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      Lucas Vazquez refuses to commit future to Real Madrid after Liverpool win amid Man Utd and Chelsea transfer interest

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      LUCAS VAZQUEZ refused to commit his future to Real Madrid after the win over Liverpool.And that has sparked further discussions surrounding a summer free transfer when his current contract expires with Manchester United and Chelsea linked.
      Lucas Vazquez left a cryptic message for reporters after being asked about his futureCredit: Getty

      The Spaniard, 29, played at right-back once again on Tuesday night as Los Blancos earned a crucial 3-1 first-leg win over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
      He was at the thick of the controversy, especially after a few tangles with Sadio Mane.
      But speaking to the media afterwards, he left a cryptic message about where his future lies.
      Asked about renewing his contract, Vazquez said: “Now what I focus on is the present.
      “I am enjoying this year with minutes, I feel comfortable playing and that is what makes me happy.
      “I was always from Madrid and I will always be from Madrid.”
      Many believe the final comments suggest the wideman could be hinting at a move away by saying his roots will always be in the Spanish capital even if he is no longer playing there.
      Vazquez joined the Real Madrid academy in 2007 aged 16 and progressed through the ‘C’ and ‘B’ teams before breaking into the senior side, via a spell at Espanyol.
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      His first-team debut came in September 2015 and he has now racked up 26 goals in 239 games.
      After struggling for game time last season, the three-time Champions League winner is back in the fold as a first-team regular this term – either on the right wing or at right-back.
      Vazquez also boasts two LaLiga titles and three Club World Cup winner’s medals to his name.
      Reports in Spain state he has rejected ‘several’ contract extensions from Los Blancos – the latest of which was a three-year deal but included a ten per cent pay cut due to the pandemic.
      Those refusals mean Premier League giants United and Chelsea are among the front-runners to bring the nine-cap international in on a free transfer.
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      However, both clubs face competition from AC Milan, Leeds and Tottenham.
      A reunion with Carlo Ancelotti at Everton could also be on the cards with suggestions the Toffees are monitoring his situation.
      Across Europe, Valencia, Sevilla and Napoli may all be possible destinations.
      But it is Bayern Munich who are in pole position.
      Reports in March stated advanced talks have taken place between the player’s representatives and the Bundesliga champions.
      Vazquez relished his battle with Sadio Mane in Madrid on Tuesday nightCredit: EPA
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      Luis Suarez suffers training ground injury with huge fears over Atletico Madrid striker for LaLiga title run-in

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      ATLETICO MADRID are sweating over the severity of Luis Suarez’s leg injury after he picked up the problem during training.The 34-year-old has starred in his first season at the Wanda Metropolitano, with the striker chipping in with 19 goals and two assists in 26 LaLiga matches.
      Atletico Madrid ace Luis Suarez could be facing a spell on the sidelines after injuring his leg during trainingCredit: Reuters
      But Diego Simeone is now left fearing he may be set for an extended spell on the sidelines which could potentially cost his side winning their first LaLiga title since 2014.
      The 1-0 defeat against Sevilla on Sunday saw Barcelona close the gap on Atletico to just one point at the the top of the table with nine games left.
      In a further blow for Los Colchoneros, they have confirmed that Suarez has picked up an injury, with the player having to withdraw from Wednesday’s training session.
      A club statement read: “The Uruguayan underwent tests on Wednesday that confirmed the injury.
      “He’s pending response to treatment. Luis Suarez has suffered a muscle injury to the left leg.
      “The striker underwent medical tests on Wednesday after feeling pain in training that confirmed the injury.”
      Suarez is already unavailable for the upcoming clash against Real Betis due to suspension, but he could now be out of action for even longer.
      According to Football Espana, the former Liverpool ace’s injury could see him miss up to three weeks.
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      Luis Suarez is one of the highest-paid players in Europe after joining Atletico from Barcelona
      This would see him be ruled out for the games against Eibar and Huesca, and a doubt for the home match against Athletic Bilbao.
      Atletico fans were left gutted by news of his injury, as one tweeted: “Am beginning to suspect that someone is behind all of this… it’s just problems after problems.”
      Another commented: “They might as well of just said ‘our season depends on the response to this treatment’.”
      A third added: “Is it impossible for things to get worse? Indeed.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Atletico Madrid’s Vitolo takes on crossbar challenge More

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      Barcelona could launch Harry Kane transfer bid if Dortmund refuse to lower top target Erling Haaland’s £154m price tag

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      BARCELONA could turn to Harry Kane in their hunt for a new striker if Erling Haaland does not sign, according to reports in Spain.Borussia Dortmund star Haaland has caught the eye of several clubs as his representatives hold talks with prospective bidders.
      Harry Kane is reportedly on Barcelona’s radarCredit: Getty
      The LaLiga club are said to be targeting Erling HaalandCredit: Getty
      Agent Mino Raiola and father Alf-Inge Haaland have flown in for talks with both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
      But Haaland’s club will seek a fee topping £150million if they are to sell him this summer, with the 20-year-old’s £68m release clause activating next year.
      That could turn Barcelona to a Plan B, according to Spanish outlet Sport, who name Kane and Lautaro Martinez as such options.
      SunSport revealed last week that Tottenham will refuse to sell their star striker to a Premier League rival.
      A move abroad is considered slightly more palatable, although the fee of £175m would have to be negotiated down.
      These latest reports suggest that Barcelona will have to be inventive with player-plus-cash deals if they are to sign a star name this summer.

      Targets such as Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia will all soon be available as free agents.
      In contrast, Inter Milan star Martinez, like Kane, could command a nine-figure fee.
      Previously thought to be a major target for the LaLiga giants, the Argentine is set to sign a new contract that would bolster his existing £98 buyout fee.
      Martinez, 23, is the lowest-scoring of the three stars on Barcelona’s radar, although Inter are looking good to lift the Serie A title.
      His 16-goal tally sits behind Kane (29) and Haaland (33).
      Spurs host Manchester United on Sunday as Jose Mourinho looks to secure a top-four finish.
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      The manager stated recently that speculation over the 27-year-old’s future is of no interest to him.
      Mourinho, 58, said: “He is such a professional, committed with the team, performing well.
      “I’ve nothing to speak with him about. He has three years of his contract remaining.
      “Unless he wants to speak with me about it… and until now he never approached me in relation to anything.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Harry Kane gives a goal scoring masterclass in Tottenham training More

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      Zinedine Zidane drops sensational Juventus hint as Real Madrid boss says Serie A giants ‘always important to me’

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      ZINEDINE ZIDANE dropped a huge hint he wants to manage Juventus. The Real Madrid boss confessed the Italian giants will ‘always be important to me’.
      Zidane Zidane hinted he may hope to manage Juventus one dayCredit: EPA
      Zidane, 48, spent five seasons as a player with the Old Lady between 1996 and 2001.
      And asked whether he missed Italy and would return there as a manager, he certainly did not rule it out.
      The Frenchman said: “Italy is always in the heart. Juve has always been important to me.
      “I don’t know (laughs). For now I’m here. Let’s see.”
      Current Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is fighting for his job with the reigning Serie A champions fourth in the table, 12 points adrift of leaders Inter, and dumped out of the Champions League by Porto.
      Zidane hung up his boots in 2006 before returning to Real Madrid in an advisory role.
      He then became sporting director in 2011 and two years later, assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti.
      After 18 months in charge of the Real Madrid Castilla, Zidane took on the role of first-team head coach in January 2016 and famously won a hat-trick of Champions Leagues.
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      The 1998 Ballon d’Or winner quit in May 2018 but was back in the Bernabeu dugout within ten months and boasts an impressive overall record of 166 wins in 251 matches.
      He made the comments on Tuesday night following the first leg of Real’s Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool.
      Two goals from Vinicius Junior and a Marco Asensio strike saw Los Blancos to a 3-1 win in Madrid.
      And unsurprisingly Zidane was full of praise for his team, especially the goalscorers.
      He added to Sky Italia: “We can be happy with the game we played but there is a return and we have to finish the job.
      “But, I repeat, we can be happy with tonight’s race because we ran a complete race.
      “I’m happy for Vinicius because he has missed the goal a bit. He scored two tonight and it’s big to score in the Champions League. I’m happy for him and for the team.
      “Asensio has scored four games [in a row]. For us it is very important to create for scoring chances and to score. Tonight we did it. We could have scored even more goals.”
      Zidane spent five years as a player in Turin, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1998Credit: EPA

      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says it is ‘not on a revenge tour’ against Real Madrid More

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      Messi overheard moaning about ref and says he wanted to give him yellow card that would have banned him for El Clasico

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      LIONEL MESSI feared he would be banned for El Clasico during Barcelona’s tense win over Valladolid.The Catalans’ LaLiga title pursuit was boosted by Ousmane Dembele’s late winner.
      Lionel Messi was irked by the refereeing performance during Barcelona’s winCredit: Getty
      But Sunday’s game saw referee Santiago Jaime Latre at the centre of attention for a number of incidents.
      At half-time, Messi was overheard by Movistar+ microphones, as reported by Marca, complaining about the official.
      The striker told a club delegate: “The referee wants to give me a yellow card, incredible.”
      A booking would have incurred a one-game ban for the 33-year-old – a fate he managed to avoid for the rest of the game.
      He should therefore be in the team to face Real Madrid in the Spanish capital, with Saturday’s game kicking off at 8pm.
      Alas, it was Valladolid who felt they had most to complain about throughout the defeat to Barcelona.
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      An absolutely MASSIVE goal from Ousmane Dembele! 😱Barca get a late breakthrough and look set to pick up a colossal win in the LaLiga title race 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/4nx3KdldDW— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) April 5, 2021

      A potential penalty was waved away despite the ball appearing to strike Jordi Alba’s hand in the second-half.
      Oscar Plano was then sent off on 79 minutes for slide tackling Dembele from behind.
      It was the French winger who popped up with the late winner – although that came amid claims of a foul by Alba in the build-up.
      The win put Ronald Koeman’s side within a point of leaders Atletico Madrid, who lost to Sevilla on the weekend.
      While he did not get the winner, fans praised Messi after footage of his half-time team talk emerged.
      Speaking to Sergio Busquets, Clement Lenglet and Co in the tunnel, the Argentine delivered some clear tactical advice.
      Barcelona closed the gap atop LaLiga to a single point with the victoryCredit: Reuters
      Messi invited his family onto the pitch pre-game after a presentation for breaking the Barcelona appearance recordCredit: AP

      He stated: “Let’s move it from one side to the other, to get it wide and into space.
      “We are going to have to play with more tempo or it is going to be difficult for us. We have to go up one more gear.
      “Only one goal, [we need] only one goal.”
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      Cadiz defender Cala denies calling Valencia’s Mouctar Diakhaby a ‘black s***’ and says he is being ‘publicly lynched’

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      JUAN CALA has denied claims he racially abused Mouctar Diakhaby after a row erupted during Sunday’s LaLiga game between Cadiz and Valencia.The Spaniard, 31, was accused of calling Diakhaby a ‘black s***’ before the Valencia players staged a walk-off.
      Juan Cala has denied claims that he made a racist comment in Cadiz’s game with Valencia
      Mouctar Diakhaby also spoke about the incident on Tuesday
      Los Che later claimed that their players only returned to see out the game after being threatened with a sanction if they abandoned the match.
      And French defender Diakhaby, 24, recommended his team play on having been substituted as he did not want to go back out.
      On Tuesday, Cala held a press conference to strenuously deny the allegations, likening the situation to a ‘public lynching’.
      He told reporters: “I don’t know if Diakhaby made it up, or misinterpreted it.
      “I am in a state of shock. We are playing football without an audience. There are 20-25 cameras, microphones, players, referees… and nobody hears anything.
      “There is no racism in Spanish football. What has been formed is a circus.
      “Since Sunday my lawyer has been collecting the data to start legal action.
      “I have received messages from all over with a lot of support, because I am being lynched right now.
      Diakhaby complained to the referee, who did not hear the alleged commentCredit: EPA
      The Frenchman walked off midway through the first-half of Sunday’s gameCredit: EPA
      “I don’t know what happened to the presumption of innocence. No one deserves this public lynching.
      “I’m looking forward to settling this issue here and starting to prepare for the next game.”
      Ahead of the press conference, Diakhaby provided his own update to thank fans and his club for their support.
      The former Lyon player reiterated his claim that Cala had racially abused him.
      He stated on Twitter: “After two days I am very calm and I want to talk about what happened in Cadiz on Sunday.
      “There is a moment where a player insults me and the words are ‘black s***’.
      “That is intolerable and I cannot allow it, and you have all seen my reaction.
      “My team-mates and I decided to return to the dressing room, which was the right decision.
      Cala has missed a great opportunity to accept his mistake and apologise to Diakhaby.ValenciaClub Statement
      “One of their players asked one of our players that if Cala apologised, would we go back to the pitch? My colleagues and I said no, that you can’t do something and excuse yourself and let it go.
      “I feel good today, but it has hurt a lot. It is life.
      “I hope that LaLiga takes action so that everything is seen and clarified and that’s it. I want to thank Valencia, my team-mates, the coaches, the love and solidarity they have given me and the fans. I want to tell everyone that I’m fine. Thank you so much.”
      Following Cala’s denial, LaLiga side Valencia released a statement criticising his comments.
      It read: “Valencia are deeply saddened by statements made by Cadiz player Juan Cala this Tuesday, in which 48 hours later, he denied racially insulting Mouctar Diakhaby during the LaLiga match played last Sunday at the Ramon de Carranza.
      “Cala has missed a great opportunity to accept his mistake and apologise to the player affected. Instead of doing this, he attacked both Diakhaby and other members of Valencia.
      Valencia has made a show of support for Diakhaby amid the racism rowCredit: AFP

      “Valencia wish to reiterate that we believe our player and back him completely.
      “After the threats made by Cala in his press conference this Tuesday, April 6, the club, president Anil Murthy and Mouctar Diakhaby himself remain firm in the conviction to fight to the end, wherever necessary, on the matter for the good of football and society.
      “Valencia will not stop fighting for an improvement in protocol and in the battle against racism in football.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme vows to replace Zidane with Klopp and re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo

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      REAL MADRID presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has vowed to appoint Jurgen Klopp as the club’s new manager and re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo if he wins the upcoming elections.Long-time president Florentino Perez last week called for an election to be held in a bid to win himself a fifth term in office.
      Enrique Riquelme wants to replace Zinedine Zidane with Jurgen KloppCredit: GETTY
      The 32-year-old also wants to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the BernabeuCredit: AP
      The 74-year-old won the club’s last two elections uncontested, but this time around he’ll face competition from Cox Energy CEO Riquelme.
      And the 32-year-old Riquelme has big plans for Los Blancos if he successfully defeats Perez, which includes axing current manager Zinedine Zidane.
      During an appearance on El Partidazo de COPE, Riquelme said: “Zidane would not be my coach.
      “The Sports Directorate thinks of another profile with another strategy.
      “I personally like Klopp a lot and Raul is doing very well. It would be to value him […].”
      Bringing back Ronaldo, Real’s all-time leading goalscorer, would also be one of Riquelme’s main priorities.
      He said: “I put on the table that we repeat Cristiano, because he has represented a lot for football and for Real Madrid.
      “There are no old or young players, there are good or bad players.”
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      Ronaldo, 36, left Madrid in the summer of 2018 to join Italian champions Juventus but has continuously been linked with a move back to the Spanish capital.
      Riquelme’s audacious plans were revealed before the first leg of the Spanish champion’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Liverpool at the Bernabeu.
      The prospect of managing Real was put to Klopp ahead of tonight’s match, with the German insisting he’d be more than content with his career if he didn’t end up coaching Los Blancos.
      Jurgen Klopp says he’d have no regrets if he ended his career without managing Real MadridCredit: AFP

      The Reds chief said: “If at the end of my career I had only three clubs, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, then that’s not too bad, eh?
      “I would not regret it.
      “You asked if I would regret not managing Real Madrid, that is the question? I don’t think so.
      “But when I came off the plane today, I regret already that we don’t live here, because the weather is so much better here!
      “We were freezing, I have a gilet with me! You are blessed living here. We do it the hard way [in England]!”
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      Real Madrid star Raphael Varane tests positive for coronavirus hours before Liverpool clash in Champions League

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      RAPHAEL VARANE has tested positive for coronavirus hours before Real Madrid face Liverpool.The Los Blancos players were checked on Tuesday morning ahead of tonight’s clash.
      Raphael Varane will miss the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool with coronavirusCredit: Getty
      And the club confirmed in a statement the result for their Frenchman.
      Varane – a transfer target for Manchester United – was named in Real Madrid’s 21-man matchday squad for the match on Monday afternoon.
      But he will now be forced to sit out of the first-leg quarter-final clash at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
      It also puts his availability to face Barcelona in a crunch El Clasico on Saturday night into major doubt.
      Zinedine Zidane is without both of his first-choice centre-backs against the six-time champions.
      Sergio Ramos was ruled out after picking up a calf injury during the international break.
      That meant he could not continue his rivalry with the Reds and specifically Mo Salah following the 2018 Champions League final.
      Dani Carvajal is also out meaning it is expected to be a back four of Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho and Ferland Mendy.

      Jurgen Klopp has plenty of defensive woes of his own with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip long-term absentees.
      Ben Davies is yet to feature for the club with on-loan Ozan Kabak expected to partner Nat Phillips in defence – although Fabinho could be dropped deeper to fill in.
      Kick-off in Madrid is at 8pm – 9pm local time – with the game live on BT Sport 2.
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