Champions League final: Liverpool dealt pre-match blow as AZ Alkmaar snub friendly with Reds ahead of Tottenham clash

Champions League final: Liverpool dealt pre-match blow as AZ Alkmaar snub friendly with Reds ahead of Tottenham clash
Liverpool’s hopes of playing a friendly before the Champions League final have been dashed, according to reports in the Netherlands.Jurgen Klopp hoped to prepare for the June 1 showpiece in Madrid by keeping his playing squad fresh with a pre-match fixture against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.Getty2

Klopp wants to guide Liverpool to Champions League success after missing out on the Premier League title

However, Dutch sources say Alkmaar told Liverpool to ‘abandon’ the plans as much of their first-team squad will be on holiday, as they have no more football to play with their 2018/19 campaign ending earlier this week.The Alkmaar players not sent on holiday will be representing their countries on the international stage, to further decimate the Eredivise outfit’s squad.Liverpool wanted to play the friendly in Spain roughly a week before the final, the reports claim.The Reds take on Tottenham at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium in a bid to be crowned European champions for the sixth time. Both clubs have criticised UEFA over the governing body’s decision to allocate just 16,613 tickets apiece for the showpiece fixture, despite Atleti’s ground holding almost 64,000 spectators.Liverpool group Spirit of Shankly and the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust have issued a statement asking commercial partners to gift tickets back to the clubs.The statement read: “Spirit of Shankly and Tottenham Hotspur supporters’ Trust – the independent official fan groups of LFC and THFC – are calling on the main sponsors of the UEFA Champions League to return a proportion of the tickets they have received for the Champions League final to the pot for supporters of both clubs.

LIVE ON talkSPORT

talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2...

• Portsmouth vs Sunderland (Thursday, 7:45pm) talkSPORT 2
• Charlton vs Doncaster (Friday, 7:45pm) talkSPORT 2
• Manchester City vs Watford (Saturday, 5pm) talkSPORT

“We ask Nissan, Playstation, Gazprom, PepsiCo, Banco Santander, Mastercard, Heineken and Expedia Group to help redress the balance in the current unfair allocation that means fans of both competing clubs receive less than 25 per cent of available tickets.“As major sponsors of the UEFA Champions League, your companies appreciate the passion and dedication of the fans who follow their teams and make every game a spectacle.“But many of those fans who have followed their club throughout this season will miss out on the biggest game of all. As will thousands more loyal supporters.getty2

The Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid will host the Champions League final

“SOS and THST believe such a gesture by the sponsors would help lift the occasion by increasing the number of passionate fans inside the stadium, and increase each brand’s standing on a global scale.“We also ask that each sponsor lobbies UEFA to allocate tickets for future finals on a fairer, more equitable spilt that has supporters benefit.”

---

Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona: How has Jurgen Klopp fared in

---

Manchester United 2018/19 home kit 'leaked' Man Utd's rumoured home kit for the 2018/19 season has been 'leaked' online - and there's one controversial difference.
Manchester United 2017/18 'kits' leaked - Manchester Evening News

---

Fantasy football Premier League: Who are the best bargain players on the game this season? Wolves defender Matt Doherty is the pick Townsend has always been a reliable source of fantasy
Fantasy Football tips: Who are the best bargain strikers

---

Man United transfer news: Romelu Lukaku could leave for Inter Milan in swap deal The Italian club are arranging a massive summer and plan to introduce Antonio Conte as new boss, with the ex-Chelsea manager having named Lukaku as a key signing Manchester United would favor long term defensive target Milan Skriniar, if any sort […]
Manchester United News: The Red Devils have identified

---

PAPER TALK Transfer news and football gossip: Liverpool 'contact RB Leipzig' over Timo Werner, Jadon Sancho snubs Manchester United, Jose Mourinho set for Real Madrid return
Manchester United transfer news - Manchester Evening News

---

Hearts 1-2 Celtic: Odsonne Edouard brace sees Hoops come from

---

Manchester United are currently monitoring Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic ahead of summer transfer market to revamp their hope for next campaign.
Manchester United 'prepare summer moves for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

---

Captain Jordan Henderson has been recalled to the Liverpool side for their Premier League clash with Wolves at Molineux. Wolves vs Liverpool LIVE - Team news, score updates and commentary from
Liverpool vs Huddersfield Town Preview: Probable Lineups

---

Tuesday, 7 May 2019 (2 weeks ago)Edu is expected to become Arsenal's new sporting director in the summer. The former midfielder, who spent five seasons with the Gunners, is currently working for the Brazilian FA but is ready to join the north London club when the Copa America ends on July 7.
New Sporting Director Accepts Arsenal Offer

---

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has now agreed personal terms with Real Madrid ahead of his move to La Liga. According to The Evening Standard, Hazard has accepted an offer from Real which would see him double his current Chelsea wages. The report claims that, if he completes his move to Real Madrid, he will be […]
Eden Hazard 'agrees' huge contract with Real Madrid that will

---

'I'd have knocked Jurgen Klopp down' for celebration after

---

McCOIST may have been introduced as "legendary" coach before the game but there was nothing glorious about his side's defeat to a club from the fourth-tier of the game in the States.
Rangers 1 - 1 Kilmarnock - reddit.com

---

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has apologised for the manner in which he celebrated his team's opening goal against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on a 2-0 win over Juventus.
Diego Simeone fined by UEFA over Atletico Madrid goal

---