La Liga
‘I’LL DO THE FIGHTING, LUIS SUAREZ DOES THE BITING’ – DIEGO COSTA THRILLED WITH NEW ATLETICO MADRID STRIKE PARTNER
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa looked forward to a fruitful partnership with new team mate, Luis Suarez after his side thrashed Granada 6-1 on Sunday (Sept 27), making a cheeky reference to the Uruguayan’s disciplinary problems over the years.
Costa opened the scoring with a headed goal and then came off the pitch in the second half to make way for Suarez, who quickly made his mark following his switch from Barcelona by scoring twice and providing an assist in the final 20 minutes.
“He is very good, one of us can do the fighting and the other can do the biting,” Costa said, recalling Suarez’s infamous bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 World Cup.
The Uruguay striker also committed similar offences for Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam, but has long been considered one of football’s best finishers.
Costa said he could barely believe his side’s luck in landing Suarez, who scored 198 goals in six seasons with Barca but was deemed surplus to requirements by new coach Ronald Koeman.
“We are very lucky to have Luis, I don’t understand how Barca could have let him leave,” Costa said.
“He’s going to help us with lots of goals as well as his warrior spirit and his hunger to win trophies. I hope he can help us win another trophy for our fans, but we need to take each game as it comes.”
Costa, who fired Atletico to the La Liga title in 2014 but has struggled since returning from Chelsea in 2018, has been linked with a move away from the club but vowed to fight for his place, while declaring he will leave if necessary.
“I don’t want to fight with them and become a drain on the club, I’ve spoken to the club and the coach, and told them I’m ready to leave if they think I should go,” he said.
“But if I stay, I’m going to fight to play and I hope I don’t get injured so I can get a good run of games. I have to make the most of my opportunities. Anything can happen this season, the important thing is to be ready and score goals.”
Suarez is also relishing his new challenge at Atletico and feels that switching clubs could be just what he needed.
“Barca reached a point where they decided they needed a change and some fresh air, so it was important to accept that and change club,” the 33-year-old told Spanish network Movistar.
“For a player, sometimes, it’s important to make a change and I’ve come to club who have given me a spectacular welcome. You can sense that there is a very good atmosphere around the club and today, we saw it on the pitch.
“The team were in a good place when I came on and I just wanted to kill the game off. I’m very happy with my debut and for the three points. When you make your debut and help the team with goals, you’re always going to be happy.”
Atletico coach Diego Simeone highlighted Suarez’s work off the ball as well as his goals.
“I’m not just pleased with his two goals but also his assist, his movement and his runs,” said the Argentinian.
“His arrival will generate a lot of internal competition and if all 23 players in the squad accept the minutes they are given, then I’m sure we’ll compete well.
“The arrival of an important player like Suarez will always improve the team but we were already working very well.”
-Reuters
Raphinha knew there was no reason to panic as Barcelona struggled to break down Espanyol on Thursday and said it was only a matter of time before the “golden feet” of Lamine Yamal steered them to a title-winning victory with a glorious goal.
Yamal, 17, took the ball on the right touchline and made a superb lateral run across the edge of the box before unleashing a curling strike between two defenders and into the top corner to break the deadlock early in the second half.
The stunning strike set Barca on course for a 2-0 win that secured the LaLiga title, with Real Madrid seven points back with only two games left to play.
“We didn’t have many clear chances but we have a kid in there who sometimes pulls something out of the golden feet he has and he gave us peace of mind to stay in the game more calmly,” Raphinha said.
“In January some people were saying we would fight to be third. We have confidence in ourselves. That’s the key. We trust in the work and in what we know we can do.”
Raphinha has scored 18 league goals this season, including a brace in Saturday’s crucial 4-3 win over Real Madrid, and was quick to credit the trust shown in him by coach Hansi Flick.
The Brazilian tripled his goal tally from last season and also has the third-highest number of assists in the competition with nine, three less than leader Yamal.
“The most important thing was the confidence of the coach. Knowing at the start of the season that he was counting on me, a person who controls the team … it changes you in the end,” he said.
-Reuters
Former Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso is set to become the next Real Madrid manager on a three-year deal when he leaves Bayer Leverkusen after this season, Spanish media reported on Monday.
Alonso, 43, is expected to replace current Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is being lined up for the vacant Brazil job ahead of the 2026 World Cup, soccer sources told Reuters.
Despite the Italian having a year remaining on his contract, Real’s underwhelming season and his desire to coach Brazil have led to a mutual agreement to part ways, the sources added.
Alonso, who said earlier this month that he was leaving Leverkusen after guiding them to the double last term, will join Real before the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 14, multiple media reports said.
Alonso, who also played for Liverpool and Bayern Munich, last season steered Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, ending the Bavarians’ 11-year domination, and they also won the German Cup and German Super Cup.
Reports of Ancelotti’s likely departure come as no surprise after Real’s 4-3 defeat at Barcelona in a thrilling ‘El Clasico’ on Sunday left his side on the brink of a trophyless season.
The 65-year-old Italian, who returned for a second stint at Real in June 2021, led the Spanish giants to two Champions League and LaLiga doubles, the latest of which came last season.
He is the most successful manager in the club’s history with a total of 15 trophies and the first coach to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues.
However, this season Real were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal and allowed Barca to fight back and win 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.
Second-placed Real are seven points adrift of Barcelona, who could secure the league title on Wednesday without kicking a ball if Real fail to win at home to Mallorca.
Regardless of Real’s result, a Barca victory in the city derby away to Espanyol on Thursday would clinch the title.
An official announcement regarding a managerial change is expected before Real’s last game of the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25.
-Reuters
Schmuelgen/File Photo
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It was mission accomplished, said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after his side fought back from two-goals behind to snatch a rip-roaring 4-4 draw on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win that put them through to the Copa del Rey final.
Ancelotti brushed off questions about a sub-par performance by his side and praised his players’ effort in what he considered a highly entertaining encounter.
“We have achieved our goal today which was to reach the final and there is not much time to think about it,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“It was an entertaining game with some mistakes and a lot of good things. It was fun and we are in the final.
“I never saw ourselves out of it because anything can happen at the Bernabeu. When we have to come from behind, we never give up. We never give up, especially at home, with the fans by our side.”
Ancelotti said David Alaba was not to blame after he deflected two balls into his own goal, calling it “bad luck” by the Austrian defender, but urged his defence to play with better focus moving forward.
“It’s not good to concede four goals in a game,” Ancelotti said.
“Right now we are a team that has a lot of effectiveness up-front, but little balance.
“However, we can’t ignore what we did in attack, scoring four goals against Real is not that easy. I think we are doing quite well.”
Real Madrid, who have won the Spanish Cup only once in over a decade, will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in a mouth-watering final in Seville next month.
Atletico fought back to hold Barca to a thrilling 4-4 draw ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Madrid.
-Reuters
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