Pablo Zabaleta: I want dad at Wembley for Man City final
PABLO ZABALETA plans to to make final make up for the biggest regret of his career by inviting his father to the FA Cup final.
Jorge Zabaleta was too ill to watch his son help Manchester City lift the cup two years ago after being seriously injured in a car crash in Argentina.
He spent weeks in a coma and although he is not completely recovered, Zabaleta junior hopes he will be well enough to make it with other family members for the showpiece clash against Wigan on May 11.
After the 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday, he said: “I will ask him if he’s good to try and come for the final.
“He wasn’t well enough to make the semi-final but he’ll have been watching the game on TV for sure – he watches every City match.
“He is getting better and progressing all the time which is fantastic. I saw him recently when I went back to Argentina for the international games but for him to fly 18 hours would be difficult and he would need some people to travel with him and look after him.
“My wish would be to bring all the family here for the final but I hope they enjoyed watching me win against Chelsea even though they were so many miles away.”
My wish would be to bring all the family here for the final
Zabaleta, 28, has enjoyed the best season of his career – he is favourite to win City’s player of the year award and is now Argentina’s regular right-back – but he says it will mean nothing if they fail to lift the Cup.
“I have enjoyed the season and being a regular in the team has been fantastic, but it will be even better if we can win the FA Cup,” he added.
“The Premier League is the one everyone wants but we know how important the FA Cup is and winning it would be a great end to the season. A team like City need to keep winning a trophy every year.” City will be clear favourites to beat Wigan but Zabaleta says it would be foolish to underestimate Roberto Martinez’s side, who they play tomorrow in a re-arranged league fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
“We need to say well done to Wigan,” he said. “They have got to the final for the first time. Roberto Martinez is doing a fantastic job for them and anything can happen in a one-off game.
“Now we need to focus on the Premier League game and it is a crucial game for them. We also need to get three points to finish as high as possible.”
Despite criticism from some quarters in the past that they are a group of highly-paid mercenaries, Zabaleta says City’s gutsy performance on Sunday underlined that there is nothing wrong with their team spirit.
He said: “We have fantastic players in the team, good names, but also we show a great spirit. We fight for each other. We are learning a lot of things. We are a very young group in the sense we haven’t been together that long. Also, when we show that spirit and everyone gives everything for each other Manchester City is a difficult team to beat.”
Samir Nasri believes he is finally showing his best form for City following public criticism from manager Roberto Mancini, who admitted he sometimes feels like punching the former Arsenal star because of his inconsistency.
Nasri followed a good performance in the Manchester derby by scoring City’s first goal against Chelsea and said: “Now I am playing really great. I am full of confidence. I wish I was like this since the start of the season but I had a couple of injuries which stopped me.”
Manchester City’s Global Appeal Grows With New Commercial Partnership
Manchester City Football Club has today announced a new partnership with Extra Joss that will see the popular energy drink become the Club’s exclusive energy drinks partner in Indonesia and Lagos.
The partnership between Manchester City and Extra Joss in South East Asia and Africa signals the continued growth of the Club’s global profile and fan base in the continent.
Tom Glick, Chief Commercial & Operations Officer for Manchester City Football Club, said: “We are delighted to add Extra Joss to our family of partners at a time when the Club is rapidly expanding our global fan base.
“Indonesia is well known as one of the world’s largest football markets and home to some of its most passionate fans. We are looking forward working with Extra Joss to generate even more excitement and to provide new opportunities for access and participation with City for fans across the country.
“Africa’s affinity and talent for football is plain to see for anyone tuning into to the Cup of Nations tournament – an event in which we are proud to have had numerous City players competing. We as a Club have also seen this passion at first hand in Nigeria following our recent visit to a Lagos Soccer School. The enthusiasm, skill level and football potential across all ages was truly impressive.”
Commenting on the deal Simon Jonatan, Managing Director of PT Bintang Toedjoe, said: "As the number one energy drink brand in Indonesia, Extra Joss is very selective when choosing a partner. We are very proud to work in partnership with Manchester City to make history and work together to grow Indonesia's interest in football."
As part of the deal, Extra Joss will be permitted to use City players and the Club crest in advertising, packaging and point-of-sale within Extra Joss’s vast sales networks across Indonesia and Lagos.
City will also be supporting the community development programme ‘Giving Kids A Sporting Chance’, that provides free professional coaching to thousands of deserving Indonesian children in various fields of sports, giving them the opportunity to learn different sporting games, stay fit, and get inspired by their sporting idols.
Kompany downplays importance of bagging FA Cup
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has rejected suggestions that his side’s entire season hangs on whether or not they can overcome Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup final.
City defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the semifinals on Sunday to reach their second final in three years, two years on from the 2011 success against Stoke City that ended the club’s 35-year trophy drought.
City failed to make it beyond Christmas in both the Champions League and the League Cup, and with Manchester United surging to victory in the Premier League, it leaves the FA Cup as their only chance of silverware.
However, with his side also in a comfortable position in second place in the league, Kompany sees no reason to be downcast about their performances this season. "It is not a question of salvaging the season," he said.
"You never know how good your season will be until after the last game. It is important for our fans that we bring trophies back to Manchester.
"If we achieve that this season, it is important we cherish it and be happy about it. You can always improve and we have another season to do that, so you shouldn’t look backwards too much."
Goals either side of half-time from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero appeared to have set City on course for a comfortable victory at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, only for Demba Ba’s 66th-minute goal to leave them hanging on. In a tense denouement, Aguero was fortunate to escape punishment for an appalling two-footed stamp on Chelsea centre-back David Luiz.
City manager Roberto Mancini played down the incident. "I didn’t see it; I need glasses," he joked.
"Usually Sergio takes a lot of kicks from defenders. I don’t know what he did.
"The referee was there. There were six referees on the pitch — I think if Sergio does something wrong ... (he would have been punished)."
Mancini was rewarded for keeping faith with goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, who has deputised for first-choice goalkeeper Joe Hart in the competition. The Romanian produced several important saves.
Mancini suggested that he would keep his place for the final on May 11. "Costel did very well," he said. "He is a good keeper and he deserves this situation because he has been here for two years and has done well behind Joe Hart.
"It is a good situation for Joe too. We have four weeks to the final, but I think it will be Pantilimon."
City will enter the final as strong favourites against a Wigan side who now trail them by 34 points in the Premier League and are embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation. However, Wigan produced a superb performance to beat Everton 3-0 in the quarter-finals before sweeping past Millwall 2-0 on Saturday, and Kompany expects an evenly balanced game.
"The stadium and pitch will suit Wigan, but it will suit us as well," Kompany said. "I expect it to be a good game because they know how to play football and we do as well.
"For our fans it’s harder when it is open, but it will be a great game for the neutral."
City will have an early opportunity to size up their final opponents as they face Wigan in the league tomorrow. "For us it’s important to beat Wigan, because we need to have more points for the second position," Mancini said.
YAYA TOURE: THIS PROVES I WAS RIGHT TO STICK WITH MANCHESTER CITY
YAYA TOURE insists reaching another FA Cup final proves he was right to stay at Manchester City.
Toure ignored interest from some of Europe’s top clubs to sign a new deal with the Blues earlier this month.
The contract will see the midfield powerhouse spend the peak of his career with Roberto Mancini’s men.
Goals from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero secured Mancini’s side a hard-fought 2-1 win over Chelsea in Sunday’s semi-final.
And Toure insists next month’s final against Wigan is the perfect reminder of why he decided to stick with the club.
The former Barcelona star said: “I like playing at Wembley and I know now why I made the right decision to sign another contract here.
“I want to continue to make history at this club and I know it would have been difficult for me to leave.
“I made the right choice and I am very happy to be staying.”
The Blues are now red-hot favourites to beat the Latics in the final and win their second FA Cup in three seasons under Mancini.
Landing the trophy will be crucial to the Italian’s future, and Gareth Barry admits that City have to win at least one piece of silverware every season now.
The England midfielder said: “It was a massive effort and we are obviously delighted to get through.
“Wembley is a fantastic place to come and play. As we have seen over the last few years, when we come to semi-finals and finals the big players generally turn up and do the business.
“Hopefully they can continue to do that until the final.
“We knew this was the realistic chance of a trophy this year, and where the club is now you don’t really want seasons going past without winning a trophy.
“The FA Cup is a massive one – if we can win that, fantastic.”
Nasri, meanwhile, is desperate to get his hands on an FA Cup winner’s medal to complete his collection of domestic honours in the top flight.
The French star failed to win it with Arsenal and hadn’t joined City when they triumphed in 2011.
He said: “I wasn’t here when we won the FA Cup two years ago. I have won the Premier League and the Community Shield with City, now there is only one I have missed – and I want to win it.
“The FA Cup is the oldest competition in the world, and it is really important.
“When I was a kid in France everyone followed the FA Cup so it’s great to play in a final.
“I did get close with Arsenal, but never got to a final so this is the big one for me – and the team.”
Cavani opens door to summer move with Man City and Madrid leading the chase
Napoli striker Edinson Cavani says he is ready to leave the San Paolo this summer and says a move to England could be on the cards with Manchester City leading the chase.The 26-year-old Uruguayan has scored 29 goals in all competitions for Serie A's second-placed side this season to attract interest from a host of European clubs including Real Madrid and City.
Cavani will not be distracted from securing Napoli's place in next season's Champions League group stages, with leaders Juventus only eight points away with six games remaining, but he has not ruled out the prospect of a future move elsewhere.
He told La Repubblica: 'I'm fine in Naples, but in football there are lots of things to consider.
'I can only say that I will give my all in this shirt until the last day I wear it.
'Second place is not guaranteed, it's up to us. We have to make it ours in the forthcoming matches.
'Actually, looking at the team above us (Juventus), not even the championship is decided. We will do everything we can.'
Cavani has scored over 100 Serie A goals during spells with Palermo and Napoli, who he joined from the Sicilian club in 2010. Seventy-one of those league goals have come in a Napoli shirt.
City and Chelsea could turn to out-of-favour Bayern hitman Gomez if Cavani bids falter
Chelsea and Manchester City are following Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez.
Both clubs are keen on Napoli's Edinson Cavani, with City understood to be favourites. The losers in that battle could turn to Germany star Gomez, with Bayern willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old.
Agent Uli Ferber said: 'Mario is not happy about his situation.'
Aguero: Manchester City need to win a trophy every year
After scoring what turned out to be the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, the Argentina international is determined to lift the trophy against Wigan in May
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero insists the club need to be picking up some form of silverware every season.
Roberto Mancini's side booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday, with the Argentina international netting a looping header past Petr Cech to secure his side's progression.
After failing to defend their Premier League crown this term, Aguero says it is important for the club to not end up empty-handed at the end of the season.
"It is always important to win something. Obviously we are slightly away from the Premier League and we know that we could have done better," he told the the club's official website.
"But if we can win a trophy once a year it is very important and that's what we will try to do.
"Of course we have a good team. We must continue the way we are doing, so we can try and win the FA Cup and continue to go forward in the Premier League. That's what we are trying to achieve."
Chelsea gave Mancini's men a scare with a late rally despite enduring a congested fixture schedule, and Aguero believes the extra games could have actually benefited the opposition.
He continued: "To be honest, sometimes the more games you play the better it is because you keep the intensity levels quite high.
"Sometimes it goes against you, and obviously the pitch was quite large so therefore there was tiredness there in the end."
City now turn their attention to facing Wigan in the Premier League on Wednesday in what is a dress rehearsal for next month's FA Cup final.
"It is another important game for us, and if we continue the way we are we will win," Aguero added.
HART IN FA CUP FINAL SNUB
Costel is so delighted at being given the nod for the final and Joe has tried his best to take it on the chin.
JOE HART is devastated after discovering he won’t play in the FA Cup Final.
The England goalkeeper has been left heartbroken following the news Costel Pantilimon will definitely line up for Manchester City against Wigan at Wembley next month.
Hart was left on the bench for City’s 2-1 win against Chelsea in Sunday’s semi-final.
He was praying boss Roberto Mancini would recall him for the final on May 11 as the Premier League champs look to win their second FA Cup in three seasons.
But no-nonsense Mancini has already told Pantilimon he will continue in goal following his impressive display at the weekend.
Pantilimon has started every one of City’s FA Cup games over the last two years. But Hart was hoping the final might be different.
The snub will do little to ease the strained relationship between Mancini and England’s No.1. The pair fell out when the Italian publically criticised Hart following the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last September.
A club source told Starsport: “The relationship has been strained for some time so it is probably no surprise that Joe wasn’t afforded the courtesy of an arm around the shoulder and an explanation.
“Costel is so delighted at being given the nod for the final and Joe has tried his best to take it on the chin.
“He has no ill feeling whatsoever towards Costel, because he is a professional and wants what is best for the football club.
“But on a personal level he is devastated – football careers are short and who knows when he will get the chance to play in a cup final at Wembley again.
“As long as Mancini is at the club this policy of using the back-up goalkeeper for FA Cup and League Cup games will remain.
“In other words, Joe could be looking at half-a-dozen cup fi nals where he is watching from the bench.
The only Wembley run-outs he will get are for England.”
Mancini, meanwhile, ripped into his stars – despite beating Chelsea to reach the final.
Starsport understands the players were left shocked when Mancini gave them a dressing down for almost allowing Rafa Benitez’s men back into the game in the final 20 minutes.
Wayne Bridge dressed up Frankie Sandford's dogs for proposal
The Saturdays singer has opened up about the romantic scene where her English soccer star boyfriend popped the question and was especially delighted when he rounded up her pet pooches to share the moment, playing the vital role of holding the engagement ring.
Speaking on British radio to the Capital Breakfast Show with Dave & Lisa, Frankie recalled: "Wayne took me to a hotel and he got my dogs involved.
"I didn't know my dogs were there and they came in in little bride and groom outfits. And Pixie had the ring around her neck on a ribbon."
While the pretty brunette appreciated the gesture, she admits not everyone may share her excitement.
She said: "I think for people who aren't dog fans it's a bit of a weird proposal so I feel like I only want to tell people who like dogs.
"Presley did have one leg out because [his outfit] obviously didn't fit him very well."
Frankie, 24, has previously joked at how hard it would be for Wayne to propose with all the pressure resting on him, but she was still surprised when he got down on one knee as she began to "panic" about their awkwardness at the dinner table.
She added: "He'd been acting so weird that when he left to come back in and do the whole proposal thing in my head I was thinking, 'Oh no we've become one of those couples that can't make conversation at dinner'.
"I was panicking! But it was because he was pooing himself all night. And then my family came in and surprised us."
The couple shared their happy news last week (08.04.13) after having dated since late 2010. (C) BANG Media International
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Millwall are bracing themselves for the likelihood that those involved in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final violence at Wembley were their own regular supporters, and potentially season-ticket holders, rather than those from other clubs who had gone with the intention of causing trouble. Independent
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Switzerland and Basel legend Alexander Frei, 33, fresh from a memorable win over Tottenham in the Europa League, said farewell to his club in style in Sunday's game against rivals Zurich before leaving over to take over as sporting director at FC Lucerne. 606 newsletter
