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Puel urges Lyon to forget cup heartache

Lyon coach Claude Puel has told his players to get over the disappointment of their back-to-back cup exits by returning to winning ways against Paris Saint-Germain in the league on Sunday.

Les Gones went down 1-0 at Lorient in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday, having been beaten by Monaco in the last 32 of the French Cup last weekend.

Their hopes of silverware appear to be fading fast, with the team currently sitting 11 points behind league leaders Bordeaux and set to confront the multi-million might of Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.

“The match against Paris is very important,” said Puel. “We have to digest these two huge disappointments quickly and bounce back.

“The message is to recover well and quickly move onto something else, but you’re never guaranteed to respond well after a defeat.”

PSG beat third-tier Evian last Sunday to qualify for the last 16 of the French Cup but they, unlike Lyon, are still searching for their first league points of 2010.

The capital club have already lost to Lille and Monaco and travel to the Stade Gerland in 11th place, seven points behind fifth-placed Lyon.

Antoine Kombouare’s men can at least take heart from the return to fitness of last season’s top scorer Guillaume Hoarau, who scored against Evian on his first start since October.

Marseille, fourth, have the same number of points as Lyon with a game in hand but life is much rosier at the Stade Velodrome after they came from behind to beat Lille 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the League Cup last four.

The Mediterranean giants face a taxing trip to second-placed local rivals Montpellier on Saturday, but coach Didier Deschamps was enthused by his side’s performance in the victory over Lille.

“I enjoyed it and I think the players did too,” he said. “There were lots of good things; we controlled most aspects of the match, with a lot of movement, technical control and some nice moves.

“We must be capable of repeating this kind of performance against Montpellier on Saturday.”

Deschamps will have to do without France international goalkeeper Steve Mandana, who sustained a heavy knock against Lille, while Brazilian forward Brandao is likely to miss out after injuring his thigh in training.

Montpellier this week finalised the signing of in-form striker Olivier Giroud from Tours, but the 23-year-old was immediately loaned back to the Ligue 2 side until the end of the season.

Runaway league leaders Bordeaux remain in contention for four trophies this season – the league, both domestic cups and the Champions League – and coach Laurent Blanc says they will attempt to win them all.

“We’ll see what happens in the four competitions,” said Blanc, whose team host second-bottom Boulogne on Saturday.

“We have the time, for now we have the squad and not too many injuries. We can allow ourselves to rotate things. But the further we progress, the tighter it’ll get.”

Lille, third, host Lens on Saturday, while fourth-bottom Saint-Etienne will attempt to continue their unbeaten start to the year in the league when they visit seventh-placed Auxerre on Sunday.

Fixtures

Saturday (1800GMT unless otherwise stated)

Bordeaux v Boulogne, Le Mans v Toulouse, Lille v Lens, Monaco v Nice, Nancy v Lorient, Rennes v Grenoble, Montpellier v Marseille (2000GMT)

Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)

Auxerre v Saint-Etienne, Valenciennes v Sochaux, Lyon v Paris Saint-Germain (2000GMT)

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, Bordeaux, Boulogne, champions league, claude puel, didier deschamps, disappointment, disappointments, french cup, Germain, gones, guillaume, last sunday, laurent blanc, league leaders, Lille, Lorient, Lyon, MADRID, Marseille, Mediterranean, Monaco, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Olivier Giroud, PARIS, paris saint germain, quarter finals, real madrid, Rennes, saint etienne, seven points, stade gerland, stade velodrome, Steve Mandana, top scorer, Toulouse, winning ways

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French giants out to avoid Cup slip-up

French title rivals Bordeaux and Lyon can take a break from their league exertions this weekend as the former look to avoid a potential banana skin in the French Cup while Lyon have an awkward trip to Monaco.

With an eight-point cushion in the league after their midweek come-from-behind win over bottom club Grenoble, Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc was Thursday happily admitting he didn’t even have a transfer window wish list – “though maybe a joker to cover an injury would be a good thing.”

With a last 16 Champions League pair of encounters against Olympiakos to look forward to, a home round of 32 loss Saturday to second division Ajaccio would not exactly torpedo Bordeaux’s season.

The club have won the trophy three times – compared to a record ten for Marseille.

Marseille themselves are now out of the Champions League as well as the Cup, meaning their priority is hacking away at an 11-point gap in Ligue 1 as they try to land a first trophy of any description in 18 years.

Bordeaux should be at full strength save for keeper Cedric Carrasso, who injured a wrist against Marseill last week.

“We aren’t going to take any risk with him,” said Blanc.

Veteran Ulrich Rame will stand in between the posts.

Lyon travel down to Monaco on Sunday with coach Claude Puel urging them on after Wednesday’s recovery from going behind at Lorient.

Swede Kim Kallstrom scored a brace in a recovery which brought a 3-1 win and Puel on Thursday pronounced himself “very happy with the way the group showed this healthy reaction (to going a goal down) and showed their true colours.”

Puel will be particularly keen for a win at Monaco having previously coached the Riviera side, leading them to the league title at the start of the millennium.

Paris Saint Germain, mired in midtable following their home loss this week to Monaco, will only hope that third division Evian do not heap further misery upon them.

Coach Antoine Kombouare admits that “we are not talking about Europe,” but an eighth Cup success would prove a tonic.

Kombouare says if his men play as they did in losing 1-0 to Monaco, however, they have no chance.

“We could have played for three hours and not scored,” he lamented.

With the bad weather having made a mess of the previous round several round of 64 matches remain to be played, hence Saumur got the ball rolling in the round of 32 on Friday (Rennes defeated Saumur 4-0) before Saturday and Sunday see a mixture of both rounds together.

Round of 32 fixtures

Saturday

Beauvais v Agen

Quevilly v Angers

Bordeaux v Ajaccio

Raon l’Etape v Vesoul

Sunday

Mulhouse v Guingamp

Paris SG v Evian

Monaco v Lyon

Round of 64 matches

Saturday

Grenoble v Montpellier

Colmar v Lille

St Ouen l’Aumone v Sedan

Compiegne v Lens

St Louis Neuweg v Sochaux

Pontivy v Brest

Sunday

Thiers v Nancy

St Etienne v Lorient

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Angers, Antoine Kombouare, banana skin, Beauvais, Bordeaux, bottom club, Cedric Carrasso, claude puel, Europe, Evian, exertions, french cup, french title, full strength, gap, Germain, Grenoble, kim kallstrom, laurent blanc, Ligue 1, Lille, Lorient, Marseille, midweek, Monaco, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Olympiakos, paris saint germain, point cushion, point gap, Rennes, rivals, ST. LOUIS, swede, Ulrich Rame

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PSG: Coupet will return

Paris St Germain have insisted Gregory Coupet’s career will not be ended by his broken ankle. The 36-year-old goalkeeper broke his ankle when he wanted to kick a ball during the match against Auxerre (1-0 win), last Saturday. The goalie will be able to resume training within three months

Coupet’s leg buckled underneath him after he caught his studs in the turf while making an 82nd-minute clearance. Afterwards, PSG feared Coupet’s injury might force him to end his career but the former Olympique Lyon keeper thinks he will be able to return to the pitch in March.

“It was quite a clean break and he is predicting a return to the squad,” club president Robin Leproux told L’Equipe. “He will have to rest for six weeks and then begin his rehabilitation. Gregory has a smile on his lips, he knows the sequence that awaits him.”

Leproux also revealed the club will not look to sign a replacement keeper in the January transfer window and described Coupet’s likely deputy, Armenian Apoula Edel, as a “fantastic goalkeeper”. Coach Antoine Kombouare can also call on 34-year-old Willy Grondin, whom he raided former club Valenciennes to sign early in the season and has labelled “the best (goalkeeping) understudy in Ligue 1″.

Paul Haring

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, broken ankle, clean break, club president, edel, Germain, goalkeeper coach, Gregory, gregory coupet, grondin, last saturday, Ligue 1, Lyon, match, olympique lyon, PARIS, paris st germain, Paul Haring, psg, robin leproux, six weeks, studs, three months, understudy, Willy Grondin

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Review ban upsets Makelele

Paris Saint Germain skipper Claude Makelele hit out Friday at his one-match ban saying it was “unacceptable,” after French football’s disciplinary body turned a yellow card into a suspension.

Makelele said he feared that referees would go after him following a squabble between his coach Antoine Kombouare and a rival over the ability of the 36-year-old former French international midfielder.

“It’s a shame this ban comes now. It’s unacceptable. I just hope there won’t be a Makelele case.”

“I ask refs to referee me the same as anyone. It’s a bit tiring all this,” he added.

Makelele ended up at the disciplinary hearing on Thursday in the aftermath of the spat between Kombouare and Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff.

Kombouare said Gourcuff “deserves a smack in the mouth”, for claiming Makelele was “past it”.

Makelele, who joined PSG from Chelsea in 2008, had been considered fortunate to avoid a red card for a foul on Sigamary Diarra and the disciplinary committee decided to review the case.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: aftermath, Antoine Kombouare, CHELSEA, Christian Gourcuff, Claude Makelele, diarra, disciplinary body, disciplinary committee, disciplinary hearing, french football, Germain, gourcuff, Lorient, midfielder, PARIS, paris saint germain, referee, referees, shame, skipper, spat, squabble, yellow card

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PSG coach threatens rival over Makelele slur

Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouare said that Christian Gourcuff “deserves a smack in the mouth”, after the Lorient manager claimed PSG midfielder Claude Makelele was “past it”.

The Parisians were held to a 1-1 draw at Lorient on Saturday, during which former Real Madrid and Chelsea man Makelele was fortunate to avoid a red card for a foul on Sigamary Diarra in the first half.

Gourcuff, the father of Bordeaux star Yoann, declared afterwards that Makelele was “past it and has no place on a football pitch”, prompting an extraordinary outburst from Kombouare.

“You must respect the man (Makelele) and his career,” Kombouare told RMC radio on Monday.

“Someone needs to stub Christian Gourcuff’s cigar out. I’m very annoyed. You can say what you like about the player but it’s forbidden to attack the man. Christian Gourcuff should talk about football and stop thinking he’s someone else.

“I get the impression that this guy is bitter. Is he worried about something? Excuse me for these words, but in my opinion a guy like this deserves a smack in the mouth.

“I’m really annoyed and I’m making a stand about what Gourcuff said. Furthermore, I’ve left him two messages and he still hasn’t called me back.

“I can understand what he said at the end of the match, that Claude Makelele committed a lot of fouls, that sometimes he pushed things to the limit and that he deserved a red card for what he did to Sigamary Diarra. No problems. When you’re angry you react like that, I speak from experience.

“But I do not accept him attacking the integrity of a player, my player. When he says that he’s past it and has no place on a football pitch, I say ’stop’. He is disrespectful, has gone too far and will have to answer to me. There are things I cannot accept.”

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, Bordeaux, CHELSEA, Christian Gourcuff, cigar, Claude Makelele, diarra, football pitch, fouls, Germain, gourcuff, integrity, Lorient, MADRID, match, midfielder, outburst, PARIS, paris saint germain, parisians, psg coach, radio, real madrid, slur, two messages, Yoann

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Bordeaux streak clear after perfect start

Reigning champions Bordeaux raced two points clear in the French league on Sunday after a 4-0 thrashing of Nice which made it three wins out of three for Laurent Blanc’s men.

With Lyon, seven-time champions between 2002 and 2008, and Paris St Germain having both won on their travels Saturday, the pressure was on Bordeaux to show their class and they did so with a handsome win as goals from Ferreira Jussie, Alou Diarra and a double from Yoann Gourcuff swept Nice aside.

Jussie’s opener on the stroke of half-time set the tone just when it seemed that the Girondins might make heavy weather of the task.

The decision of Gourcuff last season to make his way in France after a spell with AC Milan was a boon for Blanc, who has also in the past week managed to persuade another of the club’s stars, the mercurial Marouane Chamakh, to stay on despite initial from interest first from Arsenal, then West Ham in the English Premier League.

Gourcuff was a huge influence in last year’s title win and he has started with a bang this term with four goals to his name already.

With Marseille on the horizon next week over at the Stade Velodrome, Bordeaux have done themselves a favour by preparing in the best possible fashion with a big win.

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was left overnight to ponder the loss of his club’s first points of the campaign after a 1-1 draw at Rennes following a spate of late missed chances.

“We will have matches like that and Rennes will give many a team a tough game,” said France’s 1998 World Cup-winning captain.

“You have to be realistic. The way the match went it’s a point gained in some respects,” he maintained after his men had to come back from a Jerome Leroy penalty for Rennes on the half hour after Suleimane Diawara had handled in the box.

A close-range volley from Mamadou Niang seven minutes after the restart gave Marseille their goal but Rennes keeper Nicolas Douchez made a series of fine late stops to deny the visitors the chance of going top.

Instead, they share second spot with Lyon and Paris St Germain, seeking only their third title and first since 1994.

Peguy Luyindula’s opener and further goals from Mevlut Erding and Christophe Jallet were enough to keep Antoine Kombouare’s Parisians motoring following a 3-2 win at Valenciennes, for whom Siaka Tiene and Rudy Mater were on target.

Lyon raced past Auxerre 3-0 with Jean-Alain Boumsong, Jean II Makoun and Miralem Pjanic all hitting the net for Claude Puel’s side.

Elsewhere, Nancy lost their early leadership of the table as they slid to a 2-1 loss at modest Le Mans.

Monaco, shocked 4-0 last week at Nancy, got back on track with a 2-0 home win over Lorient and the principality side are now one of four clubs on six points.

One of those is promoted Lens, who won 2-1 at Guingamp on Sunday.

There is no respite meanwhile for Saint Etienne, who slumped at their Geoffroy-Guichard stadium to promoted Boulogne 1-0 for a third loss in as many outings.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, alou diarra, Antoine Kombouare, Bordeaux, Boulogne, Christophe Jallet, claude puel, close range, diawara, didier deschamps, English Premier League, France, french league, Geoffroy-Guichard, Germain, girondins, gourcuff, Ham, heavy weather, jean alain boumsong, Jean II, jerome leroy, laurent blanc, Lorient, Lyon, Mans, marouane chamakh, Marseille, Milan, Monaco, Nancy, Nice, nicolas douchez, PARIS, paris st germain, premier league, Rennes, Rudy Mater, spate, stade velodrome, time champions, west ham

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Double-up Arshavin leads Arsenal to victory

Russian international Andrey Arshavin came off the bench to score twice as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.

All three goals came in the last five minutes.

Cesc Fabregas lofted the ball over to the back post from the right, where Arshavin arrived to volley past Sergio Asenjo.

However, German Pacheco then beat the offside trap to slot in an equaliser with just two minutes left.

In one final twist, Arshavin latched onto a poor backward clearing header from Tomas Ujfalusi to slot the ball in from the tightest of angles.

Arsenal welcomed back Czech winger Tomas Rosicky, who had been out of action for some 18 months with a string of niggling injuries, and his return was a welcome boost for manager Arsene Wenger following the loss of Samir Nasri to a broken leg.

The Spanish side, who started with former Gunner Jose Antonio Reyes in attack and were captained by ex-Manchester United forward Diego Forlan, could yet face Wenger’s men again in competitive action next month in the Champions League play-off.

Earlier, Rangers defeated Paris St Germain 1-0 thanks to a 75th-minute goal from defender Madjid Bougherra.

“I am pleased we did not concede a goal and I am happy with the performance,” said Rangers boss Walter Smith.

“Our goalkeeper (Neil Alexander) did not have a great deal to do but you could also put that down to Paris St Germain not having the sharpness in front of goal.

“The game on Sunday (against Arsenal) will be an interesting one to see how we stand up to that test.”

Smith was boosted by the return of Kevin Thomson who is stepping up his rehabilitation from a cruciate knee injury.

The midfielder suffered ligament damage last November and was not expected to return before this September.

The 24-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and Smith hopes Thomson he will be ready for a full 90 minutes before the end of this month.

“Kevin is back,” said Smith. “But we have to take a little bit of care with him.

“It is part of his rehabilitation that we only want him to do a specific amount of minutes in games.

“But he is on target and hopefully we will have him available for a full 90 minutes before the end of August.”

Paris St Germain coach Antoine Kombouare was disappointed with his team’s lacklustre showing.

“I am not happy because I don’t like to lose,” said Kombouare.

“The team was not really passionate and didn’t show any aggression. They worked hard and we were good in our organisation. But we could not score any goals.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: andrey arshavin, Antoine Kombouare, asenjo, Diego, diego forlan, emirates, final twist, Germain, germain 1, Gunner Jose Antonio Reyes, jose antonio reyes, Kevin, kevin thomson, ligament damage, london, madjid bougherra, MADRID, madrid 2, manager arsene wenger, nasri, neil alexander, niggling injuries, offside trap, PARIS, paris st germain, russian international, Samir Nasri, spanish side, tomas rosicky, tomas ujfalusi, walter smith

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PSG trio return to training

Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouaré has revealed that Guillaume Hoarau, Jérôme Rothen and new signing Mevlut Erding have all resumed training after spells on the sidelines.

Hoarau and Turkish international striker Erding, who signed from Sochaux at the end of June, had both been laid low by injury, while Rothen was suspended for making critical comments about the club in a newspaper interview.

“We’ve got Guillaume Hoarau back, which is a good thing,” said Kombouaré. “Mev [Erding] continues to make progress and I’m equally happy to see him back on the pitch.”

“I’m talking regularly to the medical staff and it’s the same for Jérôme Rothen, who’s ahead of schedule with his physical preparations.”

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, coach, critical comments, Germain, guillaume, Guillaume Hoarau, jerome rothen, Ligue 1, medical staff, PARIS, paris saint germain, physical preparations, pitch, psg, rajput, sidelines, sochaux, spells, striker

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Makelele extends PSG stay

PARIS (AFP) – Paris Saint Germain skipper Claude Makelele confirmed Friday that he has extended his contract with the French first division side until 2010.

“Staying on in Paris was my aim at the end of last season,” explained the 36-year-old former French international midfielder.

“I’m happy to take this decision and I hope that we’re going to achieve an emotion-filled season for the players.”

Makelele’s decision to stay in Paris was cemented by the departure of coach Paul Le Guen, with whom he didn’t see eye to eye, and his replacement by Antoine Kombouare.

He arived in Paris in the summer of 2008 from English side Chelsea.

Tags: aim, Antoine Kombouare, CHELSEA, Claude Makelele, coach paul, emotion, eye to eye, Germain, Ligue 1, midfielder, PARIS, paris saint germain, Paul Le, paul le guen, psg, skipper

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PSG won’t break the bank to sign Vieira

PSG manager Antoine Kombouare, who has confirmed Paris Saint-Germain’s interest in Patrick Vieira, has warned he will not pay too much for the Birmingham target.

The future of the 33-year-old midfielder remains shrouded in doubt as he no longer commands a regular first-team place for Inter Milan.

Some reports suggest Nerazzurri coach Jose Mourinho is ready to offload Vieira this summer and, if that is the case, the former Arsenal man could return home to France or move back to the Premier League, with Birmingham said to be interested.

PSG claim to have held talks with the France captain, who is keen to impress ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa but Kombouare has reiterated that money could be a stumbling block.

When asked by Le Parisien if he would like to sign Vieira, the PSG boss replied: “Of course, but not at any price. I have already made a heavy investment for the club with (Mevlut) Erding and (Gregory) Coupet.”

“The president (Sebastien Bazin) said there would be no more than the budget for recruitment. We will have to sell to finance more.”

Written by: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Antoine Kombouare, arsenal, bazin, Birmingham, boss, budget, France, Germain, Gregory, gregory coupet, inter milan, jose mourinho, Ligue 1, midfielder, Milan, PARIS, paris saint germain, parisien, patrick vieira, premier league, psg, recruitment, sebastien, Sebastien Bazin, Serie A, South Africa, stumbling block, target, world cup finals

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