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Long term Manchester United target Ezequiel Garay was named in Benfica’s starting side to face Tottenham Hotspur last night and if David Moyes was watching, he would have been impressed with what he saw.

Garay has been linked with several moves away from the Portuguese side and there were strong rumours that he could have left for Zenit St Petersburg before the close of the last Russian transfer window.

As things stand, his contract expires at the end of next season and there’s unlikely to be any movement over a new deal or a potential summer sale until after the World Cup in Brazil.

Garay was extremely effective last night when it came to dealing with the danger that Tottenham presented producing nine effective clearances during the game and winning one offside decision.

He also had a higher passing success rate than anyone in Benfica’s team and only one of his teammates made more passes over the course of the game. He won three aerial challenges over the course of the game showing he can deal with threats on the floor as well as in the air.

The fact he didn’t give away a single foul during the game is a tribute to his timing when it comes to tackling and he also showed initiative to stay in an attacking position after a set piece with two shots.

The key strengths of his game seem to be based around speed and making clear, concise and gutsy decisions at the right moments, which make him a very difficult centre back to get the better of.

In terms of a potential Nemanja Vidic replacement, United would lose nothing in terms of experience as Garay has played consistently in Portugal’s top division and has also experienced Champions League football with his current employers.

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Arsenal FC progress through to the semi-final of the FA Cup as Olivier Giroud’s brace sinks Everton FC at the Emirates

Giroud will hope Boruc makes another mistake like the one he capitalised on in the reverse fixture

.Arsenal FC progress through to the semi-final of the FA Cup as Olivier Giroud’s brace sinks Everton FC at the Emirates

The FA Cup has added importance for Arsenal now following their faltering title challenge and the uphill task that awaits them against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie, and they took a giant step in attaining cup glory once more as they defeated Everton in an entertaining encounter.

The Gunners have now knocked out Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Everton on their way to Wembley and Manchester City seems to be the only possible stumbling block in their effort to end their trophy drought. This was also a decent run in this tournament for Everton and now they must look to consolidate their place in the top seven of the Premier League.

The Gunners, who were under tremendous pressure to perform in this match following their disappointing loss at the hands of Stoke City in the last game, got off to a flying start as Santi Cazorla set up Mesut Ozil and the German international produced a quality finish past Joel Robles to provide the home side with the lead. This was an important goal for the midfielder who has received a lot of criticism recently.

Both the sides looked dangerous in attack as the match opened up. Finally it was Everton who scored the equalizer in the 32nd minute of the game as Romelu Lukaku scored his second goal in as many games since returning from injury. Arsenal were exposed on the break and Ross Barley produced a wonderful pass from the right wing towards to pick out Kevin Mirallas at the far post. The Belgium international set up Lukaku in front of an empty net with a cut back and the on loan Chelsea striker could hardly miss from there.

In the second half Arsenal took the lead once again as Gareth Barry brought down Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the box and Mikel Arteta converted the resultant penalty kick. But the Spaniard was asked to retake the spot-kick after Olivier Giroud was yellow carded for encroachment in the box before the kick was taken. But the former Everton man kept his calm once again and fired the ball into the top corner of the net to provide the lead back to the home side.

Giroud, who came on as a substitute in the second half, then scored a brace to put the game beyond doubts. The first of which arrived in the 83rd minute after Bacary Sagna picked him up with an accurate cut back from the by-line and the Frenchman provided the finishing touch at the near post. The second was created by two wonderful passes, first by Tomas Rosicky and then by Mesut Ozil to set up the striker, who sided footed the ball into the net. The score line in the end did seem to be a bit flattering as Everton missed a lot of chances of their own, but this win could be a massive confidence boost for the Gunners at this point of the season.

Arsene Wenger has hoped that this result can propel his side to greater things as they travel to Bayern Munich with a tough job at hand.

“It was important for us to win, to put us in a good mind on the psychological front. We can be inspired by our focus on the day, by our desire and go to Bayern with the same spirit.

“The statistics go against us when we go to Bayern, but let’s make sure that the performance goes for us. Then we have a chance.

“It was important for us to win, to put us in a good mind on the psychological front. We can be inspired by our focus on the day, by our desire and go to Bayern with the same spirit.

“The statistics go against us when we go to Bayern, but let’s make sure that the performance goes for us. Then we have a chance.” – The Arsenal manager said.

Wenger was also relieved to see Mesut Ozil producing a good performance in this game and insisted that he looked physically “regenerated” after his recent breaks.

“Of course it’s important for him he took his chance because sometimes you want him to take the chance because he always looks for the good pass.

“I hope that will encourage him. What I liked with him is that physically he looked regenerated, having more power in his runs.

“As well I liked that he did a lot of dirty work for a player like him, that means he tracked back in the first half – especially on the counter attack he came back with long runs.

“When he behaves like that of course you have a better chance to win the game.” – He added.

Macheda refused to blame the United players for this poor season

Fed up: Macheda refused to blame the United players for this poor season

Federico Macheda has refused to lay the blame for Manchester United's poor season at the door of the players.

The Red Devils have struggled to adjust under David Moyes following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, and the champions are currently a whopping 18 points behind league leaders Chelsea in seventh.

They also trail fourth-placed Manchester City by 12 points and their hopes of playing in next season's Champions League realistically hinge on winning the tournament, but Moyes' side were beaten 2-0 by Olympiacos from the first leg in Greece last month.

The United striker, who is currently on loan at Championship side Birmingham City, is at a loss to explain the rapid decline, but stopped short of admonishing the squad for their performances.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the Italian said: "It’s been very difficult, I don’t know the reasons why [they're struggling]. Are new players needed? Well yes, of course, but last season they won the title with the same team and now they’ve got Juan Mata.

“People say they need new signings but it’s still basically the same team that finished first last year. It’s a big gap to the top four but they could have a chance. This season the title has gone but there is always next season."

Macheda is out of contract at the end of the season, but with Moyes set to be begin a major phase of his Old Trafford restoration, it is unlikely the 22-year-old will be kept on

Chelsea star Eden Hazard believes he will be fit for this weekend's Premier League clash with Tottenham

Eden Hazard: Hoping to play this weekend for Chelsea

Chelsea have the chance to move seven points clear at the top as they are the only one of the top-four in action this weekend, as they host London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge - a game you can see live on Sky Sports 1.

Hazard, though, picked up an ankle injury during Belgium's 2-2 draw with Ivory Coast - which has made him a doubt.

Player ProfileEden Hazard17. Eden Hazard
Appearances37 (5)
Goals13
Assists7
Yellows2
Reds0*Current Season
Hazard only came on just after the hour mark, but was caught by Newcastle's Cheick Tiote in a challenge.

Beligan boss Marc Wilmots confirmed the injury was not too bad and said: "His boot was damaged, but Eden hasn't twisted his ankle."

Hazard played-on and completed the match, and he insists that he should be fit for the clash with Spurs.

"It hurt, but I think I can play this weekend," Hazard told Het Laatste Nieuws.

"After 20 seconds I got a kick. A nice welcome, but I'm not worried about the injury."

Hazard admits that he wants to start every match, but admits he does not want burn himself out.

"I'm not that tired. In the first half against Fulham I felt it a bit, but in the second I found my flow back. I don't need that much rest, I'm at my best when I can play a lot of games. But I've to be careful that I dont burn myself.

"I'm in super form. Something you see in the stats and in my consistency. I see

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho believes Hazard is one of the best player's in the world, and has hailed his recent form.

"Mourinho and I have a normal relationship. He says things straight in your face and I like it. They may call him The Special One, but for me he's the Normal One," said Hazard - who insists he still has some work to do to be one of the best in the world.

"He calls me the best player of my generation and it is a huge compliment. I try to be my best. With periods I can be the best of my generation, but there will be periods when others will be.

"I still have some work to do, I have to score more goals, have to give more key passes. What I'm doing now, but then twice as much.

"The five top candidates for 'the Ballon d'Or score all the time. I hope to achieve their level one day."

Edinho's Skill to Control Ball During Portugal vs. Cameroon Is Ridiculous

Portugal striker Edinho got on the scoresheet as his side romped past Cameroon 5-1 in their international friendly on Wednesday night, but it's this moment of outstanding control and technique which stands out from his highlight reel.

If you know a cooler way to trap a high ball over the top, then we'd like to see it.

Barcelona poised to make €30 m bid for David Luiz

David Luiz could be a target for Barcelona.

Barcelona to offer €30m for Chelsea defender as a replacement for club legend Carles Puyol, who has confirmed his is quitting the Nou Camp in the summer.

JASON BURT – PUBLISHED 05 MARCH 2014 02:19 PM

Barcelona have renewed their interest in Chelsea’s David Luiz with the confirmation that Carles Puyol will leave the Spanish club this summer.

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A bid of €30mis expected for the 26-year-old Brazil international.

Barcelona hope to conclude a deal swiftly before the World Cup finals kick off in June, with Luiz an important figure in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil squad.

Barcelona had a formal bid for Luiz rejected last summer by Chelsea, with manager Jose Mourinho adamant that the defender was not for sale.

Although Luiz is not agitating for a move it is understood that he would be keen to join Barcelona and, given Mourinho’s recruitment plans – he has acquired French central defender Kurt Zouma from Saint-Etienne and holding midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica– he may consider selling.

If Luiz were allowed to leave it would be another sign that Mourinho still have faith in Chelsea captain John Terry, 33, who is set to be offered a one-year contact extension.

Barcelona may have to offer far more than €30m, however, to acquire Luiz who was signed by Carlo Ancelotti from Benfica in a deal that was worth £21.5m plus Matic.

Chelsea rejected Barcelona’s advances last summer, insisting that they wanted more than €60m for Luiz in a successful attempt to kill any effort to negotiate.

Barcelona are understood to have offered only just over €23m and while they are planning an increased bid, it may still not be enough to tempt Chelsea, with Mourinho ¬continuing to publicly insist Luiz remains in his plans.

Bayern Munich also showed interest in Luiz, stopping short of making a formal offer, but Barcelona were always front-runners. Should he leave Chelsea Luiz will not remain in the Premier League.

Luiz is regarded as a big ¬personality as well as a good player and is a strong character in the dressing room. There was some frustration with him at Chelsea earlier this season with the sense that he might have been unhappy at not being granted a move to Barcelona.

Puyol, meanwhile, confirmed ¬yesterday that he would be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old Spain international had a contract with Barça until 2016 but has reached an agreement with the club to rescind the final two years of the deal.

Puyol, who has spent his entire career at Barcelona so far and made his first-team debut in 1999, made the announcement at a press conference. He said: “I want to announce that at the end of the season I will no longer be a Barcelona player. There are three months of the season left and I will not give up. I will help the team.”

Arsenal dhe Chelsea Tha To Forget Kosta

Arsenal And Chelsea Told To Forget Costa

Arsenal dhe Chelsea kanë thënë se nuk kanë mundësi të nënshkrimit Atletico Madrid sulmuesin Diego Kosta këtë verë .

Chelsea duket të jetë në vend të drejtimit të nënshkruajë njeriun në - formë , dhe shumë prisnin ata të përdorin portierin Thibaut Courtois si pjesë e marrëveshjes , me tapë tashmë on- kredi në Atletico .

Arsenal ishin gjithashtu shpresë për të sjellë atë në Premier League , por sipas Express , presidenti i klubit spanjoll i ka hedhur poshtë mundësinë e të daljes sulmuesin .

Marrë nga Express , Enrique Cerezo ka thënë : " Unë nuk mendoj se Diego Costa do të na lërë në fund të vitit të ardhshëm .

" Padyshim , ne nuk duam të shesin atë ose të përdorin atë si një mjet negocimi për një tjetër lojtar .

" Ne kurrë nuk do të shesë , por që nuk do të ndalet ekipet vijnë në për lojtarët tanë . "

Jose Mourinho do të jenë të pakënaqur veçanërisht me lajme , që ka bërë një koment këtë javë duke thënë se ai nuk ka grevistët në ekipin e tij , por mund të shikoni në Radamel Falcao për të mbushur rolin .

Kosta është gjuajtur qëllimet gjithë sezonin për Atletico , dhe ka 26 gola në emër të tij në të gjitha garat .

Pala e tij janë vetëm tre pikë pas udhëheqësit e La Liga Real Madrid - të cilët ata përballen këtë fundjavë - por të vijë në të pjesa e prapme e një 3-0 humbjes zhgënjyese ndaj Osasuna .

The Stamford Bridge outfit will travel to Istanbul for the first le

The Stamford Bridge outfit will travel to Istanbul for the first leg of their last-16 tie and Mourinho is all too aware of Drogba's skill and uncanny scoring ability, having worked with the Ivorian when he began his first stint as Chelsea manager in 2004.

"We know him well and that means there will be no friends during the game. We have respect for a real legend of this club before the game and after the game, but we have a job to do," Mourinho asserted.

"It's in his nature to win and to score, but we have to stop him."

Similarly, Drogba is familiar with the manner in which Mourinho operates, which could be used to the Turkish outfit's advantage.

"Mourinho knows us well and that is an advantage but the same applies for us, we know Mourinho very well, perhaps better than the Chelsea players know us," said the 35-year-old.

The Football Association is bidding to bring the opening game of Euro 2020 to Wembley

The FA wants the Euro 2020 final to be held at Wembley

The Football Association is bidding to bring the opening game of Euro 2020 to Wembley.

It was already known that the FA was keen to bring the final to England's national football stadium, but the first match also carries high prestige.

FA general secretary Alex Horne told The Times: "On the basis that someone needs to stand up, we have done it.

"It's a big game, the opening game. It would be great for London, for Wembley. I pushed it to UEFA, quietly at the moment, but we are going to make a play for it with our bid."

The UEFA tournament will be staged in cities across Europe, rather than being held in one or two countries as has been the norm.

Istanbul has been widely viewed as the favourite to be awarded the final, with a decision on venues expected to be announced in September of this year.

Horne's focus in the early part of this summer will fall on the World Cup, as England head to Brazil.

Group games against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica could make it difficult for Roy Hodgson's team to go beyond the group stage, but the FA general secretary has firm belief in the manager's ability.

Hodgson signed a four-year contract when appointed in 2012 and Horne is certain the former Fulham and Liverpool manager will be the right man to lead the mission to Euro 2016 in France.

He said: "For me personally, Roy is our manager to France and I'm happy with that, very happy with that. I think he's been brilliant. He's exactly what we hoped for."

Horne insists Hodgson has already achieved a "pass mark" by guiding England through qualifying.

"For me personally, he's done it by getting through that group," said Horne. "We go optimistic that we are going to enjoy it and play well."

Horne also suggested it would be "possible in the next five years" for Wembley to be home to an NFL American football team. The stadium has already staged matches in the NFL season, and is due to hold three matches later this year.

Horne said: "You may see a franchise discussion come up. There is a big question about whether we can house a franchise alongside England in the autumn. That will be really interesting. It would need an owner to do it."

Horne even believes Wembley could stage the highlight of the NFL year.

"Then we can get the Super Bowl," he added. "You don't rule anything out."

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Lionel Messi Lost Passion for Football, According to Former Barcelona Assistant

Has arguably the world's best player, Lionel Messi, lost his passion for football?

Former Barcelona assistant coach Angel Cappa certainly thinks so, as he told La Xarxa (via Matt Jones of Goal.com):

To play football you need boundless passion, like Messi had, like the great players like [Diego] Maradona ... any important player in the Primera Division: Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets. You need enormous passion, you need that energy that comes from an absolute love of the game.

[On Wednesday against Sociedad], he participated [in the game] a little more, but the day they played Valencia, I couldn’t understand how a player could play football so dispassionately.

And especially him, because if we look at a game of his from three or four years ago, there was that craziness, that passion that he had for playing. And I don’t know why or for what reason, but that is coming to an end.

Cappa also theorized that Messi has simply become bored with the game after being "married for 15 years to football." He also accused Barcelona on the whole of playing the game with much less enthusiasm than they've displayed in years past.

It's important to note, of course, that Cappa is simply theorizing about Messi's motivations rather than providing an insight on them based upon a relationship with the player or some type of insider knowledge. If he does have a source within the club informing his position, he did not claim as such.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Of course, Messi's production hasn't severely waned this season. While he has been beset by injuries, he has still scored nine goals and added six assists in 15 La Liga appearances. He's also WhoScored.com's top-ranked La Liga player with an average match rating of 8.25.

While those marks are below his normal goal-scoring pace, they're hardly shabby. And there's no question that his recent battles with injuries over the past two seasons have had some effect on his game.

He's certainly not talking like a man who has lost his passion for the game, either. He spoke about his desire to succeed for both club and country at a recent event for Gillette, via Sky Sports:

Winning titles with the team is more important to me than winning individual awards. I hope to win everything with Barcelona and obviously I hope Argentina can reach the World Cup final.

Whether it is against Brazil or whoever it would just be a dream come true to play in the final.

Yes, Messi and Barcelona are in a lull. The club has won just one of its last four league matches (drawing twice), and Messi has just a goal and an assist in his last five La Liga contests, so it's easy to see how Cappa came to his conclusion.

But accusing Messi of losing his passion for the game is also a very big claim, and one that will probably be more accurately affirmed or denied after his performance for Argentina in this year's World Cup, where a title with his country would put him in the discussion for greatest player of all time.

If he's listless and uninterested this summer, Cappa's comments will be verified.

The Brazilian's transfer from Santos to Camp Nou will be

The Brazilian's transfer from Santos to Camp Nou will be investigated in court, a Spanish judge announced on Wednesday. Here, Goal takes a deeper look at the case

The investigation into the summer signing of Neymar by Barcelona from Brazilian side Santos will continue, a judge revealed on Wednesday.

Barca bought Neymar for a fee of 57.1 million euros in May of last year, but only 17.1 million of that went to Santos, with third-party owners believed to have claimed the rest.

However, supermarket chain DIS say they never received their share and Barca has since admitted paying the 40 million euros to the company co-owned by Neymar and his father, N&N.

Blaugrana president Sandro Rosell claimed on Monday that Barcelona has "nothing to hide" over the transfer, but the Catalan club has been unable to fully explain the 40 million euro payment, and a Spanish prosecutor has now requested further documents from current Liga leaders after claims last week that the player's contract may be 'fake'.

Barca moved quickly to deny that, but prosecutors remain unconvinced by the documentation facilitated by the Catalan club and the investigation is set to continue in court. "There are sufficient grounds to carry on with the investigation," judge Pablo Ruz said on Wednesday.

So as the case continues, Goal looks at the ins and outs of the saga, plus the possible ramifications for Rosell.

The complaint was lodged against Rosell by Barcelona fan and socio Jordi Cases last month, alleging misappropriation of funds and a lack of transparency over the 40 million euros allegedly paid to the company owned by Neymar and his father.

Cases, a lifelong fan of the Catalan club, has criticized some of the side's other initiatives in recent times, such as the shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways. Cases says he and other socios have a right to know how the money was spent, but claims he would not have pursued the case had he received a civil answer from Barcelona in the first place. "If they had told me there was no [specific] concept for that money, but that otherwise he wouldn't have joined, that would have been enough," he told reporters recently. "I would still think they were lying, but I just wanted a response."

And when no response was forthcoming, Cases decided to take his complaint to court.

Barcelona, Neymar and the company N&N signed a contract in Sao Paulo in 2011 with a view to the forward moving to the Catalan club in 2014, when the player's contract was due to expire.

Included was payment of 10 million euros as a loan, to be repaid when the player moved to Barca - as stipulated in the agreement. In addition, the two parties fixed a price for Neymar's playing rights at 40 million euros (which was to include the 10 million euro loan). A penalty clause of 40 million euros for breach of contract was also written into the accord.

However, the two teams ultimately agreed to bring the deal forward a year and Neymar transferred to Camp Nou in the summer of 2013. Barca agreed to specific conditions with Santos and recognized that the previous contract could not now be fulfilled. The Catalan club therefore was forced to pay the 40 million euro penalty clause.

That is seen as suspicious by the judge and the prosecutor, who are now investigating whether the transfer went through not under a conventional agreement, but through a penalty clause instead. They also suspect that the 10 million euro loan was paid as a guarantee of a future contract, something all but admitted by Barca in Neymar's unveiling in May, but which is against FIFA rules.

Due to the mismatch between the concepts outlined in the contracts (of which it has been claimed there were as many as 12 different ones), both issues could indicate contractual simulation.

So far, Barcelona has presented all of Neymar's contracts to the judge, as well as proof of the payments made in the signing of the Brazilian forward, plus financial documents for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

However, the judge and the prosecutors have requested further paperwork in order to carry out their investigation, including FIFA documentation concerning the player's transfer from Santos to Barcelona, as well as Neymar's contract with N&N that stipulated he would cede his playing rights to the company when his Santos agreement ended.

Investigators also want to see his contract with Santos and the Brazilian side's paperwork in the transfer, auditing forms from the Catalan club, independent information on the deal from finance company Deloitte and, finally, the contracts for first option on three Santos players (for which Barca paid 7.9 million euros) and the two friendly matches between the sides (upon which the Catalan club spent an additional 9 million euros) - both separately from the transfer itself.

Rosell is accused of misappropriation of funds, an offense outlined in Article 252 of the Penal Code in Spain. The crime, if proved, can lead to imprisonment for anywhere between one and eight years.

The Barca president has shown his willingness to give evidence. He said in a press conference on Monday: "I would ask the judge to accept the complaint and to call me to testify."

However, judge Pablo Ruz sees no need to call upon Rosell at this stage of the investigation, preferring to analyze the above-mentioned documents instead. If these prove unsatisfactory or inconclusive, though, the Barca president may be asked to testify at a later date.