#Messi500 breakdown: How Clasico winner took Messi to new heights

Former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira promised to introduce South Africa to samba football , a mission pursued by his successor, Joel Santana.

Well at Ellis Park on Thursday the willing pupil will have the chance to test precisely how much they ve learned when they take on the country who invented the concept.

The smart and not so smart money is on Brazil overpowering South Africa in this Confederations Cup semi-final to set up a dream final Sunday with Spain, favourites to beat the United States on Wednesday.

But this 2009 Confed Cup has been nothing if not unpredictable witness the USA s advance to the last four at the expense of world champions and African champions Italy and Egypt.

South Africa owe their presence here to having narrowly shaded Iraq on…

Marseille play their first home match of the new campaign against Lille this weekend aiming to consolidate their position as pre-season favourites to take their first title in almost two decades.

The fixture is being held in Montpellier as Marseille s Velodrome stadium is still shut following the death of two stage hands setting up a Madonna concert last month.

It s a special game, we d prefer all the same to be playing at the Velodrome in front of our fans and our surroundings. We know the reasons for this move and we don t have a choice, said midfielder Benoit Cheyrou.

Didier Deschamps team, runners-up last term, avoided an opening day slip-up at Grenoble and now face a Lille side who lost out to Lorient in their 2009-2010 curtain-raiser.

Deschamps, E…

Pep Guardiola says he initially wanted to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen for Manchester City, but has denied reports Lionel Messi and other Barcelona superstars were transfer targets.

Claudio Bravo will be in goal for City at Camp Nou on Tuesday as Group C s heavyweights meet in the first game of a double-header, with Ter Stegen at the other end, having becoming the undisputed number one following the Chilean s departure.

Spanish media reports ahead of the blockbuster fixture claimed Guardiola attempted to coax some of Barca s leading lights to Manchester, including Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta.

However, the City manager dismissed the suggestion out of hand, insisting Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu would not have sanctioned any of the …

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes his former Manchester United team-mate Paul Pogba silenced his doubters with his performances in France s successful World Cup campaign.

France beat Croatia 4-2 in Russia on Sunday to clinch their second World Cup title, with Didier Deschamps men looking solid – if not spectacular – throughout their campaign.

Kylian Mbappe drew most of the plaudits for his thrilling displays, but Pogba was a key figure in midfield and really stepped up a level in the knockout phase.

Although Pogba s imaginative passing and technical ability were frequently shown, he also provided evidence of a combative side which has rarely been associated with him during his time at Old Trafford.

And Ibrahimovic is adamant Pogba s performances and trophy …

While battles at both ends of the table look set to go down to the wire, clubs from across the country will already be planning behind the scenes for what looks set to be a heavyweight summer transfer window.

Watching the likes of spend over £600million during the past two transfer windows, it appears that a number of England’s midfield stars are attracting plenty of interest.

With some already predicting what could be another record-breaking spend among the Premier League’s elite, there are plenty of England internationals who find growing scrutiny over their long-term futures.

On a list that includes a trio of Gareth Southgate’s key midfield stars, we have taken a look at a few Three Lions superstars who look set for a move this summer.

Declan Ri…

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said on Thursday he is confident that Arsenal captain and fellow Spanish international Cesc Fabregas will rejoin him at the Catalan giants in the future.

Fabregas has been linked to a return to La Liga with a move to either Real Madrid or to his boyhood club Barcelona, who he left to join the Gunners in September 2003.

But Pique, who spent several years with Fabregas in Barca s youth team, said he did not believe Fabregas would ever join Barcelona s arch-rivals and it is only a matter of time before he returns to the Catalan side.

I still think he?ll be wearing the Barca shirt one day, he is a fan and I know he?d love to come back. When? That?s another matter entirely, he told a news conference after a training session.

L…

Central Coast Mariners confirmed Tony Walmsley will take the coaching role permanently at the A-League club on Tuesday.

Walmsley, who took over from the sacked Phil Moss on an interim basis in March, has earned a contract until the end of the 2015-16 season and will also continue to serve as the Gosford side s technical director.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Mariners former National Youth League-winning coach admitted he had to consider whether or not he would be able to meet the needs of the club, who have gone from champions in 2012-13 to strugglers this term.

When [executive vice chairman] Peter Storrie asked if I would consider taking the head coach role at the Mariners I needed to weigh up the opportunity carefully, he said.

It is an h…

Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge labelled Bayern Munich s third straight Bundesliga title a magnificent achievement as the players celebrated the 2014-15 championship on social media.

Bayern were confirmed as champions on Sunday after second-placed Wolfsburg lost 1-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach, leaving the Bavarians 15 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with four games remaining.

Rummenigge was impressed by how Pep Guardiola s side dominated the German league after a busy close-season involving the World Cup in Brazil.

Retaining the title is a magnificent achievement. All credit to the coach and the team, the former striker told Bayern s website.

They ve been fantastic throughout, in a season following a World Cup where we had a host of players in…

Former Liverpool and Tottenham director of football Damien Comolli has been told only three Premier League clubs will be able to spend money in the next transfer window.

The coronavirus pandemic has halted football across the globe, with no games in England s top tier since March 9.

The Premier League announced last week it still intends to complete the 2019-20 season, which it is hoped will be finished by the end of June.

Due to the financial impact of the global health crisis, a number of people within the game anticipate a significant decrease in fees when the market next opens, with Comolli among them.

He has received information that spending in the Premier League will be limited to just a trio of teams, though he was unable to confirm the accuracy…

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While the focus for many on the international stage is on the rescheduled UEFA Euro 2020 tournament this summer, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced nations across the globe to start thinking about next year s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There are still plenty of distractions and problems that could arise before the WC actually takes place, but for Italy and Northern Ireland, their eyes are locked on the World Cup and qualification as their respective campaigns begin this week.

Italy

From contenders to laughing stock and back to the role of dark horse, the Italians certainly know how to keep all of us on our toes. They ve got the kind of team that lives vicariously through the success of past icons and that s n…