The Spanish side face the Gunners in the semi-finals of the competition and Simeone expects them to be evenly matched Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says he is learning more than ever this season and expects another examination of his managerial abilities from Arsene Wenger. The Rojiblancos were drawn against Arsenal in the Europa League semi-finals on Friday having narrowly ousted Sporting CP in the previous round. The 2-1 aggregate victory put them within touching distance of a third appearance in the competition’s final in the space of nine seasons, Simeone having masterminded victory in 2012. Article continues below Editors' Picks Juve on alert: Exiled Icardi may have already played his final game for Inter…

Juanfran and Filipe Luis are the latest Atletico players to be sidelined, but the Colchoneros coach insists that they can still fight on two fronts Atletico Madrid are equipped to compete in LaLiga and the Europa League despite their mounting injury list, according to head coach Diego Simeone. A hamstring injury to Juanfran and the broken leg Filipe Luis suffered on Thursday are the latest misfortunes to befall the team, who were already without strikers Diego Costa and Kevin Gameiro, as well as defender Stefan Savic and goalkeeper Jan Oblak, for the 5-1 victory at Lokomotiv Moscow last time out. Some of those players are in contention to return for…

Chasing a dream farewell for their manager, Gunners are likely to find a familiar foe in the former Chelsea man when they take on Atletico Madrid Arsene Wenger is wary of the impact Diego Costa might have upon Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid and called on his team to limit the influence of the former Chelsea striker. Costa remained an unused substitute during the 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium last week having just recovered from a hamstring injury. The Spain international completed an hour before making way for match-winner Kevin Gameiro in Sunday’s 1-0 La Liga win at Alaves and is favourite to partner first-leg goalscorer Antoine…

The former Chelsea forward has damaged a hamstring but his club have not put a time frame on his recovery Atletico Madrid have confirmed striker Diego Costa suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sporting CP. The Spain international was withdrawn in the second half of the 1-0 quarter-final second-leg loss to the Portuguese side in Lisbon and was sent for further tests. “After undergoing medical exams this Friday, April 13, he has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury to his left leg,” Atleti confirmed in a statement via their official website. Article continues below Editors' Picks Juve on alert: Exiled Icardi may have already played his final…

Stockholm will be the setting for Manchester United’s clash against Ajax, with a place in next season’s Champions League the prize for the winner Ajax will make their return to a continental final 21 years after they last played for the European Cup when they face Manchester United in the Europa League finale in Stockholm. The 33-time Dutch champions have not reached this stage of a European competition since 1996, when they were defeated by Juventus in the Champions League final with a famous young team that included stars such as Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert. Mou: United want trophies, not top four Editors' Picks Juve on alert:…

Click:duplex stainless steel ball valve The Gunners boss has been backed by a group of fans from around the world who believe the Frenchman deserves more respect A group of Arsenal fans from around the world have teamed up to show their support for under-fire manager Arsene Wenger – by arranging a ‘respect’ banner to be displayed at Emirates Stadium. Wenger’s side sit 12 points off fourth-placed Liverpool with eight games left of the Premier League season, but have impressed in their last two matches including victory over AC Milan in the Europa League last-16 first-leg clash. Large numbers of Arsenal fans have called for the long-serving Frenchman to leave…

The Ajax midfielder said some of the “sparkle” has been taken away from the showpiece due to the attacks on Monday Lasse Schone says the attacks in Manchester particularly resonated with him as his wife and child attended an Ariana Grande concert in Amsterdam just two weeks ago. On Monday, a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured another 59 at Manchester Arena following a concert by the American pop star. Barca target Valverde exits Athletic Editors' Picks Juve on alert: Exiled Icardi may have already played his final game for Inter Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro impress in Spurs win Magnificent Mane takes centre stage as…

Click:dog lover wedding gift The shot-stopper has been a perennial substitute at club level and it may cost him his Albiceleste place under new coach Jorge Sampaoli COMMENT Sergio Romero is one of the great survivors of modern football. Five Argentina coaches have come and gone since the hulking goalkeeper made his debut back in September 2009, while Romero himself has crisscrossed Europe in his quest for first-team action, with spells in the Netherlands, Italy, France and, for the last two seasons, England with Manchester United. There are only two constants from that turbulent period: The 30-year-old shot-stopper failing to find a regular starting role and his place in the national…

The Gunners must overcome La Liga opposition to keep their European dreams alive, with Marseille facing Red Bull Salzburg in the other last-four tie Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-finals, with Marseille paired with Red Bull Salzburg in the other last-four encounter. With the Gunners having slipped out of contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League, continental glory is now required in order to rejoin the Champions League elite. Like Manchester United in 2017, Arsenal are having to prioritise European football over their domestic endeavours in an effort to secure a seat at the top table. Article continues below Editors' Picks Juve on alert:…

Arsenal’s only realistic passage to next season’s Champions League is to win the Europa League – but Wenger’s situation remains unchanged Ahead of Thursday’s first leg at the Emirates, Arsene Wenger will be quietly confident of guiding his Arsenal team past CSKA Moscow in the Europa League quarter-finals. However, while the Russians are relying on a backline with the combined age of 108, they also boast big names like goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and highly-rated youngster Aleksandr Golovin. After beating Lyon in the round of 32, Viktor Goncharenko’s side are certainly no slouches and shouldn’t be taken lightly. So, if Arsenal were be knocked out by CSKA, could Wenger be sacked by…