, we are all professionals, but I have not heard other players sit at the back of the bus after a game and analyse the match in the way that Rio or Rooney do.

There is no doubt: Ferguson is revered as the supreme leader. A man whom the other football managers appear to be in awe of as they phone him up for advice, confiding in him their insecurities. Anyone who has tried to take him on in football has been crushed – from players who got too big for their boots only to be shipped out in the next transfer window, to managers who attempted to beat him at his specialist subject: mind games. As Kevin Keegan once found out to his cost, it took a brave man to think he could outfox Sir Alex.

 If I can emulate anything close to what Moyes has achieved, a manager deemed great enough to fill Ferguson’s boots, I’ll be a happy man.”

The way United teams are reverred to be a team on and off the field are exemplary of the Ferguson way of running things.

We hail this man the GAFFER and this team and bid farewell to Sir Alex Ferguson and  Paul Scholes two names that have been synonymous with the footballing world for the past decades.

David Moyes will run this MAFIA from now on. We hope the success continues in his era too.

BREACH OF TRUST - JAAP STAM

He came at a time to United when the League title had just been snatched from the hands of Manchester United by Arsenal emerging as a force in English football. This towering centre Back stood 6ft 3” tall a frightening sight for the opposition. It was none other than the big Dutchman JAAP STAM.

He was the most expensive Dutch player at that time and the most expensive defender in history and Ferguson pounced at the opportunity in the summer of98’ to bring this CB to strengthen United’s back four for £10.6 million from PSV 

Call him good, call him great, call him United’s lucky charm.

He spent a meager 3 seasons at United where United won a hat-trick of Premier League’s, one FA CUP, 1 champions league. In his first season came the historic treble of 98-99 season. United also won the Intercontinental cuplater in 99’ with Stam at the Centre of United’s success.

This was a marriage made in heaven Jaap Stam had found a new home, United had found a new Backbone.

But this marriage soon turned ugly with Jaap Stam’s autobiography ‘Head to Head’ in the market wherein he criticized his fellow team-mates and Ferguson.Ferguson was furious about this and crossing Ferguson was not something anyone would look forward to for any player at United.

The defender was sold to Lazio in 2001 after alleging in his autobiography ‘Head to Head’ that Ferguson had approached him about joining Unitedwithout the permission of his previous club, PSV Eindhoven. He also made some unflattering comments about his team-mates.

Over the years the Ferguson’s bust ups have driven a few high profile names out of United but Stam was the only one Fergie showed any regret for. These high profile bust-ups included the likes of Kanchelskis, Ince, Beckham, Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy.

As Stam left for Lazio in the summer of 2001 United won the Premier League only once in 5 years which saw the days of Arsenal’s Invincible’s and the arrival of a certain Portugese ‘Special One’ to Chelsea. It took United more than 5 years to find a replacement in the form of Nemanja Vidic who restored the clubs success in terms of trophies after joining United in 2006. Meanwhile Stam joined AC MILAN and was at the losing end of 2005 UCL Final to Liverpool.

Alex Ferguson has since described the decision to sell Stam: “At the time he had just come back from an achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit. We got the offer from Lazio, £16.5m for a centre-back who was 29. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. But in playing terms it was a mistake.”

It was a deal that cost both sides dear and remains to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s only regret.

Stam recently in June 2013 returned to Old Trafford for United Legendswearing the United shirt yet again as he was on the losing side of a 2-1 scoreline against Madrid Legends.

Robin van Persie Shows Off Freestyle Soccer Skills, Casts Spell on Little Kids (Video)

Robin van Persie Shows Off Freestyle Soccer Skills, Casts Spell on Little Kids (Video)

Van Persie takes some kids to school in the video below.

WELBECK TARGETS A BETTER GOAL RETURN:

WELBECK TARGETS A BETTER GOAL RETURN: 

"Overall, there have been improvements to my game and I have been more consistent but I've been playing on the wing, which has inhibited my ability to get into goalscoring positions. I've played up front for England, been away to tournaments and scored goals there, so I know once I get into those positions I will put the chances away.
I'm also aware that knowing how to play in different positions and developing in different areas of the pitch will only benefit me and the teams I play for.
I'm happy to help the team out and it doesn't really matter whether I'm playing on the wing or up front; I should have had a much better goal return."

ZAHA who played the U21 Tournament through a knock on England's early exit disappointment.

ZAHA who played the U21 Tournament through a knock on England's early exit disappointment: 

“We didn’t expect all that quality.
It’s not to do with effort. There was no-one who didn’t try hard enough. Maybe we weren’t used to playing in tournament games under so much pressure. Every time we pull on the shirt, we try hard.
I can’t really blame my performances on a long season. When I play, I just give it my all, 100 per cent. I had a little niggle but just ran through it.
We can’t let it happen again.”

Who is this player?

Who is this player?

Close Enough

Close Enough

Spain wary as Norway eye another surprise

Spain wary as Norway eye another surprise

Julen Lopetegui believes holders Spain will face their "hardest match" in the semi-final against a Norway side aiming to take "another big jump" according to coach Tor Ole Skullerud.

Norway coach Tor Ole Skullerud admitted that Spain were "big favourites" to win Saturday's UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-final in Netanya but is hopeful his team might be ready to take "another big jump" forward by upsetting the holders. His Spain counterpart, Julen Lopetegui, believes his team will face their toughest test yet against the Scandinavians.

Julen Lopetegui, Spain coach
For me, tomorrow will be the hardest match of the tournament. We're in the semi-finals of a European Championship and have the chance to get to the final, but so do Norway. We have as much respect for Norway as for Italy or any other team. They're a complete team in every aspect, they have great tactical discipline, and have been reinforced by four players from their national team.

They're the team who've had the most corners and one of the teams with the most shots on goal. They knocked out France [in the play-offs] and have beaten England. They have a lot of good players, who have experience with the full national team. They are players with different styles who combine well together. Their attacking play is very good and they defend with great intensity and real unity – they're a proper team.

[On starting with Rodrigo or Álvaro Morata] I've already decided in my mind who will start. We have the two options and we'll decide at each moment. Whichever of the two plays will do a fantastic job.

Group stage results
Spain 1-0 Russia (Morata 82)
Germany 0-1 Spain (Morata 86)
Spain 3-0 Netherlands (Morata 26, Isco 32, Álvaro Vázquez 90+1)

• Spain sealed a semi-final berth with a game to spare thanks to two late Álvaro Morata goals. The Real Madrid CF forward chalked up three goals in 70 minutes after coming off the bench against Russia and Germany and scoring a 26th-minute opener in the final Group B match against the Netherlands. Morata subsequently leads the race for the adidas Golden Boot award.

Team news
Lopetegui said he is hopeful midfielder Ignacio Camacho will recover from the ankle injury he suffered against the Netherlands. "He's got a chance of being fit and that's what we're working towards," said the coach, who otherwise has no injury doubts.

Tor Ole Skullerud, Norway coach
We have made several breakthroughs which have given us confidence and helped us build a strong squad. I feel very strongly that if we are to make another big jump it has to be tomorrow.

Spain are big favourites going into the game. They have played three good games so far, we have studied them and we are going to try to make a good game plan. We can be the big surprise of the tournament, maybe we already are. I have lots of good players and we have a fantastic mentality but you don't get much better than Spain – they're probably one of the best teams in the world at this level. It's a fantastic opportunity for us to see what we can do against the best.

We don't want only to defend but also to attack and give them as much trouble as we can with our own play – we'll try to interrupt their passing and moving, their rhythm. If we let them play all the time and can't get in tackles and win the ball then we're going to struggle. I am sure Spain will have more of the ball, but the problem is if we let them come too far up the pitch, let them play through and there's lots of movement in the last third of the pitch. It's not a problem to have less possession but we need to cause them trouble as well. Against England we were clinical, we did well on the counter but I want to keep the ball better than we did against them.

[On the 5-2 friendly loss to Spain in March] We had a poor game but our team was very different and we hadn't started our league back in Norway. I am sure we'll be closer to the level of Spain this time.

Group stage results
Israel 2-2 Norway (Biton 16pen, Turgeman 71; Pedersen 24, Singh 90+1)
England 1-3 Norway (Dawson 57pen; Semb Berge 15, Berget 34, Eikrem 52)
Norway 1-1 Italy (Strandberg 90pen; Bertolacci 90+4)

• The Scandinavian side needed a late Harmeet Singh equaliser to prise a point from hosts Israel in the opening game and moved to within a point of qualification with victory against England in Petah Tikva. A point against Italy in their final Group A game was enough to seal only Norway’s second U21 semi-final appearance.

Team news
Fredrik Semb Berge came through his first full training session on Thursday since the England game and Skullerud confirmed in his press conference he has a full squad to choose from. "We go into tomorrow with all 23 players ready to play," he said.

Match fact
Unbeaten in 24 competitive matches, a run which includes 22 wins, Spain are looking to win the U21 trophy for the fourth time after previous triumphs in 1986, 1998 and 2011.

Did you know?
Julen Lopetegui experienced Norwegian football as a player for Rayo Vallecano de Madrid in the 2000 UEFA Cup first round against Molde FK. The Spain coach played 90 minutes as the capital club triumphed 1-0 in Scandinavia but was an unused substitute in the return leg which finished 1-1.

All the news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false. C.Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo

All the news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false.

C.Ronaldo

Roma employ former Lille coach Garcia

Roma employ former Lille coach Garcia

Rudi Garcia – the man who, in 2011, guided LOSC Lille to their first Ligue 1 championship in 57 years – has been installed as AS Roma coach on a two-year contract.

AS Roma have appointed Rudi Garcia as their new coach on a two-year deal.

The Italian outfit moved for the 49-year-old, who left LOSC Lille last month, after deciding not to renew the contract of Aurelio Andreazzoli. Andreazzoli succeeded the sacked Zdeněk Zeman in February but could not secure European football next season for the capital club. Roma finished sixth in Serie A and lost to city rivals S.S. Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.

"We are happy and optimistic about the decision to hire Garcia," said Roma president James Pallotta. "He has already proved to be a winner and we like his football vision. We believe he fits perfectly into our blueprint for the future."

Garcia, the first Frenchman to occupy the Giallorossi dugout, took charge at Lille in 2008 and guided Les Dogues to the Ligue 1-Coupe de France double three years later. Like Roma, Lille ended the 2012/13 campaign in sixth position.

Around the U21 camps: Wednesday

Around the U21 camps: Wednesday

Spain beat the Netherlands to top Group B, Germany bowed out with a win and Norway took a tour of Jerusalem. UEFA.com rounds up the final day of the group stage.

Group B
GermanyThe German players said they would have a good last night together after finishing their finals campaign with a 2-1 win against Russia in Netanya, though midfielder Sebastian Rode said there was "no reason for a major celebration". Their last Group B game was a tight affair, even with Russia down to ten men, and Rode added: "We could have decided the match earlier. After it went 2-1, we should have quickly added a third, but then it became close in the end with them hitting the post. Luckily we edged it."

Rainer Adrion said he would "give a short speech to say goodbye to the players I've known for two years" when he got back to the hotel after the game, and the squad will fly back to Munich tomorrow.

NetherlandsThe Netherlands' 3-0 defeat by Spain equalled their heaviest loss on the UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals stage but coach Cor Pot defended his decision to completely change his starting XI from their previous game. Between them the entire Dutch lineup in Petah Tikva had a combined 77 minutes' match action in Israel prior to Wednesday's game but Pot explained after a result that cost the Jong Oranje top spot in Group B that he wanted his first-choice players fresh for the semi-finals.
"Spain are a very experienced team and we had an inexperienced team today," he added. "I'm very happy that I did it with these players as it was very important for us."

Russia
There was obvious disappointment in the Russia camp after a third straight loss in Group B, though there was a feeling – expressed by the coach and players – that it was an improved performance following the 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands.

They came close to a point when substitute Fedor Smolov hit the post late on, and Nikolai Pisarev said that he would have brought on the striker earlier if his game plan had not been shaken up by the red card received by Georgi Schennikov. Two main groups within the squad are taking afternoon flights to Moscow tomorrow, but even tonight there are players heading off to different places following their exit.

Spain
The victory over the Netherlands equalled Spain's biggest win at a UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament and extended their unbeaten run in competitive matches to 24 matches. Moreover, it set up a semi-final against Norway for the Group A winners, although coach Julen Lopetegui was quick to dismiss the suggestion that the Norwegians would be easier semi-final opponents than Italy. "I think this match will be very difficult," said Lopetegui, who also hailed the display of goalkeeper David de Gea who made three fine saves to keep the Dutch at bay.

Lopetegui made seven changes for Wednesday's game, including giving an U21 debut to the squad's oldest player, Álvaro, who replaced Marc Bartra in central defence. There was one downside for La Rojita who saw Ignacio Camacho limp off in the second half. He later left Ha Moshava with ice strapped to his ankle.

Group A
England
The Young Lions returned home and will be keen to put their campaign in Israel behind them. England start out on the road to the next final tournament in the Czech Republic in 2015 on 5 September against Moldova.

Israel
Coach Guy Luzon was keen to stress that his side had performed above expectations after they finished third in Group A with four points from three games. He concluded: "If you told me before that we'd draw against Norway, the team that I said would beat Italy and England, then we'd beat England and lose to Italy no one in the country would have believed me." Luzon moves on to pastures new in Belgium with R. Standard de Liège while Israel Under-21s start on the road to the Czech Republic in 2015 against Azerbaijan on 7 September.

Italy
Those players involved in Tuesday's Group A meeting with Norway had only light training and massages but the remaining members of the squad trained in the evening. The injured Luca Marrone will remain with the squad after his club, Juventus, responded positively to his request to stay with the team until the end of the tournament.

Norway
The players who took part in Tuesday's draw with Italy did a gym session in the morning while those not involved trained as normal. In the afternoon, players and coaching staff had the opportunity to take a tour of Jerusalem, attended by a sizeable number of the Norway party.

Norway will now play a semi-final against Spain, the same nation they lost to on their one previous appearance at this stage of the U21 finals in 1998. Nils Johan Semb, who was coach then and is now technical director of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), is with the squad in Tel Aviv and said there was greater strength in depth in the current group.

Høgli header denies Albania

Hogli header denies Albania

Tom Høgli struck three minutes from time, Norway's first shot on target, as the visitors claimed a share of the Group E spoils in Tirana.

Albania were denied the chance to go top of FIFA World Cup qualifying Group E as a late Tom Høgli goal gave Norway a point in Tirana.

Valdet Rama had handed Giovanni de Biasi's side a 41st-minute lead at the Stadiumi Kombëtar Qemal Stafa and it seemed his goal would be enough to take Albania above Switzerland at the head of the table. Norway and Høgli had other ideas, though, the defender's 87th-minute intervention keeping his fourth-placed team in touch in a tight section.

Albania started the evening on nine points – two behind the Swiss yet two above their opponents – and after Migjen Basha, Hamdi Salihi and Edgar Çani had gone close, that advantage looked like increasing. Four minutes before half-time Rama, making his first appearance of qualification with Lorik Cana and Andi Lila suspended and Burim Kukeli and Alban Meha injured, sprinted down the left and cut inside to shoot past Rune Jarstein in the Norway goal.

With a vociferous crowd – including President Bujar Nishani and Prime Minister Sali Berisha – backing them, Albania came close to a clinching second midway through the second period, but this time Jarstein was able to stretch to touch Salihi's header onto the crossbar. That save proved crucial. With time running out, Høgli nodded an equaliser from a corner to lift Norway to eight points. They remain two shy of Albania who, in turn, are now one behind the Swiss, at home to Cyprus on Saturday.

Ferguson compares Van Persie impact to Cantona

Ferguson compares Van Persie impact to Cantona

Robin van Persie's contribution to Manchester United FC's title success scarcely needs highlighting, but Sir Alex Ferguson's comparison to Eric Cantona speaks for itself.

Identified as "the difference" by Manchester City FC manager Roberto Mancini, Robin van Persie has been integral to Manchester United FC wresting the Premier League from their neighbours' grasp.

Pipped to the championship by City in agonising circumstances last term, United have resumed normal service this time around. It is the 20th time the English top-flight title will reside at Old Trafford and the 13th Premier League crown on Sir Alex Ferguson's astonishing CV. The venerable Scot, 71, now has more championships than his two nearest rivals – George Ramsay and Bob Paisley – combined. For Van Persie, though, this is new ground, a first championship at the 12th time of asking.

"It's a great feeling," said the Dutch international. "I had to wait a long time. It's weird. It's just fantastic. We have a fantastic team, fantastic players. It's a championship for every single one of them, and I mean everyone: the staff, the manager, trainers, players, medical staff ... everyone has been great. This is our 20th title and, I think, deserved."

Lured from Arsenal FC for €28m last summer, Van Persie's numbers speak for themselves. Monday night's first-half treble in the 3-0 win against Aston Villa FC can be seen as a microcosm of his, and United's, campaign. The 29-year-old gave his new employers a flying start to the season, scoring a hat-trick in his third appearance for the club, and ultimately guided them to the top of the pile.

Van Persie has scored 54 league goals in 72 appearances over the past two seasons, having taken 156 games to rack up 66 strikes in his previous seven years in England. Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' player of the year in 2011/12, he is again on the shortlist. "I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of so many great strikers," he said upon joining last summer. For Ferguson, Van Persie already has the potential to join the likes of Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane in the pantheon of his greatest signings.

"He has made a fantastic contribution," said Ferguson, who collected his maiden title months after Cantona's arrival at the club. "In terms of impact he has had as big an impact as anyone I can imagine. Eric Cantona was an incredible impact player and I have been very, very lucky in that I have had some fantastic strikers right through. I think we had an expectation of Robin because his performance last year for Arsenal was sensational. We saw him last year and knew he could gel. He has never disappointed us."

Ferguson's delight is in stark contrast to the despair of Mancini, who made no secret of the fact City "wanted him in the summer". They missed out and are now 16 points adrift in second. Perhaps most worryingly of all for the Italian and his players is that they may have to watch Van Persie strutting his stuff across town for a long time yet. "I want to win it again," said the Netherlands striker. "I want to win more stuff. I want to win the FA Cup, the Champions League. I want to win it all."