Pep Guardiola’s strict diet and weight rules, Jose’s demanding training schedule, Neymar making breakfast, Zlatan’s next move, and more.
Here comes today’s edition of Paper Talk.
PEP’S FAT CAMP
New Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has imposed his strict dietary discipline on the club in a similar vein to his reigns at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
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READ NOWIn an effort to make sure his players are as fit as possible for the new season, Guardiola demands that players meet strict weight limits, with those that fail to do so banished from
the first-team squad until they shape up. The Spaniard has also banned certain foods and drinks from his players’ diet.
The Daily Mail reports that 29-year-old Samir Nasri is one player Guardiola has ordered to diet before he can rejoin his teammates.
“You often hear managers say being healthy is really important,” City defender Gael Clichy told the Daily Mail. “With him, if your weight is too high you’re not training with the team. That’s the first thing.
“You have to know that if your weight is 60 kilos and you are on 70 kilos, then you cannot play football because you’re going to get injured and get your team in trouble. That’s important.
“He cut out some juice and, of course, pizza and all the heavy food is not allowed. Some people think that’s normal, but in truth it’s not always like this. I know because I’ve been playing football for a long time. It’s really refreshing and very exciting.”
THE JOSE REGIME
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is imposing his own strict training regime on his players, making them front up for training at 6.30am on Tuesday morning... just two hours after they landed back in England following their chaotic pre-season tour of China.
Mourinho reportedly adjusted the team’s training schedule after their match with Manchester City at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium was called off barely five hours before kick off.
Despite the tight turnaround for his no doubt weary men, Mourinho was full of praise for his players, saying: “They are a great group of boys and the intensity of the session shows they are very professional in their outlook.”
DI MARIA KICKING IT
Talk about being a dead ball specialist. PSG man Angel Di Maria has warmed up for the French side’s pre-season clash with Real Madrid by shooting a football from one boat to another. Check this out!
NEYMAR COOKING
We’re almost certain this isn’t how Neymar cooks breakfast but it’s still a neat little trick.
ZLATAN’S NEXT MOVE
We know that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has just signed with Manchester United after a long ‘will they, won’t they’ transfer saga, but that hasn’t stopped the Swede talking about his next move.
And that move could be to the MLS, with interest from David Beckham’s mooted Miami franchise.
Ibrahimovic said: “I am not ruling out the MLS. Once I had decided to leave PSG there were many offers, but with Zlatan that is normal.
“I know that teams from the MLS were interested, but the opportunity to play for Manchester United, and of course to work with my good friend Jose Mourinho again, was impossible to turn down.
“I have a contract with Manchester United, but I feel in great shape. I feel as though I could play until I am 40. It is impossible to predict the future.”
On the potential link up with Beckham’s side, Ibrahimovic said: “David is a good friend of mine, and he has asked me to play for his team. For now, I want to achieve big things with Manchester United, but I have a lot of respect for the MLS, and anything is possible.”
‘ARE YOU HAVING A LAUGH?’
It’s transfer season, and while many deals do get done, there is a lot of rubbish out there to sift through. Just ask Helsingborgs striker Jordan Larsson, who has taken to Twitter to shoot down one particularly ridiculous (in his eyes at least) rumour.
You see, Jordan is the son of former Sweden striker Henrik Larsson, who scored 174 goals in seven seasons while playing for Scottish giants Celtic.
Henrik Larsson is a Celtic legend, and Jordan took a bit of exception to being linked with the Glasgow side’s bitter rivals Rangers:
It seems that people weren’t ‘having a laugh’ with some fans likely taken aback by his Rangers ‘snub’, leading to Jordan to tweet the following:
GET OFF THE COUCH
The English FA have urged former England players to stop taking the “easy option” of work as TV pundits and to lend their experience and support to Sam Allardyce’s new-look coaching regime.
Several former England players have reportedly been approached about working through their UEFA badges with a view to taking positions within the national team set-up, but it appears the lucrative salaries on offer in TV land are too good to pass up.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “There’s a pathway should they choose it. It’s just the alternative seems more interesting, more fun, more lucrative.
“If you can earn millions being a pundit it’s a lot less pressured than it is running a team.
“I know Gary Lineker quite well, and the last thing he would want to do is be a manager. You have to be a bit more creative about how you tap into them. There is a pathway.
We’ve got a great facility here to get your UEFA A and B coaching badges and the rest.”
Gary Neville was an assistant under Roy Hodgson, while Rio Ferdinand, Phil Neville, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher are others who have worked with England’s development teams.
MORE SILVERWARE FOR GIGGS
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs is still picking up trophies at the ripe old age of 42, leading the Mumbai 5s to Premier Futsal title in India.
Mumbai needed penalties to see off a Kochi side featuring former Real Madrid man Michel Salgado. Both Giggs and Salgado missed their penalties in a shootout, which ended in a 3-2 win for Mumbai after the match had finished 1-1.
The title adds to the 34 major trophies and countless individual awards Gigs won during his illustrious career. The Welshman currently finds himself out of work following his departure from United, where he had bee coaching the past few seasons.
SPORTING SIGN CANCER PATIENT
Finally today,a lovely gesture from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon, who have signed a
five year-old cancer patient as their 12th man for next season.
The story of Francisco, a massive Sporting fan, has inspired many and the Portuguese giants wanted to recognise the youngster’s bravery.
Club President Bruno de Carvalho said: “We have the pleasure of signing Francisco, whose job it is to kick off the first match of the season.
“He is the big signing of the night. He is a big name who will show everyone what Sporting is all about. The club is 110 years old and it is with people like Francisco that we will easily last another 110.”