MaltaToday previous editions

MW 31 August 2016

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/721047

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 20 of 23

21 THE Italy international has been in talks with the French club since last week and with the transfer window closing tomorrow the expectation is that the deal will get done. It will bring to an end a miserable spell at Anfield where he featured for just one campaign, having been signed for £16 million by former manager Brendan Rodgers. Balotelli scored just four goals in 28 appearances and was farmed back out to AC Milan on loan last season but he returned this summer having been told he has no future. A host of clubs have turned down the chance to sign the occasionally troublesome striker but Nice appear prepared to take the same gamble Rodgers did in 2014. With manager Jurgen Klopp having done most of his buying early in the current window, it is under- stood all the activity leading up to the deadline will be out-goings. Winger Lazar Markovic has not featured in any match day squad since returning from last season's loan spell with Fenerbahce. The 22-year-old Serbia international is keen to se- cure a loan within the UK and has been linked with SkyBet Championship side Newcastle. Liverpool are also actively seeking a club to take centre-back Mamadou Sakho on loan. The France defender has turned down Stoke and West Brom after being sent home from the club's pre-season tour of the United States after Klopp expressed con- cerns about his attitude and instances of poor timekeeping. It is understood Sakho has been told it is in his best interests to leave on a temporary basis in or- der to save his Liverpool and international career. Klopp does not want to sell the 26-year-old at the moment as he still rates him as a player but the de- fender has to prove his fitness and professionalism at another club. Sakho has fallen well down the Anfield pecking order - Klopp brought in Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan this summer and both have already played in competitive matches - because of his attitude. Fellow defender Andre Wisdom is set to join Aus- trian side Red Bull Salzburg on a temporary basis but Liverpool have turned down loan bids for strik- er Danny Ings. The 24-year-old has yet to fea- ture as he works his way back to full fitness after last sea- son's serious knee injury but Klopp plans to intro- duce him gradually back into first-team football. Sport FOOTBALL PARALYMPICS Mario Balotelli's Liverpool nightmare could be over following talks with Ligue 1 side Liverpool misfit Mario Balotelli is edging closer to a departure as negotiations with Ligue 1 side Nice continue maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST 2016 Over 100 Russians file cases to compete in Rio Games MORE than 100 Russian Paralympians have indi- vidually filed cases to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in order to be allowed to compete at next month's Games in Rio, Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) Vice President Pavel Rozhkov said on Tuesday. The Court of Arbitra- tion for Sport (CAS) last week rejected an RPC ap- peal against the suspen- sion which was handed out by the IPC because of Russia's state-sponsored sports doping program. "More than 100 Rus- sian sportsmen out of 266 who were selected for the 15th Paralympic Summer Games in 2016 in Rio de Ja- neiro, which excludes those com- peting in team sports, have filed individual cases with the IPC about being allowed to compete in the 2016 Paralympics," Rozhk- ov told the RPC's website (www. paralymp.ru). Russia has appealed against the CAS ruling to the Swiss Federal Court and the result is due to be released later this week. It is my dream to help Man United reach their goals - Bastian Schweinsteiger BASTIAN Schweinsteiger re- mains hopeful he can still realise his "absolute dream" of helping Manchester United to glory this season. The 32-year-old German has been frozen out of Jose Mour- inho's first-team plans at Old Trafford and earlier this month said he was prepared to leave United - and Europe - before the transfer deadline. Mourinho insisted it would be "very difficult" to afford the mid- fielder any playing time in 2016- 17 but while he is on the books Schweinsteiger is ready to step into the breach should the need arise. "Of course my absolute dream would be to play for Manchester United and help them reach the goals they have," the former Ger- many captain said at a press con- ference in Dusseldorf on Tuesday. "Of course we have had talks and I have no problem with Jose Mourinho. We had a good chat and he told me his side of things and I also know what I want. "We've got to wait and see how things go in September and Octo- ber, but there is respect between us and that's important for me. "I'm certainly not going to stop playing football." Schweinsteiger, a World Cup winner with Germany who won the Champions League with for- mer club Bayern Munich, has missed his chance to move to MLS but would consider crossing the Atlantic in the future. He said: "The transfer window is closed in the USA so I'm not going there now. "It's my dream still to play for Manchester United and if I get a fair chance, I believe in it. "I played in the semi-finals of the European Championship as part of the world champions' team, and I believe in my ability and dream of helping United. "I think up to my suspension last year, things were going well for me, then I had two unfortu- nate injuries. "But as I said, it's my absolute dream and goal (to play for Unit- ed again), but we've got to see what the situation is. The USA is certainly an option, should it come to that." Schweinsteiger is adamant his exile from the United first team does not represent the lowest point in a career which has been beset by injuries and the occa- sional setback at the highest level. "Despite this situation, I'm feel- ing fine," he added. "I think the Champions League final (defeat to Chelsea in 2012) in Munich was harder to get over. "I am more mature now and know how to deal with certain situations in football. It's not all about highs, there are also lows but I can deal with it. "Football is a hard business." Mario Balotelli Bastian Schweinsteiger

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of MaltaToday previous editions - MW 31 August 2016