[ad_pod ]Mauricio Pochettino has appeared to call for Tottenham Hotspur to invest in their playing squad, per El Partidazo de Cope.Spurs have finished in the top four of the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, having beaten the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax, where they will play Liverpool on June 1.That is despite the club failing to sign a player in the last two transfer windows and Pochettino has now appeared to send a message to chairman Daniel Levy that new additions are needed.He said: “I will not make decisions about my future (until) after the final, it is important to know what the club’s future plan is.“If we want to return to the Champions League final next year and fight withÂManchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title, we need reinforcements.”

His quotes come amid fevered speculation over Pochettino’s future; he has been heavily linked with the Juventus job in recent days after it was announced that Massimiliano Allegri would be leaving the post.

But fans are confident that he is merely keen to strengthen his squad and that an exit remains unlikely this summer.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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According to Spanish outlet AS, Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos.

The news comes after the experienced Spanish international had a falling out with club president Florentino Perez after the Champions League last 16 defeat at the hands of Ajax; Ramos had purposely gotten himself suspended for the second leg so he could be available for the quarter-final.

As a result, the Reds and Juventus are interested in taking the 33-year-old off Real Madrid’s hands, whilst there is also some interest from China.

Luis Suarez certainly had no qualms about celebrating against his former employers in the video below…

Ramos has asked to leave on a free transfer as a side from China have submitted a ‘very good offer’, but they cannot pay a transfer fee.

It would be a hugely controversial move if Ramos arrived at Anfield, given the incident in Kiev between the defender and Mohamed Salah which saw the Egyptian leave the Champions League final early through injury.

So, if Ramos is allowed to leave on a free, should Liverpool get involved? Football FanCast’s writers have their say…

Matt Dawson 

“This would be one hell of a transfer and I’d dread to think what Salah would feel like if Liverpool brought in Ramos. It’s difficult to sit here and say he wouldn’t be a good signing. I’d be lying if I said that. The fact is that the Spaniard is one of the greatest centre-backs out there. If there is a chance to sign him then they can’t afford to pass up the chance. It may hinder Gomez’s game time but just imagine what he could learn from both Ramos and van Dijk. He’d be in dreamland.”

Harry Sherlock

“It’d be very funny; one wonders how Mohamed Salah would react. But he’s not the player Liverpool need. They do need to secure a world-class partner for Virgil van Dijk but Ramos doesn’t really solve the problem; he’ll need replacing in just a couple of seasons. Liverpool would be better off focusing their attentions on a younger acquisition that can play alongside the Dutchman for the next five or six seasons.”

Luke Glanville

“Sergio Ramos is perhaps the greatest European centre-back of all-time. So if any team can capture him on a free transfer, they should – it’s a pure, pure no-brainer. The Spanish international captain may be more of a veteran now, but is only 33 and still able to perform consistently at the highest level. In addition, Virgil van Dijk is crying out for a permanent world-class partner. The only issue is, of course, the friction between the player and Mo Salah, though it’s nothing that a simple handshake can’t solve. Liverpool shouldn’t let it put them off what could be the deal of the century.”

أكد أحمد حسام ميدو لاعب الزمالك ومنتخب مصر الأسبق، أن الدوري المحلي ينقصه بعض الأشياء ليصبح في مصاف البطولات الكبرى.

وقال ميدو في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “ينقصنا أن تكون هناك عدالة بين كل الأندية”.

وأضاف: “وينقصنا أن يتعلم حكامنا من التحكيم الأجنبي، وكيف يتعاملون مع المديرين الفنيين بهدوء”.

طالع | ميدو يشيد بلاعب الزمالك ويفسر سبب تراجع أداء القطبين قبل ديربي القرن

وتابع: “وينقصنا أيضًا أن يكون لدينا نقل تلفزيوني أفضل، الجميع لابد أن يبذل مجهودًا في موضعه، ولو هذا حدث سنتطور”.

وأردف: “لابد أن يكون لدينا إصرار ولا نسخر من الدوري المصري، هناك دول كثيرة تتمنى أن يكون عندها دوري مثلنا”.

Southampton fans are pleased they managed to remain a Premier League side this season, albeit they know it wouldn’t have been possible without Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager. Hopefully now, the club can rise again under his masterful watch. 

The changes he implemented when taking over from Mark Hughes ultimately were the reasons why Southampton secured their top-flight safety. And, with a full transfer window to inflict the changes he wants at St Mary’s, Southampton could be a far greater team next season.

It is important that whilst he is Southampton’s manager, the owners sufficiently back him so that he has the greatest possible chance of success down on the South Coast.

If he stays with Southampton’s philosophy of nurturing and bettering young players futures, then Bristol City’s Lloyd Kelly would be the ideal summer signing. Kelly, (who is valued at £1.8 million on Transfermarkt) could be the next to follow in the footsteps of many successful youngsters who have been at Southampton.

There’s certainly precedent on the south coast, after all…

The 20-year-old has been linked (as per the Bristol Post) with a move to St. Mary’s as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to add some more youth and all-round quality to their starting line-up. Although Ryan Bertrand and Matt Targett are good defenders who also play left-back, Kelly has great potential to become one of the countries best in that role.

Also having the ability to play centre-back, it is no wonder why so many teams have been linked with a move to sign the 20-year-old, given the almighty potential he possesses.

Southampton have always usually believed in bringing through English talent and as this rumour suggests, they are keen to continue that trend and allow Lloyd Kelly to reach his full potential in the Premier League.

Saints fans, do you think Lloyd Kelly would be a good signing? If not, why not? Let us know!

Judging by this post he seems to think keeping the Christmas tree up all year has helped to land City three trophies this year.

The 24-year-old was superb this season and has gone from rotation option to one of the first names on the team-sheet in the space of a single campaign.

The Portuguese international is sensational on the ball but his work rate and immense popularity saw him win Manchester City Player of the Year voted for by the fans of the club.

One of City’s most famous fans, Noel Gallagher, named Silva as his favourite City player at the moment, and it is easy to see why.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The diminutive midfield-schemer is one of Pep Guardiola’s hardest working players, making on average 1.4 tackles per game and 0.7 interceptions.

While going forward the former-Monaco man is deadly too – in 51 appearances he scored 14 goals and set up a further 13.

All of this, coupled with his infectious personality, strange quirks and now this latest little superstition, and it’s not hard to see why he is quickly becoming the out-and-out fan favourite at the Etihad.

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Tottenham Hotspur have handed Liverpool an unexpected pre-match advantage after Mauricio Pochettino’s quotes surrounding the build-up to the Champions League final.

The Spurs manager has guided the club out of a group also featuring both Barcelona and Inter Milan, while beating Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages.

Pochettino’s men, who he has referred to as “superheroes”, head into the game as slight underdogs against a Reds team that finished second in the Premier League, losing just one game.

And he has insisted that he wants to flout the usual UEFA rules by including every single member of his 23-man squad in the pre-match photograph.

Per the Daily Mail, he said: “What I want is all the players before the start of the game — 22 or 23 — in the picture on the pitch. That is the team that won or lost.”

He added: “People care a lot about that. The players care more than we believe. When I was a player I always fought with the organisation and the club. And the same now I’m a manager. I’m going to propose it.”

Fans have lapped this up; Pochettino often emphasises the collective instead of the individual and that is a key part of his managerial mentality but one has to question the wisdom of being so emotional ahead of such an enormous game.

Liverpool, naturally, will have 11 players in the pre-match picture. They have been here before and they have done it; no fewer than five times.

Spurs, by comparison, have never been to a Champions League final and, frankly, it shows.

Imagine the scene; Liverpool take their photograph and look over at Spurs, with all 23 players, including academy graduates Alfie Whiteman, Oliver Skipp and George Marsh, smiling for the cameras. It smacks of naivety and being overawed by the occasion. Such a saccharine sight will surely boost the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who have been here before – just twelve months ago, in fact.

One can understand the mentality of Pochettino and the idea behind his statement but, at the same time, it plays into the opposition’s hands and creates the idea of Tottenham being in the final purely to make up the numbers.

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Loads of Leeds United fans on Twitter are excited at the prospect of signing Helder Costa this summer after Phil Hay wrote an article linking the Whites to the Portuguese winger.

The 25-year-old was electric for Wolves when they were in the Championship, but now the Midlands club seem content to let him go out on loan after a lacklustre first season in the top flight.

The winger scored just once last term while adding only two assists. A significant decrease on the 15 goals he scored over two seasons in the Championship where he also crafted 14 assists.

Hay has previously reported that Marcelo Bielsa’s side want to strengthen out wide this summer, and this signing would certainly help towards that.

It remains to be seen whether Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta can negotiate this signing successfully, but if they do, it will undoubtedly be a very popular move.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

It was a truly awful night to be a Leeds United supporter on Wednesday, wasn’t it?

With Marcelo Bielsa’s side entering the second leg of their play-off semi-final clash with Derby County as overwhelming favourites to progress in the competition having won 1-0 at Pride Park on Saturday, the Elland Road faithful must have been extremely confident about the showdown.

However, with the pressure of expectancy proving too much for the Whites, they produced a dreadful defensive display which resulted in them conceding four goals to the Rams.

Although Stuart Dallas managed to fire in a double for the hosts, Jack Marriot’s strike in the 85th minute for Derby was enough to bring Leeds’ season to a halt.

Now facing the prospect of another year in the Championship, the Yorkshire-based outfit will almost certainly have to kiss goodbye to any chance they had of signing Dan James from Swansea City.

According to Football Insider, the Whites’ director of football Victor Orta was considering a move for the winger but only if the club were able to secure promotion to the Premier League later this month.

Yet with their dreams of top-flight football being shattered by Derby, it is unlikely that James will be willing to stay in the second tier next season with top-flight suitors lining up for the £2.7m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt).

Having missed out on signing the 21-year-old in the January transfer window after Swansea pulled out of a deal on deadline day (via the Telegraph), Leeds will understandably be very disappointed if he does indeed move on this summer to another club, especially if it ends up being arch-rivals Manchester United.

What do you think Leeds fans? Are your hopes of signing James all-but over following your play-off defeat? Would you have been able to secure promotion if Swansea had allowed the winger to leave in January? Let us know below.

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Back in 2012, Watford were taken over by the wealthy Pozzo family. What’s occurred since has been a roller coaster of a ride for the Hornets.

From a failed promotion campaign to a stint in the Premier League, the club is now on the verge of FA Cup glory.

This weekend, the Hertfordshire side will make the short journey south to Wembley. It’ll be their first appearance in an FA Cup final for over 30 years.

The club has clearly come a long way since.

But it’s not just matters on the pitch that have been boosted. The environment and atmosphere surrounding the club has improved too, and opinions on Watford from supporters elsewhere has also risen in stock.

This is largely thanks to Javi Gracia. The Spanish manager has done a phenomenal job, doing what no other Watford boss has done since the Pozzo’s arrived: achieve stability and long-term success.

The Hornets have gone through nine managers in seven years, Gracia is just the second to clear a half-century of games. Symbolically, the other was Gianfranco Zola, the man who started the Pozzo’s revolution.

Zola’s first season saw the club score 85 goals, it also saw that classic ‘Hogg-Deeney’ moment against Leicester in the play-off semi-final. But despite all that, the club failed to go up.

Before that campaign, Watford were easy to dismiss. However, the Pozzo’s influence eradicated that. Along came ten Udinese players, all signed on loan as a wave of hostility towards the club began.

Watford’s new owners had ties with the Italian club and Granada, two teams they’d also stabilised. However, it provoked a feeling of hatred. With Twitter still relatively in its infancy, individuals were quick to jump on the bandwagon, slamming the way the club operated.

This was a key theme from the Pozzo’s early days at Watford. They were ridiculed, as the club was predominantly made up of players not even belonging to them.

Almen Abdi and Matej Vydra were chief suspects, playing hugely influential roles in the club’s early success. The latter was vital, striking up a fine partnership with Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney in the year Watford achieved promotion.

Whether or not you agree with how the club went about doing things, you can’t argue it didn’t work.

But those admissions have now essentially been forgotten about. No longer are fans calling Watford a B team. Rather ironically, it’s Udinese now benefiting. In January, Stefano Okaka, Marvin Zeegelaar and Ben Wilmot all joined them on loan. It’s funny how times change.

Watford are now at the top of the Pozzo’s thoughts. Udinese finished 16th in Serie A, Granada spent the season in the Segunda Division.

But those two teams aren’t the story here, Watford are. Ahead of their first major cup final since 1984 they have a list of people to thank.

Not least Gracia who has them playing an entertaining brand of football supporters would only have dreamt of before 2012.

Slavisa Jokanovic also deserves praise for getting the club promoted. Yet, in typical Watford fashion, he wasn’t to last.

Initially, it looked as though the policy to change managers on a regular basis was vindicated. After all, it kept them in the Premier League. Quique Sanchez Flores and Walter Mazarri’s methods weren’t always easy to agree with but they ensured survival.

The Pozzo’s best appointment was arguably last season. It wasn’t Gracia, but instead, it was Marco Silva. He took their football to the next level and with players like Richarlison and Ricardo Pereyra brought a style that had never been associated with the club.

Silva’s replacement then took over the mantle to devastating effect

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 6 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part of that statement is correct…

The thought is now no longer about being Udinese B’s team and that’s been significantly aided by Gracia.

Watford has never been a club to rave about but the last seven years have been fascinating to watch. Should they beat Manchester City on Saturday, it’ll be up there as one of the greatest achievements in their history.

For a team who were once so reliant on players from other clubs, it would be quite the story.

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” رسميًا تعيين الحكم الدولي الجزائري مصطفى غربال لإدارة ‏مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويعاون غربال المغربي رضوان جيد حكمًا لتقنية الـ”‏VAR‏”، وحكمًا رابعًا الزامبي ‏جاني سيكازوي.‏

ليكيب: نهائي الأهلي والزمالك “الناري” سيفقد جزءًا من المتعة

وعقد اليوم الاجتماع الفني الخاص بالمباراة باستاد القاهرة بحضور سيد عبد الحفيظ مدير ‏الكرة، ‏وسمير عدلي المدير الإداري، والدكتورعمرو محب المترجم، ووائل محمد ومحمد ‏أسامة ‏الإداريين.‏

وأسفر الاجتماع عن ارتداء الأهلي القميص الأحمر والشورت الأسود والجورب ‏الأحمر، فيما ‏يرتدي الحارس الزي “الموف”، ويرتدي الزمالك الزي الأبيض كاملًا، ويرتدي الحارس الزي الأخضر.‏

أقرأ ايضًا.. حكم مباراة الأهلي والزمالك.. مصطفى غربال “وش السعد” على القطبين في إفريقيا

وخلال الاجتماع تم التأكيد على موعد وصول الفريقين إلى استاد القاهرة قبل ساعة ونصف ‏الساعة ‏من انطلاق المباراة.