By Chris Waugh
Published: 19:37 EST, 8 June 2014 | Updated: 19:38 EST, 8 June 2014
Mario Mandzukic has said he will leave German champions Bayern Munich after the World Cup because coach Pep Guardiola's style of play does not work to his strengths - putting a host of Premier League clubs on red alert.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are among the English clubs who are believed to be monitoring the Croatian striker's situation and they will take encouragement from these quotes.
Mandzukic was left out of the squad for Bayern's 2-0 German Cup final win over Borussia Dortmund last month as his fallout with former Barcelona manager Guardiola became clear.
The 28-year-old told Croatian newspaper Sportske Novosti: 'I met with (Bayern chairman) Karl Heinz Rummenigge before the cup final and told him I wanted to leave the club.
'I've had a fantastic time at Bayern. It's a great club and I never thought I'd want to leave, and especially not at this point in time.
'But, let's be honest, I cannot play to my strengths under Guardiola's style - no matter how hard I try.
'I realised that after the 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg and, that being the case, it's best for all parties that we go our separate ways.
'Guardiola is an outstanding coach and I wish him and everyone else at the club all the best in the future.
'Bayern and the club's fans will remain the best and most emotional chapter in my career.'
Mandzukic helped Bayern win an unprecedented treble for a German side in his first season at the club under Jupp Heynckes, scoring 22 goals.
Despite returning even better figures under Guardiola - 26 goals in 48 games - rumours surfaced that the Croatian was uncomfortable playing the Spaniard's tiki-taka style based on keeping possession and he preferred a more direct approach.
Mandzukic will miss the opening match of the World Cup for Croatia against hosts Brazil on Thursday through suspension after he was sent off in the second leg of November's 2-0 aggregate playoff win over Iceland.
His striking qualities are undoubted and he will have many suitors among Europe's top clubs, with some Premier League managers casting a lustful eye towards the Croatian.
But Mandzukic himself would not reveal where he will be moving to.
He said: 'It's time for a fresh challenge but don't insist because I have nothing to say. The public will be informed when the time comes, right now I am focused solely on the World Cup.'
Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/spo...
Today News: Field day forCalgary Foothills soccer club
If the crowd off the field was any indication, Calgary’s ready for a professional soccer team to call the city home.
If the game on the field was any indication, the Foothills under-23 team is ready to be that club.
On Sunday, the Foothills team played host to the Vancouver Whitecaps under-23 team and shocked their West Coast opponents with a hard-fought 2-1 win in front of a buzzing crowd of nearly 1,400 fans at Shouldice Park.
“We’re definitely ready to move to the next step,” said Foothills centre-back Jonathan Wheeldon, who scored the game-winner late in the second half off a free-kick.
“There’s the quality (in Calgary). Over the last few years, there’s been a few players we’ve given to the Vancouver Whitecaps, and why not keep them? There’s definitely the quality here in Calgary.”
That quality was on full display on Sunday. Pitted against a Whitecaps team whose association with the Major League Soccer club means they’ve got more resources and are already playing in the league where the Foothills club will make its debut next season, the Calgary boys never once looked out of place.
First, Nat Tecle sent his Foothills teammates into a state of rapture with a 32nd minute goal. The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as the Whitecaps’ Brett Levis responded with a goal of his own that sent the teams to their dressing rooms all level at halftime.
“The boys were a bit down at halftime,” said Foothills head coach Tommy Wheeldon. “My job was just literally to say, ‘Now we’ve seen what we’re up against, now let’s play ot our strengths and we’ll go on and win this’. ”
Making the win that much more sweet was the fact that the game was only the fifth of the Foothills season. The team will be making its debut in the United Soccer Leagues’ Professional Development League next year and is working its way through an exhibition schedule this summer.
The Whitecaps’ season, on the other hand, is in full swing.
“We’re probably not at our top gear yet,” said Wheeldon, who said he wasn’t at all concerned with the way the Whitecaps dominated possession through Sunday’s affair. “Possession without a purpose doesn’t really have a point to it. We were OK if they had it in their third and when the tried to force it we picked it off and played to our strengths. I thought when we had it we showed some positive things with the ball.”
While the crowd at Shouldice was distinctly biased towards the home team, there were a fair share of Whitecaps jerseys scattered in as well. That likely had as much to do with the number of Calgarians suited up for the Whitecaps as it did with anything else.
The Whitecaps lineup featured goalkeeper Marco Carducci, defender Chris Serban and midfielders Mitch Piraux and Drake Rendle, who all hail from Calgary.
To Jonathan Wheeldon, that only served to emphasize the fact that it’s finally time for professional soccer to come back to Calgary.
“This city needs a professional soccer team, I think it’s a must. We can finally get this ball rolling,” Wheeldon said. ‘“(Competitively), it’s a start for us and it shows we can compete. I think the most important thing was to compete with the Whitecaps’ U23s, and I think we did.”
Source : http://www.calgarysun.com/2014...
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