Here are the latest stories for Monday.
CHELSEA: Antonio Conte insists he is too experienced to be drawn into a war of words with Jose Mourinho after the Manchester United manager accused Chelsea of winning matches with defensive football.
MAN CITY: Brazilian legend Ronaldinho has backed Manchester City wonder kid Gabriel Jesus to replace Lionel Messi as the best player in the world.
– Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described on-loan Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere as a “special” talent ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash between the two clubs.
– Guardiola has told Sergio Aguero he wants him to stay at Manchester City but added that it is up to the striker if he wants to leave at the end of the season.
– Barcelona were among the clubs that tried to sign Fabinho last summer, according to the player’s father, but the Monaco full-back “have a soft spot for Manchester City.”
LEICESTER: Claudio Ranieri believes he may have been too loyal to his misfiring Premier League champions and suggested he is ready to ditch some of his struggling stars after watching Leicester fall deeper into relegation trouble with a 2-0 defeat at Swansea.
ARSENAL: Arsene Wenger believes club-record signing Mesut Ozil is lacking confidence as Arsenal prepare to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
– Shkodran Mustafi believes Arsenal can beat Bayern Munich “if they play to their potential” in their Champions League round-of-16 tie in Munich.
– Petr Cech’s agent has ruled out a move away from Arsenal for his client after the goalkeeper’s future was questioned following last week’s loss at Chelsea.
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has credited captain Jordan Henderson for his side’s return to winning ways over Tottenham.
– Sadio Mane’s agent has dismissed suggestions that the Liverpool forward rejected a summer move to Tottenham Hotspur due to his wage demands.
– Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is to take his side on warm-weather training as part of a mid-season break.
TOTTENHAM: Hugo Lloris has told the London Evening Standard that Tottenham’s title hopes are over after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Liverpool and his teammates “need to question” why they lacked hunger at Anfield.
– Mauricio Pochettino has said that Tottenham lack the experience and winning mentality of Premier League leaders Chelsea but he believes they deserve more credit for their place in the table.
MAN UNITED: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said that left-back Luke Shaw must “work and wait” after being left out of the side again.
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic says “nothing is done” with regards to his Manchester United future, but claims he has fulfilled the option needed to extend his contract.
– Florentin Pogba has said he will foul brother Paul Pogba if that is what it takes to help St Etienne beat Manchester United in their Europa League tie.
– Manchester United defender Daley Blind is sure that the club will be in the top four of the Premier League by the end of the season.
WEST HAM: West Ham United are considering a move for Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna in the summer on a free transfer, sources close to the London club have told ESPN FC.
BARCELONA: Former Barcelona director Marc Ingla believes there was “friction” between Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the years they spent together in Catalonia.
– Rafinha returns to the Barcelona squad for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain, but Arda Turan remains sidelined with a groin problem.
– Barcelona will be without Aleix Vidal for the rest of the season after he was forced off with a dislocated ankle during their 6-0 win against Alaves on Saturday.
REAL MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo sat out Real Madrid training just 48 hours ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg at home to Napoli, but is still expected to be available for the game.
– Gareth Bale has boosted Real Madrid by returning to training. Bale has not played since November after having ankle surgery, but Real Madrid tweeted a photograph of the 27-year-old training at their headquarters on Sunday.
– Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane admitted that his team had suffered before returning to the top of La Liga by beating bottom team Osasuna 3-1.
JUVENTUS: Cristiano Ronaldo would have joined Juventus from Sporting Lisbon as a 17-year-old but for a refusal by ex-Chile striker Marcelo Salas to move in exchange, according to former Juve sporting director Gianni Di Marzio.
– Paulo Dybala should sign a new Juventus contract by the end of the month while there are no concerns about the future of coach Massimiliano Allegri, according to the club’s general manager Beppe Marotta.
– Allegri insisted that Juventus should have scored more despite his team coming away with a 2-0 win at Cagliari.
BAYERN MUNICH: Manuel Neuer has told The Observer that Bayern Munich are not at the level they should be this season.
DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund accepted the imposition by the German FA (DFB) of a partial stadium closure as a result of the crowd trouble that marred their recent home game against RB Leipzig.
– Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has rejected the suggestion that manager Thomas Tuchel criticised the board following their weekend defeat at Darmstadt.
PSG: Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva says the French champions must not fixate on Barcelona’s up-and-down season so far ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League last-16 first-leg encounter at Parc des Princes.
– Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino has told SFR Sport that Paris Saint-Germain are “my team” after his spell there as a player.
ATLETICO MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone hailed the composure of his side after they came from behind to beat Celta Vigo 3-2 in Sunday evening’s action-packed La Liga clash at a heaving Estadio Vicente Calderon.
– Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco has denied he has any problems with Simeone, saying his recent anger at being substituted was directed at himself for his own performances.
LIGUE 1: Valentin Eysseric has repeated claims that Mario Balotelli has allowed his head to drop at Nice, and stated the striker needs to make more of an effort to force his way back into the team.
– Questions over the reliability of goalline technology are being raised in France after an apparent failure in the system in a Ligue 1 game on Saturday.
MLS: D.C. United unveiled their new secondary kit for the 2017 season. The design, which displays all three of the team’s colors prominently, features red sleeves and a grey chest design resembling eagle wings that fades into a white torso.
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