Zidane leaves Bale out of squad for Atletico but dismisses departure rumours

Madrid (AFP) – Zinedine Zidane on Friday left Gareth Bale out of the Real Madrid squad to face Atletico Madrid this weekend but said he is “not contemplating” the Welshman leaving before the end of the winter transfer window.

Asked about the possibility of Bale being sold on Friday, Zidane said in a press conference: “Gareth is with us, I’m counting on him. I am not contemplating this possibility.”

Bale came close to joining Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning in the summer and English newspaper The Times reported on Friday the Welshman was in talks to rejoin his former club Tottenham. 

But a source at Spurs has told AFP they are not in negotiations to sign Bale this month. Another source close to the player insisted he would not be returning to Tottenham in January.

Yet Zidane has omitted Bale from Saturday’s local derby with Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite the 30-year-old training with the rest of the squad on Friday.

Bale was also not included in the win over Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, having completed only one full training session following an ankle injury. 

Zidane also opted against bringing back Eden Hazard, who has recovered from a foot injury sustained in November.

“We’ll see but he has been training with us all week,” Zidane had said earlier on Friday. “He could be included tomorrow but we will never take any risks.” 

Hazard has been out since fracturing his foot against Paris Saint-Germain just over two months ago. He could feature against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey in midweek or next weekend away at Osasuna.

Real Madrid face Atletico on the back of a 20-game unbeaten run. They sit top of La Liga, 10 points ahead of their city rivals and three clear of Barcelona.

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Arteta ‘happy’ with Arsenal’s transfer window dealings

London (AFP) – Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal have emerged stronger from the January transfer window after landing two new signings and keeping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arteta has bolstered his creaky defence by adding Flamengo’s Pablo Mari and Southampton’s Cedric Soares this week.

Just as significantly, the Arsenal manager held on to Gabon forward Aubameyang despite reported interest from Barcelona, while Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka decided to stay after initially looking set to leave following his clash with fans.

“I am happy for two reasons,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. “We believed we could strengthen the team a little bit in some areas with the financial situation we have, but as well four weeks ago I was very concerned with some of the departures and we have been able to manage that so far.

“We have been trying to be active in the market to resolve some of the issues we have been going through in the last few weeks.

“We found two players that we believe can be very useful and could improve our squad, obviously with the resources we have as a club, and we are happy with what we’ve done.”

Aubameyang and David Luiz are available for Sunday’s trip to Burnley after serving suspensions, but Portugal defender Soares will not be fit to make his debut until after the upcoming winter break.

Soares has a knee injury, but Arteta is pleased he will eventually have another option in the full-back areas with Kieran Tierney and Saed Kolasinac sidelined.

“Cedric is a player who has big experience of playing in different countries and in this league, so he knows what it means,” Arteta said.

“And he has been very willing to go to another top club. He has that desire and commitment.

“I followed him a few seasons ago and I really like what he can bring and they were the right conditions for us as well to try to improve the squad.”

Spanish centre-back Mari has joined from Flamengo on loan but Arsenal have the option to make his transfer permanent.

“For me it is very important. He balances what I want to do from the backline and gives us more options and more solutions,” Arteta said.

“He opens up the pitch more. He is one we have followed for the last few months and we are happy to have.”

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No need for Liverpool to be busy in January window – Klopp

London (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said the Reds’ forward planning meant there was no need to be busy in the January transfer window as they close in on a first league title for 30 years.

Klopp’s men are 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League with just 14 games remaining.

The European champions secured the signing of Japanese international Takumi Minamino before the window even opened in December, but the former Salzburg midfielder is their only new recruit over the past month.

“The better the season is, the better the squad is, the less you have to do, the more you are happy with the players you have,” said Klopp on Friday.

“Which is always the plan in the summer, that you don’t have to be too busy in the winter.

“Injuries can change these ideas a lot — and we had injuries, but most of the players are back or coming back.”

Liverpool can extend their advantage at the top to 22 points with victory over an in-form Southampton at Anfield on Saturday.

Danny Ings has been the catalyst for the Saints climb up the table in recent weeks with seven wins in their last 11 games.

Ings left Liverpool for St Mary’s in 2018 after an injury-ravaged spell at Anfield and Klopp is delighted the 27-year-old has refound form and fitness with 14 goals in 24 league appearances this season. 

“Everybody in this building is so happy about the situation of Danny. Even if he is not anymore, he is still our boy, kind of, and we all follow each step of his career,” added the German.

“We are celebrating goals he scores — that will be different tomorrow obviously, but apart from the games against us we couldn’t wish him better than we do. He is such a wonderful person.”

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Bayern boss Flick reprimands Boateng, Goretzka for training scuffle

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick revealed Friday he has admonished Jerome Boateng and Leon Goretzka after the pair came to blows in training.

Tempers boiled over on Wednesday at Bayern’s early-morning training session when midfielder Goretzka went hard into a tackle and defender Boateng retaliated — the pair being swiftly forced apart by teammates.

Both players later took to social media to make light of the matter, posting photos where they are grinning broadly as Goretzka lands mock punches on his teammate’s chin.

“It’s clear that I don’t want to see this kind of behaviour in the team, because we have certain values,” said Flick firmly in a press conference on Friday.

“I don’t expect this kind of emotion again.”

Champions Bayern are just a point behind Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig ahead of Saturday’s trip to Mainz, and although Flick wants no repeat of the altercation the 54-year-old said he would not punish the duo.

“Why should I? Basically, I don’t think much of punishments and this was the first time something like this has happened to me,” he said.

Flick added that he had phoned both players after the incident and told them to “solve things verbally”.

With defender Lucas Hernandez and winger Kingsley Coman returning from injury, Flick said any further last-minute transfers are unlikely after already signing right-back Alvaro Odriozola on loan from Real Madrid.

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Learning from Lewandowski is a ‘dream come true’ for Bayern’s Singh

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – With Robert Lewandowski on hand to improve his shooting technique and Philippe Coutinho helping perfect his passing, New Zealand’s Sarpreet Singh is relishing learning from some of the world’s best at Bayern Munich since he made history on his Bundesliga debut.

The 20-year-old New Zealander, whose parents hail from a village in the Punjab region, became the first player of Indian descent in the Bundesliga with a second-half cameo in Bayern’s 6-1 thumping of Werder Bremen last month.

Having also been an unused sub in the Champions League home win over Tottenham a few days earlier, it was his first appearance at Munich’s imposing Allianz Arena stadium.

“It was a dream come true for someone from an Indian background, who grew up in New Zealand,” he told reporters at a media event in Munich. 

“It was a special moment and hopefully I can inspire the next generation of kids to work hard and hopefully push on to bigger and better things.”

Singh’s journey to Munich started as a child playing football at Auckland’s Onehunga Sports club.

His raw talent was spotted by Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand’s only professional club in the Australian league, so he moved to the capital at the age of 15 to join their academy.

After progressing through the ranks, Singh eventually helped Phoenix reach the A-League play-offs last season.

His eye-catching performances for New Zealand at May’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland, where the junior All Whites reach the last 16, attracted Bayern’s scouts.

He joined the German giants’ reserve team in July for 650,000 euros ($717 ,216) with the left-footed attacking midfielder signing a three-year deal.

The plan was for him to bulk up and settle in, but after scoring four goals and creating seven more in 15 games for Bayern’s reserves, he was promoted to the senior squad in December and his German league debut followed.

“My footballing journey has been a crazy one so far, but I have enjoyed the ride,” he said.

– ‘Lots of hard work’ –

Singh still has much to learn in his quest for more game time in the senior team.

An over-zealous tackle earned him a straight red card in a reserve team match just before Christmas. 

He says Bayern’s Germany stars Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich, both still only 24, have helped him feel at home, but the main difference is the attention to detail expected at one of Europe’s top clubs.

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Wenger launches FIFA talent development programme

Lausanne (AFP) – FIFA has announced the launch of what it has called a “groundbreaking talent development programme” with the aim of reducing the gap between the world’s leading football nations and the rest.

The programme was launched by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is now working as the head of global development at world football’s governing body.

“We are launching the FIFA Talent Development Programme to ensure that every talent gets a chance,” said Wenger in Doha, where he has been attending a five-day FIFA-run workshop.

“The difference in the level of play between Europe and the rest of the world has become bigger,” added the Frenchman.

“In many countries, the focus of the association is mainly on the senior national team, but this national team is always the consequence of football development across the country.

“We need more youth competitions to identify talent, offer them a pathway and develop coaching.”

The FIFA programme will allow all 211 member associations “to benefit from a FIFA assessment of the various areas of their high-performance ecosystem in both men’s and women’s football, including all national teams, domestic leagues, scouting projects and academies”.

FIFA says its programme will help develop home-grown coaches, technical directors and provide specialised courses for goalkeeping coaches, futsal and beach soccer.

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Carrasco returns to Atletico on loan from Dalian Yifang

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid have signed Yannick Carrasco from Chinese side Dalian Yifang on loan until the end of the season, the Spanish club confirmed on Friday.

Carrasco returns to Atletico, where he spent three years before moving to China in 2018.

“Our club has reached an agreement with Dalian Yifang for the loan of Yannick Carrasco until the end of the current season,” an Atletico statement read.

“The player returns to Atletico, where he spent three seasons and played a total of 124 games, scoring 23 goals.”

Carrasco signed for Atletico from Monaco in 2015 and he played as a forward, predominantly out wide.

The Belgian scored in the 2016 Champions League final, as Atletico drew 1-1 with Real Madrid before losing on penalties.

He has spent the last two years in China, where he played 52 games while registering an impressive 24 goals and 17 assists.

Atletico described Carrasco as “a player who knows our team and has a lot of talent and provides penetration from both sides”.

The club have also been attempting to sign a striker this month, with both Diego Costa and Joao Felix out injured, and the team struggling for goals.

But a deal for Edinson Cavani is yet to materialise as Atletico and Paris Saint-Germain have been unable to agree a fee.

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