Cesc Fabregas will meet with new Barcelona coach Gerardo Martinoin the next 48 hours as he seeks assurances over his future at Camp Nou.
The Manchester United target wants to clarify his position with Martino ahead of publicly announcing his intentions this summer, with Barcelona having already rejected two approaches from the Premier League champion for the 26-year-old.
Martino insisted on Friday that the Catalans would also dismiss any further approaches from United for the midfielder, with Goal having revealed last week that the club was preparing an improved bid of 41 million euros for the former Arsenal star.
Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu has also previously ruled out and chance of the club selling the Spain international, insisting: "Whatever offer United make, however big, we will say no. Cesc Fabregas will stay a Barcelona player."
However, Fabregas is keen to meet with his new manager to ensure he remains key to the club's plans next term, and United are understood to be losing heart in their pursuit of the midfielder.
After Thiago Alcantara opted to join Bayern Munich ahead of United earlier in July, Fabregas has emerged as David Moyes' priority signing this summer.
The United boss admitted on Sunday that he was unsure whether his side will continue its efforts to sign Fabregas but insisted he will add to his squad before the close of the transfer window.
"I couldn't tell you if there will be another bid," Moyes said. "Obviously we'll take stock and make a decision on what we do next but we have a good squad already. You can't forget about the quality that's already here.
"Undoubtedly we hope to add to it and I'm quite confident we'll do that... certainly before the window shuts."
Monday, 29 July 2013
Mourinho expects Drogba to return to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he expects Didier Drogba to return to Stamford Bridge at some point in the future.
The Ivorian spent eight years with the Blues winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League with the west Londoners before moving to Shanghai Shenhua in 2012.
Drogba has since moved again, to Turkish side Galatasaray, butMourinho would not be surprised to see him return to the Blues.
"He is a player and he is a winner and he enjoys his game and I almost had a heart attack because of him," Mourinho told theTelegraph.
"Let him enjoy a good couple of years of football but, after that, he is loved in this club by everyone and that’s very, very normal. I think one day he will have a Chelsea future."
The 35-year-old has been linked with a coaching role at Stamford Bridge and when asked if this was a possibility, Mourinho replied: "It's more a global question than a specific question to the manager.
"I am nobody, I am just the manager. Is he a very important player in Chelsea’s history? Yes. Will Didier be always in the memory of Chelsea fans, Chelsea board, Chelsea owner, Chelsea fellow players, Chelsea kids growing up? Yes. Is it normal that Didier will be in the future connected with Chelsea again, I think yes. How? I don’t know."
The Ivorian spent eight years with the Blues winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League with the west Londoners before moving to Shanghai Shenhua in 2012.
Drogba has since moved again, to Turkish side Galatasaray, butMourinho would not be surprised to see him return to the Blues.
"He is a player and he is a winner and he enjoys his game and I almost had a heart attack because of him," Mourinho told theTelegraph.
"Let him enjoy a good couple of years of football but, after that, he is loved in this club by everyone and that’s very, very normal. I think one day he will have a Chelsea future."
The 35-year-old has been linked with a coaching role at Stamford Bridge and when asked if this was a possibility, Mourinho replied: "It's more a global question than a specific question to the manager.
"I am nobody, I am just the manager. Is he a very important player in Chelsea’s history? Yes. Will Didier be always in the memory of Chelsea fans, Chelsea board, Chelsea owner, Chelsea fellow players, Chelsea kids growing up? Yes. Is it normal that Didier will be in the future connected with Chelsea again, I think yes. How? I don’t know."
Soccer-Czech championship results and standings
July 29 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Czech championship matches on Monday
Monday, July 29
Brno 5 Bohemians 1905 1
Sunday, July 28
Slovan Liberec 2 Slavia Prague 1
Sparta Prague 2 Jablonec 1
Saturday, July 27
Slovacko 2 Vysocina Jihlava 1
Banik Ostrava 2 Mlada Boleslav 1
FK Dukla Praha 4 Sigma Olomouc 0
Friday, July 26
1. SC Znojmo 0 Teplice 0
Marila Pribram 2 Viktoria Plzen 4
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Viktoria Plzen 2 2 0 0 9 2 6
-------------------------
2 Sparta Prague 2 2 0 0 6 2 6
3 Slovan Liberec 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
4 FK Dukla Praha 2 1 1 0 5 1 4
4 Brno 2 1 1 0 5 1 4
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6 Banik Ostrava 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
6 Teplice 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
8 Slovacko 2 1 0 1 4 4 3
9 1. SC Znojmo 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
10 Mlada Boleslav 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
10 Slavia Prague 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
12 Jablonec 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
13 Marila Pribram 2 0 1 1 3 5 1
14 Vysocina Jihlava 2 0 0 2 2 6 0
-------------------------
15 Sigma Olomouc 2 0 0 2 1 6 0
16 Bohemians 1905 2 0 0 2 1 10 0
1: Champions League preliminary round
2-5: Europa League
15-16: Relegation
Moyes impressed with young Man Utd trio
Manchester United manager David Moyes has praised youngstersAdnan Januzaj, Jesse Lingard and Wilfried Zaha after the Red Devils’ 5-2 friendly win over Kitchee.
Forward Lingard scored his fourth goal of the preseason tour in the win, with Januzaj also on target alongside Danny Welbeck, Chris Smalling and Fabio in Hong Kong.
Speaking after the game Moyes admitted he had learned a lot about many of his new players and revealed what the tour had meant to him.
"A couple of the young lads, Adnan and Jesse Lingard, who I didn't know as much about, did well and Wilfried Zaha, who has just joined, he has shown what he is capable of in the games he has played," he told reporters.
"I think they will go away from the trip feeling they have contributed to it. I am taking away the great experience of my first trip with Manchester United in general and what the football club means around the world."
The victory means Manchester United has won three of five games of its Far East tour and Moyes added that he has been pleased with the efforts of his players.
"I have also had a chance to get to know the players and try to settle into my new environment and for the players to get to know me as well," he added. "They have been working with a great manager for a long time a lot of them, so it is going to take time. But I have really enjoyed working with them. They have been incredibly professional.
Forward Lingard scored his fourth goal of the preseason tour in the win, with Januzaj also on target alongside Danny Welbeck, Chris Smalling and Fabio in Hong Kong.
Speaking after the game Moyes admitted he had learned a lot about many of his new players and revealed what the tour had meant to him.
"A couple of the young lads, Adnan and Jesse Lingard, who I didn't know as much about, did well and Wilfried Zaha, who has just joined, he has shown what he is capable of in the games he has played," he told reporters.
"I think they will go away from the trip feeling they have contributed to it. I am taking away the great experience of my first trip with Manchester United in general and what the football club means around the world."
The victory means Manchester United has won three of five games of its Far East tour and Moyes added that he has been pleased with the efforts of his players.
"I have also had a chance to get to know the players and try to settle into my new environment and for the players to get to know me as well," he added. "They have been working with a great manager for a long time a lot of them, so it is going to take time. But I have really enjoyed working with them. They have been incredibly professional.
Soccer-Danish championship results and standings
July 29 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Danish championship matches on Monday
Monday, July 29
Esbjerg 1 AaB Aalborg 2
Sunday, July 28
Midtjylland 1 FC Copenhagen 0
Randers 1 OB Odense 1
SonderjyskE 1 Brondby 0
Saturday, July 27
FC Vestsjaelland 0 AGF Aarhus 2
Friday, July 26
Nordsjaelland 1 Viborg 1
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Midtjylland 2 2 0 0 3 0 6
-------------------------
2 AaB Aalborg 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
-------------------------
3 SonderjyskE 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
4 Esbjerg 2 1 0 1 5 2 3
-------------------------
5 AGF Aarhus 2 1 0 1 2 2 3
-------------------------
6 Randers 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
6 Viborg 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
8 OB Odense 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
9 Brondby 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
10 FC Vestsjaelland 2 0 1 1 1 3 1
-------------------------
11 Nordsjaelland 2 0 1 1 1 5 1
12 FC Copenhagen 2 0 0 2 1 3 0
1: Champions League / EC I
2: Champions League preliminary round
3-4: Europa League
5: Europa League depending on domestic cup
11-12: Relegation
Soccer-Norwegian championship results and standings
July 29 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from the Norwegian championship matches on Monday
Monday, July 29
Valerenga Oslo 5 Sarpsborg 08 3
Sunday, July 28
Odd Grenland 3 Tromso 1
Brann Bergen 1 Rosenborg Trondheim 4
Sogndal 1 FK Haugesund 1
Stromsgodset IF 6 Honefoss BK 1
Viking Stavanger 3 IK Start 0
Saturday, July 27
Aalesund 2 Sandnes Ulf 3
Lillestrom 2 Molde 0
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Rosenborg Trondheim 17 11 4 2 32 15 37
-------------------------
2 Stromsgodset IF 17 11 2 4 37 15 35
3 Viking Stavanger 17 8 5 4 22 16 29
-------------------------
4 Aalesund 17 8 4 5 34 25 28
-------------------------
5 Brann Bergen 17 8 2 7 28 26 26
6 Valerenga Oslo 17 7 3 7 26 28 24
7 FK Haugesund 17 7 3 7 21 24 24
8 Sogndal 17 5 8 4 24 26 23
9 Odd Grenland 17 6 3 8 21 19 21
10 Lillestrom 17 6 3 8 21 25 21
11 Tromso 17 5 5 7 26 25 20
12 Sandnes Ulf 17 5 4 8 19 29 19
13 Molde 17 4 6 7 25 26 18
-------------------------
14 Sarpsborg 08 17 4 5 8 22 35 17
-------------------------
15 Honefoss BK 17 3 7 7 19 29 16
16 IK Start 17 3 6 8 22 36 15
1: Champions League preliminary round
2-3: Europa League
4: Europa League depending on domestic cup
14: Relegation play-off
15-16: Relegation
Soccer-Swedish championship results and standings
July 29 (Infostrada Sports) - Results and standings from theSwedish championship matches on Monday
Monday, July 29
Halmstad 1 Syrianska FC 1
Sunday, July 28
Gefle 2 Malmo 0
IFK Gothenburg 2 Helsingborg 4
Saturday, July 27
Atvidabergs FF 1 Elfsborg Boras 1
Kalmar 2 Brommapojkarna 2
Osters IF 1 Mjallby AIF 1
Standings P W D L F A Pts
1 Helsingborg 17 11 4 2 39 13 37
-------------------------
2 Malmo 17 9 5 3 31 20 32
3 AIK Stockholm 17 9 5 3 29 18 32
-------------------------
4 IFK Gothenburg 17 8 5 4 25 18 29
-------------------------
5 Elfsborg Boras 17 7 7 3 30 16 28
6 Kalmar 17 7 7 3 21 14 28
7 Atvidabergs FF 17 8 3 6 22 18 27
8 Mjallby AIF 17 7 4 6 29 24 25
9 IFK Norrkoping 16 6 4 6 24 25 22
10 Haecken 17 6 2 9 21 26 20
11 Gefle 17 3 8 6 19 26 17
12 Djurgarden 16 4 4 8 12 27 16
13 Halmstad 17 2 8 7 15 25 14
-------------------------
14 OEsters IF 17 3 5 9 14 25 14
-------------------------
15 Brommapojkarna 17 3 5 9 18 36 14
16 Syrianska FC 17 2 4 11 14 32 10
1: Champions League preliminary round
2-3: Europa League
4: Europa League depending on domestic cup
14: Relegation play-off
15-16: Relegation
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