MONTELLA IMPRESSES

Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Montella is a former coach of As.Roma until he was replaced by Luis Enrique and eventually the 39 years Old Italian coach made his way to Fiorentina where the club is now placed in 4th place.

Considering the fact that Montella spent a substantial amount of time with the youth and senior squad of As.Roma, on a number of occasions of he has admitted his affection towards his former club and revealed that even though their position in Serie A is so different, there isn’t so much of a difference when comparing both squads.

WARNOCK NOT IN AT NOTTS

Former QPR and Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has resisted the opportunity to return to Nottingham Forest after saying that he is concerned about the interference from the owners. Warnock has been shortlisted as one of the favourites to get the Nottingham Forest job after Billy Davies was sacked following a run of poor results, which culminated in the 5-0 loss at the hands of rivals Derby County. Warnock is considered as a legend in these parts, but the former Leeds United manager says that he does not want to come to the club since he is concerned about the owners.

Nottingham Forest are run by Kuwaiti businessman Fawaz Al Hasawi, who has been speculated heavily in interfering with the day-to-day running of the club. This was primarily the reason behind Billy Davies not doing well in his second spell at the club. Al Hasawi recently stated that Warnock was one of the several names that the club were looking to hire, but Warnock has himself acknowledges that he has received a job offer from Forest.

However, he has rejected the opportunity to take over at the club, which still has a great chance to get promoted to the Premier league next season, due to a couple of concerns.

“I felt that I have to do the job the way I see it being done. And I just couldn’t totally see being able to do that, so it was difficult. It’s been a hectic 48 hours. It’s a great club. I said I wouldn’t have come back unless it was an opportunity to get success at a club. It couldn’t have fitted the bill better with nine games – 12 including the play-offs – to get up. In the next 12 games it was a great possibility to get promoted. It got me excited but you have to look beyond that,” said Warnock.

VIDAL TO REAL?

The latest rumours have emerged that Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal could demand a summer transfer to either Real Madrid or Barcelona, but the player himself has stated that there is no truth in the rumours. The former Bayern Leverkusen midfielder has become one of the top players in the world. He recently signed a contract worth around £ 200,000 per week – despite being a midfielder – with Juventus. However, the 26-year-old continues to be a man in demand due to his all-round ability on the pitch. He is one of the few midfielder is capable of defending, attacking, and keeping the ball.

Vidal has been at Juventus since 2011 and he is set to be the star player for Chile at the upcoming World Cup 2014. Manchester United are also thought to be interested in his services, but the entry of Barcelona could make things difficult for the Premier league outfit. Vidal says that he only wants to win the league title with Juventus this campaign. This would be the third straight title for the Italian outfit and they lead the table by a massive 11 points with only a few matches left in the season. Vidal has been in stunning form by scoring 19 goals in just 36 appearances this campaign.

“Join Real Madrid or Barcelona? That’s ridiculous! All I want is to win the league with Juventus and have a good World Cup. I know the best part of Germany players. I’ve faced practically all of them. As for Chile, we are a young and quick team. We like good football,” said the midfielder ahead of Chile’s international friendly match with Germany. Vidal also has five assists to his name and he is now regarded as the top midfielder in the world.

Vidal came through the ranks at South American club Colo-Colo.

CITY SPEND BIG

Manchester City have spent more than £ 1 billion since 2008 in order to become one of the best clubs in the world. They have reached one of the first objectives towards ensuring that is the case by reaching the last 16 stage of the Champions league.

They will be playing against Barcelona in this stage of the competition this year. Even though they are still far-off from being considered as a big club, City manager Manuel Pellegrini says that it will not be long before the club are considered as one of the elite in the world.

LIVERPOOL IMPRESS

Liverpool has entered the 2014 on a comfortable position as they are sitting on the 4th spot of the Premier League with Luis Suarez enjoying a superb season as well as having gone through the 4th round of the FA Cup, a task Manchester United failed to do.

They will be looking to reinforce their squad by looking at potential signings and arrivals from the transfer market. Glen Johnson, Jose Enrique, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and Mamadou Sakho have suffered from blows and injuries which has forced Brendan Rodgers on placing in Cameron Brannagan and Jordan Rossiter into the main squad of the club.

Salomon Kalou is a name that has been on the list of players wanted by Brendan Rodgers and with a price tag believed to be around the region of €3 million, he is at the reach of Liverpool.

Lazio’s Ongenyi Onazi is a player that is being targeted by Liverpool and Everton. According to a quote that the Nigerian midfielder made, he would be more than happy to join a Premier League club.

I would jump at the chance to play in the Premier League. Liverpool? They are a huge team and are attractive to any footballer. I could see myself playing for them. The 20 years old midfielder of Lazio Ongenyi Onazi said when he was questioned about his future and the possibility of going to England.

Basel’s Mohamed Salah remains on the priority list of players wanted by Liverpool but with the likes of Suarez, Coutinho and Sterling all who have been enjoying a fairly successful season, Rodgers might wait for the next transfer window before making an official move for the Epytian player.

ATLETCIO DISAPPOINTED

Atletico Madrid were extremely disappointed during the weekend after they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Villarreal, which has put them at a disadvantage in the league table. Diego Simeone’s have been one of the surprise packages of the season, as they have made a great start to the campaign. Even though they sold their top scorer Radamel Falcao in the summer, Simeone has been able to find replacement in the form of Diego Costa. Summer signing David Villa has also been able to score on a regular basis to help Atletico to a great start.

They were left disappointed during the weekend after dropping two points, which has left them three points behind table leaders Barcelona. Atletico Madrid have been touted as the surprise title challengers this term, but this result leaves them with much to do even though it is only three points. After the match, Simeone said that his team did not have their usual creativity, but he praised the work of the team in the defence. Mario’s own goal in the second minute appeared to set Atletico on their way to yet another victory, but they were held back by Uche’s goal in the 79th minute.

The away team created chances, but it was not to their usual high standards. “We came up against a team that plays very well and is in a good place. In defence we did very well. They had no clear chances but they did control possession. In the second half we were better but it is an important result against a side also vying for a Champions League spot. We took a lot out and struggled to find our rhythm and space, while Villarreal kept a hold of the ball very well,” said the Atletico Madrid manager, who has received a lot of praise for his work this season.

Bale Injury Saga

Gareth Bale’s stint on the sidelines doesn’t look over after Real Madrid were forced to deny suggestions in Spanish newspaper Marca that their record signing has a slipped disk.

Bale has failed to make an impact in La Liga since his €100m transfer from Spurs last month, largely due to an injured foot and pulled hamstring. Frustration is growing among Madrid fans, many of who are desperate to see their new Galactico in action.