Juventus stalwart Gianluigi Buffon has backed Bayern Munich s Manuel Neuer to become a goalkeeping great as the clubs prepare to meet in the Champions League.
Last season s beaten finalists and the German heavyweights, Serie A and Bundesliga title-holders respectively, clash in the round-of-16 first leg in Turin on Tuesday.
While Buffon, 38, is regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation, Neuer s comfort in possession has seen him come close to reinventing the position as an advanced sweeper-keeper .
I ve seen a lot of goalkeepers over this long career and I ve been fortunate enough to admire some very solid goalkeepers with great reliability and quality, Buffon told reporters.
Manuel Neuer is among them and he s a goalkeeper who plays i…
Jurgen Klopp does not believe Manchester City are cracking under the pressure of Liverpool s ferocious pace at the top of the Premier League.
The Reds will celebrate Christmas with a four-point lead over the reigning champions following recent defeats for Pep Guardiola s side against Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
Both of those reverses came when Liverpool had played earlier that weekend and won against Bournemouth and Wolves respectively.
But Klopp baulked at the idea that City are struggling to respond to his still unbeaten side – pointing to the overall quality of their performances in what he felt were ill-deserved results.
You saw the two games they played? It didn t look like they felt a lot of pressure. They were outstanding in these games, he tol…
Former Bayern Munich midfielder Mehmet Scholl has branded the club s dealings with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski as strange
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The ex-Borussia Dortmund pair have both been linked with moves away from the Allianz Arena but, while Gotze a reported target for Liverpool is said to have been urged to leave by club officials, Bayern appear determined to keep Lewandowski.
This stance contrasts that of the players, with Gotze apparently eager to remain with the Bundesliga champions and Lewandowski seemingly keen to leave, with his agent recently confirming transfer talks with Real Madrid.
And Scholl, who was a coach at Bayern until 2013, told ARD: Something strange is happening.
A player [Gotze], whose contract runs for one [more] year, w…
Thiago Alcantara will take Liverpool to another level as Jurgen Klopp seeks to build a new era of dominance at Anfield.
That is the view of Reds team-mate Sadio Mane, who was thrilled to see the midfielder swap European champions Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 Premier League winners.
It is a signing that has captured the imagination of Liverpool fans and players alike, with Mane – who also welcomed Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas – delighted to have the Spain international on board.
I think not only the fans are excited to see Thiago, he told the club s official website.
For sure, especially me and my team-mates were really happy to have this kind of quality in our squad. It only makes us better.
I can see from day one in training and th…
Lyon s superstar striker Ada Hegerberg faces a long spell out of action after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in training.
The Norwegian landed the inaugural women s Ballon d Or in December 2018 to reflect her status as the world s leading player, but now she faces a challenging road to recovery.
Hegerberg announced on Twitter: So here it is. I ruptured my ACL this weekend. This is a setback for me, but I m going to work through this with all my heart and my energy. The best is yet to come. YOU LL SEE ME SOON!
Lyon confirmed the blow, announcing on their website: Lyon regret the injury to Ada Hegerberg, victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the right knee, that occurred in training.
The operation date wil…
Brighton have signed Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have announced.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium.
Verbruggen was named player of the season at Anderlecht last term despite only breaking into the first team in December.
He helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and made his debut for the Dutch Under-21 side last month. He also earned a senior call-up in March.
We re delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht on a five-year contract until June 2028.
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— Brighton Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC)
Seagulls head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “I am very pleased to hav…
Nottingham Forest have paid tribute to double European Cup winner Larry Lloyd, who has died at the age of 75.
Lloyd, who also won the First Division title and UEFA Cup with Liverpool, was a key player in the Forest side which won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980 under manager Brian Clough.
The Bristol-born defender won four caps for England and went on to manage Wigan and Notts County following the end of his hugely-successful playing career.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Larry Lloyd.
Part of the Miracle Men, Larry was an integral player in the Forest side that memorably won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, making 218 appearances for the club in total.
We send our condolences to…
— Nottingham Forest (@…
Thomas Muller is fast becoming a modern FIFA World Cup great and is set to contest his first final on Sunday.
At just 24 years old, Bayern Munich attacker Muller has accumulated an impressive list of honours, with three Bundesliga titles, a UEFA Champions League winners medal and a FIFA Club World Cup triumph already in the bag.
While rarely mentioned alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who he will come up against in Sunday s clash with Argentina when it comes to discussions over the best player in the world, it is also difficult to find fault with Muller s World Cup record.
After claiming the Golden Boot with five goals at the 2010 tournament in South Africa, where he was named the best young player, Muller has been utilised as Germany s mo…
Milan forward Robinho is still unsure where he will be playing next season, amid reports he is set to join incoming MLS team Orlando City.
Robinho is under contract with Milan until 2016 but Orlando City set to compete in the MLS in 2015 have made no secret of their desire to reunite Robinho with new recruit Kaka in the United States.
A deal between Milan and Orlando City is yet to be agreed, although Robinho told Sky Sport Italia talks were ongoing.
The 30-year-old Brazilian also thanked Milan s fans in a comment that is set to spark talk of an imminent departure from the Italian giants.
We do not know yet (where I will go), said Robinho, who won the Serie A title with Milan in 2010-11.
For fans of Milan I can only say thank you for everything.…
Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has backed new recruit Leroy Sane to shine in the Premier League.
De Bruyne successfully swapped the Bundesliga for the English top flight last year, scoring 16 goals in all competitions after City paid Wolfsburg a club-record fee – reportedly £55million for the Belgium international s services.
Sane established himself as the star performer at Schalke last term and De Bruyne believes his own eye for an assist – he created nine Premier League goals in 2015-16 will work well in tandem with the 20-year-old Germany attacker, whose international team-mate Ilkay Gundogan was Pep Guardiola s first close-season recruit.
Leroy Sane is a class player. I want him to shine with my assists, De Bruyne told Sport Bild.
M…