Celtic are braced for a fourth Matt O'Riley bid as yet another club enter the mix for his signature this summer, it has been reported.

O'Riley in hot demand

There has rarely been a player more in demand at Celtic than midfielder Matt O'Riley after a fantastic Scottish Premiership campaign. The Danish midfielder, who opened the scoring in their 4-1 pre-season thrashing of Chelsea last week, has been a key part of Celtic's midfield since joining in 2022, and has attracted the interest of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Atletico Madrid had a bid rejected for the 23-year-old in January, while reports linked Serie A champions Inter with a move for the midfielder ahead of the summer window.

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The three players are deemed surplus to requirements at Celtic Park.

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They are yet to complete a move, but current European Champions Atalanta are pushing hard to land the talented midfielder for Gian Piero Gasperini's side. So far, they have seen three bids turned down by the Glasgow outfit for O'Riley, with the most recent offer totaling €17m (£14m) knocked back by Celtic last week.

Brendan Rodgers refused to be drawn on the latest on his star man when quizzed during pre-season, but admitted he could well depart.

"There's no update, fairly relaxed," Rodgers told a news conference. "He knows the privilege it is to play for Celtic. Celtic is a club where you can move on but you don't have to and it's a very difficult club to move on from.

"Naturally, with the wages that are on offer for players, that makes it a real challenge for Celtic to compete at that level. He knows what he has here. We're all quite relaxed with it. Every player has a value, we know that."

O'Riley's incredible 23/24 campaign

Appearances

49

Goals

19

Assists

18

Minutes per goal/assist

116

Southampton readying bid for midfielder

Football Insider now report that Southampton are readying an opening bid for the Celtic midfielder. The south coast side, who can offer Premier League football after their promotion via the play-offs, have an advantage on the competition too.

That is because coach Russell Martin has already worked with O'Riley before, and is reported to have a "close relationship" with the midfielder, who he is "very keen to work with" again.

It is added that O'Riley has been "earmarked as a statement signing" after an otherwise largely low-key summer for the Saints, and that "an official bid" is now being readied for his services.

It remains to be seen whether the close bond between Martin and O'Riley is enough to convince the Danish midfielder to pick what is likely to be a relegation battle in the Premier League over a Champions League campaign under Gasperini, but it would certainly be a masisve coup were the Saints able to pick him up ahead of the competition.

For Celtic, added interest may drive the price up further, and should the club be resigned to his exit this summer then a bidding war would be in their best interests.

Derby County will enter the Championship next season with a number of products from their academy present in and around the first-team, with the Rams youth set-up hailed as being a fertile place for stars to develop, before shining when making the leap up into the senior mix.

Eiran Cashin, unless he is snapped up between now and the opening day, is the most notable face who has managed to make a first-team spot his own since graduating from the Academy structure, whilst the likes of Max Bird and Jason Knight have got bumper moves away from Pride Park after cutting their teeth in Derbyshire.

Yet, even with plenty of examples of Derby's patience paying off with homegrown stars, there are other examples where the Rams have prematurely let a gem go who has then gone on to excel away from the Championship club.

That doesn't mean Derby won't still win in the long-term, however, with a former Academy starlet in Liam Delap having just completed a bumper move, which could see Paul Warne and Co gain some significant money to put towards their second-tier transfer kitty.

Liam Delap's start at Derby

Delap moving onto Ipswich could see Derby win a sweet cash bonus, with the Championship outfit cleverly inserting a sell-on clause when they allowed the 21-year-old to move on in 2019, in case something like this occurred down the line.

Delap spent ten years in and around the youth set-up at the Rams before moving to Manchester City, with the wide-eyed sensation benefitting from his early Pride Park education, which might well have helped him hone in on his vicious goalscoring skills that have been seen playing youth football for City.

The 6 foot 1 forward would go on to only make eight appearances for Derby U18s, scoring just once from those appearances, before being snapped by the reigning Premier League champions.

Warne's side never unfortunately got to witness Delap at his prolific best, therefore, with there being a theoretical world where the highly rated new Ipswich signing would have gone on to make many a senior appearance at Pride Park, instead of walking away from his boyhood club so early into his fledging career.

Instead, he turned into a notoriously ice-cold finisher of chances playing in the Premier League 2 and beyond for Pep Guardiola's titans, which has led him to making such an expensive switch to Suffolk.

How Delap developed at Man City

Man City didn't just take a risky gamble on Delap coming good, however, with the deadly youngster showing off his goalscoring prowess with the England U16s when still on the books at Derby.

The promising attacker would bag six goals from ten games on the International stage in this age bracket, before going on to be capped all the way up to the U21s, with the goals never drying up.

The ridiculous goal above is just one of many sublime strikes Delap has managed to put away playing for City, with a ridiculous 11 strikes and seven assists managed from 18 U18 appearances after he first waved Derby goodbye.

That fast-tracked the 21-year-old up to the U21 fold, where he became even more of a calm finisher under pressure, with a staggering 35 goals from just 36 games, as his former employers watched on in awe of what their youth player was now doing to defences regularly in the Premier League 2 and other competitions.

This composure in front of goal even saw Guardiola take notice and label Delap as an "incredible" finisher, with the Spaniard also allowing the 21-year-old to net a senior strike at the Etihad Stadium, by scoring against AFC Bournemouth in the EFL Cup in 2020.

Delap's value in 2024

Loan spells down in the Championship away from the luxuries of the Premier League giants have also seen him sharpen his skills in finding the back of net further, with eight strikes managed last season for Hull City as Ipswich now gain the services of the highly rated centre-forward for a reported fee of £20m.

Derby won't be mega-rich off the back of this development, but gaining a slim fraction of that £20m will still go a long way you imagine, especially when you consider that amount is more than what the entire Derby squad is currently worth, according to Transfermarkt.

Derby's entire squad, as per Transfermarkt's latest valuation, is currently worth around £12.6m, which is some way off Delap.

Ipswich will hope they aren't paying way over the odds for their new 6 foot 1 star, considering Man City managed to win his services from Derby for just £1m back in 2019.

Delap would even become Derby's record departure with that £20m price tag now next to his head, when glancing at the table above, with Warne and Co hopeful that some of this cash can go towards boosting and strengthening their squad ahead of their return to the Championship.

The Championship can be an unforgiving division, and with some additions already entering into the building bolstering the ranks, this new added injection of cash could go some way in further adding strength in depth.

It remains to be seen whether or not Delap becomes a success at Ipswich, after being protected by the youth pitches at City for some time.

But, Derby won't really be paying attention to that, as they focus on survival as a minimum this season to come.

Derby could soon move on promotion hero who earns more than Mendez-Laing

As Derby County continue to strengthen with incomings, a number of players could now be allowed to head for the exit door.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 7, 2024

Quick had taken part in a practice game the day before the test was conducted

Madushka Balasuriya22-Feb-2021Sri Lanka quick Lahiru Kumara has tested positive for Covid-19, which rules him out of the tour of the West Indies in March, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed on Monday. Suranga Lakmal is in the frame to be his replacement in the travelling party.”Following PCR Tests carried out on the squad nominated to take part in the ‘white ball’ segment of the tour of West Indies, Lahiru Kumara has tested positive for Covid-19,” an SLC media statement said.Earlier this month, both head coach Mickey Arthur and top-order batsman Lahiru Thirimanne had tested positive for Covid-19, while seamers Binura Fernando and Chamika Karunaratne were removed from the training group following positive tests last month.While no other player tested positive in the latest round of testing, it might be a matter of concern that all members of the squad, including Kumara, had participated in a practice game the day before the latest tests were conducted.”Immediately upon identification, Lahiru Kumara has been directed to follow the Government’s health protocol laid out on Covid-19,” the release said. “Sri Lanka Cricket will continue with normal operations, adhering to the stipulated Health Protocols.”The series, which will begin with the first T20I on March 4, has had to be rescheduled once – it was originally slated to start on February 20 – and Sri Lanka’s limited-overs squad is due to fly out on February 23. But several players, who have to serve Covid-19 quarantines and/or are returning from injury, will link up with the rest of the squad at a later date, likely to be before the Test series that starts on March 17.

Scott Borthwick will captain Durham in the County Championship this summer, having returned to the club on a long-term deal after four seasons at Surrey.Borthwick will be Durham’s third captain in as many seasons. Cameron Bancroft led the side in the first half of 2019 before he was included in Australia’s Ashes squad. Ned Eckersley then took over the role, and continued through the Bob Willis Trophy campaign in 2020.While his captaincy experience is limited to a couple of games for Surrey’s second XI, Borthwick will be a senior player in Durham’s squad, and Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket, said that he hoped he could demonstrate that within the role.”There is no doubt Scott brings a huge amount of playing experience to the table,” North said. “This is a great opportunity for Scott to draw upon these and transfer those experiences into a formal leadership role.”Borthwick said that captaining his boyhood club had been a long-term ambition of his.”Just coming back to play for Durham again has been an amazing experience for me, so to be asked to captain the team is a huge honour,” he said. “Leading out the Durham team has been something I’ve dreamt about since I was a kid in the academy so it’s a really special thing for me.”The coaches and management team have been really welcoming since I re-joined the club and I’m looking forward to working closely with them. We’ve got an exciting group of players with lots experience and I look forward to leading the team to success.”The club are yet to name a captain for either white-ball format. Nathan Rimmington led the T20 Blast side in 2020 but has since left the club, while Stuart Poynter and Paul Coughlin have both captained in recent T20 seasons.

Dawson leaves after six years at Bristol during which club won Royal London Cup and Championship promotion

Matt Roller01-Mar-2021

Ian Harvey will become Gloucestershire’s interim head coach at the end of the month, when Richard Dawson leaves the club following his appointment as the ECB’s elite performance pathway coach.Harvey, the former Australia allrounder, played 168 times for Gloucestershire across formats between 1999 and 2006, and has been the club’s assistant coach since Dawson’s appointment as head coach ahead of the 2015 season.Dawson has worked regularly with England squads over the past two years, leading the England Lions’ tour to Australia in early 2020 and working with England’s spinners on a camp in Mumbai in late 2019 and during the Test series against West Indies last summer.During his tenure at Gloucestershire, Dawson oversaw the club’s triumph in the 2015 Royal London Cup, when they beat Surrey at Lord’s, and their promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019. While they have never gone past the semi-final stage, they have also been among the most consistent counties in the T20 Blast: only Nottinghamshire have won more games than them over the last six seasons.”It has been a huge privilege to have been the head coach of Gloucestershire since 2015,” Dawson said. “There were highs and lows on the pitch but winning the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2015 and gaining promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019 were highlights on the pitch, as was seeing a Gloucestershire player [James Bracey] breaking into the England set-up last year.”As a playing and coaching unit, we have faced a lot of challenges off the field, and I’m proud of the togetherness of this squad, who have been incredibly supportive of one another through good and bad times. I’m confident the group is in a strong place with a healthy mix of experience and youth to compete in all formats of the game.”Will Brown, the club’s chief executive, said: “Richard has been a fantastic coach to work with from the outset engendering a belief and excitement that has filtered into all areas of the club. His dedication to building a positive and winning culture has been evident throughout his time in Bristol and the impact he made will be felt long after he is gone.”Richard has taken huge pride in his role as head coach, working tirelessly to get the best out of himself and the players. His likeable easy-going personality, coupled with his commitment to Gloucestershire, garnered respect from the playing squad and meant he had a great rapport with the wider club staff.”Dawson will continue to oversee pre-season preparations until the end of the month, when Harvey will take over with the support of the club’s existing coaching staff, as well as Matt Windows (chairman of cricket) and David Graveney (an executive board member).A Gloucestershire statement said: “The club will now begin a review of its cricketing requirements in order to continue and grow ahead of a formal recruitment process later in the year.”The raft of coaching appointments announced by the ECB on Monday also had ramifications further down the M5, with Marcus Trescothick’s association with Somerset coming to an end after nearly three decades.Trescothick, who made his Somerset debut in 1993, retired at the end of the 2019 season to become Somerset’s assistant coach, and has now been appointed as the ECB’s elite batting coach. In a Somerset press release, he set his sights on returning as head coach in the future.”Although I’m leaving, I’m still going to be around the place to come in and see some of the batters that Somerset have,” Trescothick said. “Not being around the ground as much as I normally am is certainly going to be a bit different.”I want to further my career so that I can eventually become a head coach at a domestic county with the hope of moving into international cricket somewhere down the line. To do that I need to branch out and look at different environments in order to get a better understanding of certain things, and this will certainly give me the opportunity to do that. Hopefully, this might be the stepping stone for me to one day come back and look after the team here.”

واصل فريق برشلونة وابل أهدافه، بتسجيل هدف خامس خلال مباراته أمام ريال بيتيس، المقامة بين الفريقين بمنافسات بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا. 

ويستقبل برشلونة خصمه ريال بيتيس على ملعب “مونتجويك”، في إطار مباريات دور الـ16 لكأس ملك إسبانيا.

وجاء هدف برشلونة الخامس عن طريق لامين يامال، وذلك بحلول الدقيقة 75 من عمر المباراة.

وسجل يامال في شباك ريال بيتيس بعد تمريرة من فيرمين لوبيز، وعاد الحكم لتقنية الفار ومن ثم أكد صحة الهدف.

وكان جافي تقدم بهدف برشلونة الأول في الدقيقة 3 وأضاف جول كوندي الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 27.

ثم سجل رافينها وفيران توريس، الهدفين الثالث والرابع في الدقيقتين 58 و67 من اللقاء.

ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة برشلونة وريال بيتيس لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف لامين يامال في مباراة برشلونة وريال بيتيس

The new manager said those who play in North America's top flight will be given regular opportunities with USMNT

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• Mauricio Pochettino promised equal opportunity for MLS players
• Asserted that the league was 'not easy' and 'physical'
• Pointed to Miami's Lionel Messi, Argentina captain, as a model

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino says that MLS players will have the same opportunities to get into the national team as their European counterparts.

  The newly-minted manager hailed the quality of MLS, saying Sunday that members of his talent pool who play in the league every week will be just as well-equipped to feature for the USMNT as those in Europe. He highlighted Messi, who he dubbed "the best player in the world" as the perfect example.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pochettino has been vocal about the opportunities available to MLS players, pledging at his introductory news conference to dip into domestic talent when forming his squads. The current U.S. setup features just four MLS players, although 17 were developed in the U.S. youth soccer system.

• WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

  Pochettino pledged that those playing in the U.S. will get opportunities: "It's not easy to play in [MLS]. It's very physical, all of the players who have played here for a long time say 'Gaffer, it is very competitive.' They have very good discipline, they train very well.

  "And why not? For me, they are going to have the same possibility playing in MLS as those that play in the Premier League, in la Liga, in Belgium, in France. They need to know in private, they need to know in public."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR POCHETTINO AND THE USMNT?

  The U.S. will take on Jamaica Monday night in the second leg of their Nations League quarterfinal. They currently hold a 1-0 aggregate lead after Ricardo Pepi scored the only goal of the first leg in Kingston on Thursday.

The 2024/24 Premier League campaign is a huge one for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal as they aim to make it third time lucky and dethrone Manchester City from the summit of the division.

In the two previous campaigns, the Gunners have come within touching distance of ending their extended wait for a top-division title, but they could be helped by the signing of one talent this summer.

Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino appears to be edging ever closer to a move to North London, with journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming that the 28-year-old has already agreed personal terms, with the two sides working on a fee for the former Newcastle United man.

The Sociedad talent could potentially complete Arteta’s midfield trio alongside Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice – a hugely talented heart of the side that could prove to be the difference during the upcoming campaign.

However, the Arsenal boss is still eyeing reinforcements in attacking areas, including one high-profile star who could transform the Gunners’ already potent forward line.

Arsenal should sign £25m talent this summer

Kai Havertz produced an admirable first season at the Emirates in a slightly unnatural centre-forward role, scoring 13 times in his 37 appearances – ending the campaign as the club’s second top scorer behind Bukayo Saka.

However, an out-and-out striker is on the agenda for Arteta this summer, with Lille talisman Jonathan David just one player to be linked with a move to North London during the off-season.

The Canadian, who only has one year left on his current deal in France, scored 19 times in 34 appearances in Ligue 1 last season – with the £25m fee touted a bargain for a player of his quality.

Arteta’s side aren’t the only ones interested in his signature this window, with Chelsea and Spurs also admirers of the 24-year-old.

Whilst he may not strike supporters as an upgrade on their current options, he would be an excellent addition and one that can allow the club to forget about a move for another striker on their shortlist.

Why David could be Arsenal’s answer to Isak

Newcastle United talisman Alexander Isak is a player who has constantly been linked with a move to the Emirates this summer, unsurprisingly after his excellent recent goalscoring exploits.

The Swedish international registered scored 21 times in his 30 Premier League appearances during 2023/24, as the Magpies narrowly missed out on a second season of European football.

As a result, the Gunners attempted to test the waters with a move, but Eddie Howe’s side slapped a £100m+ price tag on his head in order to part ways with their star man.

David could prove to be a much cheaper alternative, costing Arsenal four times less, but when comparing him to Isak – who is noted as a similar player, according to FBref – the Lille man bettered the Swede in numerous key areas.

The “mind-blowing” David, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, registered the same amount of combined goals and assists as Isak last season, whilst having a better shot-on-target accuracy rate.

How David & Isak's stats compare in 2023/24

Statistics

David

Isak

Games played

34

30

Goals + assists

23

23

Shot-on-target accuracy

57%

50%

Pass accuracy

82%

78%

Aerials won

24%

20%

Shots on target per 90

1.5

1.4

Stats via FBref

He also achieved a better pass completion rate – fitting into Arteta’s philosophy of possession-based play perfectly, allowing for link up with the likes of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Given the huge difference in fee and similarity in figures produced in their respective leagues last season, David would be an excellent addition for Arsenal – handing them the added cutting edge they’ve been searching for this summer.

He has the ability to become the club’s main talisman, thriving off the service provided from the players around, whilst also potentially handing Arteta’s side the edge in another title battle with Man City.

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With the INEOS era now in full swing at Manchester United, the immediate task for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co appears to be righting the wrongs of over a decade of scattergun recruitment at the club, having far too often spent erratically in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Arguably, there has been just one unequivocal success story of the last ten years or so on the transfer front – Bruno Fernandes – with the former Sporting CP man having swiftly solidified his place as the club's talisman, chalking up 79 goals and 66 assists in just 233 games for the club in all competitions.

With just two games missed through injury across that four-and-a-half-year spell – both of which came back in May – the Portuguese genius has been United's 'Mr Reliable' for a significant period now, often shouldering the creative, attacking burden on his own at times.

That reliance on the 29-year-old has perhaps not always been a healthy one, however, with the club now eyeing a potential rival or competitor who can keep Fernandes on his toes…

Latest on Man Utd's search for a midfielder

According to Spanish newspaper AS – via Sport Witness – United are in the mix to sign RB Leipzig and Spain star, Dani Olmo, with the 26-year-old having been heavily linked for a departure following his sparkling form at Euro 2024 this summer.

As per the piece, the former Dinamo Zagreb playmaker does have a €60m (51m) release clause in his current deal, although this is set to expire today (20 July), thus ensuring any interested party would likely have to negotiate a fee with the Bundesliga outfit.

Why Dani Olmo could thrive in the Premier League

As indicated in the graphic above, Olmo was a central part of La Roja's European triumph in Germany, registering five goal involvements from just six outings, while also averaging 1.8 key passes and 2.3 successful dribbles per game as a marker of his creative influence.

Lauded as a "technical genius" by journalist Josh Bunting amid that form on the international scene, the Leipzig star has unsurprisingly caught the attention of Europe's elite clubs, with rivals Manchester City also said to be plotting a move this summer.

If United can win the race for his signature it could allow Erik ten Hag to finally acquire a worthy alternative to Fernandes in an attacking midfield role, with a certain Donny van de Beek – who recently departed for Girona – having tried and failed to dislodge the Red Devils' skipper.

What makes Olmo such an exciting option is also his apparent likeness to a current Premier League sensation in the form of Chelsea's Cole Palmer, with the Spaniard and the boyhood United fan said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.

As can be seen above, it is Palmer – who scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League last season – who unsurprisingly comes out on top, but Olmo notably boasts a similar return with regard to assists per 90, as well as in relation to progressive passes and progressive passes received, indicating his ability to create in the final third.

The latter man did actually only end 2023/24 with four goals and five assists in Germany's top-flight, although considering that came from just 17 starts – while Palmer started 29 games for the Blues – it is hardly the worst return.

Of course, those at United may have concerns over Olmo's injury record in recent times, yet as seen this summer, when he is fit and firing the 5 foot 9 sensation can prove almost impossible to contain.

Fernandes, it must be said, may need to watch out.

Man Utd pushing for "a younger Kante" who'd have been perfect for Pogba

This one’s creeping toward the finish line.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 19, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Renato Gaúcho não escondeu o descontentamento com o VAR após o empate do Flamengo com o Cuiabá por 0 a 0 no Maracanã, em partida válida pela 27ª rodada do Brasileirão, neste domingo. Ele criticou a não marcação de um pênalti em Vitinho, que sofreu um cotovelada de Yuri na reta final do confronto dentro da área. Renato disse que o “VAR tem que parar de apitar o jogo” e ressaltou que a cotovela mesmo sem querer, também é falta.

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>ATUAÇÕES: Gabigol vai mal no empate sem gols do Flamengo com o Cuiabá

– Há muito tempo que venho falando que o VAR apita os jogos, não é no jogo de hoje, é em qualquer jogo. Eu converso com os árbitros, o lance duvidoso dentro da área, não é o árbitro do VAR se decide se é pênalti ou se não é. Ele tem que chamar o árbitro do jogo. Eu estava vendo agora no vestiário o lance do Vitinho. Não costumo falar de arbitragem, não é porque nós empatamos, que as pessoas vão falar “ah, o Renato está falando da arbitragem”.

-Então, eu deixo para os especialistas mostrarem o lance e comentarem da cotovelada que o Vitinho tomou no jogo. Se é um lance fora da área ou no meio de campo, o jogador é expulso. Eu já vi vários jogos, e com uma cotovelada dessa, por menos, o jogador é expulso. E tem que ser expulso, inclusive meu jogadores se derem uma cotovelada dessa. Aí eu pergunto: por que o árbitro não foi chamado para revisar o lance? Eu quero que os especialistas me digam se isso é falta ou não. Se é no meio de campo, é expulsão. Quer dizer, então, que se for dentro da área, eu não vou dar o pênalti? Eu não vou chamar o árbitro? Estou cansado de bater nessa tese de que o VAR apita o jogo. Uma cotovelada é involuntária? Pode até ser sido sem querer, mas sem querer é falta. Não estou chorando, é para o bem do futebol. O VAR tem que parar de apitar o jogo – disse Renato.

> Veja e simule a tabela do Brasileirão

O treinador também analisou o empate. Renato explicou que uma equipe talentosa, como o Flamengo de acordo com ele, precisa de espaço para construir. Nesse sentido, Renato ressaltou que o Rubro-Negro “martelou de todas as formas”, mas a estratégia do Cuiabá prevaleceu.

– Falar é fácil. Por exemplo, num momento que você pega uma equipe bem fechada, ela não te deixar chutar, tira todos os espaços. No futebol, é muito mais fácil destruir do que construir. Então, por mais talentosos que sejam os jogadores, se eles não tiverem os espaços para construir, fica difícil. É mais fácil você fazer uma falta, dar um chutão para frente, entregar a bola ao adversário e ficar fechadinho. Uma equipe que não se propôs a tomar o gol, não ofereceu perigo nenhum para gente, jogaram fechados.

-Fica difícil no momento em que o adversário se fecha totalmente, esquece de jogar e se preocupa só em não tomar gol. Eles vieram com essa proposta, a proposta para eles deu certo e, infelizmente, para a gente, que martelou, martelou, martelou, tentamos de todas as formas, mas a bola não entrou.

Veja mais declarações de Renato:

MOTIVO DA SAÍDA DE GABIGOL

-Gabigol quase que nem entra em campo. Ele passou mal no vestiário, passou mal no intervalo do jogo. Tomou remédio antes do jogo, tomou remédio no intervalo do jogo. Eu perguntei a ele, falei com o médico se teria condições. Ele estava passando mal. Pedi para ele voltar mais uns minutos para o segundo tempo. Se não desse, iria ter que tirá-lo.

– Então, num momento que ele estava passando mal do estômago, deixá-lo em campo… Ele, infelizmente, não estava bem no jogo, justamente por isso. Então, resolvi colocar um homem de área para tentar fazer alguma coisa. Deixei ele o máximo no campo, mas chegou um determinado momento que tive que tirá-lo.

FALTA DE OPORTUNIDADES PARA RAMON

-Porque nós temos um dos melhores laterais-esquerdo do mundo: Filipe Luís.

CHANCES DESPERDIÇADAS PARA REDUZIR DISTÂNCIA PARA O GALO

-É uma equipe que não vai ganhar todos os jogos. Não tem uma equipe no mundo que não vai ganhar todos os jogos, todo mundo vai tropeçar, o Atlético tropeçou hoje também. Infelizmente, nós tropeçamos também.

– Nós empatamos um jogo em casa que poderia ter reduzido ainda mais a diferença para o líder. Um jogo difícil, a gente já sabia, pegado e com poucos espaços. Tentamos de todas as formas, mas, infelizmente, a gente não conseguiu nosso objetivo que era a vitória.