Fink sings van der Vaart´s praises

Former Argentinian international captain Juan Pablo Sorin had his contract paid off on Tuesday to the tune of a million euros by Bundesliga side Hamburg.

The 31-year-old scorer of 12 goals in 76 international appearances was due to see out his contract which ran till 2009 but after playing just 24 times since he arrived from Spanish side Villarreal in 2006, the German club decided it was best to call it time.

Another stage of my life is about to begin, said Sorin, who was one of the highest paid players at Hamburg.

I am going to prepare myself to play again and have fun on the pitch.

Sorin, who also had a spell with French giants Paris Saint Germain, claimed that he had received several offers from unspecified clubs.

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Luis Enrique has praised the form and character shown by Claudio Bravo following the goalkeeper s departure from Barcelona to Manchester City.

The Chile international on Thursday moved for an initial fee of €18million to the Etihad Stadium, where he is expected to become first choice under former Barca head coach Pep Guardiola.

Bravo spent just two years at Camp Nou, having moved to the Catalan giants from Real Sociedad in 2014, but it was a glittering spell for the 33-year-old, who won two LaLiga titles and the Champions League among a haul of eight trophies.

Addressing the media ahead of the match away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, Luis Enrique expressed his gratitude for the contribution of Bravo.

In something of an unconventional arrangement, the fo…

Kai Havertz has all the qualities to be world class but was always likely to need time to settle in at Chelsea, according to Bayer Leverkusen s sporting director Simon Rolfes.  

The Blues spent a reported £72million (€80m) to bring the Germany international from Leverkusen in September, yet he has so far struggled to justify the hefty price tag.  

The attacking midfielder was one of several big-money signings during a busy close-reason recruitment drive, with compatriot Timo Werner   who arrived from RB Leipzig   also enduring a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge. 

Havertz has managed five goals and five assists, as well as 23 chances created (1.4 per 90 minutes) and five big chances created (0.3 per 90) in 25…

Villarreal s Champions League hopes suffered another setback on Sunday as they drew 0-0 with 10-man Valladolid.

Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi missed a penalty just after the hour mark, with Inaki Bea sent off for conceding the spot-kick, and it proved costly for Villarreal who have collected four points from the last 15.

They are level on points with joint fourth-placed Atletico Madrid and Valencia, but the latter have a game in hand.

Without injured skipper Marcos Senna and creative winger Santi Cazorla, who is out for the season, Villarreal lacked a cutting edge and Rossi will hope he does not rue the penalty miss at the end of the season.

Manuel Pellegrini s side have a tough run-in to get into the Champions League with four out of their last five ma…

West Brom head coach Steve Clarke has admitted that striker Peter Odemwingie is likely to leave the club at the end of the season.

Odemwingie has courted plenty of controversy this season, having tried to force through a move to QPR on transfer deadline day before insulting the club in a series of twitter comments.

The Nigeria international has expressed a desire to leave the club and his relationship with the fans appears to have completely broken down, with the forward roundly booed at The Hawthorns.

And Clarke conceded that it is highly unlikely the 31-year-old will still be a part of his first-team next season.

His future will be decided in the summer, Clarke said. Do I think he will be a West Brom player next season? No I don t.

I don t do …

Alan Dzagoev has returned to training ahead of Russia s World Cup quarter-final against Croatia and insists he is ready to play in Sochi on Sunday.

The 28-year-old midfielder has not featured for Stanislav Cherchesov s side since he suffered a hamstring injury after 24 minutes of Russia s 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the World Cup, a game where his replacement Denis Cheryshev scored twice.

He was an unused substitute during the penalty shoot-out victory over Spain in the round of 16, and missed Russia s training session on Wednesday with back muscle problems, but he told reporters he is ready to return to the starting 11 if selected.

It was an old injury, the back, I trained today, Dzagoev said on Thursday. I m ready for the game.

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I watched two very different games over the weekend. Firstly I watched Arsenal throw away a two goal lead at West Ham to draw 2-2. The second game I watched was Barcelona s 6-1 hammering of Real Zaragoza in the Nou Camp.

Similar styles

In an article I wrote earlier this season I compared Arsenal s style of play to the European champions. I also wrote in that article that the Gunners don t quite have the same quality of player. On their day the Gunners attacking play is almost as good as the Spanish sides but they just lack a key component.

Difference

The big difference between the two sides is the ruthlessness that Barcelona possess. Arsenal have this tendency to shot themselves in the foot. Their soft underbelly or glass-chin as one commentator called it ha…

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich is adamant he does not miss Pep Guardiola regardless of the Spaniard s role in his development last term.

Kimmich quickly grew into an important first-team member at Bayern under Guardiola in 2015-16, with the current Manchester City manager at one point even describing their relationship as one between a father and his son.

The 21-year-old Kimmich has downplayed Guardiola s influence on his career, though, while speaking highly of Carlo Ancelotti.

I do not miss Guardiola. This is simply the way things go in football, Kimmich told AZ.

I had a coach at Leipzig as well who really helped me improve, Alexander Zorniger. It is not a bad thing for a player to have a number of coaches, because that will teach you diffe…

What the papers say

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted he expects key midfield duo Moises Caicedo, 21, and Alexis Mac Allister, 24, to leave the club this summer, the Metro reports. It comes despite the Seagulls’ 3-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday boosting their hopes of European football next season.

The same paper writes that Chelsea’s incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino is targeting four signings in his first summer in charge, including a “sensational swoop” for Tottenham striker Harry Kane. West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, Brighton’s Mac Allister and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez are also reportedly on his wish list.

Elsewhere, the Sun reports Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst is planning to hold talks with Burnley manager Vincent K…