Pochettino relishing challenge against Guardiola

Paris St Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino said his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world as they prepare to renew their rivalry in the Champions League semifinals today.

The pair have locked horns before, both on the pitch and in the dugout, lining up against each other in their playing days for city rivals Barcelona and Espanyol before going on to manage their respective clubs.

They were also in opposition in the Premier League during Pochettino’s five years at Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentine took Spurs to the Champions League final two years ago, knocking Guardiola’s City out in the quarterfinals.

“For me, he is the best,” Pochettino, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as PSG boss midway through the season, told British media.

“I admire him and think he is doing a fantastic job. He is an amazing coach, always thinking of different strategies and game plans. I love to challenge him and the teams he prepared.

“Not only the best manager. The club is important, too. A club that trusts you to build a team and provides you with all the tools.”

Pochettino said his side’s loss to Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League final would give them added motivation this time around.

“We now have the experience but we need to go step by step. Now, we have to beat Manchester City and it is going to be really, really tough.”

Although Paris St Germain have knocked out Barcelona and holders Bayern Munich, coach Mauricio Pochettino said his team would keep their feet on the ground when they face Manchester City in their Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday.

Credit: supersport.com

Bayern unveil Nagelsmann as new manager …after sealing record £21.7m compensation deal

Julian Nagelsmann has been announced as Bayern Munich’s new manager after the Bundesliga giants agreed a world-record £21.7million compensation package with RB Leipzig.

Nagelsmann agreed personal terms with the German champions on Monday, before a huge pay-off was sealed and the deal was announced on Tuesday morning.

The news will come as a huge blow to Tottenham in their search for a new manager, with the German high on their list of potential candidates. Nagelsmann has impressed at the helm of RB Leipzig, guiding them to a third-placed finish last season, while this time around they sit second with five games to play.

The 33-year-old’s stock is very high and he is seen as one of the most promising young managers in world football.

Speaking about the appointment, Bayern president Herbert Hainer said: ‘Julian Nagelsmann represents a new generation of coaches. Despite his young age, he already has an impressive CV.

‘We are convinced that with Julian Nagelsmann, we can continue the magnificent successes of recent years. I would like to express my thanks to Hansi Flick on behalf of FC Bayern.

Oliver Kahn, who will succeed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as Bayern CEO from 2022, added: ‘Julian’s contract length of five years alone shows how committed he is to FC Bayern. I am convinced that FC Bayern’s sporting future will be a very successful one with Julian Nagelsmann. Credit: dailymail.co.uk

If Messi were Uruguayan, we would have won two World Cups                -Lugano

Uruguayan legend Diego Lugano, who won 95 caps for his country, has claimed that if Lionel Messi were a compatriot of his, La Celeste would have won two World Cups.

Lugano, whose club career included spells at Malaga and West Brom, is sure that the Barcelona star could have made the difference for Uruguay on two occasions.

“If Messi was Uruguayan at that 2010 World Cup we’d have won it,” Lugano told Tea y Deportea.

“And if Messi was Uruguayan in Brazil [2014] and they didn’t kick [Luis] Suarez out, like they did, with that generation we had we’d have won that one too.”

Uruguay finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, losing 3-2 to the Netherlands in the semi finals and then by the same score to Germany in the third-place playoff.

In 2014, without Luis Suarez for the knockout stage, after his ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini, were eliminated by Colombia 2-0 in the round of 16.

Credit: marca.com

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