Brendan Rodgers and Celtic broke Pep Guardiola’s perfect record at Man City with a 3-3 draw in the Champions League group stage. The following is a transcript of Rodgers’ conversation with Guardiola after the match.
Category: DT Exclusive
DT Exclusive: Jose Mourinho’s advice for Mario Balotelli
Jose Mourinho has reportedly met with Mario Balotelli in order to help the 26-year-old striker find a new club (that isn’t Man United). Mourinho coached the unwanted Liverpool playing during his initial rise at Inter and though the two butted heads during their time together, an affinity for each other has endured. The following is a transcript of their conversation.
DT Exclusive: Why Marcelo Bielsa quit Lazio after two days
The enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa quit as Lazio manager just two days after the club officially announced his arrival. This obviously did not please Lazio, as they are now threatening legal action against the Argentine even though they promptly announced Simone Inzaghi (Pippo’s younger brother) would replace him.
For his part, Bielsa says “After four weeks working together with you, we could not sign any of the seven additions in the work program expressly approved by the President Claudio Lotito.” He adds that the club agreed to sign at least four of those players by July 5, but that didn’t happen, either. “For my style of work we needed to have these players arrive in a timely manner to train,” he concludes.
This, however, was not the offense that sent Bielsa over the edge. The following is a transcript of the conversation that ended his 48-hour reign.
DT Exclusive: Pep Guardiola’s attempt to boost Raheem Sterling’s damaged confidence
A pair of underwhelming performances to start Euro 2016 earned Raheem Sterling a place on the bench and an excessive amount of criticism both from the press and social media. This has left the 21-year-old Man City player suffering a crisis of confidence. According to the Guardian, incoming City manager Pep Guardiola made a point to call Sterling in an effort to lift his spirits and reassure him in the midst of a difficult period. The following is a transcript of that conversation.
DT Exclusive: Brendan Rodgers’ first moments as Celtic manager
Brendan Rodgers is Celtic’s new manager, ending a rather productive spell away from the game (boxing! a Times Square marriage proposal! daring fashions!) after he was sacked by Liverpool last October. A lifelong fan of the club, Rodgers seems to be a perfect match for the Scottish champions and has excited their supporters.
The following is a transcript of Brendan Rodgers’ conversation with Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell immediately after signing his new contract.
DT Exclusive: The Jurgen Klopp halftime team talk that inspired a miracle
Liverpool conceded two goals in the first 10 minutes of the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund, replacing the melodically vibrant pre-match unity at Anfield with a familiar gust of dejection. The scoreline held until halftime and Dortmund’s progression seemed like a foregone conclusion, but then something incredible happened. Liverpool scored four times in the second half, with the last two goals coming from Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren, of all people, to win 4-3 and advance on an aggregate score of 5-4.
The Liverpool players later credited the unbelievable turnaround to Jurgen Klopp’s halftime team talk. The following is a transcript of what Klopp told his players in the dressing room during the break.
DT Exclusive: Cristiano Ronaldo’s apology to his teammates
Cristiano Ronaldo sparked outrage when he told reporters after Real Madrid’s loss to Atletico that “If we were all at my level, maybe we would be leaders.” He later clarified that comment by saying that he was talking about his injury plagued teammates’ level of fitness and not their level of play and now it has been revealed that he apologized directly to them via WhatsApp. The following is a transcript of that conversation.
DT Exclusive: Eden Hazard’s apology texts to Jose Mourinho
In an interview with the Guardian, Eden Hazard has revealed that he texted former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to apologize for his poor form and the role it played in the Portuguese’s sacking. The following is a transcript of that text exchange.
DT Exclusive: Jurgen Klopp’s visit to Brendan Rodgers’ house
Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he had Jurgen Klopp, the man who replaced him as Liverpool manager this season, over to his house for a friendly chat when the German first took the job.
“Whatever help he needed going into the job as manager, I was there for that,” Rodgers told BeIN Sports.
The following is a transcript of that chat.
DT Exclusive: Javier Mascherano trades Barca secrets to avoid prison sentence
Javier Mascherano was given a suspended sentence of one year in prison and a fine of €815,000 after pleading guilty to tax evasion in Spain. According to the Telegraph, “prison sentences for under two years in Spain can be suspended in exchange for a fine, so long as the crime is non-violent and the perpetrator has no previous convictions, and the Argentine is not expected to serve any time in jail.”
The state attorney has yet to agree to this sentence, however, so while they await that decision, the two sides have met to discuss a deal to ensure Mascherano’s freedom. The following is a transcript of that conversation.