Winning for Cruyff motivates Barca - Iniesta

Barcelona - Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta insists the European champions will be extra motivated to honour legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff when they host Real Madrid in Spain's El Clasico on Saturday.
Over 90,000 fans will take part in a pre-match display reading "thank you Johan" in Barca's first match since the Dutch master died at the age of 68 last week after a five-month battle with lung cancer.
"The best homage is what he gave us all, especially Barca fans, but to the whole world of football," Iniesta said on Wednesday.
"For our part, in what is a special match, it is without doubt extra motivation for us to try and win the game."
More than 60,000 mourners paid their respects to Cruyff at a memorial set up at Barca's Camp Nou stadium between Saturday and Tuesday.
As well as winning one league title and a Copa del Rey as a player, Cruyff revolutionised the Catalan giants in an eight-year spell as coach which delivered four La Liga titles and the club's first European Cup.
Moreover, his commitment to implementing an attacking style of play based on technical ability in Barca's youth academy is credited with the emergence of players like five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Iniesta long after Cruyff had left the club.
"We are talking about a personal homage," Iniesta added."There are still some teammates to return (from international duty), but there will be something personal."

Neville sacked as Valencia coach

Valencia - Gary Neville has been sacked as coach of Valencia after just over four months in charge, the struggling Spanish club confirmed on Wednesday.
"Valencia Football Club have today parted company with Gary Neville as Head Coach," Valencia said in a statement published in English on their website.
"After careful consideration, the Club have decided to make a change with the best interests of the Valencia CF moving forward this season. We thank Gary for his work at Valencia and wish him the best in the future."
Pako Ayestaran, previously an assistant coach at the Mestalla, has been appointed as Neville's replacement until the end of the season, Valencia added.
Neville, who had been combining the job with his role as part of the England coaching team, leaves with Valencia languishing in 14th place in La Liga, six points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining.
The former Manchester United player, 41, oversaw just three wins in 16 league games in charge. His last game at the helm was a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo just before the international break.
He has spent the last week with the England squad for their friendly games in Germany and at home to the Netherlands and had been due to return to Spain to prepare for this weekend's crucial game at in-form Las Palmas.
Neville, whose brother Phil was already part of the backroom staff at the Mestalla when he took over in December, had faced strong criticism in Spain for carrying on his England duties and last week delayed meeting up with Roy Hodgson's squad by several days in an effort to show his commitment to his club.
Six-time Spanish champions Valencia risk being dragged into the relegation battle with fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal and Real Madrid still to come before the end of the season.

ICC WT20: Belligerent Jason Roy blasts England past New Zealand; play either India or West Indies in final

 

 

 

 

New Delhi: England stormed into the final of the ICC World Twenty20 with a comprehensive seven- wicket victory over New Zealand, riding on opener Jason Roy's blazing 78 on Wednesday.

After restricting New Zealand to 153 for eight with an impressive death bowling effort, it was then turn of right- handed Roy to pulverise a potent Black Caps attack into submission with a superlative 78 off 44 balls as the winners finished the match in only 17.1 overs.
Roy, who had set the tone with a 16-ball-43 against South Africa, produced an exhilarating array of shots to knock the stuffing out of the New Zealand attack, which had looked potent till now.

In all, Roy hit 11 boundaries and two sixes. He teed off with four boundaries in the first over bowled by Corey Anderson and the graph only went upwards after that.
The 25-year-old Surrey batsman literally slapped fast bowler Adam Milne for a six over long-off. The boundaries just kept coming as his 50 came off 26 balls with nine boundaries and a six. The team's 100 came in 10.2 overs and New Zealand by then had been all but knocked out.
Roy's innings was an example of perfect hand-eye co- ordination with minimalistic footwork against fast bowlers.
With no lateral movement, it was easy for the South Africa-born batsman to hit through the line. To make matters worse, he did not let left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner settle down hitting him for two boundaries in his first over.
Such was Roy's dominance that his opening partner, the normally attacking Alex Hales (20) looked pale in comparison during their 82-run first wicket stand.
By the time, Roy was bowled missing the line of an Ish Sodhi leg-break, England had more or less pocketed the match with only 44 runs adift of the target.
Eoin Morgan (0) was adjudged leg before first ball but Joe Root (27 not out) and Jos Buttler (32 not out off 17 balls) guided the team home with minimum fuss. The last 28 runs came off seven deliveries as the England duo finished with a flourish.
Having played some brilliant cricket at the league stage, New Zealand under Kane Williamson could not deliver the killer blow when it mattered the most as they were out of the contest after the first 10 overs of their batting innings.
Their bowling held the key throughout but as per law of averages, they were to have a bad day which unfortunately came in the semi-finals.
Earlier, New Zealand batsmen frittered away a fantastic start in front of some splendid death bowling by England to post a below par 153 for eight after being put into bat.
The England bowlers came under the pump during the first 10 overs giving away 89 runs but were once again brilliant at the death conceding only 64 runs in the last 10 overs to stop New Zealand from setting an imposing target.
Much of the credit must go to Ben Stokes (3/26 in 4 overs) for his wonderful bowling at the death and was ably complemented by Chris Jordan (1/24 in 4 overs) as seven wickets fell in the back-10.
In between them, the duo bowled 23 dot balls, which meant 3.5 overs went without runs.
The foundation of the Black Caps' innings was laid by the 74-run stand for the second wicket between left-hander Colin Munro (46 off 32 balls) and skipper Kane Williamson (32off 28 balls). Their style of batting was in contrast to each other yet entertaining in its essence. While Munro was more unorthodox and adventurous in his shot selection, every shot that Williamson hit were copybook ones.
Once both of them departed, it was Corey Anderson (28 off 23 balls), who tried to keep up the pace but didn't succeed entirely.
Anderson hit Adil Rashid (0/33 in 4 overs) for a straight driven boundary with New Zealand maintaining an 8 per over run-rate till the 15th over. He then hit Liam Plunkett (1/38 in 4 overs) for a six over deep mid-wicket but was finally holed out in the deep by Chris Jordan off Stokes' bowling.
Earlier, Martin Guptill (15) started on a positive note getting couple of boundaries off David Willey but his flashy batting cost him dearly in the left-arm seamer's next over as he tried another heave only to edge one to Buttler behind the stumps.
In came left-handed Munro and hit a flurry of boundaries. With an unusually crouched stance and a bottom-handed grip, Munro stepped out to collect his first boundary off Willey but actually broke loose in the final over of the powerplay bowled by Liam Plunkett.
A straight drive followed by a couple of boundaries behind the square brought up the New Zealand 50 within first six overs.
Skipper Williamson played himself at the other end with wristy shots off his hips to get a couple of boundaries. The stand out shot was an inside out lofted cover drive off Ben Stokes that went for as the first six of the match.
Munro was not ready to be left behind as he reverse swept leg-spinner Rashid for a six while Williamson played a deft cut shot. The 50-run partnership was completed in 36 balls.
New Zealand raced off to 89 in 10 overs before Williamson was out scoring a polished 32 off 28 balls that had three fours and a six. It was off-spinner Moeen Ali who got one to grip and hold as the Kiwi skipper failed to check his shot. The ball ballooned up and Ali ran backwards to take well- judged catch of hos own bowling.
Munro-Williamson stand yielded 74 runs in 8.2 overs.
The 100 came in the 13th over with Corey Anderson joining Munro. Munro's baptism came to an end when he slashed Plunkett only to find Ali at third man having scored 46 off 32 balls with seven fours and a six.But Anderson made the competitive score look challenging with some lusty blows. Once he was gone, New Zealand innings just fell apart.

 

 

 

 

 

Agent: No City deal for Gundogan yet

Ilkay Gundogan's agent has rubbished suggestions that Manchester City have already agreed a deal to sign the midfielder from Borussia Dortmund in the off-season.
The Citizens, who will be managed by Pep Guardiola next term, are reportedly ahead of Juventus and Barcelona in the queue to acquire the signature of the Germany international.
Gundogan was expected to leave Signal Iduna Park before the start of the 2015/16 campaign, but decided to commit to BVB for another two years until 2017.
However, the 25-year-old has consistently been linked with a move away from Dortmund in the months that followed and after being pictured with City sporting director Txiki Begiristain in Amsterdam earlier this month, the likelihood remains that he will leave his homeland at the end of the season.
Talks with the Citizens are believed to be at an advanced stage, but the player's representative and uncle, Ilhan Gundogan, insisted reports that terms had been struck are wide of the mark.
"It is not true [that it is a done deal]," he is quoted as saying by Bild. "There is no decision and everything is still open. Ilkay is focusing further on his recovery."
Gundogan is currently working his way back from a foot injury he sustained in the 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich, which sidelined him for the past four games.

Ozil: Leicester fight for every point

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes that the Gunners can win this season's Premier League, but they will have to show fight.
Arsene Wenger's men currently trail league leaders Leicester by 11 points, but they do have a game in hand over the Foxes. With just 24 points still up for grabs for Arsenal, every match is a must-win fixture.
"I do not think it impossible," Ozil told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag of Arsenal's title challenge. "Although there are only a few games left, Leicester have a run against some of the big teams to come.
"We ourselves must in any case not allow any more slip-ups. The hope of the title is still there - we have the players for the title."
Arsenal have won just one of their last four league fixtures which has seen their chances of Premier League glory dealt a heavy blow. Ozil has conceded that a lack of focus has been one of the key differences between the Gunners and their rivals.
"They deserve to be up there - Leicester fight for every point," he said.
"We see in every game that players of Leicester want to achieve something. We ourselves have not been focused in every game, and that is not possible in the Premier League since there is no opponent you can beat easily.
"Leicester have been great, but there are still a few games. I think we still have a chance to catch up Leicester. We must, of course, hope for mistakes."

3 Manchester City Players Who Must Hit Form After International Break

Some may view Manchester City’s season as drifting into obscurity, but there is plenty for them to play for between now and May.
Manuel Pellegrini has overseen a disastrous Premier League campaign. Their top-four status is under severe threat. They sit fourth, just one point ahead of Manchester United and West Ham United and on the brink of slipping out of UEFA Champions League contention.
It would be disastrous if Pep Guardiola—the world’s most coveted manager who the club spent three years convincing to join them—was unveiled with City set to embark on a UEFA Europa League campaign.
They need to regroup during the international break, recover some injured players and return in better shape, ready to try and win their remaining games.
And they also have a Champions League campaign to negotiate. For the first time they’re through to the quarter-finals—a significant step for a club that has struggled in the competition for some time. Pellegrini will leave in the summer and is in danger, as it stands, of leaving with his tenure sullied. The City fans are understandably unhappy with what they’ve seen for much of the season. The five-straight wins that opened the season seem like an awfully long time ago now.
As a result, every player needs to return from the international break prepared for one final push.
Here are three who have underperformed but could be particularly important in the final stages.

Barcelona pays tribute to Johan Cruyff

Barcelona - Thousands of Barcelona fans paid tribute Saturday to the memory of former player and manager Johan Cruyff in front of a memorial space set up inside the club's Camp Nou stadium.
The eulogies for the Dutch legend, who died from lung cancer on Thursday at the age of 68, were led after a minute's silence by club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Standing in front of a giant photo of a smiling Cruyff, Bartomeu said that it was a sad day not only for everyone who loved Barcelona football club, but also for everyone who loved football.
"In agreement with the Cruyff family we set up this memorial to allow everyone to express their feelings and say a final farewell to this legend," he said.
Hundreds of people of different nationalities, many in tears, filed past the memorial, which was bedecked with flags and bouquets of red roses, and signed a condolences book.
Johan Cruyff "came to Barcelona when Barcelona was winning nothing," said one of them, Ignace Mosengo, a 45-year-old from the Congo who was on holiday in Barcelona with his wife.
"He gave them a new style of game, with intricate passing, to keep possession of the ball. What we admire in the current Barcelona team all harks back to him," he said.
The memorial will remain in place until Tuesday evening with Barcelona football club observing a period of mourning until April 2.
By the end of the day, the club said that more than 10,000 people had visited with the Cruyff family expected on Tuesday.
Fans as well as tourists had already placed tributes at the entrance to the Camp Nou stadium on Friday, including roses and lollipops.
Cruyff often patrolled the touchline sucking on a lollipop which became his prop after he stopped smoking cigarettes.
Some 5,000 Dutch supporters have so far signed a condolence register set up at the Amsterdam ArenA on Saturday, Dutch newscaster NOS reported.
The condolences were led by former Dutch international and Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, now a director at Ajax and also signed by other former Ajax players.
The register will remain open until Tuesday, the NOS added.
On Friday night, the Netherlands' international against France in Amsterdam was halted in the 14th minute as a mark of respect.
A huge portrait banner showing Cruyff and his familiar Dutch orange number 14 shirt was hauled across one end of the ArenA stadium in his home city as fans and players applauded.
A seat covered with flowers and a number 14 shirt was left empty in the VIP stand at a game which saw the Dutch slip to a 3-2 defeat against the hosts of the Euro 2016 tournament this summer.
It was the first time that an international has been halted for such a gesture.
"It was special," said France coach Didier Deschamps. "A great man like Johan Cruyff deserved such a tribute and the stadium responded to him."
A one-time heavy smoker who gave up after double heart by-pass surgery in 1991, Cruyff revealed in October last year that he had lung cancer.
The Cruyff family said it was arranging "a private farewell to Johan." But they did not say when it would be held.
The family also said it would soon announce a public memorial for the player who won three European Cups as a player with Ajax and European player of the year titles in 1971 with Ajax and 1973 and 1974 with Barcelona.
Cruyff, who is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, moved from Ajax to Barcelona in 1973 and stayed there until 1978.
He returned 10 years later to coach the Spanish side. They won four consecutive league titles and their first ever European Cup in 1992 at Wembley.
Cruyff helped end an era of dour defensive football, inspiring the Dutch team in their Total Football offensive that took them to the 1974 World Cup final where they were narrowly beaten by Germany.

Suarez strikes on Uruguay return

Luis Suarez scored on his return from a worldwide ban for biting as Uruguay fought back from 2-0 down to grab a 2-2 draw with Brazil in a pulsating World Cup qualifying battle here Friday.
Barcelona star Suarez -- playing his first international since infamously chomping on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup -- struck in the 48th minute to complete a remarkable Uruguayan fightback.
Uruguay had looked to be sliding to a heavy defeat after Brazil went 2-0 up inside the first half an hour thanks to goals from Bayern Munich striker Douglas Costa and Renato Augusto.
But Edinson Cavani pulled a goal back for Uruguay to allow Suarez -- installed as captain by coach Oscar Tabarez - his moment of glory at the Arena Pernambuco.
The draw left Uruguay in second place in the South American standings, three points behind leaders Ecuador with 10 points from five games.
Brazil moved up to third, level on eight points with Argentina and Paraguay but ahead on goal difference.
Brazil took the lead in the opening minute with a well worked goal created by Chelsea winger Willian.
The 27-year-old teased and tormented Sebastian Coates on the right flank before floating a cross to Costa who delicately steered home the finish.
Brazil's dream start set the tone for the rest of the half, with the hosts rampant against a feeble Uruguay who offered only token opposition for long periods.
However Brazil had to wait until the 26th minute to grab their second, which arrived after more sorcery from Neymar.
The Brazilian captain split Uruguay's defence with a wonderful pass that Alvaro Pereira could only deflect into the path of Renato Augusto.
Augusto then pulled off a magical dummy to wrong-foot the advancing Fernando Muslera before firing high into the net for 2-0.
Yet Uruguay came roaring back to score with their first attack of the game and what turned out to be their only attack of the half.
Pereira advanced down the left flank and crossed to Carlos Sanchez at the far post, who knocked down into the path of Paris Saint-Germain star Cavani who lashed in a perfectly timed volley to make it 2-1.
Thereafter however it was all Brazil, with Neymar shooting just wide on 34 minutes as Brazil laid siege to the Uruguayan goal.
But in the opening minutes of the second half Uruguay drew level with another goal against the run of play.
Pereira released Suarez, and the striker drilled a low shot that the advancing Brazil goalkeeper Alisson couldn't grasp.
The goal galvanised Uruguay who showed far greater resilience thereafter.
Although Brazil dominated they were kept at bay, and Neymar's frustration boiled over on 63 minutes when he was booked for a peutlant kick on substitute Alvaro Gonzalez.
Dani Alves also earned a caution in the 75th minute for a wild tackle on Pereira Brazil's Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho tested Muslera with a late long-range strike but Uruguay's defence held firm.

Defensive blunder costs Nigeria dearly

Johannesburg - Nigeria ignored a football fundamental -- always play to the whistle -- and it cost them dearly in a 1-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw with Egypt Friday.
The Super Eagles deserved to be more than one goal ahead at an overcrowded Ahmadu Bello Stadium in northern city Kaduna as the high-profile Group G clash drifted into stoppage time.
Then, a pass from substitute Ramadan Sobhy caught the defence napping and as they stood appealing for offside, Mohamed Salah equalised.
Oghenekaro Etebo, a star when Nigeria won the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations three months ago, had pounced on a rebound off the woodwork to break the stalemate on the hour.
Victor Moses thought he had scored a second six minutes from time after rounding goalkeeper Ahmed Al Shenawy and pushing the ball toward an unguarded goal.
But Hamada Tolba darted back to make a dramatic clearance under pressure just before the ball crossed the goal-line.
Salvaging a lucky point kept record seven-time African champions Egypt two points ahead of three-time winners Nigeria halfway through the six-round qualifying schedule.
Egypt have seven points, Nigeria five, Tanzania four and Chad none in the 'group of death'The teams clash again Tuesday in Mediterranean city Alexandria and a win for the Pharaohs would all but seal a slot at the 2017 tournament in Gabon.
Only the 13 group winners are guaranteed places at the biennial African football showpiece while the best two runners-up also qualify.
Defending champions Ivory Coast went to the top of Group I with a laboured 1-0 win over second-placed Sudan in Abidjan via an opening-half goal from Gervinho.
The Ivorians, who lifted the trophy a second time last year after a decade of underachievement, missed injured captain Yaya Toure at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.
Ivory Coast have four points, Sudan three and Sierra Leone one in the only three-team mini-league.
Swaziland, one of 16 African countries never to qualify for the Cup of Nations, stayed top of Group L on goals scored despite being held 1-1 at home by second-place Zimbabwe.
The hosts made a dream start as Felix Badenhorst nodded home a cross just 90 seconds after the kick-off at Somhlolo Stadium in Lobamba.
Zimbabwe recovered to dominate the first half, but their equaliser a minute before half-time came gift-wrapped from the Swazis with Njabulo Ndlovu conceding an own goal.
Guinea and Malawi failed to take advantage of the Swaziland stalemate by drawing 0-0 in Conakry, which was hosting the national team for the first time since a 2014 Ebola virus-induced ban was lifted.
Swaziland and Zimbabwe have five points each and Malawi and top seeds Guinea two apiece.
Mauritania joined Cameroon at the top of Group M after snatching a 2-1 victory over Gambia in Nouakchott through a stoppage-time goal from 'Bessam'.
He put the hosts ahead at the Stade Olympique during the opening half and Mustapha Carayol, from English second-tier club Leeds United, levelled on the hour.
Cameroon and Mauritania have six points each and Gambia and South Africa one each with the Bafana Bafana away to the Indomitable Lions Saturday.
Youssef Msakni nodded in just after half-time to give Tunisia a 1-0 win over Togo in Monastir and top place in Group A on goal difference.
Tunisia, Togo and Liberia all have six points while Djibouti have lost their three matches.
The biggest win came in the final match with winger Sofiane Feghouli and Islam Slimani bagging braces as Algeria crushed Ethiopia 7-1 in Blida despite Yacine Brahimi failing to convert a penalty.
Algeria have a maximum nine points in Group J, Ethiopia four, Seychelles one and Lesotho none.

Fans to flock to Cruyff's Barcelona memorial

Barcelona - Barcelona fans will flock to the cavernous Camp Nou stadium Saturday to pay their final respects to football legend Johan Cruyff, the man who engineered some of the club's greatest triumphs.
Cruyff, 68, died on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer.
The Spanish giants said a memorial space at the famous ground will open to the public from 0900GMT until 1800GMT where fans can leave messages to their former star and coach.
Fans as well as tourists had already placed tributes at the entrance to the ground on Friday, including roses and lollipops.
Cruyff often patrolled the touchline sucking on a lollipop which became his prop after he stopped smoking cigarettes.
On Friday night, the Netherlands' international against France in Amsterdam was halted in the 14th minute as a mark of respect.
A huge portrait banner showing Cruyff and his familiar Dutch orange number 14 shirt was hauled across one end of the ArenA stadium in his home city as fans and players applauded.
A seat covered with flowers and a number 14 shirt was left empty in the VIP stand at a game which saw the Dutch slip to a 3-2 defeat against the hosts of the Euro 2016 tournament this summer.
It was the first time that an international has been halted for such a gesture.
"It was special," said France coach Didier Deschamps. "A great man like Johan Cruyff deserved such a tribute and the stadium responded to him."
In Cruyff's childhood home area in the Amsterdam working class Betondorp (Concrete Town) neighbourhood, fans laid hundreds of flowers and other tributes.
"He was a god. He was football and he was the Netherlands," a teary Peter Heysteeg, 52, told AFP.
Leading football figures also highlighted the importance of Cruyff's impact.
"I knew nothing about football before knowing Cruyff," said Pepe Guardiola, the Bayern Munich coach who played under Cruyff at Barcelona and later became its most successful coach.
"He helped us to understand football ... and he encouraged you to trust your instinct, your nose. To make decisions," Guardiola told Catalan radio station Rac1.
"He revolutionised football and, in particular, he embodied everything about Barcelona's playing philosophy," said Joachim Loew, coach of the German team who won the 2014 World Cup.
Pictures of Cruyff in his favourite shirt covered front pages around the world on Friday.
"Dutch Master" said the Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad with a picture of a young Cruyff in full flight in the Ajax Amsterdam colours.
"Immortal" said De Telegraaf daily which also reported that Cruyff's cremation was held Friday although that was not confirmed by his family.
"Heaven has a new playmaker," headlined the British tabloid, The Sun.
A one-time heavy smoker who gave up after double heart by-pass surgery in 1991, Cruyff revealed in October last year that he had lung cancer.
"It was special," said France coach Didier Deschamps. "A great man like Johan Cruyff deserved such a tribute and the stadium responded to him."
In Cruyff's childhood home area in the Amsterdam working class Betondorp (Concrete Town) neighbourhood, fans laid hundreds of flowers and other tributes.
"He was a god. He was football and he was the Netherlands," a teary Peter Heysteeg, 52, told AFP.
Leading football figures also highlighted the importance of Cruyff's impact.
"I knew nothing about football before knowing Cruyff," said Pepe Guardiola, the Bayern Munich coach who played under Cruyff at Barcelona and later became its most successful coach.
"He helped us to understand football ... and he encouraged you to trust your instinct, your nose. To make decisions," Guardiola told Catalan radio station Rac1.
"He revolutionised football and, in particular, he embodied everything about Barcelona's playing philosophy," said Joachim Loew, coach of the German team who won the 2014 World Cup.
Pictures of Cruyff in his favourite shirt covered front pages around the world on Friday.
"Dutch Master" said the Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad with a picture of a young Cruyff in full flight in the Ajax Amsterdam colours.
"Immortal" said De Telegraaf daily which also reported that Cruyff's cremation was held Friday although that was not confirmed by his family.
"Heaven has a new playmaker," headlined the British tabloid, The Sun.
A one-time heavy smoker who gave up after double heart by-pass surgery in 1991, Cruyff revealed in October last year that he had lung cancer.
"It was special," said France coach Didier Deschamps. "A great man like Johan Cruyff deserved such a tribute and the stadium responded to him."
In Cruyff's childhood home area in the Amsterdam working class Betondorp (Concrete Town) neighbourhood, fans laid hundreds of flowers and other tributes.
"He was a god. He was football and he was the Netherlands," a teary Peter Heysteeg, 52, told AFP.
Leading football figures also highlighted the importance of Cruyff's impact.
"I knew nothing about football before knowing Cruyff," said Pepe Guardiola, the Bayern Munich coach who played under Cruyff at Barcelona and later became its most successful coach.
"He helped us to understand football ... and he encouraged you to trust your instinct, your nose. To make decisions," Guardiola told Catalan radio station Rac1.
"He revolutionised football and, in particular, he em
His son, Jordi Cruyff, also a former footballer, tweeted his affection for his late father.
"A husband, a father, a grandfather. We will miss you like crazy, it will be hard but I hope we will make you proud," Jordi wrote.
The Cruyff family said it was arranging "a private farewell to Johan." But they did not say when it would be held.
The family also said it would soon announce a public memorial for the player who won three European Cups as a player with Ajax Amsterdam and European player of the year titles in 1971 with Ajax and 1973 and 1974 with Barcelona.
Cruyff moved from Ajax to Barcelona in 1973 and stayed there until 1978.
He returned 10 years later to coach the Spanish side. They won four consecutive league titles and their first ever European Cup in 1992 at Wembley.
Cruyff is considered one of the greatest players of all time.
"We have lost a great man. May we carry on his example of excellence," said Brazil's Pele.
Cruyff helped end an era of dour defensive football, inspiring the Dutch team in their Total Football offensive that took them to the 1974 World Cup final where they were narrowly beaten by Germanybodied everything about Barcelona's playing philosophy," said Joachim Loew, coach of the German team who won the 2014 World Cup.
Pictures of Cruyff in his favourite shirt covered front pages around the world on Friday.
"Dutch Master" said the Dutch tabloid Algemeen Dagblad with a picture of a young Cruyff in full flight in the Ajax Amsterdam colours.
"Immortal" said De Telegraaf daily which also reported that Cruyff's cremation was held Friday although that was not confirmed by his family.
"Heaven has a new playmaker," headlined the British tabloid, The Sun.
A one-time heavy smoker who gave up after double heart by-pass surgery in 1991, Cruyff revealed in October last year that he had lung cancer.

Michigan Stadium soccer match shooting for record crowd

 Michigan Stadium holds the record for the largest crowd in the United States to watch a soccer match, and for the second time in three years will host a major international soccer event.
Records are meant to be broken, right?
Michigan Stadium will get a chance to make that attempt this summer.
Michigan will host Real Madrid and Chelsea in an International Champions Cup soccer match on July 30 at 3 p.m., it was confirmed Thursday morning at a news conference at Michigan’s Crisler Center. All of the games in the ICC series will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for our community,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said Thursday. “We are excited. We are looking forward to a tremendous matchup and opportunity.
“It’s a unique crowd, it’s a great atmosphere even on TV, very energized, passionate — we love that. We have very passionate fans as well, so we understand that.”
Michigan Stadium hosted Real Madrid and Manchester United in an ICC match on Aug. 2, 2014 and attracted 109,318 fans, the largest crowd for a soccer match in the U.S.Relevent Sports, the promoter of the international soccer series, is part of RSE Ventures, co-founded by Stephen Ross, a Michigan alum and major donor to the university and also the athletic department.
It was important for Ross to have a soccer presence again this summer at Michigan Stadium, and certainly organizers hope to set a new U.S. soccer attendance record.
“This is the biggest stadium we can possibly play in and we’ve put a matchup here that we expect to fill the stadium,” Charlie Stillitano, chairman of Relevent Sports, said Thursday. “These are two of the most storied teams in Europe now. These are two of the best teams on earth, two of the richest teams on earth.
“We wanted to bring one of the best matchups we have here to Michigan because if you have a lesser matchup you’re going to go to a smaller stadium and hope you fill that up. Mr. Ross said, ‘I want the biggest, best game we can possibly have at the University of Michigan.’ It’s important to him because it is a showcase to the world.”
Stillitano said photographs of a filled Michigan Stadium from the soccer match in 2014 appeared in publications across the world.
“I will tell you how crazy it gets — the paper in Spain doctored the picture to take out the red shirts and make them all white and the first thing the English press did was send around the actual photo,” he said. “What’s front page of every paper in the world? The University of Michigan and the stadium.”

Maritzburg skipper confident of survival

Kurt Lentjies believes Maritzburg United can still avoid the drop despite languishing in the Premiership relegation zone all season.The Team of Choice have struggled for form since the beginning of the campaign and only recently picked up their first home victory when they beat Golden Arrows 2-0, but Lentjies feels they have a chance to stay in the top flight if they focus on their fixtures one match at a time.
"The focus is on each of the next seven games, not the game in hand. So we are taking it one game at a time," the 31-year-old midfielder told the club's official website.
Ernst Middendorp's men will face relegation rivals University of Pretoria when the domestic season resumes in two weeks' time and their captain feels they will have some momentum going into the six-pointer with the motivation of the home support.
"This is really a big one for us. It comes after our first league victory at home against Arrows. Winning it will take us off the bottom of the log for the first time, it's a big one," he added.

O'Neill compares Leicester to Forest

Martin O'Neill believes Leicester City are showing signs of the legendary Nottingham Forest team that became English and European champions under Brian Clough.
The Foxes are on the brink of winning the Premier League this season as they hold a five-point lead over second-placed Tottenham with seven games to go. To put the achievement into perspective, at the same stage last season they were rooted the foot of the table glaring at the prospect of relegation to the Championship.
O'Neill, who is considered as one of the East Midlands club's most successful managers, played for Clough's Forest side when they won the league a year after winning promotion to England's top flight.
"I see a lot of similarities," the Republic of Ireland boss said in a BBC Radio 5 live special.
"There are players I can identify with who are similar in roles they are playing for each side - Riyad Mahrez is a very creative player a bit like John Robertson, your outfield genius, Jamie Vardy looks like Tony Woodcock.
"They are similar with the two players at the back, with Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns, you could go right through the side and see similarities.
"It is remarkable in this day and age - when big clubs with a lot of money to spend are ruling the roost - for Leicester to come and win this championship would be an almighty achievement.
"Without question there is romance about the story - people are talking about it all over Europe," O'Neill added. "I was in France recently for a Uefa meeting and it was the talk of the evening, people are really taking note.
"It is a great story and if they do it, it would be the story of the century."

Courtois: Sacking Mourinho the right move

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said that the club were right to sack manager Jose Mourinho in December.
Having won the 2014/15 Premier League title with relative ease, Chelsea were once again expected to be the team to beat in the current campaign. Instead they began the season in disastrous form and spent time flirting with the relegation zone.
Mourinho, who had previously seemed somewhat invincible, paid the price for the poor results and the Portuguese was replaced by Guus Hiddink.
Speaking to Belgian television station RTBF, Courtois has said that the club had little choice but to part ways with Mourinho, and suggested that poor pre-season preparation may have been the root cause of their early struggles.
"It is hard to explain why our season has been bad. Maybe it is as a result of our pre-season preparations, which were very brief," he said.
"We returned to training on July 16 and six days later we were already playing a match against New York Red Bulls.

German soccer player kicked off national team after string of bizarre behaviour that includes Nutella addiction

FRANKFURT — Germany coach Joachim Loew has kicked Max Kruse off his squad following two recent off-field incidents, putting the Wolfsburg forward in doubt for the European Championship.
Kruse lost a large amount of cash in a Berlin taxi in October and was then was involved in an incident in a Berlin club while celebrating his 28th birthday on Saturday. He was already in hot water with Wolfsburg because of a bizarre Nutella addiction.
In a statement from the German football federation, Loew said that Kruse had repeatedly acted unprofessionally.
“I already told him clearly last week what I expect of him, on and off the field,” Loew said. “I want players who are focused on football and the European Championship, also between matches.

Gyan injured; out of AFCON qualifier

Ghana Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan.  Ghana have been dealt a hammer blow ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mozambique after captain Asamoah Gyan was ruled out with a thigh injury.
Gyan's recent injury nightmare came haunting again after he pulled out of Wednesday training session with a thigh problem, GHANAsoccernet.com revealed.
He had his thigh wrapped with packed ice as the technical staff looked worried with the prospect of losing his services very high.
Gyan’s elder brother Baffour, an ex-Ghana international striker, came from the stands to talk to him before he was taken away from the pitch by the medical staff.
It looks like a recurring injury which saw him Shanghai SIPG’s Asian Champions League win over Suwon Bluewings early this month.
But it has now been confirmed the former Sunderland hitman will not fully recover in time, with less than 24 hours before the showdown against the Mambas at the Accra sports stadium.

Vardy 'buzzing' for Drinkwater

Cape Town - Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy says he expected Danny Drinkwater to get called up for the England national team.
The Foxes have defied all odds this season as they currently lead the Premier League standings, and the English pair have been ever present in Claudio Ranieri's over-achieving squad.
Vardy, who has already been capped four times for the Three Lions, reveled they all found out about Drinkwater's call-up during training last week.
"We only found out while we were training at pretty much the same time as the rest of the country," the 29-year old told The Sun.
"One of the staff said he had seen it on Sky Sports News. The FA send us a text message but our phones weren't to hand as we were in the middle of training.
"There's been lots of speculation about Danny getting a call and I had been telling him to keep an eye on his phone.
"When the news was made official I said 'I told you so'. It's great news. Danny was over the moon but it didn't affect him one bit.
"He carried on in the game and was pinging balls about all over the place as he always does. He was just how I was when I found out about my first call-up, absolutely buzzing.There were a few nerves when I first went to England but as soon as you've got into the environment it vanishes and you are your normal self. The excitement I get with every call-up will never go away. It's the pinnacle of your career."

Celtic duo excited for Brazil clash

 Thapelo Morena and Tshepo Rikhotso could not hide their excitement about representing Amaglug-glug as they prepare to face Brazil's U23 squad on Sunday.
The Bloemfontein Celtic duo have been ever present in a forgettable campaign for Siwelele but received a major confidence boost from the call-up to represent South Africa's U23 national squad to face the Seleção at the Rei Pele Stadium on Sunday.
The fixture will be played as preparation for the Owen Da Gama's men for the Rio Olympics that will be held later this year and Morena admitted the opportunity is still a bit surreal.
"Sometimes working hard has favorable results," the midfielder told the club's official website. "It's a great feeling to be selected out of so many players in the country.

Lionel Messi to Manchester City: Pep Guardiola holds key for City if Messi ever leaves Barcelona

Manchester City believe they will be Lionel Messi’s first choice if he decides to leave Barcelona, with the presence of Pep Guardiola among the reasons why they would be comfortably ahead of any other club in Europe.
City’s recent inquiries have yielded the same response as always, where Messi is concerned: a firm rejection of director of football Txiki Begiristain’s attempts to be reunited with the player, whose development he oversaw at the Spanish club.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano considers Messi to be the sport’s most sensational talent of all time. But Soriano knows from his several years running Barcelona that Messi’s retiring personality does not lend itself to a move to a non-Spanish-speaking country, where acclimatisation would be difficult.
However, City do not believe the prospect of Messi moving is extinct and are convinced the appointment of Guardiola cements their position as the Premier League club of choice for him, or any other Barcelona player looking to move to the Premier League.
The agents of players from many countries have been in touch with City since Guardiola’s appointment was confirmed, indicating their clients would like to be a part of the Catalan’s venture into English football. No such calls have been fielded from representatives of Barça players, however.
Soriano’s presence in Manchester would also appeal to Messi. The chief executive knows the 28-year-old’s family well, from his time at the Nou Camp, and became acquainted with him through off-field appearances, encouraging him at one awards event to forego his reticence and make an acceptance speech. That evening was one of a number of experiences which has made Soriano aware how difficult a move to the spotlight of the Premier League, with a new climate and language, would actually be for Messi.
The difficulty in detaching him from Barcelona, where his family are also settled, means City are not actively awaiting a change of heart. Instead, they are looking for the next player of his calibre – with an acceptance that the number of individuals capable of consistently dictating the outcome of a match at the highest level is perhaps 10 across the globe.
City are also encouraged by the progress of their Under-15s, 16s and 18s and want half of the squad to be home-grown in five years, though that is a big ambition.

Novak Djokovic on equal prize money: 'I want to apologise to anyone who has taken this the wrong way'

Men’s world number one Novak Djokovic has attempted to clarify controversial comments whereby he appeared to suggest male players should be entitled to more prize money than women.
The 28-year-old was responding to remarks by Indian Wells tournament director Raymond Moore who said female players should “get down on their knees” to thank Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for boosting the sport’s global appeal.
Djokovic initially said larger sums should be paid to those who “attract more attention, spectators and who sells more tickets” but has since admitted that statement was “not the best articulation of my view”The 11-time Grand Slam champion, writing on his Facebook page, said: “Tennis helped me so much in my life and being where I am today, I felt the need to speak about the fairer and better distribution of funds across the board “This was meant for both men and women. We all have to fight for what we deserve. This was never meant to be made into a fight between genders and differences in pay, but in the way all players are rewarded for their play and effort
“Tennis is a sport that I love and that gave me the opportunity to help others who still have a long way to go to achieve their dreams. This was my view all along and I want to apologise to anyone who has taken this the wrong way.”
Moore has since apologised and resigned in the wake of his comments after Serena Williams branded them as “offensive and very inaccurate”.
Williams, the women’s number one, also mused whether Djokovic would express the same views to his children. “If I had two kids, I would never tell my son or my daughter that one deserves more because of their sex,” the American said.
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Hiddink pushing to get best out of Chelsea

Cape Town - Manager Guus Hiddink is determined to take Chelsea to the "best position possible" in his final eight games in charge as the defending Premier League champions aim to close out a forgettable season on a high note.
After a dreadful start, which led to the departure of manager Jose Mourinho, Chelsea have partially resurrected their league journey by avoiding defeat in 13 games under Hiddink.
Nevertheless, the London club has bowed out of both the Champions League and FA Cup under the Dutchman, and a top-four finish looks improbable for 10th-placed Chelsea.
Hiddink, however, has set goals for his players to keep them motivated for the remainder of the season.

Arsenal wonderkid hospitalised for food poisoning

Abuja - Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi has been hospitalised in Nigerian capital Abuja after falling ill from food poisoning, Nigeria coach Samson Siasia said on Tuesday.
Iwobi, 19, was too sick to train with the rest of the Super Eagles squad ahead of Friday's crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Egypt.
"He suffered from food poisoning and so was not part of the training. But his condition is stable," Siasia told a news conference.
Iwobi probably got sick after eating a salad, Siasia said.
His father, Chuka, who flew with him from London, has visited the young striker in hospital.
Over the weekend, Iwobi crowned his first full Arsenal Premier League debut with a goal in a 2-0 win over Everton.He has played two friendly matches for Nigeria since he changed international allegiance from England.

Belgium Soccer Team Cancels Practice After Brussels Attacks

Belgium's national soccer team called off a practice session in Brussels on Tuesday after the city was hit by what authorities are calling terror attacks

Manuel Lanzini to permanently sign for West Ham on four-year deal

Manuel Lanzini has scored six goals in 22 appearances for West Ham in all competitions this season

West Ham have agreed a permanent deal to sign Manuel Lanzini from Al Jazira, according to co-chairman David Sullivan.

The 23-year-old Argentine attacker, who has been superb since signing on a season-long loan from the UAE club, will complete the deal when the transfer window reopens this summer.
Speaking about the possibility of qualifying for the Champions League this season, Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan told the Daily Mail: "I know it's worth about 12m euros (£9.4m), and you can hardly get a player for that.

Date set for West Ham-Man Utd FA Cup quarter-final replay

Anthony Martial celebrates scoring the equaliser for Manchester United in their FA Cup quarter final draw with West Ham

The FA Cup quarter-final replay between West Ham and Manchester United has been scheduled for Wednesday April 13.

The tie, which is required after a 1-1 draw between the sides at Old Trafford, will kick off at 7pm at Upton Park.
In a statement, the FA said: "Extensive discussions have taken place with all associated parties regarding the scheduling of this fixture, with limited options available.

New Zealand crush Pakistan by 22 runs to cruise into semifinals of ICC World Twenty20

Mohali: New Zealand cruised into the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 with a comfortable 22-run win over Pakistan after opener Martin Guptill set the tone with a scintillating 48-ball 80 here on Tuesday, continuing their dream run in the mega event.