Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has had such an impact on Arturo Vidal s career that the Chilean sees him as a father figure.
Vidal got his first taste of European football when he joined Bayer Leverkusen from Colo-Colo in 2007 after impressing during the Under-20 World Cup in Canada.
He became a key figure at Leverkusen, particularly after Heynckes took charge in 2009, enjoying his best two seasons at the club and ultimately earned his move to Juventus.
The pair were then able to reunite when Heynckes returned to Bayern for his fourth spell in charge in October.
And Vidal is delighted about being coached once again by a man who helped shape the player he is today.
He could be my father, that s right, Vidal told Kicker. Already at Leverkusen…
The gloves are off – Bruce blasts Newcastle players after ´absolutely s****´ Sheffield United perfor
Steve Bruce unleashed a furious assessment of his Newcastle United players, branding their performance at Sheffield United absolutely s*** and declaring the gloves are off now .
The Magpies were beaten 1-0 at Bramall Lane on Tuesday to become the first team to lose to the Blades in the Premier League this season.
They were also the first side to fail to score against Sheffield United in the top flight since July as they lost to a team starting the day bottom of the table for the first time since October 2015.
Bruce has come in for increasing criticism from fans for his team s performances during an eight-game winless run in which they have exited the EFL Cup and FA Cup, as well as suffering four league losses.
The Newcastle head coach accepts he got thing…
Franck Ribery made a public apology to his Fiorentina team-mates after the veteran French star was sent off for the seventh time in his club career.
The former Bayern Munich winger, who turns 38 on Wednesday, was dismissed by referee Fabio Maresca after going in studs-up on Davide Zappacosta during Saturday s Serie A clash away to Genoa.
That incident occurred in the 51st minute, with the teams locked at 1-1, and Fiorentina held on as the match finished without any further goals.
Fiorentina and Genoa lurk in lower mid-table, with both sides looking to banish the distant threat of relegation after the international break.
Ribery, who in 2012-13 beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win UEFA s Men s Player of the Year award, recognised he let down h…
Suffering a 2-1 defeat at home against Aston Villa on Saturday night, Everton saw their outside Champions League hopes take what could be a critical blow.
Now in an uphill battle to try and bring some form of European football back to Goodison Park for next season, The Blues could be in line for another big summer transfer window.
After bringing Carlo Ancelotti to Merseyside back in December 2019, the arrival of the former Bayern Munich boss has seen some of Europe s top stars make the move to England.
Able to secure the likes of from Real Madrid and from Napoli in a pair of blockbuster moves last year, we have taken a look at three other superstars who are reportedly on Everton s wishlist this summer.
Philippe Coutinho
Although Philippe Coutinho migh…
In what was a remarkable night of action on Thursday, Spain and Japan both punched their World Cup knockout stage ticket after the Samurai Blue claimed a famous 2-1 victory.
While the European heavyweights might have entered the half-time break with a 1-0 lead after Alvaro Morata bagged his third Group E strike in as many appearances, Japan mounted another stunning comeback after the interval.
Although Hajime Moriyasu s men might have faced a real uphill struggle at the Khalifa International Stadium, a quickfire brace from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka completed a remarkable flurry in Qatar.
Eventually clinching top spot in Group E and forcing Luis Enrique s superstars to settle for a silver medal finish, Thursday s iconic victory also sent Germany home early for the…
Liverpool will welcome Roberto Firmino back from injury for Saturday s key Premier League match against Arsenal.
Firmino has been out of action for a month due to a knee injury, last playing in the home defeat against Chelsea on March 3.
The champions sit seventh going into the away clash with Arsenal, five points adrift of the top four, though they hope a win at Wolves prior to the international break will prove a turning point after a miserable run of results.
Bobby [Firmino] is back, Klopp said at his pre-match news conference on Friday, when he was also asked about other injured players such as Jordan Henderson and Virgil van Dijk.
All the others not and I have no idea about the Euros. Nothing has changed.
They are all in the place they …
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Looking to bounce back and close the gap on the top half of the table, Manuel Pellegrini s West Ham side will travel to the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening.
Leicester City
Starting with Claude Puel s Foxes , while Leicester were able to pick up maximum points over relegation candidates Newcastle and Huddersfield, the Blues have begun to show some signs of a struggle. With constant speculation surrounding the former Southampton man s job, Saturday s hosts are now coming off the back of a pair of defeats. Despite leading against Arsenal on Monday, the Foxes could only slump to a 3-1 loss in North London. A third loss on the bounce this weekend would confirm their worst run of form since the f…
Cristiano Ronaldo has been heavily linked with an early exit from Manchester United this season.
The Red Devils are out of the Premier League title race and struggling to make the top four.
There is said to be tension surrounding Ronaldo due to Ralf Rangnick s appointment as interim manager.
TOP STORY RONALDO RE-COMMITS TO MAN UTD
Ronaldo will stay with United next season with interim manager Rangnick set to depart, reports AS.
The 37-year-old forward has committed to United, whom he joined in August on a two-year deal with the option for a third season, as he is confident they will show their ambition by making a major appointment with their new permanent manager.
United were eliminated from the Champions League this week by Atletico M…
Gareth Bale is confident he can handle any pressure at Tottenham after living with a target on his back at Real Madrid.
The Wales star is back in north London and itching to get started at Tottenham, with a minor knee injury delaying his second debut for the club.
Bale spent six years at Tottenham before leaving for Madrid in 2013, winning four Champions League titles and LaLiga twice with Los Blancos before his time in Spain turned sour.
As his performances dipped, and as Zinedine Zidane stopped counting on him as a first-team regular, Bale began to lose the faith of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd.
Posing with a flag carrying the now-immortal line Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order while on international duty did Bale no favours.
Zidane s sidelining…
Gareth Bale touched down at London Luton airport on Friday to finalise his sensational return to Tottenham, with Real Madrid team-mate Sergio Reguilon also on board.
The Wales star left Spurs for the Spanish capital seven years ago for what was then a world-record fee and has gone on to win the Champions League four times and LaLiga twice with Madrid.
However, the forward found himself increasingly on the periphery of the first team under Zinedine Zidane and is now on the brink of a return to his old club.
Bale was filmed arriving at an airport about 30 miles away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday afternoon, with full-back Reguilon for company as he too looks primed to join Jose Mourinho s men.
9 Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale scored nine Premi…