Silva hits back over Klopp claim derby is Everton’s ‘Cup final’

London (AFP) – Marco Silva has dismissed Jurgen Klopp’s claim that the Merseyside derby is a “World Cup final” for Everton by recalling Liverpool’s wild victory celebrations in their last meeting.

Everton boss Silva was infuriated by Klopp’s inflammatory jibe about Sunday’s showdown at Goodison Park and quick to point out that Klopp must also put a premium on winning the derby judging by the frenzied scenes that followed their last-gasp 1-0 win at Anfield in December.

Divock Origi punished a mistake by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford by heading home in stoppage time and Klopp got so carried away he sprinted on to the pitch to hug Alisson Becker before celebrating with the rest of the team at the final whistle.

“I didn’t see a big difference. I managed my first Merseyside derby last December and what I felt was a special match for both teams,” said Silva.

“They celebrated that lucky goal — that lucky moment they had in the last seconds of the match — (like it) was the final of a World Cup for us and for them.”

Everton, ninth in the Premier League, have not won any of their past 18 meetings in all competitions against leaders Liverpool, a barren run that stretches back to 2010.

But Silva is confident Everton can put a dent in Liverpool’s bid for a first English title since 1990 if they play with freedom. 

“We have to be ourselves, believe in ourselves. Of course it is a long period without a win for us as a football club. It shows us it is a difficult match,” he said.

“If we can perform at the level we did last December, it will be very good.”

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Klopp upbeat on Firmino fitness for Merseyside derby

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Roberto Firmino may return from an ankle injury to face Everton on Sunday in a vital clash for the Premier League leaders.

Everton, in ninth place, have not beaten Liverpool since 2010 but would dearly love to spoil their neighbours’ bid to end a 29-year wait to win the title.

Firmino missed Wednesday’s 5-0 victory over Watford as Klopp’s men clicked back into gear following a run of four draws in five games.

The Brazilian has returned to training and has a history of healing quickly. 

“He was out there in the running yesterday but we have to see how he reacts,” said Klopp.

“He is very positive, that’s Bobby’s nature. We have to see. I don’t see any other player — OK, we have maybe two or three more of them — being even in contention for that game after the little problem he had.

“It looks really good but if he will be ready for Sunday, I don’t know in this second.”

All five of Liverpool’s goals at Anfield in midweek came from assists by full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Klopp revealed that Alexander-Arnold had taken the match ball home with him — a tradition normally reserved from the scorer of hat-tricks — after his three assists.

“That game was exceptional. I don’t think I was ever part of a game that somebody had a hat-trick of assists,” added the German coach.

And Klopp acknowledged how important the young full-back pairing is, not only to Liverpool’s improved defensive record this season, but as a potent creative weapon going forward.

“It’s important. That’s modern football. If you ask a young boy his favourite position, I don’t think a lot of boys would say ‘I want to be a full-back’. But football changed, they became much more important,” he added.

“I was a full-back myself for a decent part of my career. It didn’t look completely different to what the boys are doing but I know there are a lot of things to do.

“You have to be really strong defensively but on the other hand, because a lot of teams clear the wing for the full-backs offensively, if you are then able to be open-minded enough and have the football quality to see some people in the same shirt in the box, that helps a lot.”

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‘Everyone knows what Bale can do’ – Solari

Madrid (AFP) – Santiago Solari has insisted Gareth Bale is still a key player for Real Madrid, despite leaving him out of the team that started against Barcelona in Wednesday’s 3-0 Copa del Rey semi-final defeat.

Bale has been a substitute in seven of Madrid’s last nine games and his place in the side on Saturday is not guaranteed when they host Barca again in La Liga. 

Asked about the importance of players like Bale, who are struggling to get in the team, Solari said on Friday: “They are still important, titles are won by whole squads. Bale has played in every game since returning from injury and he is scoring goals. He did it in the Club World Cup and in the Champions League final too.” 

There was a scattering of whistles at the Santiago Bernabeu when Bale came on in the second half against Barcelona, after a week in which the Welshman had been heavily criticised in the Spanish press. 

“I have nothing to say to the fans,” Solari said. “Everyone knows what Bale can do and they know what he has given to the club. The fans express themselves with great respect.” 

Another win for Barcelona in the Clasico this weekend would all-but end Real Madrid’s fading title challenge.

Ernesto Valverde’s are nine points ahead of the European champions and showed a ruthless edge in their 3-0 victory in the cup, after Madrid had been the better team for much of the opening hour.

“We are back on our feet,” said Solari. “We go into this game with all the enthusiasm and spirit of the previous match, trying to improve what we can, and do again what we did well. We must cut the gap.” 

Solari said Isco is available again after he recently recovered from a back injury. The midfielder is yet to start a league game since Solari’s appointment as coach.

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Jesus returns to boost City’s title bid

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Gabriel Jesus has returned to boost Manchester City’s quadruple bid, offering much-needed relief for the club’s record goal-scorer Sergio Aguero.

Aguero has been in prolific form for Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring 12 goals since the turn of the year as City fight to retain the Premier League title.

But Jesus’s fitness problems have piled an increased workload on Aguero, who played six games over 24 days in February while his City team-mate struggled with a hamstring injury in recent weeks.

However, Brazil forward Jesus is in competition to return as City visit Bournemouth on Saturday looking to secure a victory that would temporarily move them two points ahead of Liverpool before the current leaders face Everton on Sunday.

Jesus’s presence is a relief for Guardiola, whose squad has been stretched by the injuries to Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte in last weekend’s League Cup final win over Chelsea.

City captain Vincent Kompany has made a welcome return to the squad, playing three games in a week despite his long record of injury problems. 

But Guardiola admitted handling Kompany’s persistent fitness issues has been a challenge.

“It’s not easy, in one time he’s incredible, the only guy I’ve met who doesn’t train for two months then can play 90 minutes after one and a half training sessions,” Guardiola said. 

“He knows his body perfectly. It’s a risk. But John Stones is back, like Gabriel, we’ll see tomorrow. 

“Nico (Otamendi) cannot play against Schalke and Aymer is injured so let’s see what he have to do.

“He likes to play the way we try to play. I’ve spoken to him. He adapts quite well, when we are not here he has been injured, the intensity, he knows his position perfectly, he knows the game. 

“He understands what we need to do. We cannot use him so regularly because of his fitness but when he is fit he’s an incredible player.”

The situation regarding England midfielder Fabian Delph, who has been struggling with an ankle injury and illness, is less clear however, with Guardiola confirming that he is available but has not been selected for the trip to Bournemouth.

“He was injured but makes the training session. He can play but he’s not in the squad,” Guardiola said.

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Sarri keeps Kepa waiting over Chelsea recall

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has refused to confirm whether Kepa Arrizabalaga will return to the team at Fulham on Sunday after the controversial keeper was cast into exile following his Wembley mutiny. 

Sarri is yet to decide whether to recall Kepa for Sunday’s London derby after dropping him for Wednesday’s win over Tottenham.

The Spaniard was disciplined over his extraordinary refusal to be substituted when he went down with cramp in the closing moments of last weekend’s League Cup final defeat against Manchester City.

Willy Caballero started in place of Kepa against Tottenham, although Sarri insisted after the match that the former Athletic Bilbao star remained his first choice.

Sarri said Kepa and Argentine veteran Caballero will share goalkeeping duties in the next two games, with one playing on Sunday and the other in next week’s Europa League last-16 first leg with Dynamo Kiev.

But, speaking at a press conference on Friday, Sarri wouldn’t be drawn on which match Kepa would start in, raising the prospect of the world’s most expensive keeper potentially missing a second successive league game.

“The Kepa situation now is closed. Kepa is our first (choice) goalkeeper,” Sarri said.

“But we are very happy for Willy, because now we know very well he’s able to play also in a very difficult match. I’m sure in one of the two next matches Kepa will be on the pitch.”

Sarri, whose side had lost three out of four Premier League matches before their win against Spurs, said he was wary of the threat from lowly Fulham, who sacked manager Claudio Ranieri this week and replaced him with Scott Parker on a caretaker basis.

“I’m really very sorry,” Sarri said about his Italian compatriot. “But I know very well his character, so I know very well that we will see him very soon, on another bench.

“Usually when there is change of the coach there is a reaction. And so we have to front (face) also the reaction.

“Then it’s very difficult for us to prepare the match, because we don’t know the new system, the new ideas. It’s a very difficult match, I think.”

Sarri has no injuries to consider but expects to rotate after a challenging week.

“On Sunday we played for 130 minutes and 95 minutes on Wednesday, so we need to value the recovery,” he said.

“We ran for 15 kilometres on Sunday on average, and the average of the last match was 12km. I need to value the recovery of every single player. Then we have to decide (the team).”

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Double life: Madagascar coach Dupuis juggling job with role at French club

Breuillet (France) (AFP) – A training ground in the suburbs south of Paris, between a field and a railway line, is a long, long way from Madagascar.

Yet this is where Nicolas Dupuis, the coach of the Indian Ocean island state’s national football team, spends much of his time.

When the Frenchman is not leading Madagascar to the Africa Cup of Nations, he is taking charge of Fleury, a small club in the French fourth division.

He insists he is just as passionate about both roles, with Dupuis having joined Fleury at the start of this year. It was in 2017 that he was named as coach of Madagascar’s ‘Barea’, the species of Zebu which is also the nickname for the national team.

Dupuis, 51, needs the flexibility of a gymnast to prepare Madagascar for their first ever Cup of Nations on the one hand, while also trying to keep Fleury from being relegated to the fifth tier.

“It is quite a contrast,” he tells AFP. “It is quite unusual. I have to make an effort, but I am happy to do it because this club is different and has huge potential.”

The club’s president, Pascal Bovis, knows the ‘Red Island’ well and was happy for Dupuis to juggle both roles.

“We were looking for someone with the same mentality as that of the club, who could be here long-term. He does a lot with very little. He has taken to it naturally,” Bovis says.

– Madagascar ‘take priority’ –

Dupuis previously spent 20 years at Yzeure in central France, leading them from the regional leagues into the national third tier.

Avoiding relegation is his primary aim with Fleury, but at the same time he is trying to prepare Madagascar for their Cup of Nations debut in Egypt in June.

They secured qualification in October after a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea, becoming the first team to secure their place in the 24-team tournament.

“The president is fully aware that Madagascar take priority,” Dupuis says of his dual role.

“But we have ambitions with Fleury as well. I am right behind both.”

That is easier said than done, though, with 9,000 kilometres separating the two.

“Luckily we train in the morning, so when I get home I turn my thoughts to Madagascar. I split my days into two.”

When he has to travel to the Indian Ocean island, his club have to get on without him, something which Bovis insists is not a problem.

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Challenge of the Premier League encouraged Rodgers to quit Celtic

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – New Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers said his head ruled his heart when he decided to leave Celtic behind to return to the Premier League.

Rodgers shocked supporters of the Scottish champions on Tuesday by departing after winning all seven domestic trophies on offer during his near three-season reign in Glasgow.

“It was a very, very difficult decision. If I was making this decision with my heart then I’d be at Celtic for life,” said the Northern Irishman on Friday.

“I was presented an opportunity that came to me and then of course, emotionally, you have to take that out.”

Rodgers said his decision had even left some of his family upset and Celtic fans responded by hoisting a banner at Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Hearts that read: “You traded immortality for mediocrity: never a Celt, always a fraud.”

However, the former Liverpool manager claimed he could not resist the lure of the Premier League.

“Celtic is one of the biggest clubs in world football, you can’t deny that. It’s one of the reasons I went to Celtic, it’s a huge club in every single way,” added Rodgers.

“There is an intensity, demand and expectation to play at Celtic not matched by many teams in the world, but for me it was about the challenge and coming to the Premier League with a club with the ambition to keep moving forward and progressing.”

Leicester are currently 11th in the table and out of the FA Cup, but Rodgers believes European qualification and winning a trophy are his objectives.

“The expectancy is to challenge for a European place and look to win a trophy. That has to be the expectation,” he added.

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