Soccer

The goalkeeper’s agent insists the Premier League club have been watching the 24-year-old, but multiple sources at the German side say they will not be selling him Hannover insist they have no interest in selling goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler to Liverpool, after the player’s agent stated that the Premier League side had “cast an eye” on him. With Victor Valdes set to leave Barcelona this summer, speculation has been mounting that the Spanish champions have been looking at Pepe Reina as a possible replacement. With that in mind, Zieler’s agent Gunther Neuhaus told Bild: “They [Liverpool] have cast an eye on Ron.” However, people at various levels of the Bundesliga side say they will not entertain any offers for Zieler. “We wouldn’t even think about it,” stated coach Mirko Slomka. “Zieler is a fantastic keeper. It’s normal that he is in the focus. I’ve been wondering why no other club tried to sign him.” Club president Martin Kind added: “Zieler will stay. We don’t need the money, we want [to] further [his] development at Hannover 96.” Meanwhile, sporting director Dirk Dufner stated: “We have no interest in selling him. We are not worried because we are totally in charge.” Rumours suggested that there was a condition in Zieler’s contract – which runs until 2015 – that would allow him to leave for a fee of €8 million (£6.8m). However, that is said to have expired on May 1.

• Germany international tore cruciate ligament in right knee• Surgery will keep 24-year-old out for 10 monthsThe Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber faces up to 10 months on the sidelines but should play again after undergoing surgery on a serious knee injury for the second time in six months, the Champions League finalists said on Wednesday.The Germany international tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee last week as he was rehabilitating from an identical injury suffered in early December.The latest setback means the 24-year-old faces a race against time to be fit for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with Germany well on course to qualify."Holger Badstuber underwent surgery on Monday [in the United States]," the club said in a statement. "Doctors estimate he will be out for 10 months. His professional career is not in danger."Badstuber had missed more than half of the current campaign with the initial injury he sustained in a Bundesliga match against fellow finalists Borussia Dortmund.Bayern, who won the Bundesliga title this season, take on Dortmund in an all-German Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday.Bayern MunichEuropean club footballChampions Leagueguardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

By Chris Wright In today’s installment of “Chelsea sprogs being diabetes-inducingly cute” – which is rapidly becoming a series in its own right on Pies –  here’s L’il Leo Torres (the fruit of Papa Fernando’s loins) seeing his commanding surge into the area shut down by wee Damian Cech, who gets down and makes the kind of save his old man has built a career on… Awwwww. Like chips off the old block. Any more of this and we’ll slip into some kind of cuteness coma. (Via Tumblr)

Qingdao Jonoon ( 5 – 2 ) Harbin Yiteng , CHN on The 22nd of May, 2013 at half past ten Podcast:

Changchun Yatai ( 1 – 0 ) Henan Jianye FC , CHN on The 22nd of May, 2013 at twenty five past ten Podcast:

It's time to take a look at the right and wrong calls of our writers and readers from our pre-season prediction blogsFootball is notoriously unpredictable – ask the experts – but, Guardian readers performed admirably in the pre-season polls we set last summer. Readers and our writers both predicted which clubs would finish in the top four correctly, with 35% of readers rightly anticipating that Manchester United would win the league.Two of the three relegated teams were identified, but readers did not spot the forthcoming meltdown at Loftus Road. Only 17% of voters thought QPR would go down, with more forecasting doom for Southampton, Norwich City, Swansea and West Bromwich Albion. In Mark Hughes they trusted; big mistake.Despite thinking that QPR would be safe, some voters thought Hughes would be shown the door early on. A quarter of respondents were right to predict that his former Chelsea team-mate, Roberto Di Matteo, would be the first manager sacked. Hughes and Di Matteo left their jobs in west London in the same week back in November, but the other managers to be lined up for the sack – Steve Clarke, André Villas-Boas and Sam Allardyce – are still going strong.Manchester City players dominated the potential players of the season list, with Sergio Agüero and Yaya Touré collecting most votes. Gareth Bale – the eventual winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards – received only five per cent of the vote. Robin van Persie, who scored the goals that took the Premier League trophy to Old Trafford, was backed by just six per cent of voters.Van Persie fared better in the signing of the season category, where he came third, behind Santi Cazorla and Shinji Kagawa. The 94% of voters who did not vote for Joe Allen can be very proud. Of course, predicting football can be ahem, a tricky business. Most of our writers thought the Premier League trophy would end up in Manchester (wrong team), but the relegation places were up for grabs. No fewer than 10 teams were tipped for the drop, but only Scott Murray thought QPR could be heading to the Championship. Our apologies, especially, to Southampton and Norwich.The writers fared better in the managerial sack race, with Roberto Di Matteo hoovering up a respectable number of votes. Paul Doyle, Scott Murray and Daniel Taylor excelled in the signing of the summer category, picking out Michu from the crowd.Here is how the Guardian writers (collectively) expected the Premier League table to look by the end of the season (actual positions in brackets):1) Manchester City (2)2) Manchester United (1)3) Chelsea (3)4) Arsenal (4)5) Tottenham Hotspur (5)6) Liverpool (7)7) Newcastle United (16)8) Everton (6)9) Sunderland (17)10) Fulham (12)11) Queens Park Rangers (20)12) Aston Villa (15)13) West Bromwich Albion (8)14) Stoke City (13)15) West Ham (10)16) Swansea City (9)17) Wigan Athletic (18)18) Norwich City (11)19) Reading (19)20) Southampton (14)Here are the full results from the polls; bask in (some of) your collective genius:Who will win the Premier League this season?35% Manchester United29% Manchester City13% Arsenal7% Chelsea5% LiverpoolWho will be relegated from the Premier League?45% Reading38% Southampton35% Wigan Athletic33% Norwich City23% West Bromwich Albion22% Swansea City17% QPR7% Stoke6% Aston VillaWho will be the first Premier League manager to be sacked?25% Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea)13% Steve Clarke (West Bromwich Albion)11% Mark Hughes (QPR)11% André Villas-Boas (Tottenham Hotspur)8% Sam Allardyce (West Ham United)Who will be the best Premier League signing of the summer?31% Santi Cazorla19% Shinji Kagawa14% Robin van Persie7% Eden Hazard7% Fabio Borini7% Lukas Podolski6% Oscar6% Joe AllenWho will be player of the season in the Premier League?19% Sergio Agüero19% Yaya Touré13% Luis Suárez12% Wayne Rooney8% David Silva7% Fernando Torres6% Robin van Persie5% Gareth Bale5% Carlos Tevez5% Eden HazardGuardian readers:

By Chris Wright ‘Tis very much the season for kit launches and Manchester City are the latest to parade their wares for next season, traveling Stateside (where they now have major business concerns) to unveil their smart new Nike home strip for 2013/14 ahead of a post-season friendly against Chelsea in St Louis, Missouri, on Thursday… Having replaced Umbro as their suppliers, City’s new kit deal with Nike is reported to be worth around £72 million (£12 million per annum over the next six years). Reckon they’re getting their money’s worth with their new togs? It looks very bloody similar to the 2012/13 strip to our untrained, Luddite eyes. (Via MCFC Official)

Shanghai Shenxin F.C. ( 2 – 0 ) Hunan Billows Fc , CHN on The 22nd of May, 2013 at twenty past ten Podcast:

England and Birmingham's Rachel Unitt will miss the rest of the season and Euro 2013 through serious knee injury.

Liaoning Hongyun FC ( 1 – 1 ) Shenyang Shenbei , CHN on The 22nd of May, 2013 at ten past ten Podcast: