Reports are emerging that Freiburg and Ajax are interested in signing Argentina international Nicolas TAGLIAFICO.
A report by German media outlet Kicker states that Independiente have received an offer for their captain with a possible transfer being done in the upcoming transfer window in January. The offer is reportedly in the region of 3 million.
Nicolas TAGLIAFICO linked to Freiburg
“Freiburg pointing to an Argentine initernational: They’ve made an offer worth 3 million Euro’s for Nicolas TAGLIAFICO.”
However, Freiburg aren’t the only club rumored to be interested in signing the 25 year old. Ajax of the Netherlands have also shown interest in signing the defender. At the moment, it remains to be seen whether or not Independiente will sell their star player.
Javier MASCHERANO will be joining Chinese club Hebei Fortune.
The midfielder turned defender’s move to Hebei Fortune has been confirmed. According to several reports, an agreement has been reached between FC Barcelona and MASCHERANO’s agent. Jefecito would join the Chinese club in January.
Javier will join fellow Argentinian Ezequiel LAVEZZI at the club with coach Manuel PELLEGRINI. Argentina’s number 14 first joined the Catalan club back in summer 2010 following a move from English Premier League club Liverpool. Amassing over 300 matches for Barcelona, Masche managed to score one goal throughout his career in Spain. Since joining them in 2010, he has won no less than 17 trophies with the Catalan’s (of those 17 came a treble back in 2015).
Mauro ICARDI, Federico FAZIO and Rodrigo DE PAUL all scored on the weekend for their clubs.
The Serie A standings are as tight as it can get. The top four teams are all separated by four points. Gabriel BATISTUTA’s former team AS Roma sit fourth at 38 points, Mauro ICARDI’s Inter occupy the third spot on 40 points, reigning Serie A champions Juventus (lead by Gonzalo HIGUAIN and Paulo DYBALA) are sitting in second place on 41 points while Diego MARADONA’s former team lead the league on 42 points.
Inter’s undefeated run finally came to an end on the weekend as they lost at home 1-3 to Udinese. The visitors took the lead in the 14th minute but Mauro ICARDI netted just a minute later to draw level. The decisive goal came from another Argentinian as Rodrigo DE PAUL scored a penalty in the 61st minute before BARAK sealed the victory in the 77th minute.
AS Roma’s Federico FAZIO scored in the 94th minute to give his team a dramatic 1-0 victory against Cagliari. FAZIO’s goal came off a set piece but not off a towering header which you would expect. Instead, Federico in a poacher style, got on to a loose ball in the area to score. One player who must feel releaved is fellow compatriot Diego PEROTTI who had missed a penalty earlier in the match.
Hey guys, Independiente have won the Copa Sudamericana last night!
The “Rey de Copas” or the “King of Cups” deservedly won 3-2 last night on aggregate. It was their second Copa Sudamericana title.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Argentina last week and with support from more than 54,000 fans in an overflowing Maracana, Flamengo striker Lucas Paqueta opened the scoring in the 29th minute from a low cross by defender Rever. Just minutes later, a disputed penalty allowed midfielder Ezequiel BARCO to equalize.
Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan issued seven yellow cards, four of them to Independiente players, all in the last 17 minutes of regulation time. Flamengo have had to play without striker Paolo Guerrero, who has been suspended by FIFA after failing an anti-doping test.
Independiente midfielder Ezequiel BARCO said the Copa Sudamericana opens a new era for the club. They are the biggest winner of the Copa Libertadores with seven titles, but the last one was in distant 1984. No side has lifted the Sudamericana on more occasions than Independiente, though Boca Juniors have also triumphed twice, while the Avellaneda (of Buenos Aires) based club’s seven Copa Libertadores titles are unparalleled.
On their way to the title, the Sudamericana champions eliminated Argentina’s Atletico Tucuman and Paraguay’s Nacional and Libertad until they met Flamengo in the final.
Barco, one of the best players of the tournament, is leaving the club to play in MLS for Atlanta. He is likely to have played his last match for Independiente at the Maracana.
BARCO of Independiente
“I never imagined I could leave Independiente, but now all I want to do is to celebrate this title and thank fans for their support all those years.”
Franco DI SANTO and Sergio AGUERO both found the back of the net for their clubs on Tuesday night.
Schalke’s number 9 and Argentina international Franco DI SANTO scored his second goal of the season in his club’s 3-2 win against Augsburg. The win sends Schalke into second place in the German Bundesliga table. DI SANTO’s goal came on the stroke of half time in the 44th minute with a lovely back heel flick passed the goalkeeper. Per the Bundesliga’s report, this match marked DI SANTO’s 100th appearance in the Bundesliga.
As a throwback Thursday side note, Franco’s goal came in the same stadium as Argentina’s 2-1 victory against the Ivory Coast at the 2006 FIFA World Cup when Hernan CRESPO and Javier SAVIOLA netted for Argentina.
In the Premier League, Sergio AGUERO scored a goal himself in City’s 4-0 victory way to Swansea. AGUERO scored City’s fourth of the match. Manchester City maintain their lead at the top of the league. The goal takes AGUERO into third place in the Premier League goal scorers list for the season. Here are the top four:
Mohamed SALAH (Liverpool), 13 goals
Harry KANE (Tottenham), 12 goals
Sergio AGUERO (Manchester City), 10 goals
Wayne ROONEY (Everton), 9 goals
