Champions League: Money doesn’t score goals, Robben mocks PSG

Arjen Robben poked fun at big-spending Paris Saint-Germain on the eve of Bayern Munich’s key Champions League away match in the French capital.

With Anderlecht and Celtic also in the pool, the PSG-Bayern clash at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday could go a long way to deciding who wins Group B.

“Paris have certainly given out a few more euros than us, but money doesn’t score goals, quality on the pitch scores goals, good teams score goals,” said veteran winger Robben before the team jetted to Paris.

PSG signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world record 222 million euros ($264m) last month and recruited Kylian Mbappe from Monaco on an initial loan deal which is set to be made into a permanent move for 180 million euros next year.

But when asked about PSG’s star-studded ‘MCN’ attack — Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar — Robben was unfazed: “The important thing is the performance of the team, not just to focus on particular players”.

Meanwhile, when asked about his Dutch team-mate’s comments, Bayern centre-back Mats Hummels was slightly more diplomatic about PSG’s strengths.

“He is absolutely right that money doesn’t score goals but it does allow you to buy players who score goals,” Hummels told reporters at the Parc des Princes.

“PSG are a top-level club. They are very strong going forward, and are well covered in all other positions. A bit like us they have two players per position.”

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is convinced the German champions — who beat Anderlecht 3-0 in their first group outing two weeks ago — can get a good result in the French capital.

“I know our team, they are highly motivated and concentrated for games like this,” said the former striker. “I am convinced we can get something out of this game.”

Nevertheless, the biggest test for Bayern’s shaky defence — which threw away a two-goal lead at home to struggling Wolfsburg in a 2-2 draw last Friday — will be to contain the ‘MCN’.

“Of course, that is an attack with world-class players, we have to control that, but we have more experience,” countered Rummenigge.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness launched a thinly-veiled attack on PSG’s spending policy in an interview on Monday, but Rummenigge focused on the football.

“This is a prestige game, but one thing is clear: the Champions League is not decided, we want to create the conditions to become group winners.”

Comments

Michael Kors Buys Italy's Versace Fashion House For $2.12 Billion

Fashion company Michael Kors is buying Versace, the Italian luxury brand founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, for $2.12 billion. The two fashion houses made the announcement Tuesday, one day after speculation spread about a potential deal. Donatella Versace, the artistic director of the Milan-based fashion house who helped lead the company after her brother's death in 1997, said it's the perfect time for the company to join with Michael Kors. "It has been more than 20 years since I took over the company along with my brother Santo and daughter Allegra," Donatella Versace said in a news release. "I am proud that Versace remains very strong in both fashion and modern culture."

Flair, parties, the exuberant world of Ronaldinho

The man who once lobbed England’s David Seaman from 40 yards, Ronaldinho has officially hung up his boots following a career of backheels, nutmegs, no-look passes, and Parisian party nights. Tricks, flicks and stepovers, to watch Ronaldinho play in his prime was to savour a festival of the “jogo bonito” — the beautiful game in his native Portuguese — and that always with his goofy smile. Both on and off the pitch, Ronaldinho was a free spirit, almost as infamous for his nocturnal lifestyle as he was famous for his silky skills. And it was the former that perhaps contributed to a gradual petering out of what was nonetheless a trophy-laden career. World Cup winner in 2002, Ballon d’Or winner in 2005, Champions League winner in 2006 and Copa Libertadores winner in 2013, Ronaldinho won the lot for both club and country. “God has been good to me, he allowed me to live football,” Ronaldinho told So Foot magazine in July. “I loved what I did… and I had the satisfaction of enjoying myse

Islamic State releases purported audio message from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The leader of the Islamic State group urged followers to burn their enemies everywhere and target "media centers of the infidels," according to an audio recording released Thursday that the extremists said was by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The reclusive leader of Islamic State, who has only appeared in public once, also vowed to continue fighting and lavished praise on his jihadis for their valor in the battlefield — despite the militants' loss of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in July. "You soldiers of the caliphate, heroes of Islam and carriers of banners: light a fire against your enemies," said al-Baghdadi, a shadowy cleric who has been surrounded by controversy since the Sunni terror group emerged from al-Qaida in Iraq, its forerunner. Russian officials said in June there was a "high probability" that al-Baghdadi had died in a Russian airstrike on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the group's de facto capital. US officials later said

hakdown07

Search This Blog