Busquets: Barcelona don't know how to play out from the back when pressed man to man

Sergio Busquets admitted that Barcelona didn't know how to cope with Real Madrid's pressing during Sunday's Clasico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. 

Quique Setien's side struggled to play the ball through the thirds in the second half because the likes of Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde closed them down. 

"We lost control because we lost possession," Busquets said after the game. "We don't know how to bring the ball out from the back when they press us man to man. "Sometimes you're not sure with a pass and you run a risk, although I think we have the players to carry it out."We all like to have the ball and I think we have the players for it."Every team suffers without the ball."We're not the most defensive nor the most physical of teams."There's still a long way to go in the League.

"Barcelona had the chance to go five points clear at the top of LaLiga Santander with a win but now find themselves behind Los Blancos in the table."It was the opportunity to gain some distance and it wasn't to be," Busquets said."We had a very good first half, but it changed in the second half."We struggled to play out from the back and they took their chance to come forward."They scored the opener in a disappointing moment."

Griezmann will be the biggest 'clausulazo' in the history of Barça

For what you might think, signing a player by paying their termination clause is not very common . Normally, teams usually reach deals for the majority of operations . Transfers are agreed, often by figures close to the rescission clause, but in this way benefits are obtained, such as the possibility of splitting payments or putting players in the operation to make it cheaper.

However, there are times when an agreement is not possible. At that point there seems to be Barcelona with Antoine Griezmann and Atlético de Madrid. Barring surprise, the azulgranas will have to pay of blow the 120 million euros that appear in the clause of the French attacker .If so, the world champion will become the biggest clausulazo in the history of Barcelona. Not only that, but it will be the first time that a LaLiga team has paid such a high amount to free a player.

To date, the highest amount paid by Barça to pay a termination clause was 35.9 million euros . That was what he deposited at the headquarters of LaLiga for Clément Lenglet to rescind his contract with Sevilla last summer.Another illustrious case in culé history is that of Rivaldo . The hiring of the Brazilian star, in 1997, showed the danger of the system of clauses. The Catalans hired the player by checkbook and on the last day of the market, leaving Deportivo de La Coruña without room for maneuver. The Galicians could not cover their gap for being out of time, which provoked the anger of Lendoiro at the time. The club paid the 4,000 million pesetas of the clause of the midfielder, 24 kilos in euros .A little earlier, in 1995, the Catalans also resorted to the payment of the termination clause to remove Meho Kodro from the Royal Society . 700 million pesetas, about 3.7 million euros, paid for it.Record also for saleThe hiring of Griezmann by blow of briefcase would suppose the greater clausulazo paid by a team of LaLiga. And the biggest sale? That honor also falls to the hands of Barcelona, ​​who signed Neymar in 2017 with that system. The PSG paid 222 million euros for it.

Other exits prior to payment of a clause reminiscent of Barça are those of Luis Figo and Ronaldo . The Luso went to Real Madrid after Florentino Perez paid the 61 kilos that stipulated his contract .The Brazilian went to Inter once they deposited in LaLiga the 24 million of his clause of rescission.

Why ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION Killing I-league for their own survival ?

There was a report that FSDL is threatening AIFF to declare ISL as the no 1 league of the country and push I-League down the gutter. And All India Football Federation probably do so and declare the same on 3rd of July. It’s sad really sad. Clubs like Mahindra & Mahindra, JCT, Dempo Sports Club, DSK Shivajians, Sporting Club de Goa, Salgaonkar and other clubs In total 25 professional Football clubs disappeared from main stream Indian Football in last 15 years but our parent body AIFF is still asleep. What is the requirement of money if one day football doesn’t exist in our country?  

FSDL an organisation founded by Reliance for ISL to replace IMG Reliance Pvt Ltd which is collaboration between IMGR and Reliance. In 2017 IMG part ways from Indian Super League and Reliance had to create FSDL to run the show. Now how and why IMG discontinue is a million dollar question but In this country no one have the guts to raise the question to mighty Reliance and their integrity.

They have made a contract to AIFF in 2010 or may be in 2011 which is recently disclosed by one of the so called rebel name Ranjit Bajaj the owner of Minerva Punjab Football Club whose academy gave many talents to Indian Football in recent time. In that contract Reliance offer a healthy 700 cr Rupees to AIFF for a span of 15 years and in return they are to take care of the marketing and other promotional aspects of the Football. They offered various development program and restructure the existing I-league or to create a New Professional League which will be the no 1 League in this country. Fare enough. And hence they introduce ISL a franchise base tournament mostly influenced by famous cricketing tournament named IPL. But, in what terms AIFF made contract with FSDL is best known to them only.

Along with couple of leading Bengali News paper and few others National News agencies like Times of India did report recently that FSDL has stopped the payment to AIFF as per their contract and threatened them to terminate the same. They demanded that AIFF must declare ISL as the top division league of India by June 2019, Dissolve I-league and it’s telecast, make hectic fine to those clubs who have not participated in the Super Cup and many more. The point FSDL want AIFF to do on immediate effect is that.

1. Declare ISL the no 1 league of India
2. FSDL was angry about AIFF handing out lenient fines (10 lakhs and 5 lakhs) to the I-League clubs who boycotted the Super Cup and wanted AIFF to appeal to its own Disciplinary Committee and ensure the clubs face much harsher fines. And suddenly AIFF increase the fines from 10 lacs to 27 lacs for not participating in Super Cup.
3. FSDL does not want AIFF to let U Mumba FC or any other corporate club to enter the I-League. 
4. FSDL is against broadcasting any I-League match on TV from now on. 
5. I-league clubs have to pay the same amount as ISL club for the Stadiums as in Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangon hosted both I-league and ISL matches where ATK has to pay 15 lacs where as the total cost of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal was mere 30-40 thousand.
6. Ranjit Bajaj permanently banned from Indian Football.

When in India most number of peoples are attracted to Cricket World Cup, Reliance tactfully issued a letter which simply threatened the AIFF and then stop the first installment of payment which they supposed to gave AIFF by beginning of April this year. Now AIFF in severe crisis and shortage of funds had no option to obey their obligator Reliance. And by appealing against their own disciplinary committee to increase the fine from 10 lacs to 27 lacs they made their intention very clear.

They also stopped U-Mumba a corporate team of famous film producer Ronny Screwala which will supposedly took part in this season’s I-league. And their pre-schedule trials for building of their team.

Now a promoter like Reliance deserve the upper hand from AIFF but the things they have demanded is quite unpractical and unlawful also. But association of I-league clubs is not AIFF. It is a parent body of Indian Football whose General Secretary is Kushal Das who was a part of IMG-Reliance and President Praful Patel who is currently gone missing after the election and currently on the radar of Enforcement Directorate who is questioning his integrity during his tenure as a Aviation Minister. Now, we should not have any doubt that AIFF is currently run by Reliance and it doesn’t have the backbone to act as a Footballing Guardian of the Country and make bold decision. 

Sources of news also suggest that AIFF has called for an Executive Committee meeting on 3rd of July and they will probably declare ISL as the no.1 league of this Country.  FSDL earlier this year did make an effort to include East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in this year ISL but that to with funny offers. When Quess group asked FSDL about their future plan and the security of their investment FSDL were not conclusive enough to convince the Corporate Sponsor of East Bengal. And for Mohun Bagan they had gone one step further they want Mohun Bagan and ATK to merge and comes as one team which certainly for Mohun Bagan officials and for ATK management was not accepted. Now if this year on I-league disappear from Indian Football it’s a massive loss. Because, just a year back AFC awarded AIFF for I-League as the most emerging League in Asia. Reliance did make an genuine effort to promote Indian Football recently but Overall, there had never been so much negative press about ISL. Questions were being raised about whether the tournament's franchise fee-centric business model was viable at all, given mounting losses and low returns compared to the huge costs of promoting and marketing the tournament incurred every season.

Meanwhile, I-League for some reason was getting more attention than ever. The top flight league had seen its popularity increase for the seventh straight season, despite having practically no marketing budget, many 2 pm kick-offs and being stuck on Star Sports 3, the channel with the least reach in the whole network. The average attendance had increased for most clubs, and awareness about the top division league was at an all time high due to the success of new clubs like Aizawl FC, NEROCA, Chennai City FC and Real Kashmir FC that brought in new fanbase that never got represented in Indian football before. Because of many unattractive and non competitive matches in ISL and fairytale climax of I-League for last 2 years actually helped I-league to increase their popularity and people who have attracted to Indian Football because of ISL are now fond of I-League matches mainly because of it’s competitiveness. For last 5 years many new comers emerged as the winner in I-League where is in ISL picture almost clear after half of the season. Many football loving smart people spot this difference very easily and that is the reason I-League gain major attraction from Kashmir to Kerala in recent years. Probably this made Reliance angry where they found that the effort made by them are actually helping AIFF and I-league to develop further. And many ISL teams threatened to quit after hectic loss for last 5 years.   

In any case, if AIFF does relegate them, the I-League clubs have no option but to go to court against the decision. The question is, how much of a chance they have.

Here, the situation gets further complicated. The clubs who got into I-League via corporate entry signed a contract with AIFF that explicitly states that if the Federation decides another league will be the new top flight of the country, these teams will not have any claim in being a part of it; they'll have to play in the second tier.

This means Minerva Punjab, Chennai City and Gokulam Kerala have all signed away their claim to play in top flight by right. The only way they can get into ISL is if FSDL allows them to come in through the bidding process. Neither are the clubs interested in paying hefty franchise fees, nor are FSDL overly keen to welcome them into the ISL fold. So we can count that out as a possibility. Ahead of the King's Cup (where India finished third), Sunil Chhetri had stated that think tanks were formulating a future plan for Indian football in sorting out the fiasco between I-League and Indian Super League in a proper way. Well, now according to reports, it looks like that Praful Patel's AIFF is ready to push I-League down the gutter and make itself richer by Rs 700 crore. According to Times of India, the Indian FA will announce ISL as India's top-tier league next month. 

The tug of war for top status between I-League and ISL outfits have been going on for quite sometime, with the latter's outfits also boycotting the Super Cup, and being heavily fined for it.

What really stands out in this entire incident is AIFF's nonchalant way of communication. Earlier, when ISL had started in 2014, the Praful Patel-led body had stated that the competition would just be a tournament, then they said that it was league lower than I-League. Well, what we were never told is that AIFF had already signed a 15-year agreement with John Loffhagen (senior vice president IMG). According to the contract, ISL was always going to become the top-tier competition. 

Now instead of IMG, subsidiary FSDL has come instead of it. Both bodies had agreed, that ISL would be instated as the most prestigious and top league in India. Also, the agreement states that I-League reconstituted, replaced, or discontinued.

Also, FSDL have been losing patience, as they have even allegedly threatened AIFF of removing their support, if ISL wasn't given its agreed status soon!

According to the TOI report, a new competition called 'League One' will be formed, which will be under ISL. Teams from League One can't qualify for ISL, not can for any continental tournaments. Also, AFC Champions League playoff spot will be given to ISL champions, and AFC Cup spot will be given to Super Cup winners.

The move could really hurt the Indian football fans, as the main competition and fan-fare lies in the I-League. Earlier during his first press conference in India, new gaffer Igor Stimac had also stated that ISL can never become like I-League, as the latter has tradition which takes years to build, but the Indian FA would rather like to keep their coffers full, and let capitalism take over India's beloved sport, football.

King's Cup 2019: We are trying to change our Playing Style - Igor Stimac

India head coach Igor Stimac is banking on the optimism present in the squad to help the Blue Tigers put up an improved show against Thailand on Saturday in the third-place playoff of the King's Cup in Thailand. 

Team was beaten by 3-1 hands of Curacao in the King's Cup opener. It was also the Croatian's first match in charge of the team and a strong Curacao side laid bare the defensive frailties of India in the first half.

"Our preparation was mostly on refreshing our players after a difficult match against Curacao. They were a team who had experienced players, players who play in European Leagues and therefore it was difficult to play against them. But we are only in our second week of being together," said the coach.

"But the positiveness which we are creating and the positive environment we are creating in this team gives us optimism."

Thailand have a score to settle with India, given that the Blue Tigers (under Stephen Constantine) had beaten them 4-1 in the Asian Cup opener back in January.

"We know the Thailand team. Although I was not the coach our players faced them in the AFC Asian Cup," Stimac reckoned.

Stimac is looking to make his imprint on the team and shades of his game play were visible in the second half against Curacao where India were marginally better. But the coach's immediate aim is to avoid injuries ahead of the upcoming Intercontinental Cup in India while allowing his players to adjust to his methods.

""We are in a position now where we are trying to change our style of play. It is very difficult. It is a completely different structure and approach. They are not used to that. I was very glad to see that our supporters in India liked the fact that our team was trying to play with lots of passing and dominating a team like Curacao who are 20 places ahead of us in FIFA ranking. That is our intention. I insist on such style.

"We have to keep ourselves free of injuries so that we can prepare well for the Intercontinental Cup in India. The World Cup qualifiers are also important. I see many coaches are already thinking about. Everybody wants to win.

The former Croatia head coach is not concerned about getting his first win on board as India manager.

"My role as head coach is to awaken the thoughts of Indian people about football and we can do that only if we play nice football and win their hearts. We know that some results will suffer in the beginning but the positiveness that we are creating around this team is giving us a lot of optimism and specially the young players are giving us another optimism for the better future of Indian football."

Stimac had given debuts to five players in the Curacao match and he is looking towards the young talents to propel India forwards, alongside the experienced stars.

"We are going to build on these youngsters along with the experience of players like Sunil, Sandesh, Pronay and others. Our real strength is the young players. In the game against Curacao, I must remind you that five players had their debut. We are going to work with confidence, discipline and not put down our heads after a few defeats."

The 51-year-old also revealed that he will rotate the team against Thailand so as to ensure everyone in the squad gets an opportunity to show his talent.

"All my players have been working very hard for the past 12 days or more. And I want to see everyone of them on the pitch so that they can prove themselves. So all the players who didn't get their chance in the previous match will get to play tomorrow. I will give them the chance to prove that they have more quality than the ones who played in the first match and make my decisions more difficult in the future."

EAST BENGAL probably sign Ashique Kuruniyan to replace Jobby Justin this summer

Muhammad Ashique Kuruniyan who is currently playing for ISL club FC Pune City could join Kolkata giant East Bengal to replace Jobby Justin.

Like Jobby Justin Ashique Kuruniyan is also from Kerala. He made a headline in 2017 when he completed his training under Spanish La Liga side Villarreal CF. He did impressed the club management and Villarreal had offered him a contract to join their Third team on Loan from FC Pune City. But, unfortunately he has suffered a hamstring injury and return back to India in February 2017.

Many football expert will tell you that loan deals for youngsters such as Ashique and Romeo Fernandes are nothing more than a glorified PR stunt. With India increasingly in the spotlight due to its ‘sleeping giant’ status, those statements may have an element of truth to them.

One thing that these experts more often than not fail to do is to ask the player himself, what it means for those from adverse backgrounds to hone their skills at one of the highest platforms they will ever be afforded.

Ashique again catch the eye during the AFC Asian Cup in UAE early this year.  Everyone was surprised to see him in first XI of Indian National Football team against Thailand ahead of Jeje. But his performance in that match justified his selection and India thrashed Thailand by 4-1. 

Ashique is only 21 years old, he is tall, lanky and probably one of the top class withdrawal forward in the country right now. If East Bengal would sign any foreign striker in future, he could be the perfect support to the club. But, currently he is suffering from knee injury and will be back only in July.

Lets see whether East Bengal could complete the deal with him or not. Because, he is currently on a contract with FC Pune City and East Bengal have to pay heavy transfer fee for him.

Pep Guardiola 'agrees' IMMEDIATE Man City exit as Juventus announcement date claim made

PEP GUARDIOLA has agreed a deal to leave Manchester City and take up the vacant managerial role at Juventus.

That is the extraordinary claim of Italian journalist Federico Gennarelli of Radio Sportiva.

The Catalan coach secured the domestic treble and helped City become the first men’s team in English football history to win the league title and both cup competitions in the same season.

Manchester City wrapped up their trio of trophies with a record-equalling 6-0 thrashing of Watford in the FA Cup final at Wembley last Saturday - the joint-biggest margin of victory in any final in the competition’s 147-year history.

That came after beating Chelsea on penalties in the Carabao Cup final back in February before a 98-point league season secured back-to-back titles, becoming the first team in a decade to retain their Premier League crown as they edged rivals Liverpool, who ended on 97 points.

It is thought Guardiola’s ultimate ambition at the Etihad is to win them the Champions League for the first time ever and claim Europe’s biggest piece of silverware himself for the first time since 2011 when he was at Barcelona, with his failure to progress past the semi finals in three seasons at Bayern Munich a major criticism.

After three full seasons at City, he has so far failed to get past the quarter-final stage having lost to Liverpool last season and Tottenham this season, both of whom went on to reach the final in each campaign.

But with Max Allegri having left Juventus last week, reports now claim Guardiola will move to the Serie A giants, who own similar European ambitions, in the coming weeks.

Juve signed five-time Champions League winner Cristiano Ronaldo last summer but still could not progress past the quarter finals of the competition as they seek a first success on the continent since 1996.

And with Allegri potentially making a move to the Premier League after leading Juve to five titles in five years, Gennarelli claims Guardiola will give up his position at City despite having two years left to run on his contract.

Gennarelli said on Twitter: “It was supposed to be the decisive day. It was: Pep #Guardiola will be the new coach of the #Juventus. 4-year contract. Deal done.”

The claim follows reports from Guardiola’s native Spain that he met with Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici in Milan.

Paratici was pictured outside the Palazzo Parigi hotel in the city where Guardiola is currently staying and Onda Cero’s Mario Gago Huerta claimed to Sportitalia that the pair had a private discussion although that was not the purpose of his visit.

Instead, the reason for Guardiola’s Milan trip is thought to be for a charity event with sponsors.

It was added by Gago Huerta that Guardiola would be unlikely to leave England to take up the job in Turin even despite the allegations of Financial Fair Play breaches by City and suggestions they could be handed a one-year Champions League ban by UEFA.

But reports from Italy say, by contrast, that Guardiola will be take up the role will be officially unveiled as Juve boss on June 14.

The 48-year-old tactician gave an exasperated response when asked about his future with the Citizens just last week, however.

“How many times do I have to say, I’m not going to Juventus?” he said. “I am not going to move to Italy, I’m staying here two more seasons.

“If they want me, I have a contract, I am not going to move and I’m satisfied working here with this club, with these people here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Those comments would seem to kill any suggestion that Guardiola is going anywhere in the near future.

It had previously been mooted that Guardiola could reach a verbal agreement with Juve to go to the Old Lady whenever he leaves City, with it having long been clear that he would take up the managerial role with the Premier League side as they long hunted to bring his talents to England.

Guardiola is under contract with City until the end of the 2020-21 season and if he honours his deal, it will be his longest spell as a manager at one club. He spent four years at Barca and three with Bayern.

Recent reports have suggested City want to tie Guardiola down to a new long-term deal given his success at Eastlands.

He chooses the best way to win. India can benefit from Igor's experience : Davor Suker

The former World Cup Golden boot winner feels  Igor's knowledge of football and his experience aids the Blue Tigers, provided his appointment is ratified...

The Indian national team is all set to get a new coach after the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Technical Committee decided to recommend a high-profile name in Igor Stimac for the position.

The Croat's former national team teammate and the current president of the Croatian Football Federation, Davor Suker, has backed his compatriot to come good in the India coach role, provided the decision is ratified by the AIFF's Executive Committee.

"Igor Stimac was a great footballer in his time. He's had a lot of experience playing in Spain, England and the Croatian national team," Suker told Goal, pointing to the former defender's time at Cadiz, West Ham United and Derby County.

Suker himself turned out for famous clubs like Real Madrid, Arsenal and Sevilla. Both Stimac and Suker were also teammates at West Ham United in 2000-01.

Stimac and Suker are part of a golden generation in Croatian football as the two were integral parts of the team that finished third in their first-ever appearance at the World Cup as an independent nation in 1998. Suker himself finished the tournament in France winning the Golden Boot with six goals.

"We enjoyed together winning the bronze medal in the 1998 World Cup," reminisced Suker.

In 2012, both Suker and Stimac entered the Croatian national team set-up together as President of the national body and coach of the senior team respectively, rekindling their partnership from their playing days.

"Igor was a dedicated player and now as a coach, he would be excellent for both young and experienced players. He chooses the best way to win," Suker praised his compatriot.

He continued, "I hope the knowledge of Croatian football and Croatia's experience from the last World Cup can benefit Indian football."

Under Suker's presidency, Croatia managed to reach the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Suker remains a highly celebrated figure in Croatian football. He is the only Croat to feature in the FIFA 100 list and is the highest goalscorer for the national team with 45 goals across a ten-year international career.

Suker stated that Stimac can count on the Croatian FA's as well as his personal support if he is handed the task of taking Indian football to the next level. "I wish Igor all the best and we will always support him from the Croatian FA and myself. I hope to see him soon in India."

"Good luck to everyone and to my friends from the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) and the President Praful Patel," he concluded.

Barcelona vs Liverpool : Match Preview, Team News, Playing XI

Barcelona are set to host Liverpool at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.

Barca last won the tournament in 2016 and will be looking to reclaim the top European honour this year, after securing their 26th La Liga title on Saturday. Liverpool, meanwhile, are in a dogfight with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and reached the final of Europe's biggest club competition just last season, only to fall at the hands of Real Madrid.

This semi-final fixture features two of the world's most high-octane offences at the top of their game, so it should produce a classic to remember for ages. There are plenty of stars all around the pitch for either side, so a moment of magic could come at any time.

Team News

Barcelona have no new injury concerns coming into the match with Liverpool on Wednesday. The Blaugrana have consistently used a 4-3-3 formation this season with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez leading the line with either Philippe Coutinho or Ousmane Dembele cutting in from the left side. 

The Reds haven't been as lucky as Barca in recent weeks regarding the health of their players. Jurgen Klopp will have to wait until the last moment to know the fitness of Roberto Firmino, Fabinho and Adam Lallana due to various knocks suffered in recent weeks. With a match of such high magnitude, the Reds will expect all three players to fight through the pain and attempt to play if they are close to full fitness. 

Head to Head Record

Barcelona and Liverpool have faced off just a total of eight times throughout their long histories. The Reds hold the current lead between the sides, winning three and drawing two of the matches played. Barcelona have taken the other two matches by a combined score of 4-1, but the Blaugrana have never knocked Liverpool out of a European competition. 

The previous fixture between the sides came back in the 2007 Champions League round of 16, with Liverpool advancing on away goals following an aggregate score of 2-2. This tie sparked the Reds to the final of the tournament but the squad would eventually lose to Milan 2-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.

________________________________________

Recent Form

Barca have been in fantastic form since the turn of the year, losing only three times in 2019. The Blaugrana are coming off a win against Levante which saw the squad lift the La Liga trophy for the fourth time in five years.

Liverpool have been battling for the top spot in the Premier League with Manchester City for months now and their performances have kept up with the demand. The Reds have won each of their last ten games in all competitions by a combined score of 29-7, an incredible stat considering they've played the likes of Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Chelsea over this stretch of matches.

Predicted Playing XI

Barcelona  : Ter Stegen; Alba, Pique, Lenglet, Roberto; Arthur, Busquets, Rakitic; Coutinho, Suarez, Messi

Liverpool  :     Allison; Robertson, Van Dijk, Matip, Alexander-Arnold; Fabinho, Henderson, Keita; Mane, Firmino, Salah

Breaking : Emiliano Sala confirmed dead after Cardiff striker's body is pulled from plane crash wreckage

Investigators have confirmed that the body of Emiliano Sala has been recovered from the wreckage of his plane that went missing last month.

A body was pulled from the aircraft, which was found on the bottom of the ocean north of Guernsey, earlier this week.

The plane, which was carrying Sala and pilot David Ibbotson, disappeared off the radar around 8:30pm on January 21, as the Cardiff City striker was travelling from Nantes to the Welsh capital.

The investigation to find the plane was initially called off after three days, but Sala's family raised the funds to keep the search alive, with thanks to donations from international football community.

A private search team announced that they had found the wreckage of the plane at the bottom of the English channel on February 4.

Dorset Police confirmed: "The body brought to Portland Port today has been formally identified by HM Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala.

"The families of Mr Sala and pilot David Ibbotson have been updated. Our thoughts remain with them all."

Investigators used remotely operated vehicles were used to help pull the body out of the water "in as dignified a way as possible" despite "challenging conditions" in the recovery, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

The whereabouts of Mr Ibbotson remain unclear at this time.

The Piper Malibu plane, registration N264DB, was found 67 metres underwater 21 miles off the coast of Guernsey and weather conditions meant that investigations were delayed.

Sala, 28, had just completed a club-record £15million transfer to Cardiff and had not made an appearance for the club.

He had travelled back to Nantes, his former club, to say his goodbyes to his former teammates.

Disaster struck on the journey back to Wales.

An AAIB photo showing where the aircraft tail N264DB was found

It has been confirmed that the plane requested to descend before it lost contact with the air control staff.

The remains of the aircraft were discovered by David Mearns, known as the "Shipwreck Hunter", who discovered the aircraft within two hours of starting his search on a target area.

He told the Press Association the discovery had been so quick because the team had been looking for a static object rather than in a dynamic environment searching for survivors.

"No-one should walk away with the impression that the Coastguard and also the Channel Islands air search did anything other than a professional job," he said.

The AAIB said it expected to publish an interim report within the month.

But those looking into the plane's crash face a battle to determine the whole story.

Even if the investigators are able to retrieve the wreckage and examine it up-close, the light aircraft is unlikely to have been fitted with a flight recorder, according to the UK's aviation regulator, which would have been a vital source of information.

Known as black boxes, they record flight data and cockpit audio, and are mandatory in airline planes and private jets - but not for the Piper Malibu plane.

Sala had turned down a mega-money transfer to the Chinese Super League in favour of putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year contract in Cardiff.

Tributes were paid in Cardiff and in Nantes for the striker, as the search for him continued.

However, things have threatened to get nasty after Nantes threatened legal action to ensure the £15million transfer fee was paid.

Emiliano Sala : investigators spot body in plane wreckage

One body has been seen in the underwater wreckage of the plane that was carrying footballer Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson



A search on Sunday found the Piper Malibu plane on the seabed off Guernsey, almost two weeks after it went missing.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) confirmed the sighting on Monday morning

It added it was now considering the next steps.

The "substantial amount of wreckage" of the plane, which went missing on 21 January, was found on Sunday morning after a privately-funded search began.

The flight had been carrying Argentine striker Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson, 59, from Nantes, north west France, to Cardiff after Sala completed his £15m move to Cardiff City.

In a statement, the AAIB said: "The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) carried out a further search of the area overnight, but did not identify any additional pieces of wreckage.

"Tragically, in video footage from the ROV, one occupant is visible amidst the wreckage. The AAIB is now considering the next steps, in consultation with the families of the pilot and passenger, and the police."

The AAIB added it intends to publish an interim report within a month of when the accident happened.

A decision has yet to be taken on whether to raise the wreckage to the surface.

Oceanographer and marine scientist David Mearns confirmed the wreckage had been found on Sunday, about 63m (207ft) underwater, after "a couple of hours" of searching the seabed

An online appeal started by Sala's agent had raised £324,000 (371,000 euros) for the private search, which Mr Mearns offered to help with.

Working jointly with the AAIB, Mr Mearns's ship and another search vessel, the Geo Ocean III, began combing a four square mile area of the channel, 24 nautical miles north of Guernsey.





The AAIB ship remained in place, sending down a remotely controlled submersible overnight, which captured the footage of the wreckage.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, Mr Mearns said: "We located the wreckage of the plane on the seabed at a depth of about 63m within the first couple of hours [of searching]."

He said the plane was identified by sonar, before a submersible with cameras was sent underwater and was able to confirm it was the plane.

"They saw the registration number and the biggest surprise is that most of the plane is there - we were expecting to find a debris field." he added.

The Kolkata Derby : Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal : Match preview, Team News and Playing XI

The day Kolkata stood steel the day Bengalis divide into two parts and the day attention of whole Bengal in just one location. It is the day when the two Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal collide in a Football match. The rivalry of 98 years and it will be the 367th time since 8th August 1921 they have been facing each other. All roads will lead to the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon as arch-rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will once again renew their rivalry on the football pitch.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal both are not in good position in I-league as league leader Chennai City FC well in top with 9 points and 8 points lead respectively from Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Although East Bengal played one less match than Mohun Bagan and Chennai they will be desperate to win this match as this will be their last chance to win the I-League as they have never conquer the National Football League since it was established as I-league. Mohun Bagan on other hand little bit on stable path after Khalid Jamil the AFC pro License holder coach took over the job of the Manager. Last year Khalid was the coach of their arch rival East Bengal and he had limited success. Khalid Jamil never won any derby in his career and last year his team East Bengal practically humiliated by Mohun Bagan in 2nd derby of I-league.  Khalid was sacked by East Bengal after a disappointing end in the last season, failing to win the I-League and even the Indian Super Cup. After being out of action for a few months, the ‘green and maroon’ brigade’ summoned him to revive their season. But the former I-League winning coach is not eyeing at revenge over his ex-club but is focussing on the match and Mohun Bagan.

Mohun Bagan went down 3-2 in the reverse fixture on December 16 and therefore will be looking to make amends for the previous loss. Although the Mariners have managed to turn things around under the guidance of Khalid Jamil, a stern test awaits them when they host East Bengal.

Pintu Mahata, Arijit Bagui and Omar Elhusseiny are all available for selection which is definitely going to boost Bagan's confidence ahead of the crucial tie. Moreover, Sony Norde's current form is assuring the Bagan faithful that they can avenge the earlier defeat.

Most battles are won or lost at the centre of the park and Bagan's midfield is certainly a cause of concern. The likes of Yuta Kinowaki and Darren Caldeira were outplayed against NEROCA and now it remains to be seen whether they can hold their ground against Lalrindika Ralte and Kassim Aidara.

Henry Kisekka and Aser Dipanda are not in the best of form which is bound to put more pressure on Norde. The Haitian will have to don the role of creator as well with neither Caldeira or Kinowaki are adept at creating scoring opportunities.

Set-pieces can determine the outcome of the match and it is no surprise that both coaches have focused on dead ball situations in their practice sessions in the run-up to the derby.

Both teams have specialists in Norde and Ralte who will have the onus of delivering inch perfect crosses from free-kicks and corners. Norde was seen sharpening his skills even after the practice session so that he can hit the bull's eye on the big day.

Enrique Esqueda is fit and will be used on Sunday. The attacking trident of Jaime Colado, Enrique Esqueda and Jobby Justin will test Bagan's backline which has suffered in the current campaign. Eze Kingsley must marshall his fellow defenders as much will depend on how well Bagan organise their defence.


Team News

Mohun Bagan AC: Sourav Das and Sukhdev Singh will not be available on January 27, against East Bengal for their injuries. Fit-again Omar Elhusseiny will be available on the day of Derby though he might start the game from the reserves, as he suffered a leg injury against NEROCA FC on January 12. Arijit Bagui will possibly be there in the starting XI, who has been out of the pitch for the last two matches.


Quess East Bengal FC: After getting a red card in the match against Indian Arrows, Manoj Mohammed will not be available against Mohun Bagan on January 27. Meanwhile, fit-again Enrique Esqueda has joined the Red and Golds on January 21, who returned back home due to his injury in the ribs last month. Alejandro Menéndez got his trump card back right before the second leg of the Kolkata Derby. The Red and Golds fans can hope to see their Mexican Striker back in action on Sunday against Mohun Bagan.

Probable Playing XI

Mohun Bagan : 

Shilton, Arijit, Kimkima, Kingsley, Gurjinder, Caldeira, Yuta, Sony, Omar, Pintu, Dicka




East Bengal :

Dagar, Samad, Perez, Acosta, Chullova, Dovale, Lalrindika, Aidara, Danmawia, Colado, Justin

LONDON DERBY : ARSENAL vs CHELSEA : Match Preview, Team News, Playing XI

Arsenal and Chelsea meet in a crucial battle for a top-four spot on Saturday with six points currently separating the two sides in the Premier League table.

Chelsea occupy fourth spot with Arsenal the other side of the dotted line, and the Gunners know that defeat this weekend could spell the end of their Champions League hopes.

Arsenal fans could be forgiven for thinking that they have been transported back a year with their team underperforming on the pitch and frustration growing at a lack of transfers.

Unai Emery's admission that the club can only afford loan signings this month was as perplexing as it was worrying, and while Denis Suarez and James Rodriguez have been linked with a move to the Emirates, it appears as though the Spaniard will largely have to make do with what he has got for the remainder of the season.

Whether Mesut Ozil comes into his thinking on a more regular basis remains to be seen, but the German is certainly out of favour at the moment and the fact that their highest earner did not even make the squad for last weekend's defeat to West Ham United is another major cause for concern.

Emery's Ozil omission is understandable when looking at the stats - he has contributed just three goals and two assists since signing a bumper new contract a year ago - but many fans will be scratching their heads at the refusal to hand Juventus-bound Aaron Ramsey fresh terms when reinforcements appear unavailable.

There are no shortage of problems to solve on the field too; last weekend's 1-0 loss to West Ham could have easily been plucked from the toxic end of Arsene Wenger's reign, and the Gunners have now been beaten four times in their last eight outings.

Only Fulham have kept fewer clean sheets in the Premier League this season, while goalkeeper Bernd Leno has only managed one in his 15 top-flight starts, and just six teams in the entire league have conceded more goals than the Gunners in total.

However, the bulk of Arsenal's problems this term have once again come on the road, and they are unbeaten in their last 10 league games at the Emirates Stadium in a run which stretches back to the opening weekend of the season.

Emery's side also boast an impressive record in home London derbies of late, winning each of their last five and remaining unbeaten in their last 12 since defeat to Chelsea three years ago.

Should they extend that record this weekend then they would be right back in the top-four race, but defeat to their capital rivals could be a fatal blow to their Champions League hopes while also giving Manchester United the chance to leapfrog them in fifth place.

Recent Premier League form: LWDLWL

Recent form (all competitions): WDLWWL

ChelseaMaurizio Sarri on the touchline during the Premier League game between Chelsea and Crystal Palace on November 4, 2018

© Reuters

Much like his counterpart Emery, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is beginning to find things a little more difficult now after a bright start to life in England.

The Blues face a crucial double-header with Saturday's visit to Arsenal being followed by a home game against Tottenham Hotspur next Thursday as they look to overturn a one-goal deficit in their EFL Cup semi-final.

Silverware would be within touching distance if they are able to beat Spurs at Stamford Bridge, but in terms of the league their focus is very much fixed on holding off another North London outfit in the race for fourth.

Victory this weekend would see Chelsea temporarily leapfrog Spurs into third, but more importantly it would open up a nine-point lead over Arsenal - and potentially Manchester United depending on results elsewhere - having capitalised on the Gunners' slip-up at West Ham by beating Newcastle United last Saturday.

However, Sarri will not be entirely happy having seen the goals dry up in recent weeks; Chelsea averaged 2.5 goals per game in their opening 11 league outings, but in their last 11 they have netted only 13 times and have not scored more than twice in any of those games.

The efforts to push through a move for Gonzalo Higuain in time for this weekend's match have failed, leaving Eden Hazard - without a goal since Boxing Day - to lead the line once again ahead of former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and the exit-bound Alvaro Morata.

There are fewer problems for Chelsea at the other end of the pitch with only Liverpool having kept more clean sheets and conceded fewer goals in the league this season.

The Blues have averaged more points per game on their travels than they have at Stamford Bridge too, and a victory this weekend would see them rack up four straight away league wins for the first time since December 2016.

However, they have won just one of their last nine league games away to other members of the top six, losing five of those including their only such one so far this season.

Recent Premier League form: WLWWDW

Recent form (all competitions): WWDWLW

Team News

Ozil was left out of the squad against West Ham last weekend, but Emery has insisted that the door is still open for the playmaker to work his way back into the team.

Whether he manages to do that in time for this match remains to be seen, but Arsenal will definitely be without Henrikh Mkhitaryan again as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a foot injury.

Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are out for the remainder of the season, but Arsenal's general injury worries have eased significantly recently and the likes of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal are in contention to return to the starting XI this weekend.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is expected to start once again, having been directly involved in 20 goals in his 18 Premier League home games since joining Arsenal.

Hazard is likely to lead the line for Chelsea, with Giroud nursing a swollen ankle and out-of-favour Morata repeatedly being linked with a move away from the club.

Willian and Pedro were on the scoresheet against Newcastle and should have done enough to retain their starting roles, which means that Callum Hudson-Odoi will again be limited to a place on the bench.

The only other position of regular contention in Chelsea's XI comes in midfield, where Mateo Kovacic appears to be above Ross Barkley in the pecking order at the moment.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Koscielny; Bellerin, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Iwobi

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Pedro, Hazard, Willian

Can India able to create History : India vs Bahrain : Match preview, Team News and Playing XI

Indian Football Team on the verge of making history or elimination. On Monday evening India will be playing their biggest match of the Century so far when they face the bottom team of the Group A Bahrain.

Couple years earlier if this match was scheduled not many Indian had that much hope but the performance they have putted against Thailand and UAE Indians are in high hope to make history in middle east. Although they have defeated by UAE in their last match the amount of fight they have shown they could have easily win the match. It is little bit of their misfortune and little bit of their inability to scoring goals and probably the one lapse of concentration in the defense cost them that match.

The team coached by Stephen Constantine has got good combinations working up. The few weak links that remained it the defence at times will surely be sorted. If India can put up a mix of performance from both of their played out fixtures, the Tigers will be playing more at this edition of AFC Asian Cup.

Things haven't been so good for Bahrain relatively. Even after impressive results in the preparatory games for the continental cup, Bahrain hasn't been able to reflect the same with the final touch. In the first match, they shared points with UAE, a result that had more of UAE's dismal performance than Bahrain's hard work.

Later, they lost to Thailand 1-0, against whom India netted 4 times. But, the team under Miroslav Soukup still has chances to advance to the next round, which they wouldn't be giving up easily.

Team News

India

Stephen Constantine is not expected to sacrifice the positions of any players who started against UAE. Though Anas Edathodika and Pritam Kotal were not at their best, the gaffer will not axe them for one costly mistake. Halicharan Narzary was not a bright presence at the left wing and had to be replaced at the half time.

Narzary remains the only player who has any chance of being replaced but still remains an unlikely event. Sunil Chhetri will have important duties to finish the attacks, while the young shoulders of Anirudh Thapa will take up the midfield. Sandesh Jhingan as always will be India's favourite wall at the back.

Bahrain

Bahrain is expected to play with 4 in attack - 3 midfielders and a striker. Ahmed Juma and Sayed Redha Isa will be the wingbacks when Waleed Hayam and Hamad Shamsam takes up the central defence tasks.

Bahrain's two key players will be the two defensive midfielders - Komail Al Aswad and Abdulwahab Safi, who India will have to overcome to take their attacks into the box. The attacking trio behind the striker is Sayed Saeed, Mohamed Marhoon and Sami Al-Husaini. Mohamed Al Romaihi is expected to find the back of the net at the top, as he did against UAE.

Playing XI

India (4-4-2): 

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Subhasish Bose, Anas Edathodika, Sandesh Jhingan, Pritam Kotal, Halicharan Narzary, Pronay Halder, Anirudh Thapa, Udanta Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan, Sunil Chhetri

Bahrain (4-2-3-1): 

Sayed Shubbar Alawi, Ahmed Juma, Waleed Al Hayam, Hamad Al-Shamsan, Sayed Redha Isa, Komail Al Aswad, Abdulwahab Al-Safi, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Mohamed Marhoon, Sami Al-Husaini, Mohamed Al Romaihi