TheNewsGuru

Tag: PSG

  • Anelka questions Messi value to PSG after City loss

    Anelka questions Messi value to PSG after City loss

    Former PSG striker Nicolas Anelka has questioned Lionel Messi’s value to the team after last night’s defeat at Manchester City.

    PSG’s hopes of qualifying from their Champions League group suffered blow with defeat at City.

    Anelka told RMC: “With Messi, PSG cannot be a counter team.

    “You cannot base the whole team on Kylian Mbappe.”

    The Frenchman also recently cast doubt over whether Messi has still got it in him to be ‘extraordinary’.

    He said: “Today we demand from Neymar, but we can do the same with Messi.

    “Since the beginning of the season it is not extraordinary either.

    “There is a player who has six Ballons d’Or and finally is not so extraordinary.”

  • ​PSG players believe Zidane ready to replace Pochettino

    ​PSG players believe Zidane ready to replace Pochettino

    Players at Paris Saint-Germain are convinced that Zinedine Zidane is set to take over from Mauricio Pochettino as manager.

    Pochettino is heavily linked to

    the job at Manchester United, who sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday.

    According to Marca, there is a real suggestion that Zidane may go to PSG, provided they release Pochettino to join United.

    Despite PSG being top of the French Ligue 1 at present, Pochettino is unhappy with the inner workings at the club.

    He has friction with sporting director Leonardo, while his family still lives in England.

  • Solksjaer: Pochettino Ready To Quit PSG For Manchester United Job – Reports

    Solksjaer: Pochettino Ready To Quit PSG For Manchester United Job – Reports

    Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino is ready to take up the reins at Manchester United if the English giants reach out to him.

    Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, who fell out of favour with the board and club faithful, has been replaced by Michael Carrick, while they look to appoint an interim boss until the end of the season.

    It is understood that Pochettino is prepared to vacate his position at PSG because he is unhappy in Paris, according to reports.

    The former Tottenham boss was a heavy favourite for the Red Devils job after Jose Mourinho was relieved of his position in December 2018 and is still hugely admired by certain quarters of the Old Trafford ladder.

    Interestingly, the Argentine will be in Manchester on Tuesday ahead of his team’s clash with Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday; however, United are yet to make any official contact with him.

    Also in support of the 49-year-old taking charge at United is a club legend, Gary Neville who claimed Pochettino wouldn’t think twice at the job offer

    “I think Mauricio Pochettino – although he’d never say it – would leave to come to Man Utd on a five-year deal tomorrow,” Neville said in an interview with Skysports.

    “He’d look at that group of players, he’d look at the club and he’d realise he’d probably be able to achieve more than he wants at Manchester United in terms of a project.”

    Speaking on the United philosophy he said: “At PSG you are on a season by season, ‘you’ve got to win the Champions League or you’re out, type of model.”I don’t think that suits Pochettino. I think he would absolutely come to Manchester United on a five-year deal, with backing behind him.”

    Pochettino has also been said to be increasingly frustrated at managing a dressing-room with big egos like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe and would love out of the club.

    Leicester City boss, Brendan Rodgers, has been heavily linked with the United job with the club willing to pay £8 million in compensation to the Foxes.

    Rodgers also has a contract clause allowing him to speak to certain clubs if they require the Scottishman’s services.

    Also in the running are Ajax boss, Erik ten Hag, who has been reported to be unavailable until the summer and Ralf Rangnick, the current head of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow.

  • Messi gets long-awaited first Ligue 1 goal

    Messi gets long-awaited first Ligue 1 goal

    Lionel Messi says he was happy to get his first Ligue 1 goal for Paris Saint-Germain as they beat Nantes 3-1 on Saturday.

    The Argentine scored for the first time in the French top-flight at the sixth time of asking as his side stretched their unbeaten run to five games.

    The Argentina star took on a pass from Kylian Mbappe on the edge of the box and sent it into the net in the 87th minute as PSG’s unbeaten run in the league stretched to five games.

    Messi, 34, now has four goals to his name for the French giants, having in struck four times in the Champions League since his move from Barcelona.

    But the six-time Ballon d’Or winner was delighted to get off the mark domestically, having drawn a blank in his previous five matches in Ligue 1.

    “I’m happy. We had a lot of chances, but their goalkeeper made some good saves. But we weren’t afraid and we ended up winning,” Messi said to Amazon Prime.

    “I am happy to score this first goal, at the Parc des Princes, in front of the fans.

    “Even though I had already scored in the Champions League, I expected to score in the league.”

     

  • I didn’t do my research before moving to England – Okocha

    I didn’t do my research before moving to England – Okocha

    Super Eagles legend, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, has insisted that he didn’t do his research before moving to England to join Bolton Wanderers from Paris Saint-Germain in 2002.

    Okocha shocked many football fans when he left French Ligue 1 giants PSG for Bolton in the Premier League nineteen years ago.

    Though PSG was not a top club then when Okocha left, it was still a surprise to see the former Super Eagles captain leave for Bolton, who were battling relegation in the Premier League then.

    But Okocha has now revealed he did not know Bolton’s status in the Premier League before signing, adding that it took him a lot of time before he settled in the club.

    “Well, I will say that it’s obvious I didn’t do my research before signing for Bolton,” Okocha told Ally McCoist and Gabriel Agbonlahor on their Talksport breakfast show.

    “But as a football person, you know football comes first, not the city, not the lifestyle that comes with the City.”

    “But one thing was clear, the training ground was different. The attitudes towards the games were different.

    “And I also think the mentality, you know the football style was difficult.”

    Okocha added, “It took me a while to really understand what Sam’s philosophy was.”

    But despite his early struggles at Bolton, Okocha went on to earn a legendary status at the club.

    The former midfield maestro helped Bolton to avoid relegation in his first season, winning the goal of the season.

    He was also made the captain in his second season, and as a captain, he led Bolton to a league cup final in 2004, where they lost to Middlesbrough.

    Okocha eventually made 144 appearances for Bolton, scoring 18 goals and providing three assists before leaving for Qatar in 2006.

  • PSG star arrested after hiring two men to attack team-mate

    PSG star arrested after hiring two men to attack team-mate

    Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) women midfielder, Aminata Diallo has been arrested after she allegedly hired two men to attack and injure her team-mate, Kheira Hamraoui.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the French side have confirmed the development in a statement on their website, saying they will work with the police to clarify the facts of the matter.

    Diallo and Hamraoui, who are also international team-mates for France, both play in midfield and are in direct competition with each other. It is believed Diallo organised the attack to put her team-mate out of action.

    The club statement reads: “Paris Saint-Germain can confirm that Aminata Diallo was taken into custody this morning by the Versailles Regional Police Service as part of the proceedings opened following an attack on the Club’s players last Thursday evening.

    “Paris Saint-Germain condemns in the strongest possible terms the violence committed.

    “Since Thursday evening the Club has taken all necessary measures to guarantee the health, well-being and safety of its entire women’s team.

    “Paris Saint-Germain is working with the Versailles Police to clarify the facts. The Club is paying close attention to the progress of the proceedings and will study what action to take”.

  • Real Madrid have lost their personality without Ramos – Matthaus

    Real Madrid have lost their personality without Ramos – Matthaus

    German great Lothar Matthaus believes Real Madrid are missing Sergio Ramos.

    Ramos left Real Madrid in August for PSG after failing to receive a new contract offer from the Spanish giants.

    The veteran is yet to play for PSG, but Matthaus is adamant Real Madrid miss his presence.

    He told Vamos: “Real Madrid have lost their personality without Ramos.

    “(David) Alaba is a great player, but he doesn’t have that personality. He is not a leader like Ramos.”

  • Lionel Messi out of PSG Champions League squad

    Lionel Messi out of PSG Champions League squad

    Lionel Messi has been left out of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad to face RB Leipzig due to a couple of fresh injury complaints.

    Messi has not been named in Mauricio Pochettino’s 21-man squad for Wednesday’s Champions League group-stage clash, having come off early in their last Ligue 1 outing against Lille.

    Pochettino explained that the Argentine superstar had picked up a knock after the 2-1 victory, and PSG have now confirmed that he is struggling with two separate issues that have made him unavailable for selection.

    A statement on PSG’s official website reads: “Leo Messi has hamstring discomfort in his left leg and knee pain following a contusion.”

  • Lionel Messi reveals post-retirement Barca plans

    Lionel Messi reveals post-retirement Barca plans

    Lionel Messi said he will return to live in Barcelona with his family when his time at Paris St Germain was over.

    He said he would like to help the LaLiga club in the role of a technical director.

    Messi ended a two-decade stay at FC Barcelona, where he was their record scorer with 672 goals, in the off-season he joined PSG on a free transfer on a two-year deal.

    “What is almost confirmed … is that we are going to live in Barcelona again and that our life will be there,” the 34-year-old Argentine said in an interview with Spanish outlet Sport.

    “It’s what my wife wants and what I want. I don’t know when my contract with PSG ends, but we’ll go back to Barcelona to live.

    “I always said that I would love to be able to help the club … I would love to be a technical director at some point. I don’t know if it will be at FC Barcelona or not.

    “If there is a possibility, I would like to contribute again because it’s the club that I love and I would love for it to continue doing well, to continue being one of the best in the world.”

    Barca, who are ninth in LaLiga, sacked coach Ronald Koeman last week.

    Messi limped off injured in PSG’s 2-1 win over champions, Lille, on Friday, but coach Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful he will be available for this week’s Champions League game at RB Leipzig.

  • Leaving Man Utd ‘best decision of my career’ – Di Maria

    Leaving Man Utd ‘best decision of my career’ – Di Maria

    Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria admits leaving Manchester United for the Parisian club was the best decision of his career.

    Di Maria joined United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014, but was on the move a year later to PSG.

    The winger failed to show his best form in England, struggling to adapt to the country and manager Louis Van Gaal’s tactics.

    Speaking to Telefoot via Ligue 1’s website, Di Maria said: “Choosing Paris was the best decision of my life.

    “Therefore, I made the decision to both extend my contract here, and for my family and I to remain in Paris.

    “I have one season left, if I have a good season and if everything goes well, I will speak with Leonardo [PSG sporting director] to see if we can stay for a further season.”