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News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Barcelona have reached agreement with Bayern Munich to sign Chile international midfielder Arturo Vidal, the two European giants announced on Friday.
The 31-year-old, who has played 100 games for Chile and scored 24 goals, will sign a three-year deal after having a medical in the next few days, Barca said in a statement.
Bayern added: "Arturo Vidal is leaving Bayern Munich with immediate effect to join Spanish Liga champions Barcelona. The clubs reached agreement on the transfer late on Friday evening."
No transfer fee was given but Spanish media reports said Barca will pay 18 million euros ($21 million), rising to 21 million euros, for the former Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus player.
Vidal, who joined Bayern in 2015 from the Turin club, scored 22 goals in 124 appearances in Munich and won the German title three times, the German Cup and two domestic Supercups.
"Thank you to FC Bayern and all the fans," Vidal said. "I'd like to thank the club for giving me the chance to take on another new challenge with Barcelona.“
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added: "...I wish to thank Arturo with all my heart for three fantastic years.
"Arturo made a significant contribution to the great successes we enjoyed in this time. He always led from the front in important matches, and we could always rely on him."
Vidal also enjoyed success at Juventus where he won four Serie A titles, the Italian Cup and two domestic Supercups after joining the Turin club from Leverkusen in 2011.
He played for Juve against Barca in the 2015 Champions League final where he was on the losing side in a 3-1 defeat.
Higuain reveals why he opted for AC Milan over Chelsea
Argentina footballer Gonzalo Higuain, who recently joined Italian football club AC Milan, has revealed that he would have chosen Premier League club Chelsea over Milan but not everyone in the club was interested enough to rope him.
The 30-year-old said that only Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri wanted him to play for the team.
"In total sincerity, the esteem I have for Sarri is huge but he was the only who wanted me. Here at Milan everyone wanted me, and this is why I made my choice to come here," goal.com quoted Higuain, as saying.
Talking about his new team, Higuain said that Milan struck him the most as they have all the qualities that a football player would like to have in his team.
"I have been playing in Europe for 12 years, Milan was the team that struck me the most, and it's what the player wants to see: History, lots of green, pure football. It gives you goosebumps, it's special stuff," he said.
The striker was signed by Milan along with Italian footballer Mattia Caldara in a straight swap deal with Juventus which saw the return of their defender Leonardo Bonucci returning back to the Italian club.
Higuain has notched up a total of 55 goals in 155 appearances he made for Juventus, while he netted 122 goals in 264 games he played for Real Madrid.
Arsenal's Kolasinac faces up to 10 weeks out with knee problem
Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac will be out of action for eight to 10 weeks after suffering an injury to his left knee, the Premier League club said on Friday.
The Bosnia international was forced off during Wednesday's pre-season win over London rivals Chelsea in Dublin after a clash with Victor Moses.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey missed that game with a tight calf and will aim to return to training next week, the club added.
Arsenal start their Premier League campaign at home to Manchester City on August 12.
Bengaluru FC go down fighting to Atlético Saguntino
Bengaluru FC began their Spain Tour with a 2-1 loss to Atlético Saguntino in their first friendly game at the Masia La Grava facility in Alboraya.
In a fiercely contested encounter, it was Saguntino who took an early lead through striker David Fas, who capitalised on goalkeeper Soram Poirei's error and slotted home in the 7th minute.
While the Blues created chances through new signing Xisco Hernandez, they lacked the killer finish in the final third going into the break with a one-goal deficit.
Bengaluru returned with a renewed vigor in the second half and dominated proceedings in the opening quarter.
Back-to-back saves from Poirei gave the Blues confidence who pushed up and got the equaliser. Playmaker Dimas Delgado, who played his first game after being taken off for an injury in the Indian Super League final in March, was on target, finishing off Udanta Singh's pass to make it 1-1 in the 53rd minute.
The Blues continued to create a few chances, most notably through Xisco who continued to impress on his debut. However, it was Saguntino who managed to break down the BFC defence and score the winner in the 84th minute when a cross from the left was nodded home.
Bengaluru coach Carles Cuadrat said he was pleased with the performance ahead of the tougher tests the Blues will face the coming ten days.
"We've been working hard all these days and these games are an opportunity for us to try on the pitch what we have been training for. It's important to give an opportunity to all the players. We have a mix in the team where a few players have got a lot of game time while there are those who haven't competed professionally.
"I was happy with the performance in the game against Saguntino because for large periods, we played the football we have been training for, and we gave a good account of ourselves against a tough opponent."
Apart from Xisco who made his first start for the Blues, Poirei and Rino Anto started their first games in their second spell as well.
Meanwhile, Chencho Gyeltshen, Altamash Sayed, Asheer Akhtar, Bidyananda Singh and Aditya Patra came on in the second half along with Gursimrat Singh Gill.
Bengaluru next face UAE Pro League side Shabab Al Ahli Dubai FC on August 6.
African champions Cameroon appoint Seedorf as coach - reports
Former Dutch international midfielder Clarence Seedorf has been unveiled as the new coach of Cameroon and will be assisted by former teammate and compatriot Patrick Kluivert, according to local reports.
The duo's appointment was announced by Cameroon's Minister of Sport and Physical Education, Pierre Ismael Bidoung Mkpatt, at a news conference on Saturday and comes after talks with former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson failed to reach an agreement.
Seedorf takes over from the Belgian Hugo Broos, who led the side to a surprise victory at the 2017 African Nations Cup finals but was axed in November after failing to win a place at the World Cup in Russia.
Alexandre Belinga had been acting as caretaker coach since.
Cameroon will defend their Nations Cup title on home soil in June next year, a first major finals test for the new management team.
Seedorf, 42, will take on his first national team job having had limited experience in coaching following brief spells with AC Milan, Chinese side Shenzhen and Deportivo La Coruna.
He led those teams in a total of 52 games, but is revered for an illustrious playing career, most notably at Ajax Amsterdam, Real Madrid and AC Milan, winning the Champions League with each club.
He was also capped 87 times by the Netherlands between 1994 and 2008.
Former striker Kluivert's playing career also included Ajax, where he was a Champions League winner with Seedorf, Milan and most notably Barcelona where he spent six seasons.
He was assistant coach to Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal between 2012 and 2014, and was later briefly in charge of Dutch Caribbean nation Curacao.
The Cameroon Football Federation have made no official announcement on the vacant head coach role, but coaches in Africa are regularly appointed by governments.
Lampard gets perfect start as Derby snatch late win
Former England midfielder Frank Lampard began his managerial reign with a victory as his Derby County side came from behind to beat Reading 2-1 with a last-gasp goal in the Championship on Friday when the Football League season got underway.
Derby's Tom Lawrence headed the winner in the 94th minute after teenager Mason Mount scored on the hour with a low drive to cancel out Jon Dadi Bodvarsson's powerful header that had put the hosts in front after 53 minutes at the Madejski Stadium.
“What a finish. You can call it a stroke of luck, but those things are hard-earned," said Lampard.
"It’s a last-second winner, so it’s an incredible feeling," he added after his name rang out among the celebrating away fans at the final whistle.
“This is football and this is why I came into management - the fans at the end of the game and those celebrations, we have to savour them because that’s what hard work can get you."
The win meant Lampard, who signed a three-year deal in May having ended his playing career with New York City, got the better of counterpart Paul Clement in the opposition dugout, having worked as a player at Chelsea with the ex-Blues coach.
He will be aiming for at least a playoff spot but is under no illusions as to how tough it will be to win promotion.
"It’s a tough, tough game. We have to learn because there is loads of room for improvement," added Lampard.
Reading made the visitors work hard but were made to pay at the end as Wales winger Lawrence powered his header into the top corner from Mason Bennett's cross after Mount, on loan from Chelsea, had got Derby back in the match with a debut goal.
The 40-year-old Lampard, capped 106 times by England between 1999 and 2014, won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League crown with Chelsea but knows he has a lot to learn this season from his unfamiliar place on the bench.
It is 10 years since former English champions Derby were in the Premier League and the pressure for a return is high.
Derby came sixth last season under Gary Rowett, now in charge at Stoke City, before losing in the playoff semi-finals to Fulham, while Reading sacked the former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam in March and finished 20th under Clement.
