Wales manager Chris Coleman said players of Gareth Bale’s calibre are driven by a desire to achieve success on the grandest stage of the world football and not the financial aspects of the game.
The 27-year-old has penned an extravagant new deal with Real Madrid with media reports suggesting the influential winger will earn a weekly wage of £600,000 on his new six-year contract.
“He’s not driven by that financial thing of earning so many millions,” Coleman said.
“What he wants to do is win the Champions League again, win La Liga, do well again with Wales, go on and get 50 goals for Wales or 100 caps.”
Zidane laments Real’s carelessness
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane cursed his side’s carelessness after the European champions threw away a two-goal lead against Legia Warsaw and needed a late equaliser from Mateo Kovacic to salvage a 3-3 draw at an empty stadium on Wednesday.
“When you score two goals away from home you normally have things under control but in the end we let our opponents back into the game,” Zidane said.
“Once they got the first goal back it became difficult for us. We lacked everything: intensity, movement, enthusiasm. The good thing is we didn’t lose.”
London Stadium boss Edmonds quits
The boss of the London Stadium has resigned after an inquiry was opened into the soaring costs to the taxpayer to run the venue.
David Edmonds, the chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation which is responsible for the running of the city’s Olympic Park and how the facilities are used following the 2012 Games, has quit his post.
The announcement comes after London mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Tuesday evening that he had ordered an investigation into the rising bill for converting the London Stadium for use by West Ham amid concerns that taxpayers will be saddled with the costs for years to come.
‘Impulsive’ Xhaka worries Arsenal boss
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted he is concerned by Granit Xhaka’s disciplinary record ahead of Sunday’s north London derby at home to Tottenham.
Xhaka, 24, has picked up eight red cards for club and country since April 2014 and is returning from a domestic ban following his dismissal in last month’s 3-2 win over Swansea.
“Am I bit concerned? Yes, of course,” he said when asked if Xhaka’s record was an issue.
“Normally he is a very composed and calm guy. Sometimes on the field he has a reaction that is a bit impulsive and he knows that. He has to work on that and keep control of his reactions in the game.”
Schmeichel suffers fractured hand
Leicester City will be without Kasper Schmeichel for an extended spell after the goalkeeper fractured his hand during Wednesday night’s goalless draw with FC Copenhagen, the Premier League club said yesterday.
The Denmark international picked up the injury in the first half of the Group G encounter in Copenhagen, but played on regardless, helping his team become the first in Champions League history to keep clean sheets in their first four games.
Second-choice keeper Ron-Robert Zieler is likely to start in goal against West Bromwich Albion in the league on Sunday.
Carroll survives gunpoint ordeal
Slaven Bilic thinks Andy Carroll is a “really brave man” after the West Ham striker’s gunpoint ordeal.
Carroll was targeted by armed motorcyclists who confronted him at a junction and attempted to rob him as he drove home from training on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old sped off and was pursued through the streets as he returned to West Ham’s Rush Green headquarters to seek the help of security staff.
“He was brave because they asked for his watch with a gun, and he put the pedal down and he didn’t want to give him the watch,” Bilic said.
“He got chased for 15 or 20 minutes, it wasn’t like 10 seconds, so it was probably planned.”
Aubameyang banned … for 24 hours
Borussia Dortmund suspended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for 24 hours for “internal reasons” just prior to their Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday evening.
The Gabon international, the Bundesliga club’s top-scorer this season with seven goals, was expected to start the game but was dropped from the squad only hours before kick-off.
“We totally expect there to be a lot of speculation now, but internal means internal,” said Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, confirming to Sky Deutschland that Aubameyang had been suspended “until Thursday (yesterday)”.
Adrian Ramos started in Aubameyang’s place, and scored after 12 minutes.