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JURGEN KLOPP HITS BACK AT LAMPARD; SAYS HE NEEDS TO LEARN

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed any notion his team is arrogant after Frank Lampard’s warning and has told his Chelsea counterpart he needs to learn to not talk about whatever happens on the touchline postmatch.

Lampard was critical of Liverpool’s touchline conduct in their midweek Premier League match, which Liverpool won 5-3 at Anfield. The Chelsea boss later clarified he was not annoyed with Klopp’s conduct, but with the “people behind the bench.”

He warned Liverpool “don’t get too arrogant” with their success postmatch. And speaking Friday, when Klopp was asked about Lampard’s warning, he gave his take on Lampard’s criticism and said the Chelsea manager needs to learn when to stop talking about what happened on the field.

“We are not arrogant. Frank was in a competitive mood, I respect that a lot,” Klopp said. “From my point of view, in this situation [mid-match] you can say pretty much what you want… he came here to win the game, or get a point to help with Champions League qualification and I respect that.

“What he has to learn is to finish it with the last whistle and he didn’t do that. Speaking afterwards about it, is not OK. Frank has to learn this, he has a lot of time to learn as he’s a young coach, but he has to learn this.

“We are not arrogant, we are pretty much the opposite. Final whistle, close the book and he didn’t do that and that’s what I don’t like.”

Klopp clarified his view, adding that he would not have spoken about Lampard, had he not been asked about the Chelsea boss’ postmatch comments in Friday’s news conference teeing up Sunday’s match against Newcastle.

“As he spoke afterwards, it makes sense to speak about what I mean,” Klopp added.

The Liverpool manager was speaking on the day his captain Jordan Henderson was named Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year.

And he paid tribute to Henderson, saying: “Resilience made him the player he is now. Talent or attitude? It’s a mix and Henderson is the perfect answer to that. If you want to have a guy who has fought his way through to become one of the best players in the league and this year everybody acknowledged that. I am really proud of him and he’s an exceptional captain.”

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PREMIER LEAGUE CONFIRM 2020/2021 SEASON START DATE

The 2020-21 Premier League season has been scheduled to begin on September 12.

Premier League shareholders agreed the start date for next term on Friday, with the final match round of the campaign set to take place on May 23, 2021.

The Premier League will continue to consult with the FA and EFL with regard to the scheduling of all domestic competitions.

Liverpool are champions of the 2019/2020 season after 30 years wait for the English title.


The reds beat former holders Manchester City to the price after narrowly missing out of the premier league in the 2018/2019 season.

Jurgen Klopp’s men lost the title by just one point last term but won the UEFA Champions League instead.

Liverpool will now lead the charge to start the defense of the title by September

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CARLO ANCELOTTI BELIEVES EVERTON CAN EMULATE LIVERPOOL AFTER PREMIER LEAGUE TRIUMPH

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has advised that the club need to copy the blueprint of local rivals Liverpool in order to succeed in the future.

Liverpool claimed their first league title in 30 years this season after securing the Champions League last year.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp lost three cup finals in his first three years at Anfield but has guided the club to four trophies over the last couple of seasons.
“First of all, we have to be a little bit patient because it takes time to improve,” “If you consider what Liverpool did, I think Liverpool started the project five years ago and they are at the top” he told newsmen

“We have to try and do the same. We have to keep the high ambition, high motivation and day by day to try to improve.”

Ancelotti also praised Richarlison who is the club’s joint top scorer this season with 15 goals level with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

“I can talk a lot about Richarlison,” he added. “What I see in him is a fantastic striker, more effective in the box than outside of the box.

“I was joking with him but he can be one of the top 10 in the box, it’s outside of the box where he has to improve.

“He needs to have more confidence outside of the box and to lose the ball less but honestly in front of goal he is really cold. I really like him because he’s a nice, humble guy and all the time he’s happy.”

Ancelotti succeeded Marco Silva at Goodison Park in December with the club four points above the relegation zone.

Everton are in 11th position in the league table with one match remaining and Ancelotti said he is happy on Merseyside.

“I am imvolved in a fantastic project and I think for a manager, the success is not only to take the cup and lift the cup high,” he said.

“Success is to see your team improve, to see your club to have ambition and give to your idea of how you want to play, that is success. It’s not only to finish in the first position.” The Italian concluded.

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MESSI WANTS MARCELO BIELSA AT BARCELONA – REPORTS

Manager Marcelo Bielsa is attracting interest from Barcelona before a Premier League ball has been kicked at Elland Road, reports have say

Bielsa is yet to agree a new contract with the Lilywhites and, according to the report, Lionel Messi wants his Catalan employers to do everything in their power to tempt the 64-year-old to Camp Nou to replace under-fire Quique Setien.

Barca would appear to be in turmoil after having lost out to Real Madrid in the title race, and their finances are such that they’re having to sell up to 11 players.

Setien’s position is under threat after just six months, and his strained relationship with Messi appears to be one of the biggest issues, with the Barca talisman believing Bielsa would sort out Barcelona in the short term.

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Jordan Henderson beats Kevin De Bruyne to Footballer of the Year for 2019/20

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has been named as the FWA Footballer of the Year, just days after lifting the Premier League trophy.

The midfielder has beaten players like Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and his own team-mate Sadio Mane to the award.

Over the last 13 months, the skipper has picked up medals for the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and Premier League.

Topping it off with one of the highest individual honours you can get in England isn’t a bad way to finish this season.

As a reminder, the FWA – or the Football Writers’ Association – picks their player of the year based on votes taken from people working in the media.

Henderson has now become the fourteenth Liverpool player to have been given the award, after recent winners Mohamed Salah, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.

The skipper will go down in history as one of the great Liverpool captains, and his contributions on and off the field has seen him celebrated this year.

Supporters will now have to wait to see if Henderson can do the double and swoop the PFA Player of the Year award!

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BAYERN BOSS CONFIRMS THIAGO’S DESIRES TO LEAVE

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that Thiago Alcantara has told the club he wants to leave this summer.

Reports in recent weeks have claimed Thiago wants to leave Germany this summer with Liverpool his preferred destination.

There was even a suggestion the Reds had already agreed personal terms with the 29-year-old, who has now entered the final 12 months of his contract at Bayern.

And Rummenigge has now confirmed that the Spanish star has made Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic aware of his desire to undertake a new challenge this summer.

However, and contrary to some reports, Rummenigge has also revealed that Liverpool, or anyone club for that matter, have not approached the German giants over a move for the midfielder.

“Hasan had talks with Thiago. They were always very positive, but he told Hasan some time ago that he wants to do something new to finish his career,” he told the German media on Thursday.

“So far no club has contacted us. We don’t know if he’s settled things with a new club. Hasan is in talks with David and his advisor.

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HUDDERSFIELD TOWN CONFIRMS SIGNING OF LEEDS UNITED COACH

Huddersfield Town have confirmed Carlos Corberan as their new head coach.

The club sacked Danny Cowley on Sunday, received permission from West Yorkshire neighbours Leeds United to speak to their highly-rated first-team coach and under-23 supremo earlier this week.

A compensation deal was subsequently thrashed out and now that the 2019-20 regular season is out of the way and Corberan’s commitments with Leeds are over, Town have moved swiftly to announce the appointment of the 37-year-old.

Corberan’s assistants will be named ‘in due course.’

Valencia-born Corberan joined Leeds in 2017, initially as under-23 coach.

His side won the Professional Development League in 2018-19 with the Spaniard also promoted to first-team coach to work under Marcelo Bielsa last season.

Corberan turned down the chance to manage Spanish side Cultural Leonesa last summer.

Huddersfield chairman Phil Hodkingson stated that Town were looking ‘for a different vision for the way we operate the club’ following the surprise decision to axe Cowley, shortly after the club confirmed their Championship safety following a 2-1 victory over West Brom last Friday.

Tellingly, Huddersfield added that they were not accepting applications, indicating that they already had a candidate in mind to replace Cowley.

On the decision to plump for Corberan, Town’s Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby explained: “We are very happy to be able to welcome Carlos as our new head coach today, in what is undoubtedly a very important appointment for Huddersfield Town.

“After two difficult seasons, we have put a lot of thought and work into what we want to be and how we operate moving forward.

“Obviously, we need to return to winning games, and to be successful we must have all areas of the club aligned in the way we work. We want to return to the ‘No Limits’ mentality that served this club so well back in 2017. We must start believing in ourselves and our people once again; players and staff alike.

“Carlos was our ideal candidate for our new head coach from the outset, as his idea of football is completely aligned with ours.

“He is very strong on the need for a team to have a strength of identity on the pitch; a way of playing that leaves players in no doubt on their roles when they step foot onto the grass. He believes in a high energy, high intensity, attacking style of play.

“He is a coach whose focus is on working to improve players. Like us, he has a real belief in young players too, and desire to work with them to help them thrive.

“He’s incredibly passionate about this opportunity, and he has real belief in himself. He’s determined to bring success back to Huddersfield Town.”

Corberan began his career in the setup at Spanish giants Valencia, taking responsibility for the training methodology in their Academy before quickly progressing to work with the first team under the likes of Unai Emery and Manuel Pellegrini during the Club’s run to the Europa League semi-finals.

Under the recommendation of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Carlos then travelled overseas to become assistant head coach at Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, where he gained experiences in the Asian Champions League.

Corberan’s first experiences as a head coach followed in Cyprus, where he took charge of Doxa Katokopia and then Ermis Aradippou, who he steered to safety in the division.

Through his work at the prestigious Aspire Academy in Qatar, he then joined Leeds ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

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LEEDS DEFEND OPEN TOP BUS CELEBRATION AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE VICTORY

Leeds United have defended their decision to park an open top bus outside Elland Road to celebrate their Championship title and promotion to the Premier League despite telling fans to stay away.

Club officials had asked people to stay away from the stadium but thousands of people turned up to celebrate their first season in back in the Premier League after 16 years

Chief executive Angus Kinnear had told fans that they would “celebrate in style” when they could but still fans gathered after their 4-0 win against Charlton.

However, the club later said in a statement that they believed players appearing would help disperse the crowds.

“Following consultation with the Safety Advisory Group and council, Leeds United arranged for a bus to be parked outside the East Stand reception as a contingency to assist dispersal should a crowd congregate at Elland Road, despite a month-long campaign from the club and supporter groups to encourage supporters to stay at home,” the statement said.

“The safety group believed that a brief appearance from the players with the Championship trophy would help to signal an end to proceedings, encouraging fans to head home safely.

“In challenging circumstances, fan safety has always been our priority.”

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Juventus lose 2-1 at Udinese, fail to secure Serie A title

Ilija Nestorovski cancelled out Matthijs de Ligt’s opener and Seko Fofana grabbed the winner in second-half stoppage time to keep Juve’s celebrations on ice.

Juventus missed a chance to clinch a record-extending ninth straight Italian league title as it lost 2-1 at relegation-threatened Udinese on Thursday.

Ilija Nestorovski cancelled out Matthijs de Ligt’s opener and Seko Fofana grabbed the winner in second-half stoppage time to keep Juve’s celebrations on ice.

“We lost order, even after the draw, because we wanted to win at all costs,” Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri said. “In this way, we took the game to a dangerous level, and after the 90th minute, we lost it.”

Juventus remained six points clear of second-place Atalanta and can secure the title with a win over Sampdoria on Sunday.

It could even be crowned earlier if Atalanta loses at AC Milan on Friday and Inter fails to win at Genoa on Saturday.

“In this period we are physically and mentally tired, and it is a problem common to all,” Sarri said. “For this reason, being aggressive is something more tiring and, therefore, now what matters most is order … It is difficult to keep it throughout the match and sometimes, like today, we lose it.”

The points could prove crucial for Udinese as it went seven points clear of the relegation zone, with three rounds remaining.

Juventus knew a victory at Udinese would secure the title as the Bianconeri hold the tiebreaker over Atalanta courtesy of a better head-to-head record.

It seemed to be going to plan for Juventus when it took the lead three minutes before halftime. A defensive header out came straight to De Ligt and he took one touch before firing powerfully into the bottom left corner.

However, Nestorovski leveled seven minutes after the restart when he headed in Ken Sema’s cross.

Both sides struggled to create clear scoring opportunities but, just as it seemed headed for a draw, Fofana burst downfield from near the halfway line and slotted past Wojciech Szczęsny.

TOP SCORER

Ciro Immobile boosted his hopes of finishing the season as the league’s top scorer with the winning goal in Lazio’s 2-1 victory against Cagliari.

Immobile finished off a brilliant pass from Luis Alberto on the hour mark for his 31st goal of the season, one more than Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

His goal came five minutes after Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno had pushed Immobile’s effort out off the post.

Sergej Milinković-Savić had netted the equalizer for Lazio with a powerful volley shortly after the break. Giovanni Simeone’s effort was deflected in on the stroke of halftime to give Cagliari the lead.

The victory secured Lazio a spot in next season’s Champions League with the capital side now guaranteed at least fourth place in Serie A.

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LEEDS CONFIRM RECORD BREAKING ADIDAS KIT DEAL AHEAD NEXT SEASON

Leeds United have confirmed that adidas are their new official kit partner in a record-breaking deal for the club.

The Whites are back in the Premier League for the first time in 16 years after winning the Championship.

And with owner Andrea Radrizzani already hinting at moves for the likes of Edinson Cavani, it would appear that Leeds are ready to return to the big time with a bang.

adidas will replace Kappa as the club’s kit provider from next season, with the club issuing the following statement.

It read: “In a record-breaking deal for the club, adidas will produce both playing and training kit for all Leeds United teams over the next five years.

“Adidas becomes our official kit partner for the first time in our history. In what will mark a new era in the Premier League, following our Sky Bet Championship winning centenary season.

“Along with our official playing and training kit, apparel from adidas will also be available both via our online retail website and at our Elland Road superstore, Leeds/Bradford Airport, Merrion Centre, Trinity Leeds and White Rose Centre stores, along with the adidas website and selected stores.”

Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear added: “We are excited adidas has become our official kit partner.

“We’re looking forward to our return to the Premier League with anticipation next season. And partnering with adidas represents a new beginning for the club.

“At Leeds United we continue to grow on and off the pitch. And this record-breaking deal is another important step for the club.”