Not winning the Champions League this season would be a big disappointment for Atletico Madrid, according to president Enrique Cerezo.
Atletico are seeking a maiden Champions League title as they prepare to go head-to-head with city rivals Real Madrid in Saturday s final.
Diego Simeone s men have continued to defy the odds this season, seeing off defending champions Barcelona and Bayern Munich en route to the decider in Milan, but Cerezo insisted the job is not done.
We have to win on Saturday, he told Radio Marca. Not winning would be a huge disappointment.
We have to win by fair means or foul we just have to win.
Atletico, who ended the La Liga season in third position, are two-time runners-up in the European Cup-Champions League, having lost…
Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez has had his contract with Al-Gharafa rescinded, the Qatari club announced on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old was allowed to leave the club by mutual consent and is now free to speak to interested sides.
Lisandro Lopez has become a free agent just a couple of weeks after former PSG star Nene also left Al-Gharafa.
The Argentine forward is expected to either return to French Ligue 1 or move back to his native Argentina, and chances are he will have no shortage of offers in the coming days.
LOSC Lille were a couple of months back and it remains to be seen whether les Dogues will rekindle their interest now that the striker is available on a free transfer.
The experienced forward surprised everyone when he left Lyon for Al-G…
Rio Ferdinand has described the WAG culture that surrounded England in the days before Fabio Capello took charge, as a circus and admitted it was central to the squad s recent failures.
In a remarkably frank interview ahead of a World Cup qualifier with Belarus on Wednesday, the Manchester United defender savaged the celebrity bubble which peaked during the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
During the tournament, the wives and girlfriends known as WAGs of the England squad generated as many headlines as the players themselves.
Underlining the fundamental changes that have been instituted by Capello, England s stand-in captain also hit out at the Italian s predecessor, Steve McClaren, and his apparent desire to be best mates with Wazza (Wayne Rooney) and Stevi…
Real Madrid may sign a new striker to fill the gap left by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is out for the season after having knee surgery, the Spanish club s coach Bernd Schuster said Friday.
I am not saying it is necessary but of course with Ruud out, if there is any opportunity we will make the most of it, he told reporters.
Ruud s loss will make us more attentive to the market. Someone important could come who can help us, the German coach added.
Van Nistelrooy underwent an operation on his right knee in the United States this week and is expected to be sidelined for between six and nine months.
The 32-year-old former Manchester United player, the top scorer in the 2006-07 Spanish league season with 25 goals in 37 matches, picked up the injury during a …
Juventus eased four points clear at the top of Serie A with a straightforward 2-0 win over at Atalanta at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday.
Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi netted either side of half-time as the Bianconeri took full advantage of their game in hand on title rivals Napoli.
Scoreless in his two previous league outings, Higuain made the breakthrough just prior to the half-hour mark with his eighth goal in 10 top-flight games against Atalanta.
The hosts never looked like surrendering that lead, encountering few concerns on their way to a ninth consecutive Serie A clean sheet.
Atalanta s chances of a late rally became even more remote when Gianluca Mancini was sent off for two yellow cards in as many minutes.
And Matuidi immediate…
Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann wants his future resolved before joining up with France for the World Cup in June, with Barcelona reportedly eager to make a move for him.
Griezmann had been strongly linked with a transfer to Manchester United in pre-season, before ultimately opting to remain in Madrid.
Ever since it became clear a switch to the Premier League was not going to materialise, Barca emerged as a suitor and reports have even claimed Griezmann held talks with them at the end of last year, though the Catalan club strongly denied this.
Nevertheless, speculation continues to suggest Barca will make Griezmann their primary target before next season and the striker just wants his future sorted early so he can concentrate on France s World Cup campaign…
Adam Le Fondre feels Reading have improved since Nigel Adkins was installed as manager.
The former Southampton boss was appointed after the club decided to part company with Brian McDermott.
He was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid to stave off relegation from the Premier League, but Le Fondre believes the team s style of play is generally better under Adkins.
You can see the massive progression we have made under the new manager and the contrast in styles, he told the Reading Chronicle.
No disrespect to Brian and how we played before, but it s a totally different kind of football in the Premier League than the Championship.
If you keep giving the ball away, trying to turn teams and don t have any sustained possession, teams tend to hurt you.
Premier League clubs h…
Serie A giants Lazio are pondering summer move for Genoa striker Ciro Immobile, .
It is no secret the Biancocelesti are looking to sign a long-term replacement for Miroslav Klose and they are currently looking at a number of players.
Genoa striker Ciro Immobile, who is also co-owned by Juventus, is one of their targets in the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old came through the youth ranks at Juventus, but he was forced to prove his worth during loan spells with Siena, Grosseto and Pescara.
Immobile shone during the 2011/2012 season at Pescara, bagging 28 goals in 37 Serie B matches, which saw him make a switch to Genoa last summer.
He has since clocked up 33 league appearances for the Rossoblu, scoring 5 goals in the process. Immobile is set…
Romania must beat Serbia in their 2010 World Cup qualifier on Saturday if they are to remain in contention for a place at next year s finals claimed their star striker Adrian Mutu on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old, Romania s third all-time scorer with 29, said that a draw would not be good enough against a side that presently tops Group 7 with nine points, though, the Romanians on four points have a game in hand.
We cannot just come away with a draw against Serbia, said Mutu.
This match is vital because if we don t win, we won t have a chance of qualifying, added Mutu, who also said that they must take three points off Austria on April 1.
The Fiorentina marksman claimed Serbia had an advantage because their players played in tougher championships than most…
Defending champions Rubin Kazan moved into third place in the Russian league following a 1-2 win at Terek Groznyi on Saturday.
Sergei Semak put Rubin in the lead on 18 minutes and Alejandro Dominguez made it 0-2 a few minutes later. Shamil Lakhiyalov got one back in added time but couldn t threaten the away side s lead.
Dinamo Moscow share first place -with Krylya Sovetov- after a 1-0 win over FK Rostov na Donu. The only goal of the match was scored from the penalty spot by Alexander Kerzhakov in the 76th minute.
On Sunday, Zenit St Petersburg have a chance to reconquer their lead when the 2008 UEFA Cup champions host Amkar Perm.
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