The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Atletico Madrid

  • Barcelona president fuels Griezmann speculation

    Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has been in contact with Antoine Griezmann’s agent amid reports the Atletico Madrid striker is set to join the Spanish champions.

    Frenchman Griezmann has a 100 million euro (88 million pounds) release clause in his contract and Spanish media reported that Barcelona are ready to pay it.

    “We are analysing the season and we will see what we will do with ins and outs.

    “I have bumped into him (Griezmann) occasionally in the Balearic Islands. I have not spoken to him this year but I did speak to his agent in October.

    “With (Atletico Madrid President Enrique) Cerezo I have spoken about a lot of things, but not about this,” Bartomeu told radio station RAC1.

    Barcelona are looking to strengthen their squad after winning the Spanish title 12 points clear of second place Atletico with three matches left.

    They drew 2-2 with Real Madrid on Sunday in a tempestuous Clasico despite playing the second half with 10 men after Sergi Roberto’s dismissal, and are unbeaten in 42 league matches.

    “We are very happy with (Coach Ernesto Valverde’s) work and that of the players.

    “When they sent off Sergi Roberto, I suffered a bit thinking about the second half, but then we went on to have a great game,” Bartomeu added.

    Barcelona also won the Spanish Cup this season but were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by AS Roma after squandering a 4-1 first-leg lead.

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  • Super Eagles to play Atletico Madrid May 21

    Super Eagles’ technical adviser Genort Rohr has stated that the Super Eagles will face Atletico Madrid in a friendly game on May 21 at the Godswill Akpabio International stadium, Uyo.

    The German tactician revealed on Supersport Monday night football that the CHAN Eagles or selected home-based players would be used to prosecute the match, as he ruled out the possibility of using Eagles big stars for the game.

    He also said the team will use the game to thank the state government under Governor Udom Emmanuel, as well as the good people of Uyo, for their support to the Super Eagles during their World Cup campaign.

    “The date for the match is May 21. If they (Atletico Madrid) are coming to Nigeria for the match, it will be a good one for us. But I don’t know yet which team would play against Atletico Madrid. It maybe CHAN Eagles or selected local-based players but the main Eagles players will not be part of it. I love the game to be played so that we will use the opportunity to say thank you to the government, governor and people of Uyo for their support to the Super Eagles during our stay there,” Rohr said.

  • La Liga: Atletico held by Betis, Las Palmas relegated

    Atletico Madrid failed to break down Real Betis in a 0-0 draw on Sunday which further reduced their slim chances of catching FC Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

    Elsewhere, Las Palmas were relegated after a crushing 4-0 home defeat by Alaves.

    Diego Simeone’s Atletico moved 11 points behind FC Barcelona with four games remaining and the unbeaten leaders need one more point to win the title.

    With the Europa League semi-final first leg match at Arsenal on Thursday in mind, Simeone rotated key players and Betis tried to take advantage.

    Javi Garcia missed two excellent chances and Cristian Tello struck the post for the visitors, who extended their club record run of games without conceding a goal to six.

    However, Atletico’s defensive resilience ended Betis’ run of six wins in a row as they recorded their 11th consecutive home clean sheet.

    Aissa Mandi headed a Fernando Torres effort off the line and Saul Niguez struck the bar as Atletico also came close, but neither side could earn a victory.

    “The team is heading into Thursday’s game really well,” Simeone said. “We made important changes and the players responded. I had to rotate to ensure we had fresh players.”

    In a mostly-empty stadium at Canary Islands, Munir El Haddadi struck twice with Alvaro Medran and Ruben Sobrino also netting as four second-half goals from Alaves consigned Las Palmas to relegation.

    Paco Jemez’s side have 21 points from 34 games and are 13 short of Levante in 17th with only four matches left and they will join bottom side Malaga in the second division next season.

    Read Also: Barca records 39 La Liga games unbeaten!

    “Beyond the fact that this is a sad day, because we go down to the second division, it’s also sad because of the result. We went down in the worst way possible,” said Jemez.

    “We are as sad as ( the fans ). We didn’t want this moment to arrive but we will keep working because there are still a lot of things to fight for.

    “We must be responsible with the image of the club.”

    Alaves’ triumph confirms their safety, sitting 13th with 41 points from 34 games.

    It is an impressive feat masterminded by Abelardo Fernandez who took over in December with the Basque side bottom of the table.

    Malaga beat Real Sociedad 2-0 and Espanyol won 2-0 at Girona to damage their Catalan rivals’ dreams of finishing in a Europa League spot.

    The result left Girona ninth and Espanyol 16th in the standings, 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

    Las Palmas have gone 12 matches without a victory and this was their fifth straight defeat.

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  • Godin undergoes surgery after brutal collision

    Godin undergoes surgery after brutal collision

     

    Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin has undergone reconstructive procedure on his mouth after losing some of his teeth after a brutal collision in a Spanish league match on Sunday.

    Atletico says Godin underwent the procedure in a dental clinic in Madrid, following the team’s 1-0 home win over Valencia at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.

    Godin had to be replaced early in the second half after colliding with Valencia goalkeeper Neto while going for a high cross into the area.

    Neto’s elbow appeared to hit Godin directly on his face, and replays showed one of Godin’s teeth flying out of his mouth.

    The Uruguay defender bled profusely as some of his teeth were visibly out of place.

    Atletico workers were reportedly sent to the field after the game to try to find his teeth.

    Manager Diego Simeone joked that one of his players would have to be ‘killed’ for the referee to blow his whistle.

    ‘They will have to kill us for us to be awarded a penalty, if that was not one for Godin,’ Diego Simeone said.

    ‘I am not sure on the diagnosis but the doctor will know more tomorrow. It is not easy to make so many changes in defence but our reinforcements did very well.’

    Atletico, nine points behind league leader Barcelona, had already lost central defender Stefan Savic before halftime because of a muscle injury on his left thigh.

    Simeone did not know when either defender would be fit to return.

  • FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    FIFA receives Atletico complaint over Griezmann approach

    Football ruling body FIFA has confirmed receiving a complaint from Atletico Madrid who say Spanish league leaders FC Barcelona have illegally contacted their forward Antoine Griezmann.

    “We have received a complaint from Atletico Madrid about Griezmann’s case,’’ a FIFA spokesman told newsmen on Wednesday, without commenting further on the case.

    The 26-year-old Frenchman Griezmann renewed his contract at Atletico in summer until 2022.

    According to FIFA rules, he cannot be approached by interested clubs until the final six months of his contract.

    Read also: FIFA Rates Super Falcons World 37th Best Team

    Spanish news reports said Atletico have proof that Griezmann has been contacted by Barca over a possible transfer.

    Reports also said that Atletico were not seeking compensation or requesting sanctions for FC Barcelona, ​​but wanted to bring the matter to the attention of the football ruling body.

    Griezmann, who came to Atletico in 2014, has been linked with several top clubs, including Manchester United.

    His release sum was halved to 100 million Euros (118 million dollars) on September 1.

    At Barca, he can fill the void Neymar left in summer when he moved on to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee of 222 million Euros.

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  • Atletico drags Barca to FIFA over Griezmann approach

    Atletico drags Barca to FIFA over Griezmann approach

     

    Atletico Madrid will report Barcelona to FIFA over their allegedly illegal attempt to sign forward Antoine Griezmann.

    The Madrid outfit are outraged by Barcelona’s very public pursuit of the France international and will make an official complaint to world football’s governing body.

    Atletico shareholders and club chiefs met on Monday morning to discuss whether they should file a complaint and eventually came to a decision to do so.

    Barcelona are growing confident that Griezmann, who has seven goals in all competitions this term, will join them from Atletico next season.

    Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu met with the Frenchman’s family last week to finalise a deal for next year and club director Guillermo Amor said the meeting could be considered a sign of progress.

    ‘If Bartomeu met with Griezmann’s family as the newspapers say, then there may well have been an approach,’ he explained in an interview with Movistar.

    Manchester United have also shown an interest in the France international, however it is understood no complaint has been registered against any English club.

    It is not only the Barcelona top brass who have openly spoken of their desire to have Griezmann at the club.

    Striker Luis Suarez spoke of his hope to play alongside the France international should he make the switch next summer.

    ‘Both Griezmann and (Liverpool’s Philippe) Coutinho are elite players that are playing at the top level,’ the Uruguay star told RAC105.

    ‘They are where they are for a reason. They’re both young and have long careers ahead of them. And Barca always want the best players.’

    He added: ‘Griezmann would come here to add to the team and to help the side in the position that the coach wants him to play in.’

     

     

     

     

     

  • Liverpool’s Lallana could return in November – Klopp

    Liverpool’s Lallana could return in November – Klopp

    Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana could return from a thigh injury after the conclusion of the next international break early November, the English Premier League club’s manager Juergen Klopp has said.

    Lallana, who joined Liverpool from Southampton in July 2014, last played during the team’s pre-season loss to Atletico Madrid in August.

    The Merseyside club said the 29-year-old had returned to their training ground on Monday to continue his recovery.

    “It’s absolutely good news. I cannot say now, but maybe after the next international break he could be back,” Klopp told the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

    “It would be fantastic for us, of course. Everybody knows what kind of a quality player he is.”

    Liverpool are eighth in the league and travel to Slovenia to face NK Maribor in the Champions League later on Tuesday.

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  • Diego Costa celebrates birthday in style

    Diego Costa celebrates birthday in style

     

    Diego Costa took some time out from his Atletico Madrid fitness programme by cracking open a cold one on a Spanish beach.

    The striker celebrated his 29th birthday this weekend and was pictured treating himself to a beer while he relaxed over the international break.

    Costa has been put through his paces by Atletico’s coaches this week in a bid to get back to match fitness before January, when he will be permitted to play.

    His return to Atletico was confirmed last month after the Spanish side finally reached an agreement with Chelsea in a deal worth £57million.

    But while he is able to train with his new side, Atletico cannot register Costa to play for them until 2018 due to the club’s transfer ban.

    Costa was videoed last week struggling for breath after performing an intensive workout under the watchful eye of notorious Atletico coach Oscar ‘Profe’ Ortega.

    The striker is undergoing the fitness regime away from the rest of Diego Simeone’s squad following months without organised sessions, though he has also trained alongside his team-mates.

    After receiving a text from Chelsea manager Antonio Conte informing him he was no longer in his plans, Costa went into self-imposed exile back in his Brazilian hometown of Lagarto.

    Costa refused to report to training at Cobham and told Sportsmail he was being treated ‘like a criminal’ by his former club after playing a pivotal role in their Premier League title win in 2016-17.

    A stand-off which lasted for more than three months was finally ended when Chelsea reached an agreement to sell him back to Atletico on September 21.

    The 29-year-old previously spent six years as an Atletico player across two separate spells and won a La Liga title with the Madrid club in 2013-14.

    Costa’s fitness issues have seen him miss out on the Spain squad for their latest round of World Cup qualifiers. He last featured for his adopted country back in June.

  • Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Batshuayi strikes late to give Chelsea win

    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi came off the bench to snatch a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday with the last kick of the game.

    The result took Antonio Conte’s side top of Champions League Group C.

    France international Antoine Griezmann rammed a penalty kick beyond former Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to give the home side a barely-deserved lead in the 40th minute.

    He was scoring the first European goal at their new stadium after striking the first Liga goal there this month.

    Former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, who also spent time in Atletico’s youth system, pulled Chelsea level by glancing in Eden Hazard’s cross in the 60th minute.

    This was after the visitors had failed to make their first-half dominance count.

    Batshuayi replaced Morata with seven minutes remaining and inflicted a first home defeat on Atletico since September, 2015.

    It turns wide a Marcos Alonso cutback from close range deep into stoppage-time.

    “It’s very difficult when Atletico score [first] to come back, but in spite of this we deserved to win. We continued to play with good personality, we kept our heads on the pitch in every moment,” Chelsea coach Conte told a news conference.

    “We must be pleased with the performance and overall the personality we showed.

    “I always tell my players that it doesn’t change when you play at home or away, you have to play with the same personality and desire to play and try to deserve to win.”

    Atletico coach Diego Simeone has likened his side’s new home to the Circus Maximus in Rome.

    The club’s famously vociferous fans made a noise fitting of the biggest game in the stadium’s short existence, but Chelsea soon calmed the crowd.

    Hazard, without a goal in the Champions League since March 2015, was Chelsea’s chief creator.

    He dashed through the middle to lay the ball off for Morata to screw wide and then hitting the woodwork himself with a ferocious long-range strike.

    “Chelsea felt more comfortable than us and won the game deservedly,” said Atletico coach Simeone.

    “They were superior tactically and physically. They are a very competitive team, they showed more maturity than us and we have to congratulate them.”

    Atletico struggled to get into Chelsea’s half but capitalised from their first real foray forward.

    A deflected shot from Saul Niguez earned a corner kick from which David Luiz hauled Lucas Hernandez to the floor, leaving Griezmann to score a third goal in four games.

    Simeone’s side could have grabbed a second on the cusp of halftime when Courtois could only hold Koke’s stinging shot but Saul slotted the rebound just wide of the near post.

    A two-goal deficit would have been grossly unfair on Conte’s adventurous side, who also had the better of the second half.

    Morata wasted a chance to strike again when he skipped towards goal unchallenged, scuffing the ball wide of Jan Oblak’s goal.

    But Belgian international Batshuayi needed just one chance to grab the win that was as dramatic as it was deserved.

  • Diego Costa shows off his new Atletico kit

    Diego Costa shows off his new Atletico kit

     

    Diego Costa is back in Atletico Madrid colours and he wants the world to know it.

    The striker, whose move back to his former club from Chelsea was formally completed this week, has been pulling on the Atleti kit for the first time since his return.

    And he was quick to post a snap of his shorts, bearing the club crest, onto his Instagram story.

    Costa, who passed his medical at Madrid on Monday, will command a £58million fee when he makes the permanent switch in the summer – he will first join Atletico on loan until the end of the season.

    And, though he cannot play for his new team until January 1 due to Madrid’s existing transfer ban, he is quickly settling into life at the Wanda Metropolitano.

    His post comes less than 24 hours after he stuck an emotional message up on his Instagram page, thanking the Chelsea fans for their support during his time at Stamford Bridge.

    Next to a picture of himself kissing the Premier League trophy, he wrote: ‘Some cycles begin while others end. My cycle at Chelsea began three years ago – three remarkable years in all aspects – and I will never forget it.

    ‘Two championship titles, a Community Shield, 120 matches, 59 goals and 24 assists later this cycle has ended. Not the way I would have wanted – far from it – but the best way possible.

    ‘The wonderful fans of such equally admirable club and all team mates, as well as all clinical, administrative and logistics staff will remain forever in my mind and in my heart.

    ‘Will bring them with me with the certainty that I will always be by their side as well, and I’m sure they will understand the reason why this cycle of mine has now ended – because I could not lose faith in myself. Thank you Chelsea for everything!’